Vishal Shah
Member of the GEC Circle of Influence
Bio:
Vishal Shah is a strategist, educator and innovation ecosystem leader, with a career spanning education, engineering, venture development and public sector collaboration. A former Physics teacher and UCL Institute of Education alumnus, Vishal has taught in schools and universities while developing accredited degree courses and apprenticeships focused on innovation, strategy and technology.
An Imperial College Engineering graduate, he now advises governments, accelerators, venture capital investors and startup ecosystems globally on innovation, growth strategy and ecosystem development. As Founder of Edtech Access, Vishal is committed to building inclusive innovation ecosystems that improve educational access, learning outcomes and opportunity through collaboration, technology and entrepreneurship.
Alongside his international work, Vishal serves as Vice-Chair of the Governing Board for an Alternative Provision school in London, reflecting his ongoing commitment to inclusive education, social impact and supporting young people to thrive.
“Turning research into impact. We need research and researchers to identify problems, idea generation and validation. These are all important steps in our innovation process and doing these well can lead to real impact at scale.”
Specialist Areas:
Advisor / Mentor, Coach, Trainer / Facilitator, Consultant, Startup, Scaleup and Venture Capital Investment Strategy
Social channels:
LinkedIn - Edtech Access
LinkedIn - Vishal Shah
Useful Links:
GEC Circle Contributions: Strengthening the GEC Framework:
Bringing expertise across education, innovation and global startup ecosystems, this GEC Circle member adds a powerful strategic lens to the Global Equality Collective (GEC)’s work at the intersection of inclusion, SEND and emerging technology. A UCL Institute of Education alumnus, former Physics teacher and Imperial College London Engineering graduate, they now advise governments, venture capital networks, accelerators and startups globally on ecosystem development and innovation strategy. As Vice-Chair of the Governing Board for an Alternative Provision school in London and a curriculum author for degree courses and apprenticeships, Vishal brings both systems-level insight and practical educational leadership to the GEC Circle. His expertise is particularly valuable as the GEC becomes the research partner for the national SEND Tech challenge, helping ensure innovation in EdTech remains grounded in inclusion, evidence and lived experience.
