Why this Indian Belgian grad left a Goldman Sachs job to work in Singapore

When people migrate overseas, they usually have a well-planned strategy in place — a job, a goal, and logistics. 

Devi Sahny, however, had no plans whatsoever when she decided to leave her stable, full-time job at Goldman Sachs M&A to start working in Singapore.

“I knew no one and had no roadmap,” Sahny says. “That was a part of the appeal.”

You could say it was thrilling, moving across the world with no plans, but the minute she landed in Singapore, Sahny started her search — there was no time wasted. She found the closest coffee shop, ordered the strongest coffee, opened her laptop, and started emailing anyone and everyone. Partners. Friends of friends. You name it. Sahny emailed everyone she could.

“When you have nothing, you don’t have the luxury of overthinking — you act,” she shares. “The first day in Singapore was just me saying, ‘Okay, Devi, you chose this. Now move.’”

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

Finding an opportunity in the education sector and bringing in millions

And boy did she move. 

Today, Sahny is the founder of two multimillion-dollar companies in the education sector, Ascend Now and The Edge. She’s also a Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient, a Prestige 40 Under 40 honoree, a winner of a prestigious innovator award from Sequoia Capital, a Spark Fellow, and a TEDx Speaker.

“I started alone in a coffee shop — now our work shapes national education systems,” she recalls. “That jump still makes me stop and breathe sometimes.”

The thing is, while Sahny started with zero plans, her move to Singapore was a strategic one. 

“I wanted to be somewhere where meritocracy actually meant something, especially in education,” she shares.

The world is changing rapidly, and it’s progressing faster than schools. From Sahny’s point of view, children were being prepared for an economy that no longer existed. She found that parents wanted clarity and teachers wanted support. Even more so, ministries needed scalable, modern solutions. 

“I didn’t see a gap — I saw a giant, blinking opportunity,” Sahny shares. “I knew that if we could bring innovation, data, and really high-quality content into the system. We could transform entire generations.”

Ascend Now offers online tutoring, college counselling, and profile-building services to help students gain admission to top universities. Meanwhile, The Edge collaborates with over 200 schools worldwide and 10 ministries of Education. It has also supported 13,200 students and created 148 meaningful teaching jobs. 

“Creating an impact on students is the heart of the mission,” Sahny says. “That’s why I wake up in the morning. But creating meaningful teaching jobs is what makes that mission sustainable. If you support educators, you multiply your impact for decades.”

If Sahny had to choose, she’d always pick the students. They’re the reason why everything she has worked for exists.

Sahny is currently a board member of HELP International School, Baratta Centre for Global Business, and Dukes Education. Source: Devi Sahny

The truth about being an entrepreneur in Singapore

Sahny’s journey is the dream for many, and some may even think her move was easy.

But it involved many risks. Her move to Singapore meant that she had to give up her secure job at the Goldman Sachs division. The job was so safe that she managed to pay off her debt.

And working as an entrepreneur in Singapore wasn’t always easy. 

“There were moments I nearly quit,” she recalls. “Many, in fact. During the early days, cash flow was tight. There were moments when we were losing bids. I also started questioning whether I was crazy for trying to build something this big, this fast.”

Sahny even admits that, despite her being able to travel the world and meeting influential people, especially the King of Bhutan, being an entrepreneur in Singapore has very little glamour involved. 

“If you were to shadow me for a week, you’d see me dive into a lot of deep work, context-switching, and participating in hard conversations,” she shares. “You’d also see me obsessing over product quality, data, and execution. That’s not all; one minute you’d see me designing a curriculum and the next, negotiating with a Ministry.”

TDLR: You’ll realise entrepreneurship isn’t about adrenaline but endurance.

Sahny was born and raised in Antwerp, Belgium. At 18, she left home to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the US. Source: Devi Sahny

Is it worthwhile starting a business or working in Singapore?

Now, you’re probably wondering, why Singapore? What’s so special about Singapore from an entrepreneur’s point of view? She could have started a company in the US or back in her home country of Belgium. 

Here’s her answer. 

“Singapore is a fantastic place to build, and it’s small enough that you can move fast and big enough that you can create a meaningful impact and where I could build from a completely clean slate,” she explains.

It’s true. 

Singapore, in fact, is ranked 9th on The Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2025 (GSER 2025). 

It also has a hugely supportive startup ecosystem. There are transparent business laws, tax incentives, and a highly skilled workforce. And thanks to its high level of global investor confidence, Singapore stands out as the safest hub for APAC expansion, compared to Jakarta and Bangkok.

Additionally, the country provides a dynamic early-stage funding environment for startups, supported by a combination of private and government initiatives — a key factor in building a successful startup.

This all worked in Sahny’s favour, “Singapore permitted me to reinvent myself — and the accountability to sink or swim.”