Wiping Out The Norm

"She wasn't the first one to start, but she was the fastest one to grow' In the latest episode of ‘Wiping out the Norm’, Radhika Bajoria delved into the inspiring journey of Aditi Shrivastava, the Co-founder, MD & CEO of Pocket Aces! Alongside Ashwin Suresh and Anirudh Pandita, Aditi embarked on this adventure in their 30s, now soaring into their 40s, with roots in the Middle East, engineering degrees, and a shared passion for mainstream finance.  Aditi leads Pocket Aces, a trailblazing digital entertainment company crafting engaging content tailored for the millennial audience! Pocket Aces is India's leading digital entertainment company. "We own 5 Instagram channels but we manage 130 influencers with 130 separate Instagram channels". This is what Aditi shared about sharing the reach and impact of Pocket Aces. Their reach is astronomical, touching the lives of 50 million people weekly across their stellar channels: FilterCopy, Dice Media, Gobble, and Loco! As social media wields increasing influence on thoughts and actions, companies like Pocket Aces stand at the forefront of shaping tomorrow's world. Before Pocket Aces, Aditi carved a path of impact, founding the Intellecap Impact Investment Network, a beacon for angel investors driving positive social change across India and East Africa! Her tenure at Goldman Sachs in New York, specializing in quantitative equity research, trading, and portfolio management, honed her financial prowess.  A Magna Cum Laude alumna of Princeton University in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Aditi holds a CFA (USA) charter, served as the Curator of the World Economic Forum Global Shaper Mumbai Hub, and proudly bears a TiE Mumbai Charter Membership! Sensing the boom in internet usage and the insatiable hunger for content among India's youth, Pocket Aces emerged in 2013, crafting short-form content to test the waters and spark organic virality!  As the platforms expanded, especially with the meteoric rise of OTT platforms and the digital migration of viewers, Pocket Aces became a beacon of innovative storytelling. Fast forward to today, they have more than 10 years of experience in the industry! Their content resonates worldwide, amassing a staggering 16M subscribers on YouTube, 15M Facebook followers, and 8.6M Instagram enthusiasts! Their mission is to be a Global Culture Creator, positively influencing people through an ecosystem of innovative media professionals, content, and products! Key Numbers: 50M People Reach Per Week 700M Video Views Per Month 200+ Brand Partners. The excitement peaked when music label Saregama acquired a 52% stake in Pocket Aces at a $41-million valuation! Confirming the deal on Thursday, September 28, Saregama's investment of Rs 174 crore in cash, along with an additional Rs 15 crore, now values Pocket Aces at an impressive Rs 335 crore, or approximately $41 million! Watch the full video to learn about the business strategy of Pocket Aces. Watch the full episode NOW.  Link- https://youtu.be/oNLPR_oxG-M #PocketAces #DigitalEntertainment #ContentCreators #InnovationUnleashed #YouthEmpowerment #MediaRevolution #Saregamapa 

Dive into the latest episode of "Wiping Out the Norm" with host Radhika Bajoria as she delves into a captivating conversation with Roopa Kumar, the powerhouse behind Purple Quarter!  Roopa, founder and group CEO of Purple Quarter, wears many hats - from Entrepreneur to Executive Coach and Investor! With over six years of expertise, she's led Purple Quarter to be a domain-agnostic bespoke CTO search firm, placing over 150 top-level tech leaders worldwide! But her impact doesn't stop there!  As an Executive Coach at Purple Labs Search, Roopa mentors founders and CEOs to scale their ventures in the digital era, leveraging her Stanford Seed certification and MBA in HR! Purple Quarter isn't just a firm; it's a vision to empower businesses and global leaders on their growth journey! With offices spanning across Santa Clara, Bangalore, Singapore, Dubai, and London, they're bridging the gap between companies and their perfect technology leadership fit!  Their secret? Purple Quarter Talent Mapping, combining IQ on Technology + EQ as a Leader + BQ as an Individual! Discover how they synergize Leadership Consulting Search, assessing both client culture and candidate aspirations to forge sustainable relationships! At the heart of their process lies the Behavioural Metrics Model (BMM), a scientifically modulated approach focusing on technical skills, personality traits, and individual aspirations! And let's not forget their Leader Personas - Creator, Nurturer, and Reconstructor - shaping the future of tech leadership!  With a talent pool of 10,000+, 120+ Candidates Placed, 100+ Active Clients, and a remarkable 92% Offer Acceptance rate, Purple Quarter is setting the standard in CTO search and leadership empowerment!  Watch the full episode to learn about Roopa's journey of founding Purple Quarter and the challenges and strategies that made her start this Bespoke Executive Search Firm On A Mission To Create Tech-Leadership Consulting Synergy. Watch the full video- https://youtu.be/rdZSuRV3yqw  Join the movement! #PurpleQuarter #CTOsearch #LeadershipEmpowered #TechInnovation #ExecutiveCoaching #BusinessGrowth #GlobalLeaders #EmpoweringVisions

"𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒔𝒐 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆. 𝑰 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑴𝒂𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂’𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒓." In the latest episode of "Wiping out the Norm," Radhika Bajoria explores the extraordinary journey of Bhavna Suresh, co-founder of 10Club, a brand reshaping homes with its India-centric approach and innovative products. From her early curiosity about the scarcity of women in engineering to becoming Mahindra & Mahindra's first female After Sales Engineer, Bhavna has consistently challenged conventions and forged her unique path. Beginning her academic voyage with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Bhavna swiftly distinguished herself as a trailblazer at Mahindra & Mahindra. However, this achievement wasn't without its hurdles. A significant challenge arose when Bhavna was diagnosed with a rare form of neurofibroma, a tumour near her neck that temporarily paralyzed her face. Despite this formidable setback, Bhavna exhibited unwavering courage, seeking treatment and emerging even stronger with time and resilience. Her pursuit of growth knew no bounds. Pursuing an MBA with a focus on management strategies at HEC Paris, Bhavna was driven by a passion for fashion and style, leading her to establish StyleBank. This fashion rental service allowed young women to rent dresses from a range of high-street labels and boutique designer brands. Yet, despite her dedication, StyleBank faced challenges in gaining traction. Undeterred, Bhavna made the tough but crucial decision to pivot, drawing on investor feedback to explore new opportunities Enter Lamudi Philippines, where Bhavna left an indelible mark on the real estate sector, revolutionizing property search and acquisition. Excelling in this domain, she continued to seek fresh challenges and avenues for growth. The entrepreneurial spark within Bhavna led to the birth of 10Club in 2021, alongside Joel Ayala and Deepak Nair. Under her guidance, 10Club has reached new heights, securing a substantial $40 million seed funding round in 2023. Centered on collaboration and growth, 10Club offers actionable insights and expertise to startup ventures, guiding them through the competitive market and towards sustainable growth.   Tune in to the full episode to delve deeper into Bhavna's remarkable journey: https://youtu.be/h8Fa3_Vyyho

In our latest episode of 'Wiping out the Norm', show host Radhika Bajoria sits down with Hardika Shah, Founder & CEO of Kinara Capital, a trailblazer in MSME fintech driving financial inclusion for small business entrepreneurs in India.Kinara Capital is ranked among 'Top High-Growth Companies in Asia-Pacific' by The Financial Times and as 'India's Growth Champions' by The Economic Times. They've won the Gold award as 'Bank of the Year-Asia' by the IFC/SME Finance Forum for their impact on SME Financing.Prior to Kinara Capital, Hardika spent two decades as a management consultant with Accenture, working on billion-dollar projects globally. Her passion for social impact led her to mentorship roles with prestigious institutions like Stanford University and the Acumen Fund."I saw the divide happening in India... I wanted to study what and why was that case and what and why was the things not reaching to a certain people." Hardika shares her journey and mission, highlighting her MBA from Columbia Business School & Haas School of Business.Founded in 2011, Kinara Capital fills the MSME credit gap with collateral-free business loans, using AI/ML for fast decisions. The myKinara App offers a 1-minute eligibility check and 24-hour loan process.Committed to gender parity, Hardika leads with a women-majority team and drives inclusivity in company culture. The HerVikas program supports women entrepreneurs, while CSR initiatives aid women micro-entrepreneurs.Kinara Capital has disbursed $300M+ to 40,000+ entrepreneurs, creating 250,000+ jobs and generating $100M+ in income. Based in Bangalore, they serve MSMEs in 100+ cities across India.Under Hardika’s vision, Kinara Capital is recognized for innovation, ranked among ‘Top 500 High-Growth Companies in Asia-Pacific’ by the Financial Times for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, 2022). Watch the full episode to dive into Hardika's inspiring journey and Kinara Capital's impactful mission!Link-https://youtu.be/ZgbvziGaC-A

Meet Niketa Sharma, CEO of S.P Motels (The Thane Club) and MD at Keish Hospitality Pvt Ltd, making waves in the hospitality realm! Dive into our latest episode of Wiping out the Norm, where we delve into Blah! Restaurant and The Thane Club. Speaking on Blah!, Niketa shares, "𝑰 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏-𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕," leading to the vibrant Blah! Brunch Cafe & Bar at BKC, Mumbai. Joined by her brother Dilip Rawat, her sibling partner at Keish Hospitality and Blah!, they launched during lockdown—learn more in the full video! A firm believer in ambience's magic, Niketa pairs it with exquisite cuisine for a memorable dining experience. Discover her insights on building a loyal customer base through quality food and service.  How did she build a loyal customer base? Niketa shared: “𝑾𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒚𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆”.  We sat down with Niketa to find out more about her new culinary ventures and her vision of providing a premium and affordable experience for everyone. Watch the full video to learn the secrets behind a restaurant's 50-year success and Niketa's recipe for a restaurant’s success! Link- https://youtu.be/wyFs75fUrkE   #HospitalityInnovation #WomenInBusiness #BlahRestaurant #TheThaneClub #CustomerServiceExcellence #wipingoutthenorm #RadhikaBajoria

Neha Bagaria, CEO and founder of HerKey, India's leading platform for women's careers, highlights a critical issue: "Women who possess exceptional qualifications, ambition, ability, and experience often leave their careers abruptly and never return."In a recent interview on 'Wiping out the Norm', with the host Radhika Bajoria, Neha shared her journey from resuming her career post-Wharton graduation to founding JobsForHer, now HerKey. Her dedication stems from her personal experience of a 3.6-year break after her children, she realized the challenges women face in reentering the workforce."Only 10% of educated and qualified women are pursuing long-term careers," Neha explained, based on her research. This scarcity of women in the workforce, due to reasons like marriage or motherhood, creates barriers to re-employment.An alarming disparity also exists, as Neha noted: "A diverse consumer base should reflect diversity in your workforce as well. That is untrue, though, as 80% of employees in FMCG companies are men and 80% of their consumer base consists of women.” To address these gaps, HerKey pioneers scalable solutions. With 3.5 million female job seekers, 10,000+ employers, and 800+ learning partners, HerKey offers job matches, skill-building, and professional networks.The platform links women at all levels with suitable jobs, offers learning opportunities to help them re-skill and upskill, and creates communities where women can network professionally. The company's goal is to empower women to realize their full economic potential by providing them with communities, learning opportunities, and support throughout all stages of their lives and professional journeys.Their vision extends to supporting Women Starters and Entrepreneurs, alongside Women Returnees, Women In Tech, and Women In Leadership. This inclusive approach empowers women at all career stages.HerKey, a career engagement platform for women in India, raised $4 million in a pre-Series A round from Kalaari, 360 ONE Asset, and angel investors including Zia Mody, Puneet Dalmia, Pramit Jhaveri, Aditi and Shuchi Kothari, KP Balaraj, Ranjan Pai, Neeraj Bajaj, Akash Bhansali and others.Watch the full video to learn more about the problems and obstacles that women face, who told Neha to put her product first, and her experience obtaining funding from Kalaari Capital.Link- https://youtu.be/hCeodKAAOT8 #HerKey #EmpoweringWomen #CareerEmpowerment #DiversityAndInclusion #financialInclusion

"𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒑, 𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎."  Ritu Verma is the co-founder and Managing Partner at Ankur Capital – an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in disruptive digital and science-led technologies.  In the conversation, Ritu shared her experience as an investor, selecting the right startup, working with founders and creating an ecosystem conducive to new businesses.  Ritu's background lies in science, with a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Pennsylvania.  She holds an MBA from INSEAD and has a bachelor's from Middlebury College, Vermont.  As co-founder and Managing Partner at Ankur Capital, Ritu plays a pivotal role in identifying promising startups, guiding them through the investment process, and providing ongoing support and mentorship.   Today she sits on the board at multiple startups in Ankur’s portfolio – Cropin, Niramai, String Bio Private Limited, VEGROW, and Krishify.  Her passion ignites groundbreaking innovations that conquer pressing challenges and build a thriving tomorrow.  𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚'𝐬 '𝟒𝟎 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟎' 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚'𝐬 '𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡' 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭.    #VentureCapital #WomenInFinance #StartupInvesting #Innovation #Leadership #WomenLeaders #DisruptiveTechnologies #ImpactInvesting #ForbesIndia40Under40 #FortuneIndia #AnkurCapital

“𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝑴𝒓. 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑻𝒂𝒕𝒂, 𝑰 𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔. 𝑯𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚. 𝑨 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑰 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑴𝒓. 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑻𝒂𝒕𝒂'𝒔 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎, 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒋𝒐𝒚𝒆𝒅.”  Meet Swati Bhargava, co-founder of CashKaro.com, India’s leading coupon and cashback app, and EarnKaro, an affiliate marketing platform. Today, CashKaro has over 18M downloads, is the only VC-backed Cashback site, and has raised $15 million in Series A funding led by Kalaari Capital & Series B funding led by Korea Investment Partners. It drives more than $500 million in sales annually.  “𝑰𝒏 𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔 10, 𝑰 𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒚𝒂𝒏𝒂, 𝑰 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 25 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒂 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅”. Born and raised in a small town, Ambala, she got the opportunity to study in Singapore and later at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and worked at Goldman Sachs for five years.  In our conversation with Swati, we dived deeper into her journey of transitioning from a high-paying job in the UK to building a business in India. She started a UK-based Cashback business - ‘Pouring Pounds Ltd ' along with her husband & co-founder, Rohan Bhargava. They expanded it and ventured into the Indian market.  “𝑨 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚. 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 0 𝒕𝒐 $750,000 𝒊𝒏 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 48 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔”. Swati spoke about how they raised money with the help of their peers in 2014.  “𝑻𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒂𝒌𝒉𝒔 𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑬𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒌𝒂𝒓𝒐, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅”. Swati explained how people are using Earnkaro to generate an extra income which is turning out to be more than their salaries.  Watch our full conversation with Swati, where she shared more of such stories, lessons, and experiences from her journey of building two successful startups.                   Youtube Video- https://youtu.be/AqejqppHcl0#CashKaro #EarnKaro #startupsuccess #entrepreneurlife #businessjourney #financialfreedom #innovationinindia

“𝑰 𝒓𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑨𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒂 𝑻𝒆𝒄𝒉 II 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝒀𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝑬𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆. M𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒎 𝒋𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒁𝒐𝒐𝒎. 𝑺𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆, 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒎 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒉 her 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 education, 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒖𝒎. T𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆.” Meet Kirthiga Reddy, founder of Virtualness, and former Managing Director of Facebook in India. She has been featured in Fortune's "Most Powerful Women'' list from 2011 to 2016 and as Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business in 2013.. In this interview episode of ‘Wiping Out the Norm’, Kirthiga shares with us her inspiring journey from a small town called Nanded, to working at top US-based tech companies, leading the Facebook India team as their first employee and Managing Director and being the First Female Investment Partner at SoftBank Vision Fund, one of the largest tech funds in the world with $130B under management After completing her Engineering in Computer Science in Nanded, Kirthiga climbed the academic and career ladder by pursuing further education in the US, completing an M.S. in Computer Engineering from Syracuse University and an MBA at Stanford, where she graduated as an Arjay Miller Scholar. From a student at Stanford, with her exceptional technical expertise and leadership skills, she went on to serve as Chair of the Stanford Business Management Board. Balancing ambition with familial dedication, Kirthiga spoke about the pause she took in her career to prioritize her daughters and how it helped her to connect with new opportunities. In our conversation, Kirthiga highlighted  “𝑴𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍. She𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒄 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒔”. Despite coming from a background where her mother couldn’t finish her education, Kirthiga shattered glass ceilings and redefined what's possible for women in tech. Watch our full conversation with Kirthiga as she shared with us many more learnings from her career. Youtube: https://youtu.be/sC40BkqPPYE

“𝑰𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕, 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉”   Meet Paroma Chatterjee, CEO of Revolut India, a woman known for her groundbreaking innovations and visionary endeavours in the field of banking and fintech.   A graduate of the esteemed IIM-Lucknow, she has worked with companies like airtel, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Flipkart, Lendingkart.   Back in 2010, it was marked as the start of the fintech wave in India. This was the point of Paroma’s entry into fintech. It was an era with rudimentary technology for communication as compared to today. It was the time of Nokia cell phones, with limited features.    She shared her journey when she joined Airtel to work on developing a payments bank. They got the first prepaid mobile license from Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which was a pivotal point in the history of telecom in India where a telecom company ventured into payments. Paroma was a witness and a part of this revolution. Before joining Airtel, Paroma worked with Kotak bank to establish their cards business. During her initial seven years in the banking industry, she made substantial contributions to prominent brands like ICICI Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank. She has also been a part of Flipkart’s team. During mega sales like Big Billion Days on Flipkart, sellers were ready to be a part of it but faced the issue of procuring working capital. She realized a gap in capital for small businesses and MSMEs. She joined the team of Lendingkart, which provided loans to these smaller businesses.  Paroma's transformative vision blossomed from a critical insight at Flipkart. Driven by the need for readily available finance for small businesses, she shifted to Lendingkart, where her efforts fuelled the growth of countless MSMEs. Currently, she is working as the CEO of Revolut, a global neo-bank and financial technology company based in the UK that offers banking services, with a valuation of $33 billion. “𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎.” In this conversation with Radhika Bajoria, she shared her learnings from a long career in banking and fintech and her vision of her company’s future. Watch the full video- https://youtu.be/Imy9EB2BU0U

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐣𝐨𝐛. 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚, 𝐔𝐒𝐀, 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐔𝐊, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐩 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬”. Meet Lauren Dovey, founder of Heat Healer, a company that creates luxurious next-generation sauna and wellness products. Her products are recognized for the quality and loved by celebrities like Kim Kardashian.  In the conversation, Lauren shared her journey of creating a wellness brand that crafts high-quality products and fosters meaningful experiences. “I did my degree in economics and worked as an accountant for 3 years and worked for a startup for 7 years leading marketing and sales role”, Lauren shared her journey before she stepped into entrepreneurship. While having a secured job, she had a passion for creativity which later paved the path for her business venture. A steady paycheck couldn't quench her thirst for design. Fueled by creativity, she dared to build her dream. After giving birth to twins, she got time to think and recalibrate her career path, and she chose to venture into the self-care and wellness industry.  While managing her children and trying to balance responsibilities with health, she came across the concept of a sauna blanket, she ordered it online but was not impressed with the quality and material of the product. Partnering with an engineering firm, she spent two years meticulously crafting a top-notch product. From choosing the right material to working with the engineering team to create the perfect product. She launched her first product – A sauna blanket, quite an unpopular and less known product, but was sold out within 2 weeks. She shared her journey on the treacherous path of entrepreneurship, where at times she found herself battling with self-doubt, but her undeterred passion and commitment to creating her own business helped her find a path amidst all the hurdles. “Initial marketing and publicity of our products was driven by word of mouth, and marketing via Facebook and Instagram. Our product were also endorsed by influencers who were impressed by the product”. In the conversation, she also shared the challenges she faced in her entrepreneurial journey, her experience of dealing with competitors, scaling the business and managing a team. Watch the full video- https://youtu.be/dNjI2TDq5AY  

“𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰, 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌”.Her experience underscores the urgent need to address the outdated mindsets that hold women back, especially in male-dominated fields.Meet, Doerte Hirschberg, an investor and advisor for climate tech companies at Climentum Capital, encouraging innovation and advancements toward sustainability and climate change mitigation.In the conversation, Doerte shared her journey in the field of investing, her experiences, along with many other interesting insightsShe started her career as a consultant at McKinsey, and later led the global HR team as well as the incubation program at ‘Rocket Internet’ and started her journey in investing.“𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒕”.She started her climate impact-based fund called Climentum Capital, which has a team of 2 female and 3 male members.In the conversation, she shared the challenges she faced while navigating the investment world as a woman. From juggling travel, meetings, and managing workload, to maintaining crucial networking channels, while shouldering the invisible burden of family and childcare.It's a marathon with endless hurdles, further magnified by the stark underrepresentation of women in a historically male-dominated field.Despite increasing efforts, the number of women founders and investors remains low in the startup and investing scene, alongside the capital they secure. While sectoral choices play a role, underlying factors like unconscious bias and limited access to networks likely contribute more significantly.Through her conversation, she shared her journey navigating the climate tech funding landscape. Her fund invests in impactful startups across various sectors, including food tech, energy, and mobility, each playing a crucial role in her mission to mitigate climate change.The fund plays a pivotal role in amplifying the voices of climate warriors like Continuum, who are revolutionizing wind turbine recycling. With their support, One. Five is another startup developing sustainable paper-based solutions to replace plastic packaging. These are just a few examples of how the fund empowers startups across sectors to make a measurable difference in curbing climate change.Investing is a field with less female representation, but women like Doerte are paving a path toward gender inclusion and are role models for other women to look up to.Watch the full video-https://lnkd.in/dgj9Ahs6

“𝐈𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐕𝐂 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝, 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞”. Meet Cindy Padnos, founder of Illuminate Ventures, a seed and early-stage venture capital firm based out of Oakland that invests exclusively in enterprise/B2B software companies. In this interview episode of ‘Wiping Out the Norm,’ Cindy shares her journey in Venture Capital with our founder Radhika Bajoria. Cindy started her career by working with a large corporation, then did management consulting within the tech sector and soon founded her own startup in B2B software which she eventually exited and built a VC fund to invest in B2B SaaS sector. After working in the VC world, she conducted many researches to understand what helps startups and founders to become successful. She shared many of her valuable insights in the conversation like,“𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲. 𝐌𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 ‘𝐟𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭’ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝”. In the conversation, Cindy revealed many other observations from her interesting research like,“𝐈𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐂𝐬, 𝐕𝐂𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧.” She highlighted the subtle but unintentional biases that women face. “VCs do not want to invest in companies where husband and wife are running the company together, but we invested in such a company, and made massive returns”. There are many such preconceived notions in the mind of VCs and avoid investing in companies that are different from the ‘norm’. In addition to women, she found that people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, those from other nationalities, and even those with different accents were frequently impacted by prejudices and biases. In her VC fund, they have focused on inclusion, and also shared that half of the companies in their portfolio have at least one female co-founder. Along with conducting researches, she has been involved in a number of nonprofits supporting women entrepreneurship for 20 years. Watch our full conversation with Cindy as she shared with us many more learnings from her researches and experiences in the VC world. Watch the full video- https://lnkd.in/dK-kzJ2U#VentureCapital #WomenInTech #VCJourney #WipingOutTheNorm #IlluminateVentures #TechSector #B2B

“𝐈 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.”Meet Sarah Nolet, Co-founder and General Partner of Tenacious Ventures, Australia’s first agri-food tech VC fund.In conversation with our founder Radhika Bajoria, Sarah shared about how she created an impact-based fund to fuel innovation and technological advancements that create an impact towards sustainability and climate change mitigation.She has invested in innovative agri-food tech startups like,1. azaneo - it has developed an appliance that uses pulsed electrification to manage weeds without any chemical inputs2. GOTERRA - an organic waste management solution that uses insects to process food waste3. Vow Food Co., ltd. - they are reinventing food by creating delicious meat from cultivated cells4. RapidAIM Pty Ltd - provides accurate region-to-farm pest detection and forecast in real-timeSarah also shared her journey of finding a co-founder, and how choosing the right co-founder helps to grow a business exponentially.“𝐖𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞.”  Sarah explained to us how they are managing to get returns from the impact-led businesses they invest in while also keeping in mind the foundational principles of sustainability.Sarah and her fund are not just investing in startups but also investing in a future where food and resources are abundant, sustainable, and accessible to all. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐨 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬; 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭!If you are a startup founder building in the climate and sustainability space, you must reach out to Tenacious Ventures!Link to our conversation with Sarah: https://lnkd.in/djdvs8-k#SustainableFarming #ImpactInvesting #FutureOfFood #SustainabilityLeaders #MeasurableImpact #womenleader #womenentrepreneurs

"𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝟏𝟓,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟐 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐕𝐏𝐬".Meet Sara Brand, Ph.D., Founding General Partner of True Wealth Ventures, an early-stage VC fund investing in women-led businesses in consumer, health & sustainability In this interview episode of ‘Wiping Out the Norm’, Sara shares her inspiring journey from mechanical engineering to venture capital and co-founding (512) Brewing, the largest self-distributing microbrewery in the US. She said,"I have worked in a career dominated by men, from studying mechanical engineering to working in management consulting and later in a venture capital fund." She revealed that women make 85% of all consumer purchase decisions and 80% of all healthcare decisions but only 2-3% of investment decision-making VCs are women, and a mere 1.9% of VC funding goes to women-led startups“𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐕𝐂”, with this statement, Sara highlights the scarcity of women in VC and the gender funding gap.Despite being one of about a dozen female VPs in a 15,000-employee organization, Sara took on the role of Executive Sponsor for the Global Women’s Forum, determined to influence change. Adding further she said, “𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥”. This stark reality prompted her to start her own fund to achieve greater gender balance and that’s how True Wealth Ventures came into existenceSara's groundbreaking VC fund for women secured more than $19 million in two years, and is now at $60M under management and reshaping the landscape for women entrepreneurs.In our conversation, Sara highlights an incident where a female startup founder pitched a tampon that could help detect ovarian cancer. And a male investor asked, “Can we use this for men too?”  Sara also served on the advisory board of mechanical engineering at UC Berkley and UT Austin’s College of Engineering, and emphasized on how to attract and retain more women in the department. Inspired by Sara's work, the tide is turning in the VC world, with investors increasingly recognizing the incredible potential of women-led businesses.Watch our full conversation with Sara as she shared with us many more incidents from her journey of overcoming challenges and turning rejections into a record-breaking achievement. Link to the interview: https://lnkd.in/dJ26As5P

Welcome to our latest podcast episode! 🎙️ In this edition, we sit down with Neha Motwani, the co-founder of Fitternity. Join us as Neha shares insights into her journey in the fitness industry and the strategic decisions that led to the establishment of Fitternity. Discover how Fitternity became an integral part of the market, and gain valuable insights into the challenges Neha faced, particularly during the challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic. Neha candidly discusses the hurdles she overcame and sheds light on the innovative strategies adopted by Fitternity during its emergence. Curious about the pivotal role played by one-pass and free trials in Fitternity's success story? Look no further! Tune in to the full podcast with Radhika Bajoria featuring Neha Motwani for an in-depth exploration of the fitness industry, entrepreneurship, and the unique journey of Fitternity. 👉 Don't miss out on this engaging conversation—hit play now and gain insights that could shape your perspective on business and fitness! Watch the full video here- https://lnkd.in/dmnQGSHQ

Shivani Bhasin is the Founder and CEO of India Alternatives, boasting more than 15 years of private equity experience in the USA and India. 🏢Her career has included pivotal roles at renowned private equity firms like IDFC Private Equity, Lightyear Capital, and GE Equity, where she oversaw the entire deal lifecycle, from sourcing to execution and post-investment monitoring across diverse sectors. 🥇Shivani made a significant move from the USA to India, establishing India Alternatives and becoming one of the first female fund managers in the country. 📚Her academic credentials include an MBA from Wharton and a BA from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, underscoring her well-rounded and impressive background in the world of private equity and strategic leadership. 🗣️In our conversation with her, she talks about: ✔️Being one of the first woman fund managers in India ✔️How persistence helped her in achieving success ✔️The gender biases that women face ✔️How she established India Alternatives ✔️What investors look for in founders and much more! Follow us on: Instagram: https://bit.ly/3i763oF LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3CiF5RM Website: https://bit.ly/3WYkrOP Join our exclusive women's community here: https://bit.ly/3CfVTJi

🏫Sheena S. Iyengar is the S.T. Lee Professor of Business at the Columbia Business School. She graduated with a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and received her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Stanford University. She was voted among the Top 50 most influential business thinkers by Thinkers50 and rated one of the world's best B-School Professors by Poets and Quants. Her best selling book The Art of Choosing received a one of six Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Books of the Year 2010 awards, and was ranked #3 on the Amazon.com Best Business and Investing Books of 2010. 📺 🗣️In our conversation with her, she talks about: ✔️What inspired her to write her books ✔️The benefits of taking a break sometimes ✔️How to stand strong while dealing with difficult times ✔️The reasons behind the biases women face and much more!  Follow us on: Instagram: https://bit.ly/3i763oF LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3CiF5RM Website: https://bit.ly/3WYkrOP Join our exclusive women's community here: https://bit.ly/3CfVTJi

With a rich background in technology and entrepreneurship, Sylvia is the Co-founder and Executive Director of ThalesLab, a Company Builder focused on creating innovative technology companies and fostering Corporate Innovation.  In our conversation with her, she talks about: ✔️The importance of pursuing your passion ✔️Facilitating the Growth of the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem ✔️Why women are often afraid to ask for help ✔️The significance of mentors in your life and much more! Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz4CPLpIuak Follow us on: Instagram: https://bit.ly/3i763oF LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3CiF5RM Website: https://bit.ly/3WYkrOP Join our exclusive women's community here: https://bit.ly/3CfVTJi  

Meet Rachana Gupta - The woman behind starting the 1st Femtech combining Technology and Ayurveda. In 2019, Rachana Gupta and her husband, Vishal Gupta, made a bold decision. They left their high-paying corporate jobs to follow their passion: making Ayurveda the top choice for women's health, covering everything from puberty to menopause.  She also authored the book "Happiness ki Khoj" during her 16-year corporate career. But their real adventure began when they founded Gynoveda. This groundbreaking venture combined Technology & Ayurveda to tackle menstrual problems, making it the world's first Femtech. They even introduced MenoBot, an AI-powered gynecology robot, pushing boundaries in women's healthcare. Gynoveda's impact was significant. It improved the health of 3 lakh women and secured $10M in Series A funding from India Alternatives Fund. Remarkably, the company tripled its revenue each year from FY20 to FY23, reaching an annual revenue of ₹100 crores in just three years. Rachana Gupta's journey is a testament to the power of passion, innovation, and unwavering dedication in transforming the landscape of women's health. Follow us on: Instagram: https://bit.ly/3i763oF LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3CiF5RM Website: https://bit.ly/3WYkrOP Join our exclusive women's community here: https://bit.ly/3CfVTJi