Aakash is empowering unemployable youth to navigate the future of work & learning in India by mastering21st century skills through self-learning. He is integrating the culture, tools, and practice of self-learning in the Indian education and vocational training system and transitioning teachers as champions of 21st-century skills. By doing so, institutions and teachers are enabling young people to experience purpose and autonomy and take charge of their own learning and career pathways.

Prior to starting the QUEST Alliance, Aakash worked with Microsoft’s regional office in Istanbul covering the Middle East and Africa. He was in the Regional Community Affairs & Citizenship team that developed a 3-year regional plan for digital inclusion programs with a strong focus on IT Skills development for employment. He was the Country Director of theInternational Youth Foundation and helped set up the Quest Alliance in partnership with USAID in India.

He was an active member of AIESEC, the world’s largest youth organization that helps young people gain vital leadership & cross-cultural experiences, for over 4 years where he held various local, national, and global leadership positions. He has worked extensively on training & facilitating youth leadership programs in over 10 countries. He is passionate about exploring the role of business in poverty alleviation and the role of networks in taking collective action through a multi-stakeholder approach.

He is an Ashoka fellow & Asia 21 leader and on the board of Children’s Movement of Civic Awareness (CMCA).

He has a graduate degree in Economics from St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad.