Empowering the Next Generation: How Devi Sahny is Redefining Education Through Ascend Now

At just 23, Devi Sahny made a bold leap—leaving a promising investment banking career at Goldman Sachs to pursue a lifelong passion: education. It wasn’t a decision made lightly, but one rooted in purpose.

“It was difficult because walking away from a secure job was daunting, but it was also easy because I knew I was meant to carve my own path,” reflects Sahny, founder and CEO of Ascend Now, an education platform that is redefining how students learn, grow and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Ascend Now isn’t just another edtech venture—it is a student-first, mentorship-driven initiative designed to foster entrepreneurial thinking and self-awareness from an early age. Sahny recognized a gap in traditional education: the lack of personalization, mentorship and real-world applicability.

“We’re not here to create a generation of CEOs,” Sahny says. “We’re here to foster an entrepreneurial mindset—creativity, agency and resilience.”

Under her leadership, Ascend Now has expanded its reach across 45 countries and partnered with over 170 global schools. At the core of its success is its human-centered model: students are matched with mentors who align with their goals and learning styles. The result is transformational—students are launching ventures, publishing books and designing community-impact projects. One student, Ruhi, even wrote a best-selling book on self-love, selling over 100,000 copies.

Sahny remains deeply involved in Ascend Now’s day-to-day operations, even meeting every student the platform works with at least once a year. Her passion has led to innovations like The Edge, a life-readiness platform for ages 12–17 that combines gamified learning with vital soft skills training.

“In a world increasingly shaped by AI, the ability to lead, communicate and empathize becomes our greatest asset,” she explains.

Ascend Now’s programs range from personalized academic tutoring to skills-based courses in design thinking, character building and entrepreneurship. Each offering is crafted to inspire curiosity and purpose in students while preparing them for real-world success. Rather than chasing external benchmarks, Sahny encourages a redefinition of success—one that aligns with Maya Angelou’s wisdom: “Liking yourself, liking what you do and liking how you do it.”

What truly sets Ascend Now apart, though, is Sahny’s unwavering commitment to legacy—not for herself, but for the generation rising behind her. “My legacy isn’t what I achieve—it’s what I enable in others,” she says. Through Ascend Now, she is democratizing student entrepreneurship and inspiring a global movement of young changemakers—one student at a time.

Learn more about Ascend Now at ascendnow.org.