P.D. Soros Fellowship for New Americans

ANKUR is a strategic advisor and Board Director for startups, venture funds and non profits with a focus on emerging markets. Relationships include marketplaces, healthcare and software startups. Non profits include Prosperiti, an analysis & advocacy group working to liberalize labour policy in India and Lend a Hand, a non-profit catalysing life-skills training in state public schools in India.

In his recent full time roles, Ankur was Chief Finance Officer for Weee!, America’s largest ethnic e-grocer. Weee! raised over $750M and is supported by marquee investors including Softbank, DST Global and Blackstone Growth. Previously, Ankur was seed investor and Chief Finance Officer of Careem, a ride-hailing company in the Middle East; the first unicorn in the region, and acquired by Uber in 2020 for $3.1B.

Prior to Careem, Ankur led investments in India across all sectors and in Education across all countries for Acumen Fund, an emerging markets venture fund. In addition, he had multiple operating roles in startups around the world: built 25+ libraries in New York City public schools for the Robin Hood Foundation, helped start WaterHealth India to provide safe drinking water for rural customers; and was part part of the founding team at mondus, a marketplace startup for European SMEs.

Ankur began his professional career at McKinsey & Company in New Jersey.

Ankur holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University, and a Master of Public Administration in International Development from Harvard's Kennedy School where he was a Reynolds and a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow. He now lives in Dubai with his wife, two children, and dog.