Balaji Gangishetty Senior Vice President at Persistent Balaji Gangishetty is a Senior Vice President at Persistent for Hi-Tech and Independent Software Vendor (ISV) business. He brings 25+ years of global consulting, digital product engineering, P&L, GTM strategy, and sales experience with passion for delivering better product outcomes and business value for his clients. Despite his go-to-market leadership role today, Balaji still identifies as an engineer at heart, shaped by his two decades experience in the Silicon Valley, working with several enterprises and emerging startup companies building commercially successful products. His career trajectory is defined by end-to-end product development expertise and a deep commitment to solving business challenges through innovative solutions. A Journey from Developer to Go-to-Market LeadershipBalaji’s professional path began in product development, building a foundation that continues to guide him today. His transition to sales engineering marked a turning point; in this role, Balaji gained a broader view of how technology could drive business value. He learned the intricacies of presenting value propositions and establishing technical credibility with clients. Rather than pivoting directly into sales, Balaji deepened his understanding of the end-to-end product development lifecycle. For a decade, he focused on building solutions that catered to global markets, gaining critical insights into customer needs and market trends. His hands-on experience managing full product life cycle gave him a holistic understanding of building commercially successful solutions. Driving Go-to-Market Strategy and Growth at PersistentAs a Senior Vice President at Persistent, Balaji primarily focuses on creating and executing strategies that elevate Persistent’s position as a Digital Engineering and Enterprise Modernization services leader. In his role, Balaji takes the time to understand each client’s business and product priorities, ensuring that Persistent’s offerings evolve alongside client needs. His practitioner-driven methodology ensures that Persistent is not just a service provider, but a trusted partner, delivering solutions that make a real impact. Fostering Innovation, Client Success and One-TeamTo effectively manage the organizational changes prevalent in the Hi-Tech industry, Balaji recommends that his clients consult with a partner firm specializing in digital product engineering services with a strong product engineering DNA. Such a partnership can accelerate innovation, enhance product roadmaps, and support modernization with a global engineering footprint. Engaging with experts who bring a product mindset, rather than a project or consulting mindset, is critical for success. At the heart of Balaji’s work is a firm belief in the power of innovation. He champions the idea that solving complex business challenges requires fresh thinking and cutting-edge technologies. Whether it’s helping clients improve their market positioning or gaining competitive advantage, Balaji is committed to delivering solutions that drive client success. His approach is rooted in increasing the “innovation quotient”, ensuring the Company brings new ideas and thought leadership to every client engagement. This emphasis on innovation allows Persistent to streamline its clients’ product development processes, leading to more efficient and timely launches. Navigating Challenges in Global MarketsBalaji approaches his role with a problem-solving mindset. He believes the core of his job is to simplify complex business challenges for clients, and he achieves this by first understanding the “why” behind each client’s needs. Focusing on the underlying business problem enables him to craft solutions that provide clarity and deliver meaningful outcomes. One of Balaji’s most significant career experiences was during his tenure in a global P&L role, where he built and managed global teams and businesses. His time heading diverse teams and working with global clients allowed him to develop a deeper understanding of leadership at scale. A key challenge Balaji faces is managing cross-cultural collaboration, with teams spread across North America, LATAM, Europe, Asia, and beyond. Balaji emphasizes the importance of one-team spirit, clear communication, and goal alignment to ensure these diverse teams work cohesively toward common goals. Once a solution is in place, he focuses on consistent execution and continuous improvement, which he views as critical to maintaining client trust and long-term success. Shaping Persistent’s AI-Led FutureLooking toward the future, Balaji is leading Persistent into an AI-driven future, aligning with the company’s strategic vision. By adopting an AI-led, platform-driven approach, Persistent is poised to deliver even more personalized and scalable solutions to its clients. Despite Persistent’s global scale, Balaji emphasizes the Company’s boutique and agile mindset, ensuring that each solution is customized to meet the specific needs of its clients. He aims to help clients achieve greater innovation, product acceleration, product portfolio consolidation, and R&D optimization with Persistent’s global technology center model, which allows the Company to draw on engineers worldwide to streamline client strategies and product cycles. Empowering the Next Generation of LeadersBalaji is passionate about empowering the next generation of professionals, who he believes are ambitious and full of potential. For him, creating an environment where they can freely share and debate their ideas is crucial to fostering creativity and innovation. He regularly encourages young professionals to focus not only on the technology, but also on the broader business challenges they are addressing. Balaji believes that understanding the “reasoning” behind their work is key to their long-term success. Additionally, he stresses the importance of transparent dialogue, collaborative effort, and fostering strong connections—skills that are becoming increasingly essential in today’s digital work environments. Envisioning the Path ForwardAs he looks ahead, Balaji’s focus remains on leveraging cutting-edge technologies like AI to deepen Persistent’s impact on the Hi-tech & ISV industry. His relentless pursuit of innovation and dedication to client outcomes will contribute to Persistent’s goal in becoming a $2 billion enterprise within the next three years, while remaining a trusted partner in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Connect with Balaji on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/balaji-gangishetty-bg-3962aa3/

Shraddha Sheth Founder & Visionary of FitEduCoach Shraddha Sheth, Founder & Visionary of FitEduCoach: Empowering the Future of Fitness Education In the realm of fitness and vocational education, Shraddha Sheth has established herself as a visionary and industry pioneer. With more than two decades of experience in the fitness industry, Shraddha has played a pivotal role in shaping it. Her journey from a postgraduate in food and nutrition to an influential figure leading a platform designed to empower fitness professionals highlights her passion, resilience, and visionary leadership.  The Beginning of a Fitness Journey After a post-graduation in food and nutrition, Shraddha moved into the fitness industry. Shraddha started off professionally in a hospital and learnt the clinical side of health and fitness. Her passion for fitness was discovered when she became a part of the founding team at Gold’s Gym in India. From that day on, Shraddha has been giving back to the fitness industry through establishing & then mentoring teams in a number of gyms and helping individuals reach their health goals. Her journey, marked by a deep understanding of fitness and health, led her to recognize the challenges the Indian fitness industry faced. Despite these hurdles, the growing awareness of fitness and wellness among India’s middle class inspired Shraddha to take a bold step and create FitEduCoach—a platform that could bridge the gap between fitness education and employment opportunities. The Vision Behind FitEduCoach Though the Indian fitness industry is one that continues to develop at a rapid rate, there are multiple barriers limiting this growth, like wealth distribution and limited access to expertly coached methodical physical training. Shraddha wanted to make FitEduCoach as a solution that solves these problems. She sought to provide cultural relevance for what she dreamed would be the next revolution in accessible and affordable fitness education nationwide, even worldwide. This sector could be a talent powerhouse if we manage to educate our workforce at the right time. FitEduCoach is Shraddha’s attempt to offer best-in-class education, tailored in a way that suits the Indian audience. Indeed, the in-depth culturally made content for FitEduCoach highlights what makes it unique. FitEduCoach — unlike many international platforms, is aware that the language can be something serious blocking learning. Hence, they provide courses in “enriched Hinglish” and regional languages so that students of varied backgrounds can have access to learning. The Unique Selling Proposition of FitEduCoach What sets FitEduCoach apart from other fitness education platforms is its blend of technology and cultural empathy. The platform emphasizes affordability, ensuring that students from various socio-economic backgrounds can access high-quality fitness education. Moreover, FitEduCoach has optimized technology to deliver education in a format that is both engaging and convenient. The platform combines virtual learning with hands-on practical training, allowing students to grasp theoretical concepts online while honing their skills at designated performance centres in physical format , instructor-led training . This hybrid model has been well-received, particularly during the pandemic, when the traditional norms of education were disrupted. Recognizing the unique needs of the Indian fitness market, the platform’s curriculum includes modules on strength training, endurance training, functional training, and women’s fitness, alongside gym business operations and customer service. This holistic approach ensures that graduates are well-equipped to meet the demands of the industry, whether they aim to work as trainers, gym managers, or fitness entrepreneurs. FitEduCoach has partnered with many of the leading fitness and gym companies in India, which are not only helping students to connect for trainer recruitment but also giving them ample opportunity on career progression. Students receive personal guidance through the mentorship program, led by industry veterans that help them navigate their career in a challenging marketplace. Building a Community of Fitness Professionals The FitEduCoach mission is Skilling Indian youth with training that will empower them to make a financially secured life & core values of Excellence, Innovation, Community (Building), Accessibility and Growth mirror Shraddha together with her commitment to building a caring fitness professional community. These are the values applied in everything from Curriculum to Student Success. “We wanted to create more than just a certification program. FitEduCoach is about building a community where students feel supported at every stage of their journey. We offer continuous support through AMA sessions, one-on-one query resolution, and access to industry experts. Our goal is to empower our students to make a lasting impact on the fitness industry and the lives of their clients”, Shraddha shares. In its first 100 days, FitEduCoach successfully conducted over 15 free webinars, attracting more than 2,000 trainers. These webinars, featuring international and Indian experts, not only provided valuable insights but also fostered a culture of continuous learning within the fitness community. By offering free resources and building a sense of camaraderie among trainers, FitEduCoach has quickly become a trusted name in the industry. Milestones and Achievements FitEduCoach’s impact on the fitness industry has been significant, with the platform achieving remarkable milestones in a short span of time. It has been honored as the Most Innovative Startup in Fitness and Wellness 2024 by the National Healthcare & Wellness Awards, underscoring its commitment to pioneering advancements in health and fitness education. One of its most successful endeavours is bringing together the best educators across nations. The Platform has on boarded 50 international coaches and 5 fitness mentors, each having experience of about 20 years. All of these mentors give students invaluable knowledge to help them navigate the labyrinth of the fitness industry. In the near future, FitEduCoach has an array of exciting tools in  development on the way. An app will be available in December to help students eventually learn even more easily from their platform. In January 2025, FitEduCoach intends to switch on the go-forward career job site that will pair graduates with fitness employers and their roles — connecting people in a way now only known at Ivy League schools. The portal will launch with the goal of locating more than 1,000 trainees in the industry within its first year. Shraddha’s vision for