🎤 TEDx Speaker 🚀 Founder & CEO 🌍 3 Continents

Arj
Agarwal

Arj Agarwal
🏆
TEDx Speaker
Globally recognised

Born in Nagpur. Raised in post-Apartheid Johannesburg. Built in Melbourne. Rejected 156 times before landing at Investec. Closed over $2bn in deals. Lost everything. Built it back. Now redirecting capital to change the world through inaam.

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Arj Agarwal
🏆
TEDx Speaker
Globally recognised
156
Rejections before Investec
$2bn+
Deals closed
3
Continents. One mission.
10K+
Audiences reached globally
TEDx Speaker KPMG High Growth Ventures Davos Innovation Week Impact Investment Summit University of Melbourne Startupbootcamp inaam impactOS Afrika Tikkun Investec Investment Bank ArjSpeaks Podcast TEDx Speaker KPMG High Growth Ventures Davos Innovation Week Impact Investment Summit University of Melbourne Startupbootcamp inaam impactOS Afrika Tikkun Investec Investment Bank ArjSpeaks Podcast
✦ About

A builder who bets
on people & the planet

Growing up as part of South Africa's "born free" generation, Arj had a privileged upbringing that never sat right with him. He worked with Afrika Tikkun — whose Patron in Chief was Nelson Mandela — on capacity building, empowerment initiatives, and public speaking workshops. The philosophy that stuck: teach someone to teach others to fish, and the whole community moves forward.

He helped scale IvySpace (backed by ex-VP of Alibaba) across South Africa, co-founded the country's first blockchain fund at 18, quadrupled it in 6 months via arbitrage, then liquidated in full integrity when markets turned speculative. Everyone got their money back.

After losing his father in his final year at Wits, he moved to India, applied to 156 jobs, and was rejected from all of them for being "too young." He cold-emailed the CEO of Investec — whose address was on the public website. Got a response. Flunked the technical interview question. Got hired anyway. Helped close over $2bn in deals alongside Blackstone, TPG, ADIA and GIC Singapore.

Rejected from his Masters at UniMelb. Wrote an appeal to the Dean. Got in. Arrived 1 February 2020 — three weeks before Melbourne became the world's most locked-down city. Won a national COVID hackathon. Launched ArjSpeaks. Built inaam as his final Masters deliverable. His life's work.

🏅 Credentials
🎤
TEDx SpeakerGlobally viewed talk on capital as a force for good
🏦
KPMG High Growth VenturesPortfolio Manager — Australia's top startups
🌍
Davos Innovation WeekFeatured global startup innovator
📢
Impact Investment Summit 2024Speaker at Australia's premier impact event
🎓
University of MelbourneFeatured alumni — humanitarian entrepreneur
🇦🇺
101 South Asian Australian FoundersSAARI Collective recognisee
📍 The Journey

A career that reads
like a novel

Three continents. Five industries. One hundred and fifty-six rejections. Zero regrets.

JHB
Johannesburg, South Africa
Afrika Tikkun & the Seeds of Impact

Worked under the patronage of Nelson Mandela's Afrika Tikkun on capacity building and empowerment. Helped launch and scale IvySpace — a peer-to-peer Ivy League mentoring platform backed by ex-VP of Alibaba — achieving a ~96% success rate into Ivy League universities. Caught the tech bug, co-founded South Africa's first blockchain fund at 18, quadrupled it in 6 months, then liquidated in full integrity. Everyone got their money back.

2017
Wits University → India
156 Rejections → Cold Email → Investec

Lost his father in his final year. Moved to India. Rejected from 156 jobs for being "too young." Cold-emailed the CEO of Investec — whose address was on the public website. Got a response. Flunked the technical question in the interview. Got hired anyway. Built a custom Bloomberg Terminal the sales team still uses today. Helped close over $2bn in deals alongside Blackstone, TPG, ADIA and GIC Singapore.

2020
Melbourne, Australia
Masters Rejection → Appeal → COVID → inaam

Rejected from the Wade Institute of Entrepreneurship at UniMelb. Wrote an appeal to the Dean. Got in. Arrived 1 February 2020 — three weeks before Melbourne became the world's most locked-down city. Won the national Hack the Crisis Australia hackathon. Launched ArjSpeaks podcast. Built inaam as his final Masters deliverable — now Australia's leading impact investing fintech.

2021–23
Melbourne
PE, NDIS Strategy & Building in Public

Stints in private equity (Straight Bat PE — the Harris family who founded Flight Centre globally), blockchain ESVCLP setup, healthcare education capital raising (acquired by Ramsay Health), and the NDIA Strategy Division — helping secure capital from the Prime Minister's office to keep the NDIS scheme operational. All while scaling inaam in the background.

NOW
Melbourne · Global
Founder & CEO of inaam

Portfolio Manager at KPMG HGV — backing Australia's most ambitious founders. Building inaam into the impact engine of the global financial system. TEDx Speaker. Impact Investment Summit Speaker. Davos Innovation Week. And just getting started.

💡 Work With Arj

Three ways to
collaborate

Arj doesn't speak from theory. He's lived every chapter of this story — from cold emails to boardrooms to COVID hackathons. That's the energy he brings to every room.

🎤

Keynote & Guest Speaker

From startup stages to university halls to corporate boardrooms — Arj translates complex ideas into stories that move people to act. TEDx-tested. Globally recognised. Personal vulnerability + hard-won insight delivered with infectious energy.

Impact Investing Fintech Youth & Capital Resilience Entrepreneurship
Book a Speaking Gig →
🎪

Master of Ceremonies

After MCing for crowds of over 10,000, Arj has the pedigree, zest, and composure to run your event exactly as you've envisioned. Equal parts charismatic and professional — your guests won't forget it.

Conferences Galas Startup Events University Events Corporate
Enquire About MC'ing →
🧠

Advisory & Consulting

Investment banking. Management consulting. Private equity. Regulated FS. Government strategy. Startup building. Arj has done the reps across every layer of the capital stack — and advises with receipts to show for it.

Impact Strategy Fundraising Fintech GTM Startup Advisory ESG Frameworks
Book Advisory Session →
🤝 Collaborations

Organisations Arj has
worked with

From investment banks to NGOs, governments to global startups.

Investec
TEDx
NDIS
University of Melbourne
Swinburne
KPMG HGV
Afrika Tikkun
IvySpace
Wade Institute
WNS
Ormond College
Straight Bat PE
Aussie Founders Club
FlexDApps
Food for Life
Bridging Us
HCI
DocuScan
📰 Media & Press

As seen
globally

TEDx Talk
How money can be a force for good — globally viewed TEDx talk
Video · YouTube
 University of Melbourne
Meet Arjun — Humanitarian Entrepreneur bridging capital & community
Feature Article
 Impact Investment Summit 2024
Speaker profile — impact investing & fintech democratisation
Speaker Profile
 Davos Innovation Week
Featured among the world's most innovative startup founders
Global Event Feature
 Inspirepreneur Magazine
Innovating fintech to empower the next generation through inaam
Magazine Feature
 Balance The Grind
Co-Founder & CEO of inaam on building with purpose and radical transparency
Interview
 Startupbootcamp
inaam — making impact investing more accessible and easy
Feature
 Indian Sun
Featured in Australia's leading South Asian publication
Press Feature
 Give it a Nudge
Arj Agarwal on impact investing, inaam, and building with purpose
Podcast Appearance
⭐ Testimonials

What people
say

"

Arj has the innate ability to captivate audiences eloquently, enthusiastically, and emotionally by sharing ideas, insights and personal experiences while showing his true passion. His presentations and talks cannot be missed.

Dr. Dimitrios SalampasisDirector, Masters in FinTech — Swinburne University
"

Arjun speaks very eloquently and is highly articulate. One of the most engaging speakers out there. Highly recommend for any audience, any room, any occasion.

Jahin TanvirCEO, ASE
🎙️ Podcast

Raw. Real.
ArjSpeaks.

The podcast where Arj has the conversations that matter — on money, impact, entrepreneurship, and what it really takes to build something meaningful. No filters. No fluff.

ArjSpeaks Raw founder conversations · Available on Spotify
ALL ArjSpeaks — Full Show Spotify → EP Bottled Up — Mental health & founders Spotify → EP Founders Without Borders Spotify → TALK What Schools Never Taught You About Money YouTube → TALK Impact Over Vanity — DevReady YouTube → TALK Startupbootcamp Sustainable Fintech Series YouTube → FEAT. Give it a Nudge Podcast — Arj Agarwal Podcast →
⚡ The Life's Work

Meet inaam

The place where the world goes to invest in impact. Because Arj's father lost his entire life savings trying to make a difference — and didn't have to.

"Young people want to invest in impact — they just don't know how or where. We're giving them exactly what they told us they need: an app that shows you how to invest your money, tells you exactly where it's going, and exactly what impact it will have, dollar for dollar."
19% p.a
10-year backtested return (market cap weighted across full fund)
80%
Operating margins
$10
Per month to start investing in impact
500K
Target audience database

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Returns shown are based on a 10-year backtest using a market cap weighted methodology across all fund holdings. This is general information only and does not constitute financial advice. Arjun Agarwal holds an RG146 qualification and is an Authorised Representative (AR) of inaam's Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR). Please refer to inaam.me for the full Financial Services Guide, Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determination before making any investment decision.

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📅 Let's Work Together

Ready to make
something happen?

Whether you're planning an event, building a company, or want a fresh perspective on impact and capital — pick your path below.

🎤
Speaking & MC

Keynotes, panels, university talks, corporate events, MC'ing. TEDx-tested. 10,000+ audiences reached globally.

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☕
30 Mins with Arj

A free 30-minute conversation — whether you're a founder, student, or just want to connect. No agenda needed.

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🧠
Paid Advisory

Deep-dive advisory session. Impact strategy, fundraising, fintech GTM, startup advisory. Every layer of the capital stack.

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✉️ Send a Message

Tell Arj about
your project

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