Dr Anish Shivdasani is a tech entrepreneur and blockchain expert who has founded and exited two startups in Africa and the Middle East. Anish’s first startup- Giraffe- was the first African startup backed by Silicon Valley investors. Giraffe is a job matching platform that connects jobseekers with employers, and helped... Read more
Dr Anish Shivdasani is a tech entrepreneur and blockchain expert who has founded and exited two startups in Africa and the Middle East. Anish’s first startup- Giraffe- was the first African startup backed by Silicon Valley investors. Giraffe is a job matching platform that connects jobseekers with employers, and helped over half a million South Africans get jobs before being acquired in 2021.
His second startup- BNS MENA- is a crypto exchange launched in Turkey in 2022 and continues to operate there. At present Anish is a Senior Advisor at Roland Berger’s Digital & Entrepreneurship practice in the Middle East, where he advises governments and corporates on digital strategy, entrepreneurship, AI and blockchain.
Anish is also fascinated by compassionate leadership, has a passion for company culture and high performing teams and is an expert in helping organisations transform their culture. Anish has a distinguished public speaking record. A highly animated and energetic orator, he has spoken at numerous major conferences and events, including:
• The United Nations in New York
• SaaStr Annual in San Francisco
• Brookings Institute roundtable in Aspen
• AIM Summit, DIFC Fintech Summit, Dubai Web3 festival
He is also an expert moderator and has featured on numerous panels on crypto, technology and economics. Anish has also lectured university students on tech entrepreneurship and the impact of technology on society.
Anish has an MA from the University of Cambridge and a PhD from the UK Medical Research Council.