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Akshay Chaturvedi

Founder & CEO, Leverage Edu

Akshay Chaturvedi is the Founder & CEO of Leverage Edu, one of the world's largest human mobility plays, helping ambitious students and skilled professionals from emerging markets move across borders to access the best education, careers, and life abroad. Anchored in India and operating across 18 source countries spanning South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, Leverage Edu powers the full lifecycle of cross-border mobility: education, upskilling, careers, financial services, and relocation. For universities and employers across 28 destination countries, it offers an AI product suite for global talent recruitment and planning. For individuals, a 360-degree stack that enables remittance, education loans, housing, travel, career support, early-banking, and more.

Incubated by DFJ Ventures' Tim Draper in Silicon Valley, Leverage Edu over the last 9 years has partnered with leading investors from around the world on the journey, including ETS, Blume Ventures, Kaizenvest Private Equity, DSG Consumer Partners, Tomorrow Capital, Sterling Partners, DSP Mutual Fund, Spring Marketing Capital, Bennett Coleman Group, as well as leading family offices of Binny Bansal, Mithun Sacheti, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Mankind promoter Rajeev Juneja, Capri Global, Indorama Corporation, Lodha Group among others. It now spans 40 countries across 60+ offices, and is on track to surpass $75M in revenue with 100% YoY growth over the last couple of years. An obsession with making every single customer interaction an 11/10 is the core DNA of the 1,500+ team spread across all continents (except Antarctica ~ since nobody is moving there or from there at the moment!)

The company's impact now touches hundreds of thousands of lives across emerging economies: students pursuing global education, professionals building international careers, and institutions accessing a pipeline of talent from the world's youngest and fastest-growing populations. Leverage Edu has built a dense network of source-to-destination corridors that spans continents, positioning it uniquely at the intersection of the Global South's demographic dividend and the developed world's growing talent deficit.

An ISB Hyderabad (India's #1, FT Global #12 MBA) graduate and now a Board Member of its Entrepreneurship School, Akshay was named a CNBC Young Turk in 2019. Next, he was listed on Forbes India's 30 Under 30, and subsequently on Forbes Asia's 30 Under 30 in early 2020. And later that year, he received the TiE Entrepreneurial Excellence Award. Under his leadership, Leverage Edu was listed in the Deloitte Tech Fast 50 list in 2022 as the 19th fastest-growing tech company in India.

In a significant recognition of his global influence, Akshay was in early 2025 inducted as a Fellow of St. George's House, Windsor Castle, founded in the 1960s by Prince Philip. He was one of only two Indian entrepreneurs selected globally for this honour. He is a member of the core Founders Circle of the British Asian Trust, a philanthropic initiative founded by His Majesty King Charles III to advance education and opportunity in South Asia. He was also among a dozen select delegates invited to spend a weekend at the Pope's Gardens in Vatican City in late 2025, as a member of the Guild of the Harambeans Alliance, recognising Leverage Edu's pioneering work in building mobility pathways from Africa to Europe, one of several emerging-market corridors the company now operates in.

Some of the Biggest Highlights:

With Tesla and SpaceX founder, Elon Musk at Tesla Factory in Nov '25

With Dubai Crown Prince HH Sheikh Hamdan, alongside other Indian unicorn founders in Oct '25

With Microsoft founder and now-philanthropist, Bill Gates in Mar '23

With Princess Anne, British Royal Family at Windsor Castle in Jul '25

With CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman in Silicon Valley alongside Indian Entrepreneurs' Delegation in Nov '25

With Tesla and SpaceX founder,
Elon Musk alongside Indian Entrepreneurs' Delegation in Jan '25

A recipient of the Prime Minister's Champions of Change (2019), Akshay worked closely with the Ministry of Education on higher education policy frameworks. In 2020, he received the BusinessWorld TechTors Award as one of the country's top tech entrepreneurs. He has twice been awarded Entrepreneur of the Year: first in the Consumer Business category in 2020, and then in the Service Business (Education) category in 2023. In November 2022, he appeared on the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine, featured as one of "The Most Daring CEOs". Over the past few years, Akshay and Leverage Edu have been profiled on the front pages of The Economic Times, Mint, and other leading publications over a couple dozen times, becoming a trusted voice in the sector.

Akshay's entrepreneurial journey is marked not just by professional milestones but by episodes of resilience and personal conviction. Growing up in a half-room house, with most of his family's income dedicated to his education, he learned early on to balance ambition with a drive to create meaningful impact, a philosophy that continues to shape Leverage Edu. Over the years, he has led the company through volatile market cycles, global disruptions, and complex cross-border challenges, always responding with a combination of empathy, bold action, and unwavering commitment to the mission. His leadership, rooted in humility, shared purpose, and doing right by all stakeholders, has enabled Leverage Edu to triple and then double its revenue twice consecutively, proving that scale can meet an obsession with customer success too.

Akshay frequently speaks at global forums on human mobility, workforce policy, and India's role in global human flows. In October 2025, he had the privilege of meeting His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, reflecting Leverage Edu's growing influence in global human mobility. In December 2025, he met the UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the Labour Party Congress in Glasgow, where he spoke about the incredible universities Leverage Edu partners with, supporting them on international student recruitment, housing, financial services systems, and a suite of AI products that help them win globally. In June 2025, he met the UK's ex-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak over a special breakfast, where they exchanged their vision and expectations for Leverage Edu and Leveragians, given the company is now the largest platform bringing international students into the UK. In May 2025, he had a chance to greet French President Emmanuel Macron, and as a result work with his team to grow Leverage Edu's expansion in France. Previously, in March 2024, he met with Dr. S. Jaishankar, Hon'ble External Affairs Minister of India, to discuss the company's long-term role in shaping global human mobility. In 2023, he met with Bill Gates during the latter's India visit to explore shared interests around education access.

With Heads of States / Prominent Global Political Figures:

With Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer at Scottish Labour Party Congress in Dec '25

With President of France, Emmanuel Macron in Albania in May '25

With Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak in London in Jun '25

With Former Prime Minister of Italy, Matteo Renzi in Sep '25

With Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay in Feb '26

With Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan at British Asian Trust Dinner, London in Feb '25

With UK Chancellor, Rachel Reeves at Scottish Labour Party Congress in Dec '25

Deep Engagement in the UK, Leverage Edu's Second HQ

With UK Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson at Labour Party Fundraiser in Jan '25

With UK Commerce Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds at Scottish Labour Party Congress in Dec '25

With Member of House of Lords, Jitesh Gadhia at British Asian Trust Dinner, London in Feb '25

With UK MP, Jasbir Athwal at Leverage Edu's UK University Roundtable Lunch in Sep '25

With Member of House of Lords, Krish Raval in London in Jan '25

With Prime Minister of the UK,
Keir Starmer in London

At Nas Summit Bangkok in Aug '25

At LEARN Riyadh in Oct '25

He has been a featured speaker at events such as Nas Summit (with Nuseir Yassin of Nas Daily), EdTech Asia (on mobility trends), IGF Dubai & IGF London (on India's rise as a global talent hub), EdTechWeek New York, ASU-GSV San Diego, GITEX Global Dubai, Horasis Global Summit São Paulo, UNDP, WISE Qatar, LEARN Riyadh, Vivatech Paris, EdTechX Europe, NAFSA Inaugural Global Summit Morocco, and the World Economic Forum in Astana, Kazakhstan.

He has previously been an active participant on mainstream news platforms, including ET Now, CNBC, WION, Times Now, NDTV, etc, interviewed by leading journalists like Barkha Dutt, Shereen Bhan and Vikram Chandra. Though taken a backseat from it starting 2023, similar to a backseat from any angel investing, and also from most events. Leverage Edu's CXOs / rest of leadership has now taken up that mantle which allows Akshay to focus on core growth.

As Leverage Edu scales its role as a global human mobility infrastructure, the company has built relationships with key diplomatic leaders across major corridors. From Ambassadors to High Commissioners, these engagements focus on strengthening cross-border education and workforce pathways, enabling countries to tap into the talent pools of South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Ambassadors / High Commissioners / Diplomats to India:

With Former US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti in Jan '24

With British High Commissioner to India, Lindy Cameron in Mar '25

With Australian High Commissioner to India, Sir Philip Green at Australian High Commission, New Delhi in Mar '25

With Former Ambassador of Japan to India, Kenji Hiramatsu in Oct '24

With Consul General of Hungary, Dr Ferenc Jári at Hungarian Consulate General, Mumbai in Jul '25

With Country Director India, British Council, Alison Barrett in May '25

He has met and engaged with prominent political leaders across the US, the Middle East, Africa, and Australia as part of his work in the industry. These interactions reflect the growing role of education in shaping economic opportunity and global partnerships.

Prominent Political Leaders Across the US, the Middle East, Africa, Australia:

With Chairman of PIF, Saudi Arabia, HE Yasir Al-Rumayyan in Feb '24

With New Jersey Governor,
Phil Murphy in Sep '25

With Director General of Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, HE Helal Saeed Al Marri in Oct '25

With Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, UAE, HE Omar bin Sultan Al Olama in Oct '25

With Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Australia, Julie Bishop at FII Priority Hong Kong in Dec '23

With Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Nigeria, Dr. Bosun Tijani in Sep '23

Leverage Edu has also engaged with Indian policymakers and senior leaders shaping India's global footprint. These interactions reflect the company's commitment to shaping the future of global talent flows, aligned with India's Skill India and Viksit Bharat missions, while simultaneously building pathways for talent from across Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East to access opportunities that transform lives and strengthen economies on both sides of the corridor. The moments below capture this growing alignment between policy, partnerships, and student outcomes.

Indian Political Leaders:

With Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi in Feb '17

With Indian Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal at India-UK FTA meet in Apr '25

With Indian Union Minister of External Affairs, Dr S. Jaishankar and
Ma'am Kyoko Jaishankar in Mar '24

With Maharashtra Deputy Chief Ministers, Eknath Shinde & Ajit Pawar at Inaugural WAVES in May '25

With Gujarat Chief Minister, Bhupendra Patel in Jun '26

With Maharashtra Deputy Chief Ministers, Eknath Shinde & Ajit Pawar at Inaugural WAVES in May '25

With Indian All-Party Delegation in Madrid in Jun '25

Indian Envoys to the Globe:

With Ambassador of India to the US, Vinay Kwatra at the Ambassador's Residence in Jan '25

With Former Indian Ambassador to the US, Arun Singh at Leverage Edu HQ in Sep '25

With Ambassador of India to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik in Jan '25

With High Commissioner of India to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami at India House, London in Apr '23

With Ambassador of India to Italy, Vani Rao in Rome in Sep '25

With Ambassador of India to Ireland, HE Shri Akhilesh Mishra at Embassy of India, Dublin in Aug '25

With Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Sweden, Anurag Bhushan at Embassy of India, Stockholm in Nov '25

With Ambassador of India to Brazil, Hansraj Verma at Consulate General of India, São Paulo in Oct '25

With Consul General of India in New York, Binaya Pradhan in Apr '26

From founders to Fortune 500 executives of Indian origin, Akshay has engaged with senior business leaders who have built global influence across markets. These meetings reflect a shared belief in education, technology, and talent mobility as the strongest levers for long-term transformation. The section below captures some of those moments.

With Senior Indian-Gone Global Business Leaders:

With Founder & Chairman of Bharti Enterprises (Airtel), Sunil Bharti Mittal in Oct '24

With President of World Bank and former CEO of Mastercard, Ajay Banga in Riyadh in Oct '23

With Chairmen of Hinduja Group, Prakash Hinduja & Ashok Hinduja in Feb '26

With Managing Director of Healthcare Giant Mankind Pharma, Rajeev Juneja in Oct '25

With Executive Director at Indorama Ventures, Suchitra Lohia at Lohia House, Bangkok in Aug '25

With former CEO of Mahindra Satyam, CP Gurnani
in Aug '25

With Founder & Chairman, Hari Krishna Exports Pvt Ltd and Padma Shree Awardee, Savji Dholakia at Dholakia House, Surat in Apr '24

With Founder & Chairman of
Marico, Harsh Mariwala
in Mar '24

With Founder & Executive Chairperson of Biocon Limited, Kiran Mazumdar in New York in Oct '23

With CEO of IDFC Bank,
V. Vaidyanathan in Feb '23

With Managing Director of JSW Steel, Sajjan Jindal in Feb '23

Akshay's personal philosophy is rooted in purpose, people, and audacious ambition. Inspired by leaders who think at planetary scale, he draws strength from bold risk-taking, relentless work ethic, and deep human connection. He often cites his conversation with Elon Musk, now twice over, as formative, particularly around the purity of ambition and mission obsession. While his inspiration stems from visionaries, his daily compass is shaped by values picked up during school assembly speeches: doing good, unlocking the best in others, and sharing rewards generously. He actively writes about Leverage Edu's missions & goals, alongside a few other topics of self-devotion, with a following of 100,000+ across social media.

Outside work, Akshay is a passionate advocate for education equity and animal welfare. While the company now runs Padho India formally, a social impact initiative that supports children for primary education across schools in underserved communities, Akshay's personal priority is BFG (BuzoForGood.com), an animal care initiative dedicated to his German Shepherd son Buzo, that supports dog shelters, operates over 40 feeding spots, and has adopted an operation theatre where free medical treatment can be offered; and that, is closest to his heart.