Gurgaon, Haryana, India
I help ambitious students and professionals make brain-smart, AI-proof career choices in a world that’s changing faster than ever. I’m the founder of Scholar Strategy and 24NorthStar, two purpose-driven platforms that have guided over 1,000 clients into top global universities (MIT, Harvard, Stanford, CMU, UIUC, INSEAD…) and career paths at companies like FAANG, Tesla, Microsoft, Salesforce, and more. Unlike most consultants, I don’t earn commission from universities. That means: I work only for my students. No shady affiliations. No sales targets. Just real advice, backed by research and results. Before this, I studied Computer Science at UIUC, dropped out of my MBA at NYU Stern after landing two full-time job offers, and joined a data startup in Manhattan. I’ve worked on Wall Street, run NYU’s first entrepreneurship summit (yes, Seth Godin was a speaker), and even got featured on Fred Wilson’s AVC blog. After moving back to India, I turned my focus to career coaching, authorship, and storytelling. Today, I speak at IITs, IIMs, and startup events, and mentor young minds looking to build meaningful careers in tech, business, and beyond. 📚 I’ve authored 3 bestselling books on Indian startups: No Shortcuts (award-winning interviews with Zerodha, Ather, Freshworks founders) Unstartup (early story of Unacademy) Futurepreneurs (deeptech & AI startups, co-authored with MIT alum Varun Aggarwal) My content on careers, startups, and the future of work has reached 30M+ views and 400K+ followers across platforms. If you’re: 🚀 Planning a master’s abroad 🧠 Unsure how to future-proof your career in the age of AI 👨👩👧 A parent figuring out what’s next for your child... → Reach out here: 🎓 Scholar Strategy (for MS/MBA): https://scholarstrategy.com/contact 🎓 24NorthStar (for high schoolers): https://24northstar.com
24NorthStar helps kids in Class 9-12 find career clarity and get admission into TOP colleges worldwide (including Ivy Leagues, OxBridge) Contact via www.24northstar.com if you need our help for your kids.
Scholar Strategy is an award-winning STUDY ABROAD ADMISSIONS and CAREER STRATEGY CONSULTANT for MS/MBA/MIS/Ph.D./MFE applicants! My mission is to help Indian & Asian kids craft their career pathways not out of societal pressure but a deeper reflection of their personalities and values! We do this by: 1. Study and Work Abroad Consulting - 850+ candidates (including a handful in their 30s) made it to Top 100 universities in the US, Canada etc - Clients got into MIT, Harvard, Stanford, UIUC, Georgia Tech, CMU, Columbia, UT Austin, Berkeley, UCLA etc - Clients are interning/working at Meta, Tesla, google, amazon, apple, intel, and many enviable startups "I had admits from 9 out of 10 schools I applied to, including MIT and UC, Berkeley and scholarships from other three. I could not have asked for more! I eventually chose MIT. Had it not been for Nistha, I would have never even been able to make it to this embarking journey" 2. Career Coaching - Coached 20+ teenagers to help select courses in Class XI & undergrad - Coached 50+ professionals feeling unfulfilled in their current jobs (incl a guy from Microsoft) - Helped 10+ candidates in 30+ age group revamp their career when they were feeling stuck professionally 3. Products, Courses & Workshops - MS Book: Smart Engineer’s Complete Guide to MS in USA, is a reference book for Engineers and why they should study abroad. It is filled with my own experiences, lessons and the interviews of successful professionals. "...this book helped me a lot on various stages of my application process right from University selection to preparing the perfect version of my SOP to Managing the finances and preparing for the Visa, all in one place. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to pursue their Masters" 4. Community - We are now 130K+ on LinkedIn, 150K+ on Instagram and 65K+ on YouTube. 10K+ people read our newsletter. - Our meetups and workshops have regularly helped aspirants bond with eachother online & offline.
Unstartup traces the gravity-defying ascent of Unacademy. Drawing on numerous conversations with people in and around Unacademy including its founders, board members, advisors, current and ex-employees, Nistha takes the reader through a page-turning rhapsody of startup strategies and lessons. No Shortcuts was recognized as a bestseller and 3rd BEST BUSINESS BOOK of 2018 by BANGALORE BUSINESS LITFEST Futurepreneurs was one of the first books to cover the Deeptech and AI startups in India. Nistha pursued those who rose from humble beginnings yet making a dent in the Indian startup universe. Her books are a product of in-depth research and love for startups - www.startupbookindia.com In her incisive one-on-one interviews with 30+ ambitious founders of India including Girish Mathrubootham, Nithin Kamath, Gaurav Munjal, Tarun Mehta, Awais Ahmed and others, Nistha uncovers the decisions and insights that led these startup founders to find their unique roadmap to success.
Guided startups in Manhattan on their pitch decks, ran the content and social media efforts. Was featured on Fred Wilson's AVC blog.