Team Story

StepUpwards is the foundation created by three different personalities - Varun, a young strategist with a versatile learning background; Debarshi, a New York-based technologist; and Deepak, a serial entrepreneur and exponential coach. Their common passion for ‘learning’ and its role towards productivity, efficiency, and growth brought them together to start StepUpwards - an ecosystem that upskills corporates, institutions, and individuals and helps them Own the Future.

Team Story

StepUpwards is the foundation created by three different personalities - Varun, a young strategist with a versatile learning background; Debarshi, a New York-based technologist; and Deepak, a serial entrepreneur and exponential coach. Their common passion for ‘learning’ and its role towards productivity, efficiency, and growth brought them together to start StepUpwards - an ecosystem that upskills corporates, institutions, and individuals and helps them Own the Future.

Our vision

To partner with businesses and institutions, to optimize the skill of each learner, to enable the workforce to increase productivity.

Our mission

To bring online, interactive, customized training to businesses, institutions, and learners, delivered by the best-fit experts, from anywhere across the globe, to maximize the take-home value of learning.

Our values

Credibility | Commitment | Convenience

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Deepak Saraf

Co-founder
Deepak is a serial entrepreneur and a veteran marketeer. He is the core strength behind StepUpwards’ business model, strategic relationships, and branding.
Deepak founded Zotezo - a trust commerce platform for Wellness. He earlier founded start-ups in Information Technology, IT Training, Retail & eCommerce and managed family businesses in areas of Warehousing & Real Estate. He is a part of the leadership team at SingularityU Kolkata Chapter, and an angel investor. His learnings and experiences have enabled him to build an exponential mindset and he regularly coaches and mentors several companies, including startups, non-profits, and larger entities, as a Certified ExO Sprint Coach and Certified Purpose Alliance Mentor.
Deepak completed his B.Sc. from the University of Buckingham, UK. He is a black belt in Taekwondo and enjoys scuba diving, running marathons, trekking, and traveling. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Calcutta Chowrenghee, where they serve the underprivileged, and served as club President in 2020-21.
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Debarshi Chaudhury

Co-founder
Debarshi is a technologist, and the backbone of technological development at StepUpwards, researching and developing the e-commerce, learning management system, web conferencing, and other tools powering the StepUpwards training platform.
Debarshi has 20+ years of experience and expertise in the technology industry. He founded Quantilus Innovation Inc., a technology solutions firm that provides software development, systems integration, strategy, and implementation consulting services designed to help companies achieve maximum business value. He is also the CEO of eNamix, a premium automation-driven staffing, and recruitment agency. He has had a major role in product development for startups utilizing advanced Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, and Blockchain technologies. He holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and a B.Tech. in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering.
Debarshi is a book lover, and lives in New York City with his wife, three children, and a dog.
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Varun Bajaj

Co-founder & CEO
Varun is a strategist who is responsible for StepUpwards’ operations, product development to solve user pain-points, and the management of StepUpwards’ end-to-end delivery process.
Varun firmly believes that learning is the only constant that will make individuals and businesses sustainable and competitive. He, himself, has been a student of multiple disciplines. He completed his CFA (Finance) and has a background in Actuarial Science (Statistics & Coding). He was a gold medallist in college (Marketing) before dropping out of IIM Bangalore (Management). Prior to founding StepUpwards, he was a Strategic Analyst in the tech industry.
Varun is an avid reader, has played the violin, and enjoys tennis. A passionate gamer, he conceptualized two games in his college days, and believes that gamification can significantly boost the benefits of learning.
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Deepak Saraf

Co-founder
Deepak is a serial entrepreneur and a veteran marketeer. He is the core strength behind StepUpwards’ business model, strategic relationships, and branding.
Deepak founded Zotezo - a trust commerce platform for Wellness. He earlier founded start-ups in Information Technology, IT Training, Retail & eCommerce and managed family businesses in areas of Warehousing & Real Estate. He is a part of the leadership team at SingularityU Kolkata Chapter, and an angel investor. His learnings and experiences have enabled him to build an exponential mindset and he regularly coaches and mentors several companies, including startups, non-profits, and larger entities, as a Certified ExO Sprint Coach and Certified Purpose Alliance Mentor.
Deepak completed his B.Sc. from the University of Buckingham, UK. He is a black belt in Taekwondo and enjoys scuba diving, running marathons, trekking, and traveling. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Calcutta Chowrenghee, where they serve the underprivileged, and served as club President in 2020-21.
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Debarshi Chaudhury

Co-founder
Debarshi is a technologist, and the backbone of technological development at StepUpwards, researching and developing the e-commerce, learning management system, web conferencing, and other tools powering the StepUpwards training platform.
Debarshi has 20+ years of experience and expertise in the technology industry. He founded Quantilus Innovation Inc., a technology solutions firm that provides software development, systems integration, strategy, and implementation consulting services designed to help companies achieve maximum business value. He is also the CEO of eNamix, a premium automation-driven staffing, and recruitment agency. He has had a major role in product development for startups utilizing advanced Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, and Blockchain technologies. He holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and a B.Tech. in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering.
Debarshi is a book lover, and lives in New York City with his wife, three children, and a dog.
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Varun Bajaj

Co-founder & CEO
Varun is a strategist who is responsible for StepUpwards’ operations, product development to solve user pain-points, and the management of StepUpwards’ end-to-end delivery process.
Varun firmly believes that learning is the only constant that will make individuals and businesses sustainable and competitive. He, himself, has been a student of multiple disciplines. He completed his CFA (Finance) and has a background in Actuarial Science (Statistics & Coding). He was a gold medallist in college (Marketing) before dropping out of IIM Bangalore (Management). Prior to founding StepUpwards, he was a Strategic Analyst in the tech industry.
Varun is an avid reader, has played the violin, and enjoys tennis. A passionate gamer, he conceptualized two games in his college days, and believes that gamification can significantly boost the benefits of learning.
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Deepak Saraf

Co-founder
Deepak is a serial entrepreneur and a veteran marketeer. He is the core strength behind StepUpwards’ business model, strategic relationships, and branding.
Deepak founded Zotezo - a trust commerce platform for Wellness. He earlier founded start-ups in Information Technology, IT Training, Retail & eCommerce and managed family businesses in areas of Warehousing & Real Estate. He is a part of the leadership team at SingularityU Kolkata Chapter, and an angel investor. His learnings and experiences have enabled him to build an exponential mindset and he regularly coaches and mentors several companies, including startups, non-profits, and larger entities, as a Certified ExO Sprint Coach and Certified Purpose Alliance Mentor.
Deepak completed his B.Sc. from the University of Buckingham, UK. He is a black belt in Taekwondo and enjoys scuba diving, running marathons, trekking, and traveling. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Calcutta Chowrenghee, where they serve the underprivileged, and served as club President in 2020-21.