We continued supporting Hult Prize through active participation in every subsequent Annual Awards event in New York. In 2017, Ashok was invited to be a Mentor and Judge at the Boston Accelerator for the year’s finalists. Later that same year, Ashok worked with other Experts on a charter for Hult Prize Council, to bring together the community of committed Coaches & Mentors who consistently volunteer their services and give their best to support the Teams in their journey.

The pandemic was widely disruptive, but the 2020 Hult Prize went forward on schedule in virtual environments across the globe. In 2018, 2019 and 2021, startup teams selected through Regional competitions, gathered in person for the world’s largest Accelerator of its kind in the UK. The venue was the Hult Executive Management Training School at Ashridge House in the UK.

With the guidance of qualified, volunteer Coaches and Experts, the startups learned how to transform their ideas into impact-centered, market-driven and profit-minded enterprises. They refined their product & service concepts, business plans & projections and pitch presentations, to compete for six spots at the Hult Prize Finals later in the year.

Amrita and her sister, Kikky actively engaged in conducting Team Health sessions and offering Social and Emotional support, as needed. Ashok worked with them on their business plans, financial models and supply chain strategies. As each Accelerator came to an end, Ashok guided an interactive session called “The Path Forward” to prepare teams to “embrace their humanity” and adapt to any outcome.

We’re proud of the work that all of us at The EKTA Foundation have done with young people from around the world, over the years, in fulfilling their highest aspirations. We’re committed to continue our work, encouraging and supporting young people to always find the best within themselves and use it, for beneficial, lasting impact.