Raj Desai

Founder & Operations Executive

Mumbai, IN.

About

Technology and learning entrepreneur, founder of Proof‑of‑Skill Protocol—a platform creating verified skill credentials to transform hiring. Previously co‑founder & CEO at School of Accelerated Learning; with hands‑on experience in product, education, event‑tech, civic tech, and creative entrepreneurship. Advocate for skill‑based hiring and India’s skilling ecosystem.

Work

Proof‑of‑Skill Protocol

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Founder & Operations Executive

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Summary

Leading the creation of a skill‑verification hiring platform (“credit score for skills”) using four layers of proof: ID, work history, education, and expert‑validated skills; deploying AI recruiter “Yoshi” to match verified talent with roles; engaging with ecosystem initiatives such as Uttar Pradesh’s Blue Dots Economy.

Highlights

Launched Proof‑of‑Skill in 2024 to eliminate resume screening, background checks and fake AI‑generated assignments by providing verified skill credentials

Built Yoshi, an AI recruiter that delivers pre‑verified candidates in minutes with flat‑fee placement model at ₹32,000 per hire ([proofofskill.org](https://www.proofofskill.org/for-companies?utm_source=openai))

Featured as founder in Indian Startup Times; raised US$250K from Antler India as of February 2026 ([indianstartuptimes.com](https://www.indianstartuptimes.com/interviews/proof-of-skill-hiring-the-new-way-verified-talent-over-resumes/?utm_source=openai))

School of Accelerated Learning (SOAL)

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Co‑Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Summary

Co‑founded and led a higher‑education platform focused on accelerated learning.

Highlights

Built SOAL into an 11‑50 employee education innovation company through direct-to‑learner programs and curriculum development

Burning Man Project

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Technology Team & Regional Contact – India

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Summary

Acted as regional tech liaison and community organizer for Burning Man Project in India.

TheLostParty

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Co‑Owner & Director

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Summary

Directed creative and entertainment experiences as part of event production startup TheLostParty.

Thinkscream

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Co‑Founder & Director

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Summary

Co‑founded an IT services company providing digital solutions from Juhu, Mumbai.

LogicBoxes

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Product Manager – Web Design

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Summary

Managed web‑design product offerings at LogicBoxes.

Directi

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Associate Product Manager

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Summary

Managed product development for new design initiatives at Directi.

Education

Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Bachelor of Commerce Finance & Marketing

Dev Bootcamp

San Francisco, California, United States of America
Bootcamp Computer Science & Software Development

Courses

HTML5

CSS3

Ruby

Ruby on Rails

JavaScript

Git

Agile

Harvard Business School Online

Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Online Program Business & Economics

Harvard Business School

Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
→
Executive Education

University of Mumbai

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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Undergraduate Studies

Skills

Product Management

product development, product design, product innovation.

Entrepreneurship & Operations

founder, startup leadership, operations.

Skill Verification Platforms

AI recruiting, skill assessment, credentialing.

Web Development & Software

HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Rails, SQL, Linux, Git.

Marketing & Brand

brand management, marketing strategy, communications.

Strategic & Team Leadership

strategic planning, team building, leadership.