SAM'SPACE - Our Team

Board

Samir Sathe

A Visionary in Strategy, Growth, and Leadership

Founder & CEO, SAM’SPACE

Education

Professionally certified as a Master of Consulting, Coaching and Change, from INSEAD , France
Leading Professional Service Firms, Harvard Business School (HBS), USA, Challenges of Global Poverty, MIT, USA

Coaching Consulting Specialization

Growth, Strategy, Professionalising decisions in family-owned enterprises, Professional Service Firms leadership and
management, AI and Tech led Productization of services, psychodynamics of leaders, Reflective Leadership, Balancing task and people orientation, Successions, DEI, Upskilling CXOs, Stars and Laggards, Deal Strategic Advisory, M&A integrations, Coaching journey Implementation

Samir is a founder of Samir Sathe Consulting Pvt Ltd (SAM’SPACE); he founded the firm with a purpose to build scalable businesses globally; Samir leads the strategy practice and co-leads financial advisory solutions at SAM’SPACE.

Samir Sathe is the Co-Founder and Mentor at Amplo Global, an AI driven, patented, B2B SaaS focused ESG platform recognised by Forrester and Everest Peak Matrix, that helps mid-market companies, mitigate climate risk and address compliance challenges, setting them up, to deliver superior economic and social outcomes.

Samir is a founder of Samir Sathe Consulting Pvt Ltd (SAM’SPACE); he founded the firm with a purpose to build scalable businesses globally; Samir leads the strategy practice and co-leads financial advisory solutions at SAM’SPACE.

Samir Sathe is the Co-Founder and Mentor at Amplo Global, an AI driven, patented, B2B SaaS focused ESG platform recognised by Forrester and Everest Peak Matrix, that helps mid-market companies, mitigate climate risk and address compliance challenges, setting them up, to deliver superior economic and social outcomes.

Samir is a founder of Samir Sathe Consulting Pvt Ltd (SAM’SPACE); he founded the firm with a purpose to build scalable businesses globally; Samir leads the strategy practice and co-leads financial advisory solutions at SAM’SPACE.

Samir Sathe is the Co-Founder and Mentor at Amplo Global, an AI driven, patented, B2B SaaS focused ESG platform recognised by Forrester and Everest Peak Matrix, that helps mid-market companies, mitigate climate risk and address compliance challenges, setting them up, to deliver superior economic and social outcomes.

Samir is a founder of Samir Sathe Consulting Pvt Ltd (SAM’SPACE); he founded the firm with a purpose to build scalable businesses globally; Samir leads the strategy practice and co-leads financial advisory solutions at SAM’SPACE.

Samir Sathe is the Co-Founder and Mentor at Amplo Global, an AI driven, patented, B2B SaaS focused ESG platform recognised by Forrester and Everest Peak Matrix, that helps mid-market companies, mitigate climate risk and address compliance challenges, setting them up, to deliver superior economic and social outcomes.

Alisha Poonawalla

A Trailblazing Legal & Growth Expert

Director

Education

Bachelor of Law, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Independent director certification from Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs

Coaching Consulting Specialization

Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO), Alternative Legal Services (ALS), Fundraising Advisory
and Capital Structuring, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), Corporate Governance and Compliance, Risk Mitigation and
Dispute Resolution, Market Entry and Expansion Strategies, Startup Growth Advisory and Strategic Scaling

Alisha is a director at Samir Sathe Consulting Pvt Ltd (SAM’SPACE); Alisha leads the legal practice and co-leads financial advisory solutions at SAM’SPACE

Alisha Poonawalla is the Principal Consultant at APM Consulting, a boutique consulting firm specializing in cross-border trade, corporate governance, and growth advisory. She has worked extensively with businesses in India and Australia, enabling their strategic expansion and regulatory compliance.

Alisha is a director at Samir Sathe Consulting Pvt Ltd (SAM’SPACE); Alisha leads the legal practice and co-leads financial advisory solutions at SAM’SPACE

Alisha Poonawalla is the Principal Consultant at APM Consulting, a boutique consulting firm specializing in cross-border trade, corporate governance, and growth advisory. She has worked extensively with businesses in India and Australia, enabling their strategic expansion and regulatory compliance.

Alisha is a director at Samir Sathe Consulting Pvt Ltd (SAM’SPACE); Alisha leads the legal practice and co-leads financial advisory solutions at SAM’SPACE

Alisha Poonawalla is the Principal Consultant at APM Consulting, a boutique consulting firm specializing in cross-border trade, corporate governance, and growth advisory. She has worked extensively with businesses in India and Australia, enabling their strategic expansion and regulatory compliance.

Alisha is a director at Samir Sathe Consulting Pvt Ltd (SAM’SPACE); Alisha leads the legal practice and co-leads financial advisory solutions at SAM’SPACE

Alisha Poonawalla is the Principal Consultant at APM Consulting, a boutique consulting firm specializing in cross-border trade, corporate governance, and growth advisory. She has worked extensively with businesses in India and Australia, enabling their strategic expansion and regulatory compliance.

Paresh Kumar Vaish

Paresh brings 20+ years of deep expertise in business transformation across multiple revenue and cost levers which he has leveraged effectively to deliver distinctive results for a significant number of both large and mid-sized clients in India and overseas. Paresh is currently working as a Senior Advisor to EY and Indian corporations bringing this experience and his perspective as a former General Partner at a US based Private equity fund and as a former board member on multiple boards to these clients.

He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a double major in Economics and Computer Science from Dartmouth College, both with distinction.

Paresh co-founded McKinsey's India practice and served as a senior partner, working with several family-owned business groups on multi-year transformation initiatives. At EY, he served as India lead for Management Consulting and at Alvarez & Marsal as Managing Partner for the India practice.

He has also been a partner and board member of SFW Capital Partners, a specialized private investment firm.

Paresh's domain expertise spans multiple sectors and functions, with a focus on Advanced Manufacturing Industries, Technology & Life sciences in particular. Functionally, he has strong competence in strategy, and operational performance improvement. He is passionate about helping his clients achieve their vision and create sustainable value.

Sunil Lulla

Founder and Chief Evangelist, The Linus Adventures

+919820413766

Sunil.Lulla@thelinusadventures.com

Sunil Lulla is known for his success in growing sustainable businesses, building enduring brands, and shaping organisational culture.

For most of his successful career spanning over 4 decades, Sunil was in leadership positions, ensuring profitability, building marketplace success, and driving key stakeholder & employee engagement. These include MTV, SONY, The Times Television Network, Indya.com, HMV, Diageo, Balaji Telefilms, BARC, JWT and GREY group

As Chief Evangelist of The Linus Adventures (TLA), he focuses on seamlessly synthesising contemporary strategy, organisational culture, smart brand building and business efficacy. Sunil provides an in-residence advisory, working closely with promoters/CEOs and their significant operating teams. TLA has successfully advised client companies in technology-enabled businesses, Media, Sports, Entertainment, and Consulting, comprising a mix of well-established businesses and young companies.

He brings deep insights into Indian consumers and in managing growth, business and competitive strategy, mentoring the Promoter/ Next Generation/ CXO. Sunil is very familiar with the governance principles and management of Boards, having served multiple Boards.

Ongoing Boards & Advisory Roles

Strategic Partner, Aurum Equity Partners LLP
Sanghvi Brands Ltd, Listed on the SME Exchange, Independent Director
Radiowala Network Limited. Listed on the NSE. Independent Director
Astrum Reputation Advisory, Chairman

Boards & Advisory Roles (Prior)

Industry Boards: The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF, now IBDF), Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), News Broadcasters Association (NBA), Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)
As MD/ CEO of Times Television Network. Times Internet Ltd, Bennett Coleman & Co Affiliates, Turner JV.

Sunil is an active sports-oriented person fond of running, squash and swimming. While at rest, it’s music, movies, and books, with an experimental hand at mixology.

Mahankali Srinivas Rao (MSR)

Mahankali Srinivas Rao (most people call him MSR) is an IT Industry veteran with over 38 years’ experience.

His professional career spans four journeys

As an IT Professional for 12 years between 1987-99
As an Entrepreneur over 22 years with two entities - part of the Promoter Team at Network Solutions, Director and COO acquired by IBM in 2005 and then Co-Founder and CEO of Aujas Networks, a Cybersecurity Security acquired by the National Stock Exchange.
As an Ecosystem Builder since 2020 – first as CEO of G.A.M.E (Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship), a social impact entity focused on solving issues related to the MSME Sector between July 2020- Sept 2021, then as CEO of T-Hub, India’s largest startup incubator between Oct 21-Oct 24.

Currently

Advisor at Abyro Capital, an early stage VC firm
Advisor at Bower School of Entrepreneurship
Adjunct Professor at IIM Raipur
Adjunct Professor at ASCI, Hyderabad

MSR has a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engg from Osmania University, Hyderabad and an MBA from I.I.M, Bangalore.

Our Leader-Partners

Narayan Shetkar

UAE

Director | M&A
FCPA (Australia), CA (ICAI, India),
M.Com. (Management, Mumbai University)
30+ M&A, Private Equity, Structured Finance & Capital Markets transactions aggregating to ~US$ 1bn I Technology Services, Analytics, Consulting, B2B SaaS, Data & AI I Investment Platform ($200mn) across Singapore, ADGM and India jurisdictions

Mirza Waseem Baig

KSA

Founder & CEO – SAB Edge Advisory | EMEA Corporate Finance Strategist
25+ years in corporate banking, debt restructuring, and strategic growth advisory across India, GCC, and Africa
| Ex HSBCI Advised SMEs and Mid Caps on institutional funding, turnaround, and pre-IPO readiness through a
boutique high-touch model

Carolina Arango Castaño

LATAM

Founder – Orchestra Global, Let Her Pitch | Ex-Kirchner Group | VC Lab Cohort 14
VC Lab cohort, IT from Singularity Univ I 20+ years of experience I $100Mn+ in ecosystem value enabled | 10+ yrs in VC, Startups & Women-led Innovation I Expert in Capital Access, Strategic Growth, Exponential Tech I Gender Equity
Empowering LATAM founders

Vinay Deshpande

LATAM

Leadership Coach and Founder of ‘Dare To’
30+ years of experience I ICF accredited professional coach (PCC), Certified Professional Co-Active Coach
I Cost and Management Accountant, Finance Controller - Supply Chain Ops
I Finance Business Partner - Global Procurement

Amit Narkar

INDIA | CONTROL AND RISK

Director CA (ICAI, India)
30+ years experience I Ex Bayer, KPMG, Operations Excellence and Performance Improvement
I Corporate Governance and Compliance
I Audit I Risk Management, Controls I Diagnostic and Scaling Initiatives

Parabal Partap Singh

INDIA | DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Karthik Raju

INDIA | PERFORMANCE MARKETING

Co-Founder & CEO – Digital Advantage
10+ yrs in Growth Strategy, Media Tech,
Business Analytics, Management Consulting
Babson College (MBA) | Electronics Engineering | Startup Founder

Raveen Kaur Anand

INDIA | PERFORMANCE MARKETING

Meena Vaidyanathan

INDIA | IMPACT

Founder NIITI Consulting
Systems Thinker & Change Strategist | Impact Evaluation, Leadership Coaching, DEI, Startup Advisory Masters–Biotechnology | Business Management | INSEAD–Social Entrepreneurship
20+ yrs in strategic scaling, social impact, marketing & branding | India–Global advisor

Priyanka Khetrapal

INDIA | TALENT

Co-Founder Axylon,
Founder Anamkara, with 25 years of leadership hiring,
Talent Acquisition and HR experience, ex Egon Zehnder,
BCG, BGMF

Sanjeevani Sathe

INDIA | QUALITY

Director, Finance & Knowledge, SAM’SPACE
~17 years of India and global experience
Knowledge I Digital Content Management I Research I Banking I Digital Marketing I Ex BCG, Ex RARE Enterprises, Ex-Euromonitor, Ex-CFO Bridge I Ex Entrepreneur I CFA

Supriya P Bambawale

INDIA | StratCom | CX | Delivery

MarComs & Global Service Ops
30 years of global experience In Marketing, Communications, GTM, CX, Ops I B2B, B2C, B2B2C, D2C
I Retail, Telco, Media, ITeS | Winner of 9 Marcoms awards
| Startup Mentor

Mirza Waseem Baig

His professional career spans four journeys

Founder & CEO – SAB Edge Advisory | EMEA Corporate Finance Strategist
Founder & CEO – SAB Edge Advisory | EMEA Corporate Finance Strategist
25+ years in corporate banking, debt restructuring, and strategic growth advisory across India, GCC, and Africa | Ex HSBCI Advised SMEs and Mid Caps on institutional funding, turnaround, and pre-IPO readiness through a boutique high-touch model