10 questions with Crimson Education co-founder Sharndre Kushor

In a new series, we put ten questions to leaders in everything from fashion to architecture, in association with Huawei. Next up is Sharndre Kushor.

Sharndre Kushor is the co-founder and chief operating officer of tertiary education/ tuition start-up Crimson Education.

At just 24-years-old Sharndre has overseen Crimson's growth into a $230 million global education company that operates in more than 25 countries.

So we asked her to take part in our new 8 part series, Let Me Know (#LMK).

Crimson has been successful with a big valuation. Has that changed you?

I don't think so. I have always been super motivated and excited by our students getting the best outcomes and I think that is something that will stay the same.

You started out really young, would you recommend that to others?

Definitely. I think entrepreneurship is one of the best opportunities to have immense personal development while having a big impact on the world, so I am a huge fan and I definitely recommend it to other students.

So what were you like as a child?

As a kid I was super curious. My parents always say that I asked a lot of questions, maybe too many questions and was never quite really satisfied with the answers that I got.

How about then as a student?

As a student I was super studious so I loved my academics and I also did a ton of extracurriculars.

Where did your work ethic come from?

Definitely my parents. They both taught me the value of hard work. Also doing things that you think matter and putting in tireless effort to get the best outcomes is super important too.

What do you think makes a cool workplace?

It's the people. I think you have got to make sure that you're working alongside people that are the best at what they do, while continually adopting a growth mindset. Another factor is having people in the workplace who connect with the organisation's values.

You're only 24. What has been the most surreal moment so far?

Oh that's an easy one for me to answer. The most surreal moment for me so far was when one of my students who I worked with for four years got into her dream university. She got into Stanford.

There's a lot of ivy league colleges in the US. Has the political situation there changed appetites to study in the states?

Actually not. Students are still excited to get the best education and a lot of the time that's at the ivy leagues. Schools like Harvard, Yale and Princeton. So we're still seeing huge numbers of students wanting to go overseas.

What did you want to do when you grew up?

Well when I was younger I thought I wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer but I am really glad to be where I am right now. Working within education technology and with such passionate innovators is a pretty exceptional place to be.

What is your top tip for an aspiring entrepreneur?

My top tip is to be really bold, do the things that matter to you and do them as best you can.