# Neal Shenoy

> Neal Shenoy is the CEO and co-founder of BEGiN, one of the fastest-growing early childhood education platforms in the world, the company behind HOMER, codeSpark, Little Passports and Learn with Sesame. A serial entrepreneur, he has built, run and sold a $3B+ portfolio of subscription ventures spanning education, music, sports and data, including JioSaavn, the largest South Asian music streaming service, which Reliance Industries acquired in a deal valued above $1 billion. He is also a founding partner at [212]MEDIA.

- **Role:** CEO & Co-Founder at BEGiN (Begin)
- **Organizations:** BEGiN, [212]MEDIA, JioSaavn, Saavn, Simile, LeagueApps
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.S.F.S. in International Relations, Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University
- **Known for:** Co-founded JioSaavn, acquired by Reliance Industries for over $1B, Built, operated and sold a $3B+ portfolio of subscription ventures across education, music, sports and data, Grew BEGiN to serve roughly 12 million families with 60+ product awards

## Career timeline

- **Early career** — Investment banker in an upstart media & telecom advisory unit at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ)
- **Pre-2012** — Co-Founder and President of Simile, a contextual advertising platform for media and publishing
- **Co-founder** — Co-Founded Saavn (later JioSaavn), the largest South Asian music streaming service
- **Founding Partner** — Co-founded [212]MEDIA, building consumer media ventures including LeagueApps and LiftMetrix
- **2018** — JioSaavn acquired by Reliance Industries in a transaction valued over $1B
- **Present** — CEO & Co-Founder of BEGiN, parent of HOMER, codeSpark, Little Passports and Learn with Sesame

## Achievements

- Co-founded JioSaavn, acquired by Reliance Industries for over $1B
- Built, operated and sold a $3B+ portfolio of subscription ventures across education, music, sports and data
- Grew BEGiN to serve roughly 12 million families with 60+ product awards
- Backed by LEGO Ventures, Sesame Workshop and Gymboree Play & Music
- Won 50+ awards in public speaking and debate; rated #2 nationally in U.S. parliamentary debate as a high-school senior
- President of the Academic Council at Georgetown; Dean's Citation for Excellence in Leadership and Academics
- Lecturer at Columbia Business School, NYU and Condé Nast

## Latest updates

- **2023-01** — BEGiN raised a Series D; total funding reported around $182.75M

## Links

- Website: https://beginlearning.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nealshenoy/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Begin_Learning
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Begin-Learning/100090481518717

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/neal-shenoy
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-03