Kavya Krishna

Kavya Krishna is a globally recognised leadership and technology keynote speaker whose work sits at the intersection of education, data, and social impact. She is best known as CEO and Co-Founder of Society of Women Coders, a global nonprofit that has reached over 40,000 learners across 57 countries, often in regions where access to technology and formal education is limited. Kavya is also a Forbes 30 Under 30 North America Social Impact honouree, recognised for translating technical expertise into real-world outcomes at scale. Her speaking draws on lived experience, global execution, and board-level insight, making her a compelling voice on leadership under pressure and ethical decision-making in fast-changing environments.

Kavya’s early career is defined by determination and range. Raised in rural Rajasthan, India, she experienced first-hand how structural barriers shape opportunity. After moving to the United States, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, supporting herself through campus roles while building strong technical foundations. She began her professional career at SiriusXM, first as a Data Engineering Intern, then as a Data Engineer, before progressing to Senior Analyst in Subscriber Management and Analysis. Alongside her corporate career, Kavya launched early coding initiatives for girls in Haiti and Kenya, teaching in classrooms with unreliable power and limited infrastructure. These formative experiences shaped her practical leadership style, grounded in clarity, adaptability, and accountability.

Her career achievements span technology, education, and investment. During over four years at SiriusXM, Kavya worked on large-scale analytics supporting 30 million plus subscribers, developing forecasting models that contributed to 27 percent year-on-year growth. In parallel, she scaled Society of Women Coders into a globally respected organisation, securing partnerships with the Malala Fund and US Embassies, and leading programmes across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. The organisation was accepted into the Harvard Innovation Labs incubator, while Kavya completed a Master of Education at Harvard University, specialising in Education Entrepreneurship. She later joined the HBS Impact Investment Fund as a Research Associate and worked as an Impact Management Associate at LearnLaunch Fund, leading portfolio strategy, due diligence, and impact measurement frameworks. She delivered her TEDx talk ‘Wings Made of Code’ to great acclaim. She is currently completing an MBA at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, supported by Skoll Impact Lab and Forte Fellowships.

Kavya is hired as a keynote speaker because she brings credibility earned through execution, not theory. Speaking on decision-making under uncertainty, leadership in technology-driven change, ethical influence without authority, and women’s power in leadership, she connects data, ethics, and action in a way few speakers can. She often shares concrete experiences, such as leading cross-border education programmes with minimal resources, to show how leaders can create momentum without certainty. Audiences value her ability to translate complexity into practical frameworks that resonate across corporate, public sector, and impact-driven organisations.