Designing Systems, Not Just Spaces: How Saffi Reimagined Her Path from Architecture to Business Strategy
Saffi’s story starts far from the corridors of consulting firms and Ivy League business schools. Born in Malout, a small town in Punjab, and raised across Delhi, Mumbai, and Dubai, she was shaped early by contrast—between rootedness and reinvention, between structure and possibility. It’s no surprise, then, that she entered IIT Kharagpur to study architecture. But by her second year, it became clear that her passion wasn’t limited to design—it was about systems thinking, and she was hungry to solve bigger problems.
That mindset propelled her into the world of data, business, and tech. While many of her peers chased code, Saffi carved out her niche in analytics, product, and strategy. At Swiggy, she helped combat platform fraud and experimented with drone logistics. At Noon, she steered strategy across billion-dirham categories in one of the region’s fastest-growing e-commerce firms. In her current role at Kearney Dubai, she has consulted across various sectors, including energy, retail, and banking, and also led policy-shaping work for the UN, aimed at increasing women’s workforce participation in the Middle East.
Saffi’s impact doesn’t stop at the workplace. As part of Kearney’s mentorship program, she helped an early-stage mental health startup grow from zero revenue to over $1 million in gross merchandise value (GMV), securing their pre-seed and seed rounds. She also contributed to a fintech startup building tipping infrastructure for low-wage workers in the UAE—blending empathy with economic innovation.
After three years in consulting, Saffi realized she was ready for her next leap—not into comfort, but into the unknown. She wanted to challenge herself, meet new people, and push toward her long-term goal: helping mission-driven startups scale across emerging markets. That clarity led her to apply to five of the most competitive MBA programs in the world.
She was accepted to Wharton with a $50,000 scholarship.
Saffi’s story isn’t just about professional excellence—it’s about knowing when to pivot, when to leap, and when to reinvent. From architectural blueprints to helping solve critical business problems, from solo travel to startup growth, she’s consistently chosen courage over comfort.
To read more such stories of folks who got into their dream business schools to pursue their lifelong passion, check out our success stories.
