1. Bern University of Applied Sciences
  2. Swiss Federal Institute of Sport Magglingen SFISM
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Deepti Pahwa

Profile

Deepti Pahwa Dozentin

Contact

Links

  • Address Berner Fachhochschule
    Business School
    Institut Innovation and Entrepreneurship
    Brückenstrasse 73
    3005 Bern

Activities

  • Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship

  • Director CAS - Innovation & Business Design

  • Director CAS - Transformation & Change Management

  • Teaching across both Bachelor’s and Master’s programs: Designing and delivering practice-oriented learning experiences that bridge theory with real-world startup and corporate innovation challenges. The work focuses on equipping students with the mindset, tools, and strategic acumen needed to navigate uncertainty, build ventures, and lead innovation initiatives.

    Direction of two executive education programs: the CAS in Innovation & Business Design and the CAS in Transformation & Change Management: Curating and leading interdisciplinary learning journeys for professionals, integrating cutting-edge frameworks in innovation, organizational change, and power dynamics to help leaders drive sustainable transformation within their organizations.

Teaching

  • Bachelor of Science / International Business Administration

  • Master of Science / Entrepreneurship & Business Innovation

  • Bachelors
    - Sustainable Startup Challenge (with Startup Partners) - Lead Faculty
    - Refining Business Models (with Startup Partners) - Lead Faculty
    - Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Summer School with International Exchange) 2024
    - Young Entrepreneur Exchange Project (Summer School in India) 2025
    - Consumer Side of Innovation (2025)

  • Master of Science / Entrepreneurship & Business Innovation
    + Product Launch and Market Entry - Lead Faculty
    + Networks, Partnerships and Ecosystems - Lead Faculty
    + Coach (My Own Project) - Lead Faculty

    Society and Technology, Master's in Sustainable Business Innovation (2025)

Research

  • Design of hybrid innovation and entrepreneurship programs that integrate experiential learning, coaching, and community-based acceleration.

  • Power dynamics, networks, and social capital in executive careers, boards, and startup communities.

  • Technology‑driven transformation in education and executive development (edtech, hybrid and cohort‑based learning, coaching‑centred program design).

  • Designing and scaling hybrid incubation and venture studio formats to support founders, intrapreneurs, and board-level leaders.

  • Developing practice-based teaching and executive education in innovation and entrepreneurship, with a strong focus on power, networks, and ecosystems.

  • Building bridges between BFH and global innovation hubs through joint programs, study tours, and venture initiatives.

CV

  • Deepti Pahwa is a Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) Business School, where she contributes to the development of practice-oriented, research-informed teaching at Bachelor, Master, and executive levels. She is recognised internationally as an award‑winning ecosystem builder, executive coach, and author, with a track record spanning Stanford Graduate School of Business, MIT Media Lab, and leading innovation ecosystems across Europe, Asia, and North America.
  • Her academic and professional work sits at the intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation management, and power dynamics in organizations, with a particular focus on how networks, ecosystems, and partnerships enable technology-driven ventures to scale for impact. She brings extensive experience from senior innovation and product roles in industry into the classroom, using experiential methods, applied projects, and coaching-based pedagogy to help students and executives design, launch, and grow ventures in complex environments.
  • Beyond BFH, she serves as Board Chair and Co‑Founder of LISA – the Stanford LEAD Incubator & Startup Accelerator – and as an executive coach for leadership and innovation programs at Stanford GSB. She is also a Research Affiliate with the AI Venture Studio at MIT Media Lab, where her work centres on AI-enabled ventures and ecosystem design. Her contributions to teaching, innovation, and thought leadership have been recognised through multiple international awards for innovation, authorship, and executive education impact.
  • 2024 – present Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Senior Lecturer) Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), Business School
  • 2018 – present Board Chair & Co‑Founder, LISA – Stanford LEAD Incubator & Startup Accelerator LISA – global venture accelerator and alumni community
  • 2018 – present Managing Director & CEO (Executive Coaching) Bold Moves Made Easy (Self-employed)
  • 2023 – 2025 Research Affiliate, AI Venture Studio MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, USA
  • 2024 - Present Visiting Faculty (Paths to Power, Networks to Networth, Director’s Chair) Swiss Board School (In Collaboration with University of St Gallen)
  • 2024 - Present Coach & Consultant Stanford SEED
  • 2021 - 2024 Professor of Practice, Innovation (Visiting) Business School of Lausanne
  • Previous Chief Innovation Officer, health‑tech (innovation & venture building) Silicon Valley Startup, International health‑technology firm
  • Previous Innovation and product leadership roles, global lifestyle brands International consumer and lifestyle companies( Swatchgroup, Swarovski)
  • 2019-2020 Stanford GSB LEAD – Corporate Innovation / (Masters Equivalent) Stanford Graduate School of Business, USA
  • 2023 – 2025 Research Affiliate (AI Venture Studio) MIT Media Lab, USA
  • 1999 - 2002 Bachelor of Business Administration Delhi University, India
  • 1999 - 2001 International diploma in design Pearl Academy, Delhi, India (exchange - Germany)
  • Teaching and research portfolio covers technological innovation for impact, entrepreneurial ecosystems and partnerships, startup launch and scaling, human‑centred design, entrepreneurial leadership, open innovation, business model innovation, diversity in innovation, and the role of power dynamics in innovation outcomes.
  • Regularly supervises practice-based projects and entrepreneurial initiatives, connecting students and executives with international startup and corporate innovation ecosystems as a mentor and board advisor for various Initiatives and Accelerators.
  • Active as a speaker and thought leader, including engagements at TEDx and the World Economic Forum: addresses topics such as power, networks, and inclusive innovation. Her work in these forums reinforces her positioning as a bridge between academic insight and real‑world entrepreneurial practice.
  • Sep 2020 – Oct 2021: Co‑Lead for the MIT Africa Conference series within the MIT Program for Trusted Pandemic Technologies, responsible for external partnerships, events, and communications, under Program Director Prof. Ramesh Raskar (MIT Media Lab)
  • Advisory & Ecosystem Roles:
    - Member, European Women on Boards (EWOB), 2020 – present
    - Advisor, Supercoach & Jury Member, DayOne – Healthcare Innovation, 2023 – present
    - Founder, Stanford GSB Switzerland Club, 2019 – present
    - Mentor & Judge, MassChallenge, 2019 – present
    - Member, Design Leadership Forum, InVision, 2020 – 2025

Projects

  • Stanford LEAD Innovation Tour (BFH – Stanford collaboration)- 2025
    Initiated and led a multi-day innovation tour bringing over 120 Stanford LEAD executives and founders to Bern and Switzerland, showcasing Swiss strengths in innovation, sustainability, healthcare and entrepreneurship in collaboration with BFH, industry, and ecosystem partners.
    Responsibilities included program design, stakeholder engagement, and moderating sessions between global executives, Swiss founders, and public-sector leaders.

Publications

Awards

Recognition for outstanding contribution to the GSB LEAD learning community

Awarded for academic excellence and intellectual contribution within the Stanford GSB LEAD program

Recognizing thought leadership and peer impact in executive education.

Innovation leadership as Chief Innovation Officer in health‑tech.

Innovation initiative in health‑tech addressing global health challenges.

Recognized for its contribution to practice-oriented entrepreneurship literature.

Featured among notable recent works by Stanford‑affiliated authors.

Recognition for thought leadership and impact in the domain of professional networking.

Supervised theses

  • Jonas Eigenheer Frozen Fruits & Berries: Identifying drivers of innovation resistance in the adoption of unprocessed frozen fruits and berries in the Swiss consumer market. 2024 - 25

  • Roman Bacher Perceived Value Construction in an Omnichannel Journey A Single-Case Qualitative Study of Online and In-Store Channel Fit at Snushus 2025 - 26

  • Marvin Nehmer Building a strong Player Base for Padel in Bern: Effective Marketing to Increase Awarness and Engagement How can effective marketing build a strong player base and increase awareness for Padel in Bern 2024 - 25

Language skills and intercultural knowledge

  • English - Native or bilingual proficiency
  • German - Professional working proficiency
  • French - Elementary proficiency
  • Hindi - Native or bilingual proficiency
  • Germany
  • India
  • United States of America
  • Switzerland