Kartikeya is the Founder of Desai & Associates, an innovative finance focused research, advisory and advocacy firm. He teaches Impact Investment at Ashoka University and Climate Finance at Anant University, and has played an active role in the development of the social finance industry over two decades through his leadership at pioneering impact investment firms and the Impact Investors Council industry association. Previously Mr. Desai led Asha Impact, a multi-family office and foundation for Indian UHNIs and business leaders, was a Partner at Kois, a global development finance consulting firm, and a venture capitalist with pioneering impact funds Lok Capital and Aavishkaar. He started his career in investment banking with Merrill Lynch in 2005, after completing his education at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and SIPA, Columbia University.

As an impact investor, Mr. Desai has served on the boards of several high successful VC investments such as Vastu, Nepra, Gramophone, Adda and Varthana. He was one of the 200 young CEOs selected as the Prime Minister’s Champions of Change in 2017 and a member of the Parliamentarians and Innovators for India Covid-19 response group formed in 2020.