MINAL DESAI
DIRECTOR – GGIS, AHMEDABAD
Minal Desai aka the MasterNi is a second-generation edupreneur who builds schools for the future.
She is a thinker, a doer, and most of all a change maker. An enthusiast of systematic change, the MasterNi wants to create a community with a similar mindset and that is her ultimate goal. And in order to do so, she sets a high standard for herself and the school which in turn pushes the limits of what is possible within a school.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and was the college topper at the undergraduate level. Thereafter, she moved to the UK to pursue her Masters’s in Economics at The University of Essex. Moving to the UK made her realize that there are stark differences in teaching methodologies and outlook towards education in India and abroad.
Upon returning she started working with school and has been in the field of education since 2005. In 2011 she took a brief sabbatical from the education field to co-found, Warmly Designs, a design start-up that exposed her to an entirely different world. It has had a profound impact on her personality and she believes- “what I learnt at Warmly within 18 months was more important than my entire education combined!”
Her exposure to Economics, Education, and design made her ready to take on a bigger challenge in the form of a new venture called GEMS GENESIS International School (GGIS) in 2013.
She is the beloved MasterNi at GGIS who values professional growth and has sought various training and workshops that would help her be a better leader.
Notable amongst them are:
- Educational Leadership Program
- Basics for Teaching through google
- Google Certified innovator (GTAGUR)
- Lead for Google Educators Group (GEG), India
- Inspiring Leadership through Emotional Intelligence from Case Western Reserve University
Besides GGIS, she also helps with the operations and design of other schools in the city including Genius Gems and Wallaroos Tot Atelier.
Her Youtube channel-Musings of a MasterNi is dedicated to the new-age education in India and through it, she voices her experiences shaped by students, teachers, and parents.
She is an avid reader and her favorites include Gijubhai Badheka (Divaswapna), Sir Ken Robinson (The Element), Yuval Noah Harari (Sapiens and 21 Lessons), Jim Collins (Good to Great), Ayn Rand (Atlas Shrugged), and many more.
Minal Desai is Married to Abhishek Desai- an IT entrepreneur. They are proud parents of two children who make sure there is never a dull moment in life. In her free time, which is rare, she loves to read, watch TED Videos, binge-watch shows like Chernobyl and discuss life’s purpose with friends.
