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Ayush Rastogi

I was born in Moradabad on the birthday of a Hindu deity.

I spent seven years at a boarding school in Mussoorie. The school had almost no internet and personal devices policy. If I wanted to learn something, I had to find a way.

During those years, I got into table tennis and quizzing. I competed nationally for five years, led the state team, and ended up on television twice.

In 2023 I scored 98.6% on ICSEs, highest in my school's history. Preparing for them involved sneaking a phone past school authorities and risking a $1500 fine.

Two months into junior year, I dropped out.

For the next two years, I studied on my own and worked across sports, media, and non-profits.

Did marketing for Newell's Old Boys, got a feature on ESPN, went viral on X, ranked top 100 in the world at Fantasy Premier League, and did marketing research with Shun Yiu.

In parallel, I helped run a non-profit that raised $25,000 to roll out sustainability initiatives, organize vocational training and create jobs in Moradabad, one of the world's most polluted cities.

Now I'm at Bocconi and HEC Paris studying data science, government, and history. I'm first-gen, and still self-taught.

I like building things, testing products, and figuring out how systems work. Outside of that: pickleball, water parks, exploring the culinary scene, comedy sketches, forecasting, and cooking for people I love (best at making pasta, sandwiches, and burgers).

I admire Shah Rukh Khan, Lionel Messi, and Novak Djokovic.

If you like taking the road less travelled by, we should talk.