About Dr. Lina Sönne Vyas
I am an Innovation Economist with over 15 years of experience in practice and policy-oriented research and consulting on
Impact of technological change, digitisation and AI on business and society
Inclusive innovation, social entrepreneurship and impact investing
Technology and gender, digitisation and society;
Entrepreneurship in arts + culture.
I am Associate Professor at the Desai Sethi School of Entrepreneurship (DSSE), IIT Bombay, where I teach and research. I regularly participate in workshops, speak at conferences, sit on investment panels and mentor social sector entrepreneurs.
Previously, I was Associate Professor at FLAME School of Business, FLAME University, Pune, and at Jindal School of Liberal Arts & Humanities at Jindal Global University in Sonipat, Haryana; I set up and ran Inblick Innovation Advisory in Mumbai; built a research and consulting portfolio on innovation and entrepreneurship for social impact at Okapi Research & Advisory, Mumbai; co-led research at Intellecap, Mumbai; and was Assistant Professor at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru. Before moving to India, I was a researcher on innovation and technology policy with UNU-MERIT, the Netherlands.
I hold a PhD in Economics and Policy of Technical Change from UNU-MERIT and Maastricht University, an MSc in Business Economics from City, University of London, and a PG Diploma in Modern & Contemporary Indian Art History + Curatorial Studies from the Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai.
I have led cross-sectoral projects in multiple South Asian countries and have worked with partners such as Dvara Research, Ashoka University, Observer Research Foundation, IFMR Lead, The World Bank Group, SAARC Development Fund, Tata Trusts, Villgro, IDRC, Citi Foundation, Rockefeller Foundations, British Council, NESTA, DfID, Unilever, CII, Yuva Parivartan/KSWA, UNCTAD, UNU-MERIT, The Art X Company, and Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF).