Naveen Jha is an exceptional leader who firmly believes in the power of innovation and human ingenuity to bring about positive change in society. He is a Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI) for 2023 and an ALI Fellow for 2022. Naveen has a proven track record of creating sustainable and scalable enterprises that benefit society and the economy. As the founding CEO of the Deshpande Foundation India and the founder of the Deshpande Education Trust, he is dedicated to delivering impact and building the capability of local ecosystems. In addition, Naveen co-founded and served as president of the Hubli chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE). His passion for education and entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish Sandbox Startups, an incubation ecosystem that supports many problem-solving, mission-driven entrepreneurs. Naveen has served on the board of several for-profit and nonprofit organizations and was a member of the State of Karnataka’s Knowledge Commission. His remarkable achievements earned him multiple awards, such as the International Ford Foundation Fellowship 2004. He was also a British Chevening Gurukul Fellow at Oxford University in 2019.
