Harsha Ravindran

Harsha Ravindran is a dynamic 22-year-old social entrepreneur and serves as the CEO and Co-Founder of Ascendance, a global social enterprise that has impacted over 55,000 students in 26 countries, transforming at-risk Gen Z’s into social entrepreneurs thus putting the most vulnerable communities in the driver seat of creating local and global change.

She is also the Executive Director of the NextGen Entrepreneurship Network (NGEN), connecting entrepreneurial communities across Ivy League and other top-tier universities, fostering a collaborative ecosystem for innovation.

Harsha is a 3-time TEDx speaker and an international conference presenter, recognised for her contributions to youth empowerment and innovation. In 2019, she received the prestigious Diana Award for Young Changemakers, honouring her influence in creating positive social change. She was later celebrated in Prestige Malaysia’s 40 Under 40 list in 2022 as one of the nation’s most innovative leaders and was named a Skoll Fellow by the Skoll Foundation in the USA for her commitment to driving transformative social entrepreneurship.

A published author, Harsha’s book, The Makings of A Teenage Entrepreneur, chronicles her journey and insights into youth entrepreneurship. Currently pursuing her undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania, Harsha is also the President of the Wharton Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Club (WUEC), where she continues to champion and mentor budding entrepreneurs. Harsha’s relentless drive to uplift youth and empower entrepreneurs exemplifies her commitment to creating meaningful, lasting change across the globe.

Making an impact is a day-to-day phenomenon. It’s a cumulation of hundreds of small wins from thousands of actions by a group of people that is just enough to collectively move the needle.