Riya started her career as a trader at JPMorgan, and soon became the youngest ever Portfolio Manager at Wellington Management. As an investor, she became fascinated by two key themes that she could see were changing the future of business: purpose & technology. She left finance to do a social impact leadership programme and learn to code. Her subsequent career pivots spanned social enterprise and tech startups, leading her to Founders Intelligence, the advisory arm of Founders Forum. Here she advised some of the world’s largest companies, including Unilever, Sky & Fannie Mae, on how to reinvent their industries through new business models and technologies. Inspired by her own journey of reinvention, Riya started designing a new blueprint for adult education and the idea for Founders Academy was born.

Asha has spent her career developing transformative products and experiences at the intersection of people, technology and education. Prior to launching Founders Academy, she was Chief Product Officer at SchoolApply, a platform to connect international students with study abroad opportunities around the world. She also spent nearly seven years working across a variety of leadership positions in tech, marketing, talent acquisition, and sales at EF Education First, the world leader in international education. Asha is a trustee with The Change Foundation, an award-winning charity that uses sport and dance to create transformational change in young people. Asha earned her bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Washington University in St. Louis and her MBA from Harvard Business School.

Brent was one of the earliest UK internet pioneers, which ignited a life-long passion to pursue and support entrepreneurship. After co-founding lastminute.com in April 1998, which sold to Sabre for $1.1BN in 2005, he started Founders Forum, a series of intimate events across the globe for the leading founders of today and the rising stars of tomorrow. Over the last 15 years, the Founders Forum ecosystem has expanded into a family of businesses that are committed to championing entrepreneurs & innovators at every stage of their journey. Brent sits on the advisory boards of the UK Government Digital Council, The Oxford Foundry & LetterOne Technology. He was also a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and was awarded a CBE in the 2015 New Year’s Honour’s List.