Akshay Sharma (Aky) is an entrepreneurship researcher, software engineer, and independent filmmaker from India. The pursuit of entrepreneurship led him to Cambridge University, world’s No 1 university for tech founders, Oscar winning actors and Nobel laureates. He was a national-level table tennis player and state champion in India at the age of 16. He was then recognised with a few awards for his decade long work in the entrepreneurial ecosystems of Asia, Europe, and the United States with non-profits, information technology and founders in idea to growth stages. He founded Xes, a Helsinki-based charity of 400+ entrepreneurially-minded people.

He started his entrepreneurial journey in 2010 in Indian startup ecosystem, leading volunteer teams at the grassroots level for organisations including the National Entrepreneurship Network, Goonj, AIESEC, and HeadStart Foundation. During this time, he dropped out of engineering college in India but went on to complete his graduation from Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in Finland, where he received the Student of the Year award.

In 2020, he was admitted to the Masters in Entrepreneurship in Cambridge University and worked with a number of organisations, including the Cambridge Blockchain Society, Cambridge University Technology and Enterprise Club, Cambridge University Venture Capital and Private Equity Society, Cambridge VenturED, and CAMentrepreneurs.

His current interests are programming, creative industries, films, climate investing and sustainable development goals.