Bani Phul-Anand is the founder of Edge Up, an award-winning youth enrichment company helping students build confidence, communication skills, leadership, and future-ready thinking.

A New York City native and Jersey City resident since 2009, Bani brings together a rare mix of design, education, technology, and leadership experience. She holds a Master’s degree in Communications Design from Pratt Institute and has built a career across global companies, startups, and education institutions, including Amazon, Estée Lauder, MealPal, Flatiron School, General Assembly, and New York Tech.

Before founding Edge Up, Bani led product, design, and education teams, managed large cross-functional groups, and supported more than 85 client-facing student teams. Her work has always centered on one question: how do we help people communicate ideas clearly, think critically, and lead with confidence?

That question became deeply personal through years of raising her own children in Jersey City and seeing, firsthand, how early confidence, self-advocacy, and communication skills can shape a child’s path.

Edge Up began as Bani’s passion project and has grown almost entirely through word of mouth, now serving 400+ families across Jersey City and Hoboken. Under her leadership, Edge Up students have taken the stage, built businesses, debated complex issues, advocated for themselves, and earned major recognition — including an MS CEO+ team placing 1st nationally.

Bani was named an Entreprenista 2025 winner and received the Emerging Founder Award in 2026. Today, she is expanding Edge Up beyond local studios and school partnerships into digital programs, advanced student pathways, and new opportunities for young leaders to be seen, heard, and taken seriously.

At its core, Edge Up is Bani’s answer to what modern education too often leaves out: the confidence to speak, the clarity to think, and the courage to lead.

Learn More About Edge Up.