Professor Jason Shela MBE was born in London. He earned an international scholarship and graduated Magna Cum Laude in Business Administration from Baruch College, City University of New York. He furthered his education with a Master’s Degree in International Relations from New York University, receiving the prestigious Steven Spielberg Scholarship for international study at Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland, and a postgraduate scholarship at Yale University. Notably, he became the first Englishman elected a Fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency in Washington D.C. Jason is a member of Phi Eta Sigma, Golden Key, and Beta Gamma Sigma, the National Academic Honor Society for Business Administration in the United States.
Currently serving as an Adjunct Professor at Baruch College, Jason lectures in Business Communications and proudly advises the Finance & Economics Society & Private Equity Club. With experience in finance in London and New York with ABN AMRO, he later founded his own strategic advisory firm. Specializing in risk management and alternative asset management, he is the founder and senior partner of the Sports Advisory & Mentoring Group, based in London & New York. His published academic work includes groundbreaking research on weather risk mitigation and its global economic impact in the NYU Journal of Finance, alongside contributions to Business & Finance for the Yomiuri Shimbun. His expertise spans organizational strategy, team optimization, and educational curriculum development and policy.
Jason is a dedicated youth sports educator, having founded The British Soccer Academy and earned recognition as PSAA High School Coach of the Year. Jason has coached a record number of New York City championship winning teams and his transformative soccer programs cater to individuals with disabilities, earning him a lifetime achievement award from the MSAL. Notably, he served in the Royal Air Force Cadet Corps. In addition, he represented Wasps, Fulham, Middlesex, London and Great Britain at Rugby.
On the sports front, Jason's prowess extends to competitive soccer with Wingate FC, New York Select, and representation for the London Stock Exchange. He captained the Yale University Graduate Soccer team to victory over Harvard.
Beyond sports, Jason has developed innovative Creative Performance & Radio Broadcasting programs and is a youth programming director at The Joseph Skakun Project. He co-founded the Inclusion Sports Program and the Youth Enrichment International Think Tank, reflecting his commitment to social entrepreneurship and enriching the lives of people with disabilities. Recognized for his sports and arts educational work, he was awarded the MBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019 and elected a Fellow at the Royal Society for the Arts in 2022.