Neelesh Bhatia

Senior Associate Director, Ecosystems Development at NUS Enterprise

Speaker

Neelesh brings over 30 years of seasoned leadership as a CEO, entrepreneur, and senior academic administrator. His extensive experience includes spearheading teams in delivering 7-figure projects that drive enduring organizational transformation. With a track record of managing regional teams across South and Southeast Asia, he has provided strategic counsel to C-Suite executives, government officials, and NGOs in the realms of media, technology, innovation, and education. As the founding director of SPINOFF, the entrepreneurship, and innovation center at Singapore Polytechnic, Neelesh earned the "Excellence in Education and Training" award in 2014. His mentorship has impacted over 500 young entrepreneurs, leading to numerous accolades and funding successes. Notably, two mentees achieved the prestigious Singapore Youth Entrepreneurship Award under his guidance. Until recently, Neelesh served as the Founder and CEO of Akadasia, his fifth startup and the largest online community of teachers in Asia, boasting over 300,000 educators on the platform. Presently, he contributes his time and expertise to the National University of Singapore as the Senior Associate Director for South East Asia Growth at Block 71, NUS Enterprise.