Bio

Abhilash Mishra was born and raised in Western Odisha, India. He studied in Pune, Oxford, and Los Angeles and now lives in Chicago.

He is a scientist, entrepreneur, and educator working on problems at the intersection of emerging technologies and global challenges. Abhilash is the Founder and Chief Science Officer of Equitech Futures, a global fellowship and applied research lab supporting emerging innovators who want to use technology to tackle societal challenges. He also holds an appointment at the University of Chicago, where he is the founding director of the Xu Initiative on Technology and Public Policy. His current research focuses on developing new applications of AI tools to solve challenges in climate, education, and healthcare and understanding associated risks. He has also worked extensively on novel approaches to data education and upskilling in the age of AI.

Abhilash is trained as a physicist and holds a PhD from Caltech and an MPhys from the University of Oxford. He received the Rhodes Scholarship in 2008, the Clinton Global Initiative University Distinguished Alumni Award, the KVPY Fellowship from the Government of India, and the Goldman Sachs Global Leader Award.