Neelam Pol
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{{Orphan|date=December 2018}}
{{notability|1=Biographies|date=December 2018}}
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{{Infobox person
| name = Neelam Pol
| image = Neelam_Pol.jpg
| caption =
| birth_date = 1981
| birth_place = Mumbai, India
| nationality = Indian
| alma_mater = Harvard University
| occupation = Founder of Khel Planet
| known_for = 21st Century Education and Social Entrepreneurship
| spouse = Saurabh Agarwal
| website =
}}
Neelam Pol (born 1981) is an entrepreneur and founder of Khel Planet Foundation.{{Cite web|url=https://www.devex.com/organizations/khel-planet-foundation-66177|title=Khel Planet Foundation {{!}} Devex|website=www.devex.com|access-date=2018-11-26}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.femina.in/women/meet-five-women-who-bring-out-the-inner-beauty-through-their-stories-5155-2.html|title=Meet five women who say #MainBeautiful|work=femina.in|access-date=2018-11-26|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.redelephantfoundation.org/2015/04/a-planet-to-play-on.html|title=A Planet to Play on|website=www.redelephantfoundation.org|access-date=2018-11-26}} She is a Harvard University alumna{{Cite web|url=https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/14/03/2014-education-innovation-pitch-competition|title=2014 Education Innovation Pitch Competition|website=Harvard Graduate School of Education|date=24 March 2014 |language=en|access-date=2019-07-07}} and lives in Mumbai.{{Cite web|url=https://www.changemakers.com/users/neelam-pol|title=Neelam Pol {{!}} Changemakers|website=www.changemakers.com|language=en-us|access-date=2018-11-26}}
Personal life
Pol was born with right arm phocomelia, a permanent, non-progressive, physical disability in which right arm was shorter than the left.
Education
Pol attained a master's degree in International Education Policy from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.in/author/neelam-pol/|title=Neelam Pol|website=HuffPost India|language=en|access-date=2018-11-26}} She completed her MBA in Strategy Management from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.{{Cite web|url=http://www.asialeadershiptrek.org/pol_neelam/|title=Pol_Neelam-e1385086219162 - Asia Leadership Trek|website=www.asialeadershiptrek.org|language=en-US|access-date=2018-11-26}} She is an engineering graduate in Computer Science & Technology from Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women's University.
She has been a World Bank Scholar and Vital Voices Fellow. She was also awarded the Education Entrepreneurship Fellowship in 2014 by Harvard University. {{citation needed|date=June 2022}}
Career
Pol started her career working at Infosys as a software engineer. She later worked at companies including IBM and Tech Mahindra, where she worked in business sales, marketing and operations manager before becoming an educationist.
She left corporate career in 2012, and spent time working at the grass root level in rural India with government schools and focused on school leadership.{{Cite news|url=http://khelplanet.org/about/|title=About - Khel Planet - Play for 21st century life skills I An Education Non-profit|work=Khel Planet - Play for 21st century life skills I An Education Non-profit|access-date=2018-11-26|language=en-US}}
In 2014, Pol co-founded the non-profit organization Khel Planet Foundation, which aims to help children develop their full potential. In 2015, Neelam was selected among the top social entrepreneurs to attend Social Entrepreneurs Forum in Sweden organized by SE Forum.{{Cite web|url=http://se-forum.se/entrepreneur/neelam-pol/|title=Neelam Pol|date=2018-03-02|website=SE Forum|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-07}}
She is a Programme Specialist, Innovation with UNICEF India. In past she has even worked as Education Consultant at The World Bank where she was leading the on-ground implementation support for Government of Bihar's enhancing teachers' effectiveness project. She has also been an innovation and policy consultant to Government of Maharashtra, as part of RUSA program, working towards improving higher education in the State.
Pol is a practitioner of adaptive leadership and has been a leadership mentor to group of young graduates to help them become social change agents of tomorrow. She has spoken to various events and colleges.{{Cite web|url=https://alumni.vidyalankar.edu.in/events/500|title=Vidyalankar Dnyanapeeth Trust|website=alumni.vidyalankar.edu.in|access-date=2019-07-07}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/ashoka-india-brings-countrys-innovative-schools-pioneering-entrepreneurs-together-in-its-first-changemaker-conclave-in-india-1080674.html|title=Ashoka India brings country's innovative schools & pioneering entrepreneurs together in its first Changemaker Conclave in India|website=News18|date=6 September 2015 |access-date=2019-07-07}}{{Cite web|url=http://ieeebombay.org/esop2017/|title=Entrepreneurship & Startup Opportunities for Professionals (IEEEBS ESOP)|date=2017-08-14|website=IEEE Bombay Section|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-07}}