Tushar Kanade
5.0
(3)
Studied at Harvard Kennedy School
Works at Harvard University
Successful clients at
Not currently taking new clients
About Tushar
I founded my own coaching start-up 'Applicanteur' to offer serious, prolonged, 1-to-1 mentorship to a handful of high-potential careerists as well as those who feel their potential is yet to be unlocked. Case in point: 4 years ago, in the 2020 pandemic year, Applicanteur's 'Apprentice' program was structured as a 1-to-1 mentorship engagement, lasting between a minimum of 2 months to a maximum period of 2 years (yes, 24 months!). In the next application cycle (2020-21), my 'apprentices' secured a 100% admit record, securing successful MBA/MPA/Masters admits in top-ranked schools of USA (Dartmouth-Tuck, Columbia, NYU), Germany (HertieSchool Berlin), Switzerland (The Graduate Institute, Geneva), UK (IDS Sussex), Italy (Bocconi), and Japan (Waseda Business School), to name a few, with several scholarships.
Why do I coach?
I coach because I love mentorship - and have been both at the receiving end of extremely poor mentorship in my early years, and fortunately wise mentorship by my late-20s. Having seen both ends of the spectrum in a first-generation low-income family, and having been a 'serial applicant' myself for several years, I feel delighted by helping others realize their true potential through higher education. From 2022 to 2024, as a Masters student at Harvard and MIT, I spent time at 11 schools (5 graduate schools each at Harvard and MIT + the undergraduate courses at Harvard College) - assimilating the coaching spirit through multiple Graduate Instructor and Teaching Fellow positions, as well as several cross-school and cross-discipline collaborations and projects spanning entrepreneurship and disruptive technologies. These experiences reminded me of the structural barriers non-traditional backgrounds face at institutions of higher learning, and especially those from non-STEM and first-generation backgrounds. Likewise, I understand the challenges of non-STEM and non-traditional international applicants far better than most professional counselors & have resultantly been a successful coach in the past.
Work Experience
Researcher
Harvard University
June 2024 - Present
- Founded ‘The Frontier State’ (TheFrontierState.Substack.com) - a series of conversations and research work focused on understanding the DeepTech & ClimateTech innovation ecosystems in the USA & beyond. - Continuing research work on innovation & venture capital as a Research Fellow in 2024-25. International Organizations, Incubators and +3 skills
Investor
Voyager Ventures
June 2023 - August 2023
Led Voyager’s due diligence on supply chain, mobility, and regenerative agriculture startups, focusing on developing investment theses on the future of supply chain technologies. Curated several deal prospects by framing and sourcing founder channels at Harvard & MIT. Interacted with 500+ Climate-Tech founders, evaluating a mix of prospects, deals, and business ideas and models with the early-stage startup community in NYC, Boston, and parts of Europe and the Bay Area. Conducted in-depth due diligence for shortlisted companies and wrote 6 investment memos on portfolio companies. Supported portfolio company operations, including a South Asia-focused Space-Ag-Tech methane MRV startup (Mitti Labs) on GTM strategy. International Organizations, Incubators and +1 skill
Teaching Fellow
Harvard Kennedy School
September 2022 - December 2022
Course Assistant to Prof. Nancy Gibbs (the 17th Chief Editor of TIME Magazine) for DPI-600 "The Politics of The Press" Course Assistant to Prof. Gordon Hanson (Area Chair of Social & Urban Policy at HKS) for SUP-680 "Urban Economic Policy" Academic Publishing
Graduate Student
Harvard University
August 2022 - June 2024
- Enrolled as a full-time student for the 2-year MPA at Harvard Kennedy School - Cross-Registrant at 5 Harvard Graduate Schools (HBS, HLS, HMS, GSD, GSAS/Harvard College) - Cross-Registrant at 5 MIT Graduate Schools (MIT Media Lab, MIT Sloan, MIT Urban Studies & Planning, MIT Brain & Cognitive Sciences, MIT Game Lab) Incubators, Digital Content and +2 skills
Global Coordinator
World Economic Forum
March 2020 - May 2022
Member of GSC Boston Hub from September 2022 till May 2025 (will achieve Alumni status in 2025) Elected Curator of the Mumbai Hub (March 2022 till July 2022) of the Global Shapers Community, an initiative of the World Economic Forum Recruiting, Public Speaking and +3 skills
Policy Advisor
Virgin Hyperloop
March 2019 - June 2022
Full-time Advisor & 'India Lead' on policy, public-private partnerships, media strategy, & negotiations, reporting to 5+ CXOs across the $700-million-backed, pre-revenue startup 'Virgin Hyperloop'. Delivered several first-of-a-kind milestones for the as-yet emerging hyperloop industry, including: - The world's first PPP deal for hyperloop technology (Maharashtra) - The world's first hyperloop regulatory framework at the Federal level (Prime Minister's Office) - The world's first governmental budgetary allocation for hyperloop technology ($500 million allocation) To achieve these, I worked in de-facto Chief of Staff roles, including being an advisor to 5+ Virgin Hyperloop CXOs (3 successive CEOs, Middle East & India MD, Senior VP of Marketing) • Led Virgin Hyperloop's India strategy, overseeing public policy initiatives, high-level negotiations, communications & marketing roadmap, and operations management. • Led India communications strategy, working with Chief of Communications/Marketing to expand media presence to pan-India and international media outlets. • Collaborated with key stakeholders (5+ governments, 10+ industry players & industrial associations) to drive the successful implementation of Virgin Hyperloop's vision in India. • Achieved significant milestones in shaping public policy landscape and establishing Virgin Hyperloop as a key player in India's future of mobility conversation. Strategic Communications, Infrastructure and +7 skills
Education
Harvard Kennedy School
Master of Public Administration - MPA, Technology Policy
2022 - 2024
Activities and societies: Elected Co-Chair of M-RCBG Business & Government Club (B&G PIC) - HKS' oldest & most well-funded student club Founding Member of Moonshot - HKS' Space Policy Club (Moonshot PIC) Occasionally contributed to the AI & Emerging Tech Policy Club Spent significant time at non-HKS schools, as the MPAs were perceivably too old-school for MPPs and too new-age for MC-MPAs, the two dominant communities at HKS. - 1 of a select few recipients of the 2022-24 J.N. Tata Endowment Scholarship Award - Only non-Ismaili candidate from India to receive the 2022-24 Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Award Courses for Spring 2024: - Financing the Clean Energy Transition - Applied History and Decision Making - Managing Climate Change Risks - Asia in the World: Regional Security, Integration and Ideology - The Internet: History and Development - Challenges and Choices in Transportation Policy Courses for Fall 2023:: - Confronting Climate Change - Data Visualization & Storytelling - Opinion & Editorial Writing (Nancy Gibbs) Courses for Spring 2023: - Cybersecurity: Technology, Policy, & Law - Management, Finance, & Regulation of Public Infrastructure in Developing Countries - Systems Thinking & Supply Chain Management Courses for Fall 2022: - Urban Economic Policy - Negotiation & Leadership - The Energy-Climate Transition - Impact Investing & Its Siblings
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cross Registrant, 2023-24: Innovation; SpaceTech; Materials; Neuroscience; Games | 2022-23: Human 2.0; Mobility
2022 - 2024
Activities and societies: Spent irrational amounts of time at the MIT Media Lab & MIT Game Lab, & tried being a baby nerd at the Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences Courses for Spring 2024: - Materials Science & Engineering of Clean Energy - Decarbonizing Urban Mobility - Organizing for Innovation (MIT Sloan) - Space Policy - SpaceTech for Development Leaders Courses for Fall 2023: - Neuroscience - Games & Culture Courses for Spring 2023: - Human 2.0 Courses for Fall 2022: - Mobility Ventures - Frontier of Transportation Research
Harvard Business School
Cross Registrant
2022 - 2024
Activities and societies: Learned to keep my head low to dodge cold calls. Chanced upon & became part of wonderful communities including: - HBS eSports & Gaming Club - HBS Tennis Club - HBC VCPE Club Reluctantly relived my debating career - essaying high conviction and unbridled confidence with questionable amounts of actual knowledge.Activities and societies: Learned to keep my head low to dodge cold calls. Chanced upon & became part of wonderful communities including: - HBS eSports & Gaming Club - HBS Tennis Club - HBC VCPE Club Reluctantly relived my debating career - essaying high conviction and unbridled confidence with questionable amounts of actual knowledge. Courses for Fall 2023: - Energy - Go-To-Market (GTM) Strategies Courses for Spring 2023: - Managing the Future of Work - SPACE (Space, Public and Commercial Economies)
Harvard Law School
Cross Registrant
2022 - 2024
Activities and societies: Kept a straight face in classes overflowing with a flurry of Harvey Specter-esque questions and budding lawyers with eidetic (photographic) memory. (Only Mike Ross possessed that mythical ability, unfortunately.) - Started raising hands at HLS when I realized HBS simulates vacant confidence+conviction better. - Lucked out as one of only 2 non-HLS students selected for the highly competitive Robertson Reading Group on Private Equity.Activities and societies: Kept a straight face in classes overflowing with a flurry of Harvey Specter-esque questions and budding lawyers with eidetic (photographic) memory. (Only Mike Ross possessed that mythical ability, unfortunately.) - Started raising hands at HLS when I realized HBS simulates vacant confidence+conviction better. - Lucked out as one of only 2 non-HLS students selected for the highly competitive Robertson Reading Group on Private Equity.…see more Courses for Spring 2024: - Money & Empire - Startup Entrepreneurship and Innovations in Legal Technology Courses for Fall 2023: - Robertson Reading Group on Private Equity Courses for Fall 2022: - Space Law & Policy
Harvard Medical School
Cross Registrant
2022 - 2024
Courses for Spring 2024: - Neuroethics (at the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics)
Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
MBA
2018 - 2020
- Awarded the 3rd annual Joseph L. Rotman Scholarship (Full Tuition) - Only 1 candidate awarded in a class of 350 incoming students - Withdrew admission to continue working with the Indian Government
Said Business School (Oxford)
MBA
2018 - 2019
- Admitted to MBA Class of 2019 and selected as Reserve Candidate for Chevening Scholarship - Withdrew admission to continue working for Indian Government.
Ashoka University
Young India Fellowship, Liberal Arts
2017 - 2018
- Selected for the Young India Fellowship Class of 2018. - 1 of 283 Fellows selected among 4000+ applicants, and awarded a Full Tuition Scholarship - Withdrew admission within a month of enrollment in order to pursue the Chief Minister's Fellowship.
University of Mumbai
Masters, Economics
2016 - 2017
- 1-year Masters in Economics & Finance with concentrations in Finance and Public Policy. Offered jointly by: - the Mumbai School of Economics & Public Policy (MSEPP) (Formerly known as the "Department of Economics (Autonomous), University of Mumbai") - the Meghnad Desai Academy of Economics (MDAE)
3 Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
Tushar has helped clients get into these schools:
Tushar has helped Leland clients get into Global Shapers