In an ever-evolving world, the pathway to excellence lies in wholeheartedly embracing novel methods of acquiring knowledge. Lifelong learning, tailored education, interdisciplinary approaches, and a relentless pursuit of innovation stand as indispensable elements in preparing individuals to navigate the intricacies of this new era. By nurturing emotional intelligence, fostering global awareness, and building resilience, learners can confidently adapt to dynamic changes and seize countless opportunities that lie ahead.
Embarking on this innovative expedition, the role of educational institutions becomes paramount. Inventure Academy, an institution fueled by innovation, seeks to amalgamate the finest traditions of conventional education with the cutting-edge practices of modern schools, thanks to the guidance of its Co-Founder, CEO, and Managing Trustee, Ms Nooraine Fazal. It places a premium on celebrating the uniqueness of each child, nurturing their lifelong journey of learning, and fostering holistic growth that encompasses physical, intellectual, and ethical facets.
Ms Nooraine Fazal, an esteemed educationist, hails from a family with a longstanding legacy in Bangalore. Her mother’s illustrious service as a former Minister in the Karnataka Government and her father’s entrepreneurial pursuits enrich her background. During her undergraduate tenure at Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, she actively immersed herself in the broader world, assuming leadership roles as a Student Union leader and representing Karnataka State in women’s cricket and basketball. Additionally, she gained invaluable hands-on experience through part-time employment and internships with diverse organizations.
Under Ms Nooraine’s adept leadership and with a strong emphasis on rigorous academics, co-curricular sports, community service, and transformative initiatives like Changemaker, Our Voice, Youth Parliament, and environmental education, Inventure Academy has emerged as the favored choice among professionals and entrepreneurs in Bangalore.
Embarking on a Journey of Self-Discovery
In pursuit of higher education, Ms Nooraine Fazal went overseas to Boston University, USA, where she earned a Master of Science degree in Management. Her professional journey began with an internship at IBM Ltd (London) while at Boston University, and later she joined the Reuters Group PLC, where she served as a senior Sales, Marketing, and Business Development Executive across various locations, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sydney, and Hong Kong.
After the September 11 attacks, Ms Nooraine decided not to move to Reuters’ New York office and instead embarked on a year of self-discovery. During this time, she explored various interests such as skiing, golf, tennis, and adventure tourism across Canada, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Argentina. She also pursued studies in life sciences and considered establishing a startup to facilitate cross-border collaboration between Indian companies and US universities.
However, she eventually turned her focus to education and the potential it had to contribute to India’s development. Facing challenges with establishing a B-school and incubator due to bureaucratic hurdles, Ms Nooraine Fazal then researched the possibility of promoting a ‘new age K-12 school.’ With support from her parents, she partnered with Irfan Razack, Chairman of the NSE-listed Prestige Group, to co-promote Inventure Academy in Bangalore.
Staying Abreast Amidst Innovations
As an educational thought leader, Ms Nooraine Fazal actively seeks knowledge from reputable sources such as The Ken, The Economist, and Harvard Business Review. She also participates in global conferences like the renowned RS conference to stay updated on emerging trends and innovative practices in education. Moreover, she believes in the importance of continuous professional development for educators and ensures that Inventure’s faculty members undergo relevant programs like The Entrepreneurship & Innovation in Education certificate program from the University of Pennsylvania.
As an educational leader, she prioritizes understanding student needs and designing differentiated instruction to cater to their diverse learning styles. Inventure Academy emphasizes student engagement through visible thinking routines and workshop approaches for English and Math, group work, independent learning goals, celebrations of learning, and choice projects.
Maintaining the Commitment to Excellence through Adversities
Ms Nooraine Fazal has faced and overcome various challenges, including navigating the impact of the pandemic on education and the ban on offline schooling. Despite these obstacles, she has maintained Inventure Academy’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and the pursuit of creating positive change-makers.
Looking ahead, Inventure Academy has ambitious plans for the future, including the opening of a new campus at Yeshwanthpur dedicated to STEAM-based learning and another campus at Devanahalli. They also aim to expand their positive impact through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model and continue supporting the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) principles.
Through her passion for education, belief in the infinite potential of individuals, and commitment to fostering an innovative and compassionate learning environment, Ms Nooraine Fazal has played a pivotal role in making Inventure Academy a beacon of transformative education. Her journey as an educational leader is guided by the principles of clarity of purpose, collaboration, adaptability, resilience, and continuous growth.
Designing Innovative Education
Ms Nooraine is an educationist, sportsperson, entrepreneur, and change-maker who believes that quality education can empower youth to bring about much-needed positive change. She conceived, conceptualized, and made possible Inventure Academy (today with three campuses across Bangalore), which today has the distinction of being among India’s Top 5 K12 Schools. She continues to be actively involved in Inventure and has initiated/co-designed and implemented several innovative educational programs.
Contributing to the Betterment of the World
Ms Nooraine believes education is a lifelong journey and that every child should have access to a quality education that helps them fulfill their life’s purpose and contribute to making the world a better place.
She was instrumental in drafting a White Paper – Online Learning & Community Building in the COVID-19 age which helped the Government and schools across the socioeconomic spectrum formulate desirable and suitable online learning schooling models to provide quality education to all in the post-COVID world. She brought together like-minded schools and stakeholders under the Alliance for #RighttoLearn, a strong movement to enable the right of all children and educators to learn and teach anywhere, anytime.
She is a strong advocate of children having the right to participate in areas that impact them directly, and she co-created Inventure’s ‘Our Voice’ platform, which led to private and government school learners contributing to the Karnataka State Child Protection Policy for Educational Institutions, the NEP, and in identifying and solving problems in their communities via Inventure’s Changemaker Challenge.
Redefining Educational Philosophy
Inventure adopted Ramagondanahalli (RGHalli), a government school in Whitefield, which today has a waitlist of almost 200 students. Leading the effort in defining and implementing the educational philosophy, instruction design and curriculum of the school, Inventure has recruited and trained the entire faculty for the English medium school. Several of Inventure’s signature programs and best practices are being implemented at RGHalli.
Nooraine is an Independent Director at a publicly listed software company in India. She has played for both the Karnataka women’s cricket and basketball teams, is a yoga and fitness enthusiast, and is an avid golfer who has represented India at club events.
Her awards and recognitions include:
- GlobalBiz Outlook: The Most Influential Women Leaders to Follow in 2023
- EducationWorld: 21 Leaders Transforming Indian Education (2020), 50 Leaders Who Can Revive Indian Education (2020), and 33 Young Rising Stars of Indian Education (2017)
- Asia One: Women Empowerment Principles Leadership Awards 2019-2020
- Fortune Magazine: Future 50 Leaders Shaping Success (2019).
