Celebrating 8 women star entrepreneurs on Women’s Entrepreneurship Day
A saying goes that education and empowerment of women will benefit the entire family. This deep insight into womanhood’s psyche is a reflection on nurturing and growth. A strong woman is able to inspire confidence in herself and those around her.
This is not all. A PWC study from 2022 shows that increasing the number of women employed in OECD countries, similar to Sweden, could boost GDP by more than $6 trillion. Another study points out that gender discrimination could cost OECD countries roughly 16% of the world’s income.
Modern women are the epitome success. She has not only broken barriers in the corporate world, but she is shining on the international front to make her work visible and accepted by the rest of the world.
November 19 every year marks Women’s Entrepreneurship Day when we honour and commemorate all those ladies on the front lines doing their bit to break the outdated stereotypes. Shine.com interviews eight women who have been successful and are innovators, trendsetters, and trailblazers. These women have made a difference in India’s business environment and around the globe.
In this article, the who’s who of the women entrepreneurship arena exclusively share their insights and wisdom for aspiring female entrepreneurs of India. While women have been contributing to the economy for a long time, there is still a lot of work to be done to help them start their own journeys.
These heart-to-heart conversations show that there is no age limit for starting a business. Every lady leader has had to go through a unique journey, which provides valuable insights for all of us. Let’s take a look inside the business lives:
Vani Kola is the founder and Managing Director of Kalaari Capital
She holds a leadership position at one of India’s leading early-stage venture capital firms, Kalaari Capital. Vani entered Finance after making a positive impact on the lives and businesses of both startups and established business owners.
While sharing her views with Shine, Vani says, “I have three crucial pieces of advice for aspiring women entrepreneurs. First, it is important to be confident when speaking up for yourself. For projects that offer visibility, be the first one to raise your hand. Opportunities create visibility. You took it, and you are now well-known. Be comfortable displaying your achievements. Accept compliments gracefully and don’t immediately reject them or direct them elsewhere.”
She further says, “Women business leaders might also be more likely to struggle with various forms of guilt. The most obvious one would be the ‘mommy guilt’, often concerning their children, where they carry an ideal of being a ‘perfect mom’, which in reality is non-existent. Devoting time to your career and rising above the corporate ladder doesn’t mean you will or are a terrible mother. Everyone makes mistakes. It is important to recognize that everyone will make mistakes. This is not the only guilt that women may have, but I advise them to avoid any other guilt. Also, I’d like to share that I have seen women apologize even when they are correct. Hold your ground here and avoid saying sorry where it isn’t required.”
Geetha Kannan is the founder of Wequity
Her organization promotes inclusion of women in tech. She strongly believes in lowering barriers for women in technology. Geetha says, “Entrepreneurship is not an alternative to a career but a career itself. Entrepreneurship offers financial independence, as well as the opportunity to pursue your passions for causes you believe in. The most rewarding satisfaction I get from being the founder and CEO of Wequity is the feeling of helping women in fast-paced technology industries. I look forward to seeing more women storming the entrepreneurial world.”
Full article available here