Our story

CEO
Gradstar was founded by Alison Jenkins, a former university executive and a big fan of the study abroad experience.
Alison has decades of experience leading international student recruitment teams at some of the best universities in the world. In these roles Alison spoke with international students, parents and university departments and learned how confusing and disappointing the study abroad process had been for students. Studying overseas should be an experience of a lifetime, but many students were not happy with the outcome.
Alison saw the need for a service that helps students identify what they want from a study overseas experience and provides the support and knowledge to make their dreams a reality. Gradstar’s co-design model empowers students to be the designers of their study abroad journey. Our Dream Makers support and guide them at every step.
Because dreams deserve a helping hand.

Chief Market Officer
Sagar Bahadur experienced the rewards and challenges of being an international student first hand.
He went on to work for top global education organisations and be ranked one of the top 40 under 40 higher education professionals in India by BW Businessworld. He is also a recipient of the Philip Kotler Award (education).
To Gradstar, Sagar brings 15 years of experience in international education and a passion to deliver students the best possible experience so they can thrive in their studies and careers.

Prashant Kumar
Head of Student Success
With over a decade of experience in international education, Prashant Kumar joined Gradstar to help put students first and be a leader of change in the industry.
Prashant brings a deep understanding of the student study cycle and how best to train Dream Makers to help students set career goals and find their perfect university.
Driven by a passion to positively impact student lives, Prashant steers Gradstar towards new and effective counselling approaches to ensure students get the best possible outcome.