Anirvan Chowdhury - Director Qualcomm Ventures

 As a seasoned mentor in the startup ecosystem, with nearly 15 years of experience spanning venture capital, corporate development, data science, and entrepreneurship. He has led and supported investments across sectors like SaaS, AI, spacetech, healthtech, and robotics through roles at Premji Invest, Blume Ventures, and others. As a board member and advisor to several high-growth startups, Anirvan brings a sharp eye for frontier innovation and founder-first thinking. A Mechanical Engineer from BITS Pilani and an MBA graduate from ISB Hyderabad, he is passionate about guiding early-stage founders to build bold, scalable ventures.

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Mrs Vani is a seasoned entrepreneur-turned-investor with 22 years of experience in Silicon Valley and a strong track record of building high-value companies in India. As a Founding Partner at Kalaari Capital, she is known for backing first-time, ambitious entrepreneurs and mentoring them to scale. Vani is deeply involved with her portfolio, often described as a trusted, accessible advisor who sets high organizational standards. She believes India’s digital journey is just beginning and sees immense opportunity in supporting innovation for its growing, aspirational population. Beyond work, Vani practices heartfulness meditation, supports women in leadership, and is committed to building lasting institutions.

Mr Mahe Bayireddi, Co-founder and CEO of Phenom, is a visionary leader who has transformed the HR technology landscape through AI-driven talent experiences. Under his leadership, Phenom has grown into a global SaaS powerhouse, empowering companies to hire, develop, and retain talent with precision and scale. With a mission to help a billion people find the right job, Mahe brings deep expertise in product innovation, AI integration, and global SaaS growth. As a mentor, he guides founders in building scalable tech products, creating purpose-driven businesses, and navigating the complexities of global expansion with sharp insight and a relentless focus on impact.

Akash Palkhiwala is the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Qualcomm Incorporated, where he plays a pivotal role in driving the company’s global financial strategy and operational excellence. With over two decades at Qualcomm, Akash has led key finance functions, including treasury, FP&A, and QCT finance. He now also oversees global operations, IT, and go-to-market efforts. An MBA graduate from the University of Maryland and a mechanical engineer from L.D. College of Engineering, Akash is known for his strategic vision and calm leadership. As a mentor, he actively guides emerging leaders and entrepreneurs on financial discipline, strategic scaling, and global execution.

Mr Ashutosh Valani, co-founder of Beardo, transformed India's men's grooming landscape. With expertise in brand building, digital marketing, and scaling D2C ventures, he mentors founders aiming to navigate the complexities of the FMCG sector and achieve sustainable growth.

As a mentor, he offers invaluable insights into brand positioning, market penetration, and building resilient D2C businesses in the competitive FMCG landscape. He guides founders through the nuances of product development, distribution strategies, and creating compelling brand narratives that resonate with modern consumers.

Mr Milapsinh Jadeja brings a sharp edge to the startup world with deep expertise in strategy, value creation, and early-stage investments. With a background in private equity and pharmaceutical management, he combines analytical rigor with market intuition to identify and nurture high-potential ventures. 

Passionate about building sustainable businesses, Milapsinh actively mentors founders on fundraising, scaling, and investor readiness — creating value for both startups and stakeholders in every step of the journey.

Mr Amey Mashelkar leads JioGenNext, the startup accelerator backed by Reliance, where he plays a key role in helping early-stage companies integrate into the vast Jio and Reliance Retail ecosystems. In the last three years, under his leadership, JioGenNext has mentored over 100 Indian startups that have collectively raised $250 million. With 18 years of diverse experience—as an entrepreneur, angel investor, and corporate leader at Microsoft, Dishnet, and Reliance—Amey brings a sharp focus on helping tech startups refine their business models and scale efficiently. He holds an Executive MBA from the Asian Institute of Management, Philippines, and continues to be a strategic voice in India’s startup landscape.

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Mr Pankaj Aswani, founder of Coolberg, pioneered India's first non-alcoholic beer brand. With deep expertise in FMCG, brand building, and nationwide distribution, he offers invaluable insights to founders navigating product-market fit, scaling operations, and mastering the complexities of India's consumer landscape.

Pankaj Aswani understands the grind of FMCG startups. He mentors founders with clarity on product positioning, GTM execution, and building distribution channels that scale — all backed by hard-earned experience and sharp market intuition.

Mr Amit Somani is a Managing Partner at Prime Venture Partners, an early-stage VC fund based in Bangalore and co-led by seasoned entrepreneurs Shripati Acharya and Sanjay Swamy. With over two decades of global leadership experience, Amit has held key roles at iconic companies like Google, Makemytrip, and IBM. At Makemytrip, he was part of the core team that steered the company to a successful NASDAQ IPO in 2010. At Google, he led product teams across search, mobile, and ads, with one of his innovations earning the prestigious Google Founders’ Award. Amit is also an active contributor to India’s tech and startup ecosystem through platforms like iSPIRT, TiE, and NASSCOM.

Mr. Anil is the Managing Partner at Unicorn India Ventures, a SEBI-registered venture capital fund that backs startups in high-growth sectors like SMAC (Social, Mobile, Analytics, Cloud), IoT, and FinTech. Before launching the fund, he led premier angel networks—Mumbai Angels and Bangalore Angels—as President. With a deep-rooted background in corporate strategy, project management, and startup investments, Anil has been instrumental in closing 60+ startup deals worth over ₹100 crore. He has served on the boards of multiple companies and actively mentors startups through various incubation centres in India and abroad. Passionate about entrepreneurship, he also advises government and industry bodies on startup policy and innovation.

Ajay Bohora is the co-founder and former Managing Director of HDFC Credila Financial Services, India's pioneering private education loan company. Motivated by personal challenges in securing educational financing, he established Credila in 2006 to bridge the gap in India's student loan market. Under his leadership, Credila evolved into a sector-defining institution, funding over 200,000 students across 64 countries and building a loan book exceeding ₹40,000 crore. The company was later acquired by HDFC Ltd., solidifying its position as a market leader. Beyond his entrepreneurial ventures, Ajay actively mentors startups and serves on various educational and policy boards, guiding the next generation of innovators with his deep industry insights and commitment to social impact.