Ashwini Deshpande is the co-founder of Elephant, a pioneering design consultancy in India, with growing APAC presence. Elephant had been ranked at the top for nearly two decades by the Brand Equity – Agency Reckoner.

A communications designer, she is known for her branding work across multi-national brands, Indian conglomerates as well as start-ups. She has worked with major groups in India like Tata & Reliance, as well as startups like Paper Boat and WickedGud. Her Global roster includes Colgate, Domino’s, Daimler Benz & L'Oréal among others.

Ashwini supports women in creative fields through The Collective & Indian Creative Women. She is on the Governing Board of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE Pune) where she mentors start-ups. She is actively connected with Association of Designers of India (ADI) since its inception.

Ashwini serves on the Advisory Boards of Design Programmes of FLAME University, Bennett University and IITs. She is an Independent Director on the Board of Indigo Paints Ltd.

Ashwini has been on the list of Impact 50 Most Influential Women in Media for ten consecutive years . She has been recognieed as A Lister by Campaign, besides the many national & international awards won by the Elephant team.