AT A GLANCE
Varun Veugopal Gupta
Area of Practice:
OVERVIEW
Varun is a business designer, helping build healthier and financially resilient enterprises around the world. He brings his experiences as an educator, improv-theatre actor, art therapist and a serial entrepreneur to mentor leaders around the world to bring their ‘whole self’ to work. Hence finding meaning, creating impact, and designing lifestyle they want to lead.
He is setting up venture studios for different kinds of entrepreneurs – from Rural Mileu accelerators, agri- entrepreneurs to tea growers. His recent projects include setting up business models for tea manufacturing in homes for a 1000 tribal Karbi women in Assam, helping set up a multi-state cooperative which with farmers as owners, working with differently abled entrepreneurs and more.
Varun has recently written an illustrated book – “Your guide to building an healthy enterprise” targeted towards entrepreneurs who want to lead more passionate, engaged and financially resilient enterprises.
He was one of the 40 global shapers at the World Economic Forum Annual Conference at Davos 2019, and is the Head of Studies- Entrepreneurship for Impact program at Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology.
EDUCATION
Masters- Design in Education
WORK EXPERIENCE
2019- Currently, Head of Studies- Entrepreneurship for Impact, Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology
2018- Currently, Co-Founder, Glocal Colab
2018- Currently, Director of Sustainable Growth, Mindful Life, Mindful Work, USA
2017-2019, Curator, Global Shapers- Panjim Hub
2013-2017, Associate Director, Life Strategies Humancare Pvt. Ltd.
2011-2013, Associate Vice President, BlueTiger Learning Services Pvt. Ltd.
2007-2010, Co- Founder, Alchemy Career Solutions Pvt. Ltd
INTEREST AREAS
Impact Enterprises, Design for Social Innovation, Creative Education – creating experiential learning spaces for varied learners.
Varun is researching on new models of enterprises – balancing financial sustainability, engagement of stakeholders and staying true to their purpose. He is looking at models that enable flat hierarchies, equitable distribution of power and information.
Varun has recently published an illustrated book presenting his research in an engaging guide – “Your Guide to building an Healthy Enterprises”
CURRENT PRACTICE AT SRISHTI
Setting up Business Design Lab, a venture studio under MAHE. Head of Studies – Entrepreneurship for Impact, Faculty with Business Systems and Service Design. He has mentored several enterprises to come out of the campus over the last five years. He partners with impact enterprises around the world to open collaborations with the university like Jaipur Rugs, Earth Baby, Commitment to Kashmir and more.
TEACHING PORTFOLIO
Image 1- Working with artisans from Kashmir in the idea Accelerator.
Image 2- Displaying a product from Kashmir in the Idea accelerator.
Image 3- Travelling with the students to Jaipur to work with Jaipur Rugs.
CREATIVE PRACTICE & OUTREACH
As the Co-founder of Glocal CoLab, I work with government, non-government, Social Impact enterprises and individual entrepreneurs work on business innovation, offering design direction and support and creative education services.
He works with enterprises around the world as a design led innovator.
