Schellman CEO Avani Desai Named to 2026 Class of Henry Crown Fellows by the Aspen Institute
Desai joins a select cohort of entrepreneurial leaders committed to creating lasting impact beyond the boardroom
TAMPA, Fla., March 31, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Schellman, a leading global provider of attestation and compliance services, today announced that CEO Avani Desai has been named a 2026 Henry Crown Fellow by the Aspen Institute. Desai is one of 23 leaders selected for this year's class, joining a cohort of proven entrepreneurs and executives from across the private sector who have committed to applying their expertise toward building a more equitable and sustainable society.
The Henry Crown Fellowship, the flagship program of the Aspen Institute and the founding Fellowship of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, selects established leaders between the ages of 30 and 46 who have achieved professional success and are ready to direct that experience toward meaningful societal impact. Fellows spend four weeks over two years in structured retreat, examining their core values, leadership philosophy, and vision for the future, and each launches a leadership venture designed to drive change in their communities, their country, or the world.
Desai joins a distinguished 2026 class that includes Michelle Zatlyn, Co-Founder and President of Cloudflare; Yasmin Green, CEO of Jigsaw at Google; Laura Modi, Founder and CEO of Bobbie; and Morgan DeBaun, Founder and CEO of Blavity, among others.
"I've always believed that our job as leaders is simple in theory, but powerful in practice: leave the place better than you found it," said Avani Desai, CEO of Schellman. "This Fellowship is an opportunity to take that mindset beyond the organizations we lead and think more intentionally about the impact we can have on the world around us. I've spent my career focused on trust, how it's built, how it's proven, and what it means for the people who depend on it, and I'm excited to apply that lens in a broader way. I'm honored to join a group of leaders who are each building something that matters, and I hope that, together, we can create a legacy defined not just by what we achieve, but by what we leave better behind."
Desai has led Schellman for more than 14 years, guiding the firm's growth into one of the most credentialed compliance and cybersecurity assurance organizations in the world. Under her leadership, Schellman has become the #1 FedRAMP 3PAO, the world's first ANAB-accredited ISO 42001 certification body, and a top 50 CPA firm serving Fortune 500 companies across 95+ frameworks in every major global jurisdiction. She is a recognized authority on artificial intelligence governance and cybersecurity and has spoken at forums including the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Credo AI Summit, and InfoSec World.
"The greatest challenges of our time require solutions from innovative, effective, and thoughtful leaders," said Tonya Hinch, Executive Director of the Henry Crown Fellowship. "This class embodies those ideals: they are a force for good, poised to channel their talents and energies into tackling these challenges."
The Henry Crown Fellowship was established in 1997 to honor Chicago industrialist Henry Crown (1896 to 1990) and is a cornerstone program of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. For more information, visit aspeninstitute.org/crown.
About Schellman
Schellman is a leading global provider of attestation and compliance services, enabling enterprises to build trust, meet regulatory demands, and scale with confidence. By combining technical depth, worldwide reach, and operational discipline, Schellman delivers industry-recognized assessments that help the world's most demanding organizations satisfy customers and unlock growth. A top 50 CPA firm, the #1 service provider for FedRAMP 3PAO assessments, and the world's first ANAB-accredited ISO 42001 certification body, Schellman serves leading enterprises and the technology ecosystem that supports them. Learn more at schellman.com.
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