The modern era calls for new, dedicated and determined entrepreneurs. And in the process, new age entrepreneurs have successfully created a niche for themselves in well- established and existing industries and even transformed them for the better.

Today we are talking about one such individual who transformed his life with his sheer dedication and hard work. Gautam Gadgil truly embodies the saying that “success lies in more than just the numbers”. Gautam Gadgil is the founder of Enrizon, an education finance marketplace, and a member at iKeva Powai. He believes that the only way to measure one’s success is to keep a track of the number of lives one has positively touched.

Born in Nashik, Gautam remembers it as a sleepy town compared to how developed it has become today. Upon asking about his biggest inspiration, Gautam confidently says it has always been his parents. Gautam’s father made sure that both of his kids, he and his sister, explored new horizons and pursued their dreams. And his mother always stood by and encouraged them to work hard and achieve the same.   

Soon after high school, he set out to become a chartered accountant. He got the chance to do his 3-year Articleship at PricewaterhouseCoopers. “Working at one of the biggest accounting firms in the world was surely a dream come true”, says Gadgil. He found working there both challenging and transformative at the same time, which eventually helped him break through his shell and changed his perspective on work and life.    

Gautam cleared the CA exam in the first go and made it to the All India Merit List. He began his career as a Financial Analyst in Bengaluru. The next big step for him was to get his MBA done.

Even though he was not able to get through to the business schools of his choice, he did not stop. Instead, he looked at it as an opportunity to assess himself.

After graduating from the Indian School of Business, he got placed at Macquarie Bank. He worked as an Investment Banker in Australia for 5 years. Then, he transitioned from investment banking to sports education. During his stint in the Sports Education industry, he worked with Steve Waugh who was an equity partner at the company Gautam was working with. He found the education sector to be fragmented and unorganized, which presented him with an opportunity to create a more viable business model from a customer’s perspective.

Gautam explored the education market space in India and researched various business models. He came to the conclusion that the needs of Indian students were not being met constructively. The industry, with its myopic view, had consultants who were focussing more on being agents for universities rather than guiding students in with the right direction. This called for innovation and change. All these factors helped him shape a business model which would help students select the right course and financial plan for them.  

Gautam believes that education is the most expensive investment for students and they have the right to choose their path. In the near future, his aim is to provide quality service to students by assessing their grades and recommending the right courses for them. He also intends to help students from the weaker sections of society by helping them with scholarships and loans that are available to them.   

In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis. Being a national level tennis player, he believes that indulging in sports can help one learn to face defeat and remain humble at the same time. As a family, he and his wife love to travel whenever they find the time. The experiences help him unwind, uncover perspectives and come up with the new ideas. His mantra in life is to focus on the present and work on the challenges at hand, which he believes will help him pave the way to a better future.

On his experience with iKeva, Gautam mentioned that he was looking for an office space closer to home. He came across iKeva, Powai during his research and decided to pay a visit. The proactive and approachable team influenced him to sign up with iKeva right then and there. Since that day, the smooth experiences, unmatched facilities, impressive support, and zero operational hassles helped his business thrive and helped stay connected with iKeva.