Nilanjan Banerjee

Background

About Nilanjan Banerjee

At StartupYou, we’re scaling design thinking programs across India, expanding from 4 to 20 partner schools and serving over learners. We design programs for learners across ages 11–18 to nurture lateral thinking, explore and define problems, collaborate with peers, and communicate ideas using the Design Thinking Process. Of those, 5% have gone on to create tangible prototypes, using their school’s STEAM lab and generative AI tools. Most students leave with fun, wacky ideas and sketches—while a few are still finding their creative stride. During undergrad, my batchmates and I co-founded a video production company driven by a shared passion for storytelling. We produced promo videos, aftermovies, and original content for brands, student-led events, and theatre productions. Managing a creative team while coordinating client briefs gave me invaluable hands-on experience that complemented my formal education, piquing my interest in deep-dive learning experiences. My curiosity for different mediums of creative expression led me to further pursue a Master’s in Design Practices, specializing in Visual Communication, where I explored the deeper intricacies of visual design, game design and experimental animation. Right after my postgraduate education, at Total Environment, along with my regular responsibilities, I contributed to setting up a keyword-searchable design asset management system to find assets easily across a massive archival library of photos, videos, and marketing collateral.(I hope) It made life easier for designers who joined after me. Looking forward, I’m committed to driving innovation in organisations and creating design strategies that blend empathy, creativity, and impact. I believe that a blend of empathy, creative mindset, and entrepreneurial aptitude can have a profoundly positive impact on our lives and the future to come.