Anu Shah (entrepreneur)

Anu Shah (also known as Anuja Shah) is an Indian-American entrepreneur, technology executive, author, and philanthropist. She has held product leadership positions at Amazon and Meta Platforms. Shah is the founder and host of The Talk Lane podcast. Her professional experience includes roles in technology companies, venture capital, entrepreneurship in emerging markets, and advisory work with international development organizations.

Early life and education

Shah started her career in Mumbai at approximately 20 years old, initially working in an entry-level role at a local call center. She later moved into the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, where she held sakes and marketing positions. During this time, she advanced to corporate roles, including serving as a brand manager for the beverage brand Frooti at Parle Agro. Shah completed her postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom, earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Leeds, where she was awarded a merit-based scholarship. She later joined the University of Leeds International Advisory Board.

Career

After completing her MBA, Shah worked as a Senior Associate in Mergers and Acquisitions at Ernst & Young (EY) from 2012 to 2013. Her professional experience includes management consulting, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity, where she provided advice on corporate strategy and analytical modeling. She also worked at the global management consulting firm Kearney in their Dubai office. Additionally, early in her career, she served as a startup mentor at Barclays Rise, supporting founders in early-stage business development.

Shah is an entrepreneur who has founded three startups focused on artificial intelligence (AI) applications in human resources, candidate recruitment, and career development. In 2026, she established EFI Hub, a virtual incubator and accelerator aimed at supporting entrepreneurs and early-stage companies in emerging markets in Africa and Asia. EFI Hub reportedly supported over 200 entrepreneurs before its acquisition in 2018 by the UK-based investment firm Acorn Capital. Subsequently, Shah launched ResumeRanks.ai, an AI-driven platform designed to assist with recruitment and career development. Throughout her career, she has been involved in two business exits with valuations exceeding $10 million USD each and has raised $10 million USD in Series A funding for another company.

Shah transitioned into executive roles at multinational technology companies, focusing on machine learning and digital commerce infrastructure. At Meat Platform Inc., she held a product leadership role within the global brand advertising division, working on machine learning applications for audience expansion and creative automation in digital advertising. She later joined Amazon as a Principal Product Manager in the Amazon Ads division, where her responsibilities include product development related to advertising systems, automation infrastructure, and performance optimization. Shah also delivered a talk titled "Rejection in Redirection" at TEDx University of Leeds.

In 2025, Shah launched The Talk Lane, a podcast and media platform featuring InterViews with policymakers, CEOs, futurists, and authors. The Series focuses on topics related to ethics, innovation, boardroom strategy, and civic issues, with Shah serving as its creator and host.

Publication

Shah is the author of the children's book Little Hearts, Big Emotions: Understanding Feelings (2024), which addresses emotional literacy for children. Shah has contributed opinion and analysis articles to various business publications. Her works for CNBC Africa has addressed topics such as Africa's technology ecosystem, venture investment, the impact of small and medium-sized enterprises, and gender parity in entrepreneurship. In 2020, she published an opinion piece on India's potential as an alternative to China for manufacturing and technology on CNBC Africa. She had also contributed articles on entrepreneurship and venture capital to BW Disrupt, and on Startup ecosystems and gender parity in technology to e27.

Awards and recognition

• Woman Icon Asia (2018): Presented in Singapore in recognition of achievements as a female technology leader and entrepreneur in the human resource and recruitment sector across Southeast Asia.

• Forbs India Business Legend (2020): Recognized by Forbes India for contributions to corporate strategy, technology leadership, and the startup ecosystem.

• British Council UK Alumni Award (2021): Received the Global Entrepreneur Award from the British Council in recognition of professional achievements and impact as a business founder after studying at the University of Leeds.

• India-UK Achievers Award (2023): Presented during the celebrations of India's 75th year of independence, this award recognizes British-educated Indian alumni for their contributions in the Business and Entrepreneurship category.