M H Bala Subrahmanya is a Senior Professor (Economics) at the Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. He has been in IISc for more than 28 years now. He is a recipient of Commonwealth Fellowship (1999/00), Japan Foundation Fellowship (2004/05) and Fulbright-Nehru Senior Research Fellowship (2009/10). He has more than 200 publications to his credit comprising research papers in refereed national and international journals, among others. He is on the Editorial Board of Current Science Journal, CCI Journal on Competition Law and Policy and on the Editorial Advisory Board of International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, and International Journal of Global Business and Competitiveness, among others. His field of specialization is Industrial Economics with special reference to Start-ups, SMEs, Innovation and Entrepreneurial Economics, among others.

Dr. Jon Thomas (PhD, IIT Delhi) is the Director of the Esposito Family Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (EFCIE) at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV). He also holds the BC Regional Innovation Chair in Canada-India Partnership Development at UFV and is an Associate Professor (Innovation & Entrepreneurship) at UFV’s School of Business. In his role as the BC Regional Innovation Chair at UFV, he is engaged in building research partnerships between Canada and the world, with a major focus on India.

Dr. Thomas is the Acting National Academic Lead for Simon Fraser University’s invention to Innovation (i2I) national network which provides science and technology commercialization training to STEM graduates, postdocs, and faculty members across Canada. He has also been appointed as a Visiting Faculty Fellow at IIT Madras. He has mentored students, postdoctoral fellows, scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs across Canada and India for over two decades.

His research has been published in Nature Nanotechnology, Technovation, and the Journal of Engineering & Technology Management, among others. His research has also been selected for recognition by the Academy of Management (TIM Division) and he has been awarded fellowships from IIT Delhi, AICTE, and Mitacs.

Dr. Thomas is regularly invited to speak on innovation and entrepreneurship topics, and he is keenly interested in the pre-formation and early post-formation stages of venture emergence, particularly from university settings.

Dr. Ganesaraman K is Vice President at [24]7.ai. He heads Global Internal Audit & Global Information Systems, alongside being their CSR trustee. He is also a Professor of Practice at FMC, MSRUAS, Bangalore. His earlier work experiences have been associated with GE Healthcare, Visteon, and Lucas TVS.

He obtained his Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore (2021). He was awarded a Gold Medal from the Indian Economic Association for the thesis on "Tech Startup Failures in India: Causal Attributes, Life Expectancy, and Exits”. He is a qualified cost and management accountant from ICWAI Institute (2013), a triple gold medalist in PGDBA from LIBA (2001), and an engineering gold medalist from Bharathidasan University (1996).

Dr. K. M. Sharath Kumar, Professor & Head - Faculty of Management and Commerce has more than 20 years of teaching, research and service experience. He is working with the Ramaiah Group since 2008. His Areas of Specialization include Supply Chain Management, Operations Research, Data Envelopment Analysis, Entrepreneurship. He has completed B.E. in Mechanical Engineering; MBA with Marketing specialization and Ph.D. from the Coventry University, U.K. He has executed Sponsored Research Projects from the Ministry of MSME, IIIPI, ICSSR, etc. He is one such STEM Professional who was shortlisted as well as sponsored by National Bio-Pharma Mission of DBT for the Training Programmes on Technology Transfer.

Dr K. Sakthidasan Sankaran is a Senior Member of IEEE, actively reviews for leading journals, including those published by Elsevier, Springer, and Taylor & Francis. With over 100 publications in refereed journals and international conferences, he has also authored six books. Additionally, he serves as an editorial board member for several international journals. His research interests encompass Image Processing, Wireless Networks, Cloud Computing, and Antenna Design. In recognition of his contributions, he was honored with the Best Edupreneur Award at the Business World Education Summit 2023 and received two IEEE Best Publication Award.

Dr. Arif Shaikh is the esteemed Professor and Director of KLS Institute of Management Education and Research (KLS IMER), located in Belagavi, Karnataka With a robust academic background and extensive experience in the field of management education, Dr. Arif has been a pivotal figure in enhancing the institution's reputation. He holds several degrees, including a Ph.D. in Commerce and Management, and has contributed significantly to academic research, publishing numerous papers in reputable journals and co-authored 14 books few of them are as follows-

• Indian Financial System
• Basics of Banking and Insurance
• Indian Business Environment
• Export Management
• Economic Development of India
• Managerial Economics I
• Indian Economy
• Indian Economics etc…

Under his leadership, KLS IMER has implemented innovative teaching methodologies and robust curriculum designs that meet industry demands. He is committed to fostering a culture of excellence, encouraging students to engage in experiential learning and skill development. Dr. Arif actively collaborates with industry experts to ensure that the educational offerings remain relevant and impactful. His vision for the institute emphasizes holistic development, equipping students with the necessary tools to thrive in a competitive global business environment.

Dr. Kush Kalra is associated with SVKM’s NMIMS University and holds the Limca Book Record for publishing most books on Law in a Year. He is the recipient of National Youth Award by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and has attained the Gold Standard of Duke of Edinburgh Award. He has written many articles which are published in national and international Journals of repute. His areas of interest are Constitutional Law, Human Rights and Entrepreneurship. He believes that education can bring big difference to improve our lives. Link of books written by him: https://www.amazon.in/Books-Kush-Kalra/s?rh=n%3A976389031%2Cp_27%3AKush+Kal

Dr. Tamizharasi D, Professor and Area-Chair, Department of Finance, at RV Institute of Management, Bangalore. She has a rich experience of over 22 years in academics and research. She completed MBA from VIT University and Ph.D. from Mother Teresa Women’s University. Her research interests include capital markets, risk management, and financial modeling, with numerous publications in reputed journals. She has successfully led several research projects funded by notable institutions like ICSSR, and VTU. She has played a significant role in Organising academic events and fostering a research culture.

Dr. Anita Mathew is currently serving as Dean at Krupanidhi College of Mangement, Bangalore. She is a Science Graduate with a Post Graduate Degree in Personnel Management from Xavier Institute of Social Service, Jharkhand and a holds a degree in Law from Sambalpur University, Odisha. She is a learner for life and was awarded her PhD in Business Administration from Aligarh Muslim University. She started her career with a brief stint in Corporate HR, shifted to Academics and has served as a Faculty and Administrator in various B-Schools of national stature. During these years she has been actively involved in institutional and student development activities, has earned accolades of appreciation and recognition from employers for diligent and sincere efforts towards Research and Development activities, Institutional and Student progress. She has an eye for detail and is in Editorial and Reviewer role with journals indexed in publications of repute and Impact factor. She has also been engaged in reviewing and customizing international books for Indian market in the area of Industrial Relations, Organizational Behavior and Business Communication. She is also a keen researcher and passionate about publishing research papers in national and international forums. She has participated and organized Seminars, Conclaves/Workshops, National and International Conferences. She is certified Instructor by Case Centre, UK for Case Study Method of Teaching in Higher Education, a Certified Practioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and an accredited Trainer on Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Skill Assessment Process, SHRM India & FEIL. She has two patent design awarded by GoI and UK.

Dr. S. Rajkumar has been the Dean of the School of Management at Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, since May 1999. With over 25 years in academia and 4 years in industry, he specializes in Marketing, International Business, and Human Resource Management.

Holding a Ph.D. in Commerce and Management, he has completed a UGC-Minor Research Project on Total Quality Management and published extensively in National and International Journals. His innovative work has led to three Indian and one international patent.

He has authored four books and is an active Board of Studies member at Bengaluru City University. Dr. Rajkumar has received prestigious awards, including the Wiley Education Award (2019) and the Global Educational Leadership Award (2022).

Dr. Govindraj R. Mane is an accomplished academic professional specializing in management, finance, and digital marketing. He holds a Ph.D. in Management and has over 15 years of experience as a Faculty member at Depatment of MBA, KLS Gogte Institute of Technology, where he also fulfills several administrative roles including FDP Coordinator, Consultancy Coordinator, and International Connect Coordinator. His expertise spans finance, banking, entrepreneurship, and information technology. Additionally, he has extensive experience in digital media as a former sole proprietor of Softengine Digital Media and as the owner of IndianResearchers.Com. Dr. Mane is also the Editor of the Prabhandan Journal of Business Administration and has actively contributed to numerous conferences, workshops, and faculty development programs. He is deeply committed to innovation in business strategy and education through multidisciplinary approaches and has been involved in various research projects and consultancy works.

Muthu is a Mechanical Engineer with a post-graduation in Engineering Design and over 20 years of experience in Automotive and Aerospace Industry, Innovation Management, and New Product Development. He heads the IdeaLabs for Proof of Concepts at Innomantra Consulting and is involved in Technology Scouting with technical startups. He mentors and sits on the Board of 3 technical startups, holds four patents, and is currently pursuing a PhD at IISc focusing on managing disruptive technology innovations in hardware-based Tech-Startups and Deep-Tech Startups. Additionally, he mentors various technology startups and is part of the selection committee of SFAL and a jury member for the ELEVATE 100 program of startup Karnataka.

I am a Sr Research Fellow at IISc working in the area of entrepreneurial financing. Prior to my research journey, I have worked for almost a decade in the financial services industry in the strategy consulting area with KPMG in India and in the Management Strategy practice with Goldman Sachs with stints in London and Singapore. As a financial services consultant, I have worked with microfinance institutions, NBFCs, banks and fin-techs across the country and globally. I have advised clients on new product launches, helped to scale up nascent businesses and led large scale growth/diversification initiatives.

She is a Senior Research Fellow (UGC-JRF) in the Department of Management Studies, IISC. She holds Bachelor's in Engineering (BE) in Information Science from Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Belgaum, Karnataka and an MBA in Finance from Mangalore University. She is pursuing Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship Networking at the Department of Management Studies, IISc. She has two years of academic experience teaching management students at MSNM Besant Institute of Management Studies, Mangalore. Before joining as a research scholar, she volunteered for various organizations such as Houston Public Library(HPL) and The Center, Houston, a non-profit organization for 1 year in the USA.

Prachi Pratyasha: Prachi Pratyasha is currently serving as a Senior Research Scholar at the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) in the Department of Management Studies, where she is pursuing her PhD in Returnee Entrepreneurship and Internet Startups. She holds a B.A. in Economics and an MBA in Finance from the prestigious Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan. Prachi's academic journey is complemented by her one-year teaching experience at the Central University of Karnataka, Gulbarga. Her diverse background and dedication to research are driving her to make significant contributions to the understanding of entrepreneurship and the startup ecosystem.

D.B.Sreevatsa, Research fellow in Indian Institute of Science ( IISC), Department of Management Studies under Prof.Bala Subrahmanya.

Research focus : Technology Innovation, Start-ups & Entrepreneurship

Professional Experience : Sreevatsa D B (Senior Director R&D) Head of OnDevice AI Team in Samsung Research Institute (India) Bangalore.

Heading GenAI/AI research and to bring innovations for daily consumer experiences through Galaxy AI.

Dr. Muralidharan Loganathan, Director of Research at PrivateCircle.co Murali has spent more than two decades in management consulting and worked on India's entrepreneurial ecosystem in multiple ways. These include establishing and spearheading the Target Accelerator program, setting up the intrapreneurship program at Mindtree and more recently his Phd work at IISc focused on entrepreneurship support from government institutional mechanisms. Murali is currently leading the growth of a startup transactions marketplace product at PrivateCircle. Murali has a PhD from IISc and Masters from IIT Madras. He also teaches a popular entrepreneurship course at IISc, Bangalore.

Sruthi Kannan is an active driver of innovation and growth in the Indian startup ecosystem, and the recipient of the prestigious Startup India award for best startup ecosystem enabler in 2023. As an executive advisory committee member for the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, a seasoned techno-business leader at Cisco Systems, and founding Head of Cisco for Startups, she plays a pivotal role in shaping strategic outcomes, facilitating product development, expanding market reach, and securing crucial capital infusion for burgeoning tech startups.

In close partnership with deep tech startups, Sruthi has spearheaded numerous digital transformation projects across the country, addressing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in areas such as connected agriculture, e-ICUs, remote healthcare, education, and mobility. Her innovative endeavors have garnered recognition, including being named among the top 10 innovators in India in 2021 and featured in the top 100 women in STEM in 2023.

Through her instrumental work with Cisco for Startups, Sruthi has empowered startups to thrive, earning her reputation as a staunch advocate for the emancipation of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. She advises key governmental bodies such as the Department of Science and Technology, Office of PSA, and Startup India on critical areas including funding, acceleration, and state ranking initiatives.

Sruthi is a invited member of CII National Startup Council, and Green Entrepreneurship Council and co-chairs the women in STEM council on the CII National Mission for Technology, Innovation and Research. She also lends her expertise to startup boards, board of studies of universities, incubators and accelerators and is a Professor of Practice at MS Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences.

In addition to degrees in Computer Engineering and Psychology, Sruthi has specializations in Digital Transformation from UC Berkeley and Entrepreneurial Leadership from Stanford University.

Dr Subhadeep Mukherjee is currently associated with at Faculty of Management and Commerce, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences. He is also a former faculty of the Department of Management Studies, National Institute of Technology Silchar. He also has Industry Experience in the domain of HR and Marketing for many years. He has published many papers in Scopus, ABDC, Web of Science and UGC Indexed reputed journals and presented many papers in International and National Conferences. He is responsible as Co-Editor – in –Chief of Adhyatma: A Journal of Management, Spirituality and Human Values and also act as the reviewer of many International and National Scopus Indexed Journals. He is also associated as a Life Member with many esteemed organisations like the All-India Management Association (AIMA), Indian Commerce Association (ICA), Indian Economic Association (IEA).

Mr. P Rajeev Prasad is an enthusiastic and very inspiring faculty in the area of Human Resource Management and Entrepreneurship. He is serving as a faculty (since 2017) and chair of MBA HR in the Faculty of Management and Commerce, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences. He has been honored with “Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Lifetime Achievement National Award” by National Institute for Socio Economic Development (R) Bengaluru and “Annual Exemplary Faculty Award” for the year 2022-23 by the University leadership team of Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences on the occasion of Teachers day 5th September 2023. Also, he has been selected as Parliamentarian for Y20 summit in Delhi representing Karnataka among 25 others in a competition organized by Citizen India Group. He is actively involved in organising conferences, fests, and other student activities and clubs like AKAIRA, TEDxRUAS, UNDER25RUAS, SPICMACAY etc.

Mr. Mohamed Meeran is an Administrative Assistant at the Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Science having an experience of more than three years in handling financial budget operations, inventory management and student's affairs through SAP. He also has experience with the IT sector on software development and cloud infrastructure services

He has obtained BSc (PCMB) degree from Bangalore University and PG Diploma in Computer Applications from Karnataka University. He has been working as a Systems Administrator in the Department of Management Studies, IISc since May 2006.