Mr. Naveen Jha is a Senior Advisor at DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group, and is based in Bangalore, with extensive experience in innovation, entrepreneurship ecosystem development, and capacity building in higher education. He supports clients in social impact and business strategy in the region. With over 20 years of experience in developing social innovation ecosystems, he connects academic excellence with capacity building and philanthropy. 

As the Global Director of the Mehta Family Foundation in Houston, USA, Mr. Jha leads the foundation’s educational and institutional growth goals. He closely collaborates with academic institutions, government agencies, and civil society to advance transformative educational initiatives and impactful research partnerships. 

Mr. Jha has a strong history of establishing sustainable enterprises that benefit society and the economy. As the founding CEO of the Deshpande Foundation India and founder of the Deshpande Education Trust, he has promoted philanthropic initiatives and skill development programs. He co-founded and presided over the Hubli chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE). His commitment to education and entrepreneurship led to the creation of Sandbox Startups, supporting mission-driven entrepreneurs. Mr. Jha has also served on various boards and was in the Knowledge Commission of Karnataka in 2012. 

In 2023, Mr. Jha was a Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s Advanced Leadership Initiative and an ALI Fellow at Harvard Business School in 2022. He was a British Chevening Gurukul Fellow at Oxford University in 2019 and has been a senior member of IEEE since 2024.