To o y o u n g t o s t a r t y o u r o w n B U S I N E S S? Devi Sahny believes the answer is ‘no’. Devi Sahny - Founder and CEO of Ascend Now. Now the founder and CEO of a successful Ed Tech company, Devi started her first business when she was 14. After attending a summer course on bead-making, she started a business selling custom jewelry. Her first client was her Dutch teacher, and then she went door-to-door selling her jewelry. Since then, Devi has built her business skills and made the Forbes 30 Under 30 - Asia - Consumer Technology list. Her company, Ascend Now, offers personalized academic and entrepreneurial tutoring to nearly 11,000 students across 13 countries. Her inspiration for this came from her experience as a teaching assistant in Economics at Georgetown University. Devi’s job was to offer optional revision sessions to students - but almost nobody ever came. However, once she said yes to a few requests to personalize her review sessions, things started to change. She found herself offering reviews in French, over the phone, and even next to a basketball court for a student who revised best while practicing! “I realized that students learn better in a personalized format rather than a large group format.” This power of personalizing education inspired her business ideas. spent at Goldman Sachs, but ultimately the work did not interest me - education always made me tick. Despite being often told that at 23 she was too young to own her own business, Devi wasn’t one to give up. “I'm a stubborn individual. I always liked doing things on my own terms.” It took Devi three tries to get approved for an Employment Pass visa in order to start her own business. “Any founder will tell you how many ‘no’s’ you will get before your first ‘yes’.” While waiting, for approval, Devi didn’t waste time. She met with parents and educators to refine her ideas about the company she wanted to create - one that focused on personalizing education. Devi says technology has been a huge amplifier. “It allows us to do what we need in minutes, even seconds. Technology has greatly helped to deliver access to education for students in various forms and modes.” As the CEO of an Ed Tech firm, you would assume Devi is a ‘techy’ person, but she says “Techy? Definitely not. I spent four hours trying to download books on my new, lateto-the-game Kindle. I also didn’t know Netflix could download movies for planes etc. But I’ve always had a problem-solving mindset. Systems, processes, categories - everything can be improved in the world. I like to make things better.” But it hasn’t been just technology and a network that has helped thousands of students thrive. Devi believes that the most important factors in a successful start-up are focus, hard work, some luck, and a persistent mindset. She also values mentors that she can turn to for advice. “I found partners that aligned in our vision and mission. These partners have experience, supported us, helped us improve, and helped us add strategic value.” When asked what makes a good company leader, Devi says, “empathy, inspiration, kindness, being team-oriented, and learning to adapt quickly. Also, being a ‘culture carrier’.” Devi’s advice for young people wanting to start their own tech company: • Serve others • Be good at what you do • Remember age is just a number. Start now! • Get to know yourself • Fail early • Learn, strengthen your mindset With this background, you would think Devi had always been a strong student, but she says not. “In middle school, I was one of the lowest performing students academically. In fact, I was asked to repeat a year. I wasn’t interested in the content.” However, in high school, Devi’s mindset changed and she began to channel her motivation and energy into school. “I worked hard; I don’t think I was one of those students who found school easy. I really worked for it.” Through this she developed grit, a work ethic, and discipline. Eventually, Devi became School Council President and, Valedictorian. Devi’s academic journey is the foundation of her company’s approach — empowering students to take charge of their learning while developing passion projects and improving soft skills. “Education feels linear. Life is the opposite of linear and kids know that.” And this is true for Devi. Looking back, she wishes she had reflected upon her strengths and a best-fit career. After graduating, Devi started a career in finance. “My biggest mistake was probably not starting Ascend Now right after college. I thought I needed “experience” in the job market before this. I am grateful for the time “ Serve others. Be good at what you do. Age is just a number. Start now!”
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