Why the King of Bhutan wanted to meet this Indian Belgian entrepreneur in education

I have a new role model, and it’s Devi Sahny.  An entrepreneur in education, she’s someone I believe you should know about too.  

It started when I stumbled upon a post of hers on LinkedIn a couple of weeks back. It was a story about how she was personally invited to meet His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan. 

That caught my attention. How does one get a call saying, “His Majesty grants you an audience”? Who is Devi Sahny that a King wants to meet her? 

So, I stalked — ahem, scrolled through — her account and learnt that not only is she an entrepreneur, but also a TEDx Speaker, a recipient of Forbes 30 Under 30 and Prestige 40 Under 40, as well as a winner of a prestigious innovator award from Sequoia Capital called Spark Fellow, and has built two multimillion-dollar companies.

Given her accolades, an audience with the King was starting to make sense.

Before founding Ascend Now and The Edge, Sahny was an Investment Banking Analyst at Goldman Sachs. Source: Devi Sahny

Meet Devi Sahny, a former international student in debt, now an entrepreneur in education

Sahny’s making a mark in the world and building a name for herself, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t face any struggles along the way.

Born and raised in Antwerp, Belgium, this entrepreneur in education always felt a pull towards the unknown. At 18, Sahny left home and moved halfway across the world to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Philosophy and Economics at Georgetown University in Washington DC, in hopes of a better life.

“I wanted a life bigger than the one I could see around me, and the US represented that opportunity,” Sahny shares. “I believed exposure shapes ambition, and I needed to be somewhere that stretched me.”

The move was a way for Sahny to move forward in life, but it set her back financially. So much so, student loans started to pile up.

However, attending Georgetown University was her dream. She was willing to take a financial and emotional risk, but not without a mix of unquestioning optimism and stubborn courage.

“At 18, you don’t fully understand the weight of debt,” Sahny admits. “But it worked in my favour. I wasn’t fearless, and I was just determined to outgrow my environment. Looking back, it was the ‘best uninformed but deeply intuitive’ decision I have ever made.”

So, Sahny made a game plan — take up part-time jobs to pay off the debt.

Sahny is currently a part of the Member Board of Trustees at Antwerp International School. Source: Devi Sahny

It’s okay not to be OK — managing debt and student life

Unlike some of her peers, Sahny never had the luxury of focusing on just school. On top of that, she had to navigate imposter syndrome while working the jobs because she “wasn’t like everyone else”.

She worked as a barista, an exam proctor, and a teaching assistant, all while pursuing her studies. It was exhausting. Over time, pretending to be fine was something she became fluent in. 

“I consistently felt the need to balance everything — academically, socially, and financially,” Sahny recalls. 

“I was exhausted 24/7, and there was also the emotional load of pretending I was fine. I learnt resilience the hard way, by necessity, not choice. Many are confused by my optimism with financial freedom.” 

Sahny alongside His Majesty, the King of Bhutan. Source: Devi Sahny

From being in debt to earning US$290k in two months, travelling the world, and meeting influential people

Sahny has never looked back. She kept moving forward. Regret isn’t a part of her grammar book. And if she were to describe herself, she’s “optimistic to a fault”.

Not looking back has paid off. 

At 20, Sahny started a peer-to-peer coaching business for students, which generated US$290,000 in just two months — all while pursuing a career as an Investment Banking Analyst at Goldman Sachs M&A and paying off her debt.

At 23, she packed up and moved halfway across the world to Singapore. Sahny had no plans, no network, and no safety net. 

“Singapore is a fascinating place to build, and that was where I wanted to start Ascend Now,” she says. 

Eight years later, today, Ascend Now, an online tutoring, college counselling, and profile-building website for students, is a multimillion-dollar education company.

That’s not all; Sahny also founded another multimillion-dollar education company, The Edge, a breakthrough SEL+ (Social-Emotional Learning) curriculum and life skills platform for students.

The Edge collaborates with over 200 schools worldwide and 10 ministries of Education. It has also supported 13,200 students through tutoring, entrepreneurship, and beyond-academics courses.

It’s safe to say she’s a successful entrepreneur in education. This is how Sahny has been able to travel the world. She has visited Bhutan, the UK, the US, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, France, and several other countries.

“I always wanted a global life, but I never imagined this scale,” she explains. “Travelling became a byproduct of saying yes to opportunities after opportunities. The driven and little cheeky 18-year-old me would be shocked and very proud.”

You bet — I’m sure 18-year-old her would be over the moon that she got to meet the King of Bhutan, as well as many other influential people in the industry. And she achieved all that by showing up consistently and doing the work that no one else wanted to do, with a genuine touch. 

“I never chased ‘important rooms,’” this entrepreneur in education shares. “I chased meaningful work that led me there.”