Saleema Vellani

Meet Saleema — 9x Founder & Award-Winning Author

Saleema Vellani is a 9x founder (with three exits), award-winning author of the bestselling book Innovation Starts With I, global keynote speaker and the Founder and CEO of Ripple Impact, a strategic advisory and implementation firm that helps entrepreneurs and executives build market authority and design the next chapter of their careers with clarity, visibility, and traction.

Her firm has supported 100+ founders, consultants, and corporate leaders through pivotal transitions, helping them become recognized voices in their industries. Ripple Impact is described by clients as the “Mayo Clinic of authority building.”

A trusted advisor to leaders navigating ‘what’s next’, Saleema draws on two decades of building companies and advising leaders across industries and geographies. She’s known for helping founders clarify their value, sharpen their positioning, and grow their thought leadership into a competitive advantage.

Saleema’s newest venture expands this approach through an AI-powered Authority Academy to make strategic thought leadership more scalable and accessible globally. She brings nearly two decades of cross-industry and global experience, having worked in over 100 countries, is fluent in five languages. She has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, and the World Bank.

An angel investor and a trusted advisor to early-stage and growth-stage startups, Saleema is a former Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at Johns Hopkins University. She is a Stanford LEAD alum, and is currently completing Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management (OPM) program.

Her book has been endorsed by thought leaders including Adam Grant, Seth Godin, Arianna Huffington, Dan Pink, and Bracken Darrell.

She’s on a mission to help entrepreneurs and executives at pivotal transition points build authority platforms that position them as recognized leaders in their industries.