Dhun is Chief of Programmes and Deputy CEO at AVPN where she leads Thematic Platforms (Climate, Gender, Health and Nutrition) and Capital Mobilisation. As a member of the leadership team, Dhun supports AVPN’s overall strategic direction developing and implementing organisational strategies to maximise impact.
Dhun is a recognised expert and thought leader in impact and philanthropy and has held several leadership positions in the past including as CEO, COO, and board member. Prior to joining AVPN, she was at UBS as the Head of Social Impact & Philanthropy for Asia-Pacific and Head of Social Finance, and she was a member of the management team for the bank’s foundation network - the UBS Optimus Foundation. Dhun has spearheaded several first-of-a-kind programs in education including development impact bonds, innovative finance mechanisms and a blended finance fund.
Dhun holds degrees in Economics and Development and is a strong proponent of impact economy.

Claudia Zeisberger is a Professor at INSEAD and one of the most well-connected figures in the private capital space, with over 35 years of experience in financial markets. She founded INSEAD’s Global Private Equity Initiative (GPEI), shaping the school’s global reputation in private equity and venture capital, and has been widely recognized for her teaching excellence, winning INSEAD’s Best Teaching Award for her Private Equity elective three years in a row.
An active investor across startups, private equity, and venture funds, Claudia also advises boards, leadership teams, and governments, often describing herself as a “Professional Devil’s Advocate.” She serves on advisory boards including Standard Chartered Ventures, Linzor Capital, Kaizenvest, and S4Learning, and is a founding member of KKR’s Sustainability Expert Advisory Council.
Claudia is also the founder of 5 Quadrants, a research and risk advisory firm, and the author of the best-selling book Mastering Private Equity. A sought-after speaker at the intersection of finance, innovation, and risk, she brings seasoned judgment, candour, and a global perspective to every platform she engages with.

Akshay is a tech entrepreneur who founded and runs Leverage, an AI-enabled startup at the crossroads of higher education, financial services, and housing for immigrant talent. Incubated by DFJ Ventures’ Tim Draper in Silicon Valley, Leverage has raised $75M from leading global investors and today operates across 18 countries, with a $45M annualised revenue run-rate.
An ISB Hyderabad graduate and Board Member, Akshay was recently inducted as a Fellow at St. George’s House, Windsor Castle. Outside work, he champions education equity through Padho India and leads an animal care initiative dedicated to his German Shepherd son, supporting shelters and stray dog welfare.

Raman is the CEO of Octava Foundation ,where she stewards foundation’s investment in Education, Technology in Education and Social Innovation. She’s spent over a decade, supporting social purpose organisations, social innovators, philanthropic institutions and individuals become effective and evidence informed in solving for complex inequity challenges in learning and livelihoods across diverse contexts. Amongst other appointments, Raman is the Chair , for Steering Committee of the International Education Funders Group, and Board Director at Ideas Academy. Before joining Octava Foundation, Raman led Lorinet Foundation as Executive Director.
She is a passionate advocate of collective impact, and firmly believes in the potential of building shared purpose amongst private, public and social development actors to solve complex societal and systemic challenges.
Raman holds an MBA and BA in Commerce and Accounting, and has lived in Singapore, United Kingdom and India.

Mike Michalec is the Founder and Managing Director of EdTech Group, a leading education market intelligence, business development, and research consultancy focused on emerging markets across Asia and the Middle East. With nearly 20 years of experience in education, technology, and international development, he has supported investors, businesses, and governments in scaling impactful education and skills solutions. His work bridges the public and private sectors, with expertise in evidence-based EdTech, education investment, and workforce development. Mike is recognized for his insights into the role of AI in education innovation and for his commitment to advancing sustainable human capital development across the region.
He holds a Master of Education degree from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Colorado.

Devi Sahny, CEO and Founder of two ed-tech companies The Edge and Ascend Now, is on a mission to democratise entrepreneurship and life skills for students aged 6-18.  Her mission is to help students become future-ready by equipping them with the right toolkit of skills that will help them thrive in an uncertain future. Her curriculum supports 270+ schools till date and thousands of students. Prior to starting her businesses 8 years ago, Devi was an investment banker at Goldman Sachs in the M&A group for three years, which is where I met her. Currently, she serves on the Board of Governors of several international schools (Dukes Education and HIS International School), and is on the Board of Governors of Georgetown University (The Baratta Centre for Global Business founded by Joe Baratta).  At a young age of 31, she has accumulated accolades like Forbes 30 Under 30, Prestige 40 Under 40, and is the winner of a prestigious innovator award from Sequoia Capital called Spark Fellow. In addition to this, Devi is a TedXSpeaker (her Ted talk was about how students should have more autonomy and more of a say in what they learn) and a St Gallen Symposium Leader of Tomorrow.

Paul leads Save the Children Global Ventures, the dedicated, in-house team at Save the Children responsible for taking innovative finance and new technologies to scale.
He brings a unique mix of private sector, government and NGO experience to this initiative, including: as a corporate lawyer, founder of technology start-ups, adviser to two Australian Prime Ministers and CEO of Save the Children Australia.
At Save the Children Global Ventures, his mission is to re-imagine how the world funds and scales innovative solutions for children.

Ms Carina Lim is the Chief Executive Officer of Keppel Education Asset Funds and Managing Director of Keppel Fund Management Limited (KFM). She has over 25 years of experience in the real estate industry, having worked in investment, asset management, leasing, sales, and marketing before taking on her present role in January 2019.
Ms Lim joined Keppel in 2008 as Senior Manager and later assumed the role of Head of Asset Management in 2013, where she oversaw asset management in Asia Pacific for a series of closed-end private funds across different risk spectrums (including core, core-plus and value-add) and asset types. In KFM, she led the implementation of various asset strategies including asset optimization, development, refurbishment, ESG and other value-add initiatives for the funds and was instrumental in the successful transactions undertaken by the funds. To date, she has been involved in more than US$8 billion worth of transactions across key cities in Asia Pacific.
Prior to joining Keppel, she worked in the government sector as well as with large private developers in the areas of policies, leasing, marketing, investment and asset management.

Professor Winn boasts a distinguished career in higher education leadership and currently serves as Vice-Chancellor and President of Taylor’s University, Malaysia. As the Vice-Chancellor of Sohar University in Oman from 2015 to 2022, Professor Winn led transformative efforts, resulting in a substantial growth of the student numbers, expansion of Masters programmes and the granting of PhD awarding powers. Prior to this he held key positions at renowned institutions, serving as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Bradford and Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Hull. Professor Winn's has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and has a been a reviewer for the Quality Assurance Agency (UK) and the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA). He has served as external examiner for undergraduate and postgraduate programs as well as PhDs at various universities worldwide. He remains committed to driving higher quality university education appropriate for the digital age.

Dr. Vicki Phillips is CEO of the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE), a global nonprofit that partners with countries, states, districts, and education leaders to design systems that meet the demands of a shifting economy while enriching civic life and expanding opportunity across generations. Under her guidance, NCEE translates global research into local impact, helping communities build education systems that are inclusive, future-fit, and rooted in the aspirations of the people they serve.
Her career spans classrooms, state capitals, and the global stage. From teacher to superintendent, policymaker to international advisor, she has led with a resolute belief in the extraordinary potential of every learner. Her work challenges conventional limits and invites bold thinking—mobilizing communities to design learning environments that are academically rigorous, human-centered, adaptive, and capable of preparing young people to thrive in a world defined by change.

Paul Blackstone is the Chief Executive Officer of SummitLearn, a leading management consultancy specializing in education across Greater Asia, the Middle East, and North America. With over two decades of leadership experience in the global education sector, he has guided organizations through growth strategies, international expansion, and operational transformation.
Previously, Paul served as CEO of Pearson Asia’s Wall Street English business in China, where he scaled the company from 10,000 to 65,000 students, growing it into one of Pearson’s fastest-expanding operations with over $250 million in annual sales and 3,500 employees. He has also held leadership roles in the U.S., Australia, and Argentina, contributing to the development of some of the earliest digital learning programs.
A regular speaker at global education forums including SXSW EDU, the EdTech Asia Summit, and the Global EdTech Awards, Paul brings a wealth of expertise in innovation, digital learning, and organizational strategy. He holds a BA in Economics from Flinders University and a CELTA in English language teaching

Cheryl Seah, PhD, is a developmental psychologist and a researcher with expertise in the area of child development, childhood disorders, mental health, early intervention for children and
families and implementation science.
She has extensive knowledge and experience coordinating, supporting familycentred program design, as well as the implementation and management of large-scale evaluation projects, such as the 5-year KidSTART outcome evaluation. She has over 20 years experience gained in clinical practice and advocacy work that aims to improve the quality of lives for vulnerable children and families.
She teaches early childhood educators on inclusion at Singapore University of Social Science (SUSS), and recently received the Singapore University Of Social Sciences (SUSS) Award For Teaching Excellence 2022.
She leads the implementation work in the Centre for Holistic Initiatives for Learning and Development (CHILD) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Cheryl has worked closely with teams from government agencies, social service agencies, foundations, hospital and University settings.

Nicholas Booker is the Co-Founder and CEO of IndoGenius and a leading expert on Indian higher education, research, and innovation. A British citizen with Overseas Citizenship of India, he has lived and worked in India since 2007, building extensive networks across government, academia, and industry. Through IndoGenius, he has delivered large-scale study abroad programs backed by the U.S., U.K., Australian, New Zealand, and Indian governments, engaging more than 1,700 students worldwide.
In addition to IndoGenius, Nicholas is the CEO of Realversity Technology, an AI-driven platform for student services and learning tools. He has partnered with institutions including the U.S. Department of State, British Council, European Commission, and dozens of universities to advance global education collaboration. A regular speaker at international conferences and campuses, he was also the lead instructor of the U.S. State Department’s Coursera course The Importance of India, completed by over 15,000 learners.
With more than 500,000 social media followers, Nicholas is a widely recognized commentator on India’s history, culture, innovation, and technology. He brings a unique perspective as both a practitioner and thought leader at the intersection of education, technology, and cross-border collaboration.

Mashael brings over two decades of experience in investment banking, financial advisory, and business development across the MENA region. A trusted and visionary leader, she is recognized for her strategic mindset, rigorous execution, and high ethical standards. Over her career, she has originated, negotiated, and closed complex transactions for private investors, family offices, institutional clients, and sovereign funds.
She is the founder of JEO Capital Management, a holding company overseeing a diversified portfolio across key sectors, and leads JEO Partners, a Central Bank of Bahrain–regulated firm raising capital for global education and healthcare funds. Mashael also chairs Safa, a Mumtalakat portfolio company and leading carbon-offset platform.
She serves on the boards of two international schools, driving initiatives to strengthen and elevate the education sector across the region. She holds degrees from Hult International Business School and the University of Strathclyde, with executive education at Harvard and London Business School.

Rishabh Khanna is the Founder and CEO of Suraasa and the International Teachers University, leading global efforts to transform teacher education and professional development. A visionary in the field, he has pioneered initiatives to develop national professional standards for teachers, implement large-scale skilling projects, and drive country-level education reforms.
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At the forefront of shaping the teacher workforce in the age of AI, Rishabh is redefining how educators are equipped with the skills, adaptability, and growth pathways needed to thrive in rapidly evolving classrooms. His work also extends to global teacher mobility, where he is creating pathways for educators to build international careers while ensuring their professional standards are globally recognized.

Driven by the belief that when teachers succeed, nations succeed, Rishabh continues to inspire policies, frameworks, and innovations that elevate teachers as catalysts of societal transformation in a changing world.

Dr. Avantika Tomar is a Partner and L&D Head for EY-Parthenon India, and she leads the Education sector practice. Avantika has strategy and organisational consulting experience in India, Australia, Saudi Arabia and UK. After 7+ years of living in Sydney and London, Avantika has recently relocated to India to follow her passion for the education sector - her focus areas are K-12 and Higher-education, and she has a personal ambition to support policy related transformation, especially in India, Middle East, South East Asia, and North Africa. Avantika is also a passionate academic with a focus on practical business learning and is currently Guest Professor at IIM Calcutta, Udaipur, Tiruchirappalli, Masters Union and BITSoM.
In the past, as a part of the Leadership Team, she was responsible for establishing and managing Mercer’s global Future of Work (FoW) solution focusing on establishing the practice in key markets (UK-Europe, China-Singapore-India, and US-Canada). She has extensive experience in business development, project delivery, driving internal collaboration and building stronger market presence across Financial Services, Public, Education, and Sports sectors.
Avantika is a two-time TEDx and keynote speaker and has presented on ‘Future of Work’ related topics at many notable global conferences including World Economic Forum’s industry conventions, Corporate Research Forum, Global Youth and Apprenticeship Networks, to name a few.

Dr. Michael Golden is a proven education leader committed to education reform. He brings expertise in the convergence of business, technology, and education. He leads Catalyst@PennGSE, an endeavor to design innovative practices and scale actionable solutions to advance opportunity for all learners. Prior, he co-founded Educurious, a non-profit corporation dedicated to motivating students to become purposeful and successful. Dr. Golden served as Deputy Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, where he set strategy, policy, programs, and legislation. He also served in senior executive positions at Pearson and Microsoft, directing the company’s global efforts in education. Dr. Golden holds an Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and a B.A. from Williams College.

Shin Gee is passionate about creating lasting impact through education, sustainability and innovation.
With over 20 years of leadership experience in philanthropy and public service, she has a track record of translating strategy into meaningful impact. At Temasek Foundation, Shin Gee leads the Next Generation Programmes team, shaping initiatives that nurture future-ready learners and changemakers. Previously at Temasek Trust, Shin Gee steered strategy, mandates and impact, advancing sustainability and catalysing positive change across its ecosystem.
Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles as Chief Transformation Officer and Chief Learning Officer at the Land Transport Authority, and policy and industry development positions at the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Finance, and the Economic Development Board. Across these roles, she built and led strong teams to deliver transformative outcomes in complex systems.
Shin Gee has a Masters of Arts in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago, a Masters of Science in Applied Finance from the Singapore Management University, and a Bachelors of Science in Economics from University College London.
At the heart of  her work is a commitment to building teams and communities where people and ideas can flourish.

Sheinal Bhuralal is the Co-founder of Agora Colearning, a vibrant community that goes beyond being a preschool, student care, or enrichment centre. Agora brings together physical spaces, programmes, and technology to empower families and help children learn, develop, and thrive, with parents staying connected every step of the way.
Previously, Sheinal served as Senior Portfolio Director at JG Digital Equity Ventures (JG DEV), the venture capital arm of JG Summit, where he led investments in fintech, supply chain, new retail, and e-commerce. His career spans leadership roles in financial services and fintech.
He holds an MBA from MIT (Sloan Fellow), a PGD in Finance from the London School of Economics, an M.Sc. in Chemistry from King’s College London, and is a CFA Charterholder.