StartupTalky

Tag: Female Entrepreneurs

  • Melanie Perkins Success Story: How Melanie Perkins Built Canva

    Today the demographic characteristics of businesses have changed because of the increasing presence of women entrepreneurship and their leadership skills. In today’s world, women-led businesses are playing a very prominent role in the economic growth of the society, generating more employment and the upliftment of the society as well.

    According to an analysis made by Boston Consulting Group, women-driven startups which get funded are way more successful in terms of generating higher revenue. It is said that women have strong business plans and have high resilience and adaptability skills.

    In today’s highly competitive market, there is one woman that has not only emerged to be a great entrepreneur but also has proved to compete and survive with tech giants like Microsoft and Adobe. The Australian entrepreneur has built a design platform that is a big rival to the tech giants. So, Let’s look at the success story of Australian billionaire Melanie Perkins.

    Melanie Perkins – Biography
    Melanie Perkins – Childhood
    Melanie Perkins – Education
    Melanie Perkins – Early Career
    Melanie Perkins – Journey With Canva
    Melanie Perkins – Personal Life
    FAQ

    Melanie Perkins – Biography

    Name Melanie Perkins
    Born 1987
    Age 34
    Citizenship Australian
    Education The University of Western Australia
    Occupation Technology Entrepreneur, Canva
    Net worth $5.89 billion as of 2021
    Spouse Cliff Obrecht

    Melanie Perkins – Childhood

    Born to an Australian mother and a Malaysian father, Melanie has had a multi-cultural family. Her parents belong to engineering and teaching backgrounds. Melanie had an entrepreneurial spirit since her childhood. She started her first business around the markets of Perth, where she sold handmade scarves at the age of 14.

    Melanie Perkins – Education

    For most of Melanie’s childhood, she attended Sacred Heart College. Melanie pursued her career in communications, psychology, and commerce from the University of Western Australia. As part of her major studies, she also taught basic computer design. This was when she realized that students struggle to work in technical and complex platforms like photoshop and illustrator.

    At the age of 19, she dropped out of college to pursue her dreams of being an entrepreneur and business career.

    Melanie Perkins – Early Career

    Melanie Perkins with Cliff Obrecht
    Melanie Perkins with Cliff Obrecht

    It was with Cliff Obrecht her husband when Perkins co-founded her first startup named Fusion Books. It is a platform that allowed students to design their yearbooks of school by using simple tools like drag and drop, illustrations, fonts, etc.

    She started working on this platform at her mother’s place where her parents helped Perkins to print these yearbooks. She started connecting with people in colleges and universities to get new clients for her business. Very soon, it started to grow and become the largest yearbook company in entire Australia.

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    Melanie Perkins – Journey With Canva

    Melanie Perkins - Fusion Books
    Melanie Perkins – Fusion Books

    It was the time when Fusion Books was performing very well but Cliff and Melanie were running out of funds for growth and expansion. They wanted to take assistance and help from venture capitalists but no one agreed and believed in the idea.

    During this period, Fusion Books became Canva Inc. In the beginning, it was very challenging for Perkins and Obrecht to get funding from investors. They had an opportunity to visit a prominent investor Bill Tai in the year 2011 in Perth.

    They didn’t receive any funding from Tai but were regularly invited to kite-surfing gatherings where many other tech investors joined too. A few of these gatherings were held at Silicon Valley, where Perkins and Obrecht touched every single opportunity they could, but still couldn’t get any help.

    The Launch of Canva

    Melanie Perkins with Cliff Obrecht, and Cameron Adams
    Melanie Perkins with Cliff Obrecht, and Cameron Adams

    One fine day they met with a former Google executive who after years of struggle came as a blessing. Cameron Adams joined the team and also supported Canva to get funding for the brand to grow.

    In 2013 the company was officially launched after two rounds of seed funding where Melanie Perkins was announced the CEO of the Canva, Obrecht as the COO, and Cameron Adams as the CPO of the company.

    Canva started to grow and diversify its business operations at a rapid speed. In the initial year, they had more than 600,000 users. The company also expanded its reach to places like Beijing and Manila. As the years passed, the company kept adding more distinguishing features to its platform.

    Even with just a little diversification outside Australia, Melanie got popular in Silicon Valley and among the tech businesses of the United States. In 2016, she was named the Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Asia List.

    In 2020, Canva raised $60 million and the company’s valuation went up to $6 billion making Perkins the third richest woman in Australia with a net worth of $1.3 billion.

    Melanie Perkins – Growth of Canva

    Perkins’s dream of building a graphic design platform that was easy to use with limited design skills came to be true with Canva. The platform has been an amazing alternative for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator where the users have endless options of designing unique graphics.

    Even when Adobe dominates the global market, Canva has an active user base of more than 30 million across 190 countries.

    One of the rare stories in the startup industries is when Canva in 2017, posted a profit of $1.86 million on $25.1 million revenue in just the first half of the year. Melanie and her team have made it possible to give access to more than 40,000 templates for its premium users. The platform works on a freemium business model.

    Melanie Perkins – Personal Life

    Melanie Perkins with her husband, Cliff Obrecht
    Melanie Perkins with her husband, Cliff Obrecht

    Cliff Obrecht was the long-time boyfriend of Melanie Perkins. They together found their first startup Fusion Books and then Canva too. During the trip to Cappadocia, Turkey in 2019, Obrecht proposed to Melanie.

    Both of them are known for their philanthropic work and most of their earnings go to charity. Soon after they started traveling for kite-flying events invited by Tai, Melanie started developing an interest in traveling.

    Perkins is very proud of her work and she wants to continue growing herself as well as her designing platform Canva. More than 85% of the Fortune 500 companies are using Melanie’s platform.

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    Conclusion

    Being in the early ’30s of her life, Melanie Perkins has struggled and achieved a lot at a very young age. While she got happily married to Cliff Obrecht in January 2021, both of them plan to have a happy and successful future in building and growing Canva Inc and helping people with all the possible resources that they have.

    Melanie believes that her community and connections are really important for her business to reach new heights and she trusts that together with her team they will soon become a global leader in the tech design industry.

    FAQ

    What is the net worth of Melanie Perkins?

    The net worth of Melanie Perkins is approximately $5.89 billion.

    What is the age of Melanie Perkins?

    Melanie Perkins was born on 1987 and is 34 years old.

    Who is the husband of Melanie Perkins?

    Melanie Perkins is married to Cliff Obrecht.

  • Ishita Yashvi, Co-Founder, Cross Border Kitchens, On women Entrepreneurship

    The history of International Women’s Day dates back to 1908, when some 15,000 women marched on New York City in the name of better working hours, fairer pay, and the right to vote. Three years later in 1911, the first official IWD was celebrated throughout Europe as more than a million women walked challenging stereotypes for their right and equality.

    Women in India have not only stepped into the corporate world but have also begun to make a mark in entrepreneurship. Fast forward even 2020, Women Entrepreneurs comprise 11% of all entrepreneurs in India, which means there are only about 550 women-led companies out of more than 5,000 startups (NASSCOM reports). The number is small and growing slowly, the with all the policy and most importantly mindset change coming up, we will soon see a rise in the same.

    March 8 marks International Women’s Day 2020, and we at StartupTalky, also wanted to celebrate the spirit of womanhood with the entrepreneurs who have come out breaking all the barriers to and lead and change the world for the good! let’s learn how these women are changing the entrepreneurial landscape and how!

    Ishita Yashvi, Co-founder at Cross Border Kitchens
    Ishita Yashvi, Co-founder at Cross Border Kitchens

    Here is our small interview with Ishita Yashvi, co-founder at Cross Border Kitchens.

    ST – Why did you choose to be an entrepreneur? If not entrepreneurship, then what?

    Ishita Yashvi – This is a very long list of reasons which include: the desire to make a larger more positive impact on people around me, for the opportunity to work on something I loved, with the people I love, for greater stability and freedom to make something of my own, for the chance to utilize my skills better.

    If not an entrepreneur then a marketing professional working my way through newer challenges.

    ST – What Challenge did you face as a woman entrepreneur and How did you solve it?

    Ishita Yashvi: The challenges faced were more entrepreneurial in nature than being specific to a gender.

    I would advise working women to not carry the guilt of being a lesser homemaker / mom / person.

    ST: What policies your company has adopted to support women at your workplace?

    Ishita Yashvi – We provide equal opportunities for men and women alike. Cross Border Kitchens has a woman as one of the founding team members and so is our Head of HR & compliance. We have natural inclination towards ensuring woman sensitive policies. Towards working mothers – we provide them with work flexibility with maternity benefits. Mothers who go through complications during childbirth receive an additional maternity benefits. We also ensure safety of travel for any late work sitting. As part of our policies an ombudsmen is always available to resolve escalations.

    ST – How can working women manage both, home and work?

    Ishita Yashvi – Short answer is – very successfully. One must create a balanced infrastructure that works for you – it could be your house help, nanny, family, etc – the key is to be collaborative and not carry any guilt for managing both together. The idea of getting equal opportunity at work extends to getting equal opportunity at home. That is, it applies to taking equal responsibilities for both the genders.

    I would advise working women to not carry the guilt of being a lesser homemaker / mom / person. It’s important to have a partner / family & friends who fuel your dreams. An understanding support system helps immensely.

    ST – Do you think there must be at least one female co-founder, why?

    Ishita Yashvi – It’s not imperative to have a female co-founder as important it is to have equal opportunity provision in all levels of workforce. Being a Co-Founder is a matter of being at the right place at the right time. It’s about the first eureka moment. Anyone can have it. However, I strongly believe that the top management of all organisations should have equal representation. If by having a female co-founder helps ensuring equal opportunity for woman workforce then I would highly recommend.

    ST – As a women entrepreneur, What kind of support have you got from the government? What would you like to suggest?

    Ishita Yashvi – We have ourselves registered with government as MSME. Other than that we have dealt with the same challenges as any other F&B tech start up.

    ST – Why do you think still women’s contribution is too less in the Indian startup Community?

    Ishita Yashvi – It is a matter of time that woman will start getting their due. Traditionally we have been a patriarchal society, and therefore men have had a head start. Having said that women are catching up. We need to win battle by battle and ensure woman get equal representation in the workforce and equal opportunity. From thereon it will be the natural next step. Just how we as a society have ensured education for women, soon more and more female driven start ups can be launched once we ensured equal opportunity for women in workforce.

    ST – If someone is stopping women to become an entrepreneur what advice do you have for her?

    Ishita Yashvi – If the business plan is conducive then I would strongly advice the person to take a plunge. It’s important to have faith in oneself.

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    About Cross Border Kitchens

    Cross Border Kitchens (CBK) is a multi-brand food delivery start-up. It is a cloud kitchen which means that it has no seating facility and only delivers orders. They currently have 8 brands under them which includes Biryani Central, BroMomo, AIM Burger, Chutney India, Pind Patiala, Irfan Bhai, The Meal Bow.

  • Chinu Kala – Founder, Rubans Accessories, On Women Entrepreneurship

    The history of International Women’s Day dates back to 1908, when some 15,000 women marched on New York City in the name of better working hours, fairer pay, and the right to vote. Three years later in 1911, the first official IWD was celebrated throughout Europe as more than a million women walked challenging stereotypes for their right and equality.

    Women in India have not only stepped into the corporate world but have also begun to make a mark in entrepreneurship. Fast forward even 2020, Women Entrepreneurs comprise 11% of all entrepreneurs in India, which means there are only about 550 women-led companies out of more than 5,000 startups (NASSCOM reports). The number is small and growing slowly, the with all the policy and most importantly mindset change coming up, we will soon see a rise in the same.

    March 8 marks International Women’s Day 2020, and we at StartupTalky, also wanted to celebrate the spirit of womanhood with the entrepreneurs who have come out breaking all the barriers to and lead and change the world for the good! let’s learn how these women are changing the entrepreneurial landscape and how!

    Chinu Kala, Founder at Rubans Accessories
    Chinu Kala, Founder at Rubans Accessories

    Here is our small interview with Chinu Kala, Founder at Rubans Accessories.

    ST – Why did you choose to be an entrepreneur? If not entrepreneurship, then what?

    Chinu Kala – With Rs. 300 in my pocket, I left my home when I was 15 years old. I had to pretty much fend for myself and grew up learning things the hard way.I am not sure if I even knew the spelling of Entrepreneurship at the time when I left my home, but I always wanted to be successful. The definition of success though, changed with time.

    During my initial days, success for me was getting food all 3 times of the day. Inside me I wanted to be the best in whatever I do, be it being a door to door salesgirl selling knife and coaster sets or being a floor manager for an apparel store or being a part time waitress. I used to give my 100% in every odd job that came my way. Like every career person – I did go thru my share of hardships and today that experience is my biggest asset. As any first-generation entrepreneur – I learnt the lessons of management while doing the all kind of jobs and this is what has helped me scale my business to this level today. While I was working as a salesperson in the apparel store, I had developed a keen sense of consumer understanding – such that depending on the way a customer was dressed I understood what they were looking for. I suggested options based on their fashion sensibility and then gave them their own space to discuss and decide what to buy. I later realized that this consumer understanding was a subject in the MBA curriculum, known as Consumer Behavior.

    At one point, I decided the time was right to venture into entrepreneurship. I began my entrepreneurial journey with Fonte Corporate Solutions – a company that specialized in corporate merchandising. Within 5 years of operations, Fonte Corporate Solutions soon became the gifting partner of choice for UB, Sab Miller, ITC, Set Max, ESPN etc.  But my interest was always in the fashion. I had done some modelling assignments and this interest became stronger. Finally, in 2016 I started Fonte Fashions India Pvt Ltd in 2016, the parent company of Rubans Accessories.

    ST – What Challenge did you face as a woman entrepreneur and How did you solve it?

    Chinu Kala – Today, I don’t feel that there is any discrimination between the gender genders of an entrepreneur. In order to encourage women entrepreneurs I feel that the Govt. should come out with more schemes and most important that the information of these should be widely available for women to make use of it. But once in the race both Men and women everyone will have to must go thru their own share of struggles. In order to succeed you need to have a vision and the right strategy to achieve the goal.

    Being an entrepreneur means that you are determined, courageous and ready to face risks and challenges. The road to entrepreneurship for all first-generation businessmen or women is tough. So, if you face any obstacles, take that as the first challenge to your journey to glory.

    ST – What policies your company has adopted to support women at your workplace?

    Chinu Kala – Women constitute 65% of my staff; they are hardworking and shuffle between responsibilities. As an organization I have given the flexibility of work timing to my women staff so that they can simultaneously take care of their homes too.

    ST – How can working women manage both, home and work?

    Chinu Kala – Women are great at multitasking. However, for a woman to succeed at work and prioritize her career over everything else she needs a solid support system back at home. She should be able to fully focus on the tasks at work without having to worry about chores at home.

    For me I am blessed to have my mom at home. My husband has supported me throughout my professional career.  And in the office, I have a fabulous team whom I can rely upon to take care of the daily activities.

    ST – Do you think there must be at least one female co-founder, why?

    Chinu Kala – Ultimately it all boils down to the vision. An entrepreneur is one who has the vision to take the organization to the next level. So, anyone who can grow the business today, and keep an eye on business goal is the best fit for any organization. If that person is a woman, it gives an added advantage as the organization gets to have a female perspective.

    Today, 50% of the consumers of any business are females.So, it’s a good idea to have both perspectives in any decision-making process.

    ST – Why do you think still women’s contribution is too less in the Indian startup Community?

    Chinu Kala – I strongly feel that times are changing ….and changing fast.

    It has taken many years for women to start thinking of doing something for themselves and the society. Imagine a time when all women start working – the Indian workforce will just double up. This is one of the key reasons that other countries have been able to grow rapidly. But as I said earlier – times are changing – and we are already seeing a shift in the next generation. With more women pursuing careers, India’s growth will be compounded in the next decade as we will have more participation from women in the country’s growth story.

    ST – If someone is stopping women to become an entrepreneur what advice do you have for her?

    Chinu Kala – Being an entrepreneur means that you are determined, courageous and ready to face risks and challenges. The road to entrepreneurship for all first-generation businessmen or women is tough. So, if you face any obstacles, take that as the first challenge to your journey to glory. If you are strong and have made up your mind to achieve something, nothing can stop you from becoming successful in your career – entrepreneur or corporate professional. Just stay focused on your end goal – then anything in the way is a small hurdle to overcome.

    I have seen a lot of people entering business but keeping a Fall Back Plan in place. I say that when you start your entrepreneurial journey doesn’t keep options open.….  If you fall do not fall back…. Fall forward so that you can see where you are falling.

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    About Rubans Accessories

    Rubans is a fashion jewellery brand, with a mix of ethnic and western styles. They sell everything from Kundan Jewellery to Hand Painted Jewellery to Earrings and Bangles. In 2019, within a span of five years from launching, they recorded a turnover of INR 7.5 Crore.

  • Madhura Moulik, Co-Founder, Skilfinity, On Women Entrepreneurship

    The history of International Women’s Day dates back to 1908, when some 15,000 women marched on New York City in the name of better working hours, fairer pay, and the right to vote. Three years later in 1911, the first official IWD was celebrated throughout Europe as more than a million women walked challenging stereotypes for their right and equality.

    Women in India have not only stepped into the corporate world but have also begun to make a mark in entrepreneurship. Fast forward even 2020, Women Entrepreneurs comprise 11% of all entrepreneurs in India, which means there are only about 550 women-led companies out of more than 5,000 startups (NASSCOM reports). The number is small and growing slowly, the with all the policy and most importantly mindset change coming up, we will soon see a rise in the same.

    March 8 marks International Women’s Day 2020, and we at StartupTalky, also wanted to celebrate the spirit of womanhood with the entrepreneurs who have come out breaking all the barriers to and lead and change the world for the good! let’s learn how these women are changing the entrepreneurial landscape and how!

    Madhura Moulik, Co-Founder, Skilfinity
    Madhura Moulik, Co-Founder, Skilfinity

    Here is our small interview with Madhura Moulik, Co-Founder, Skilfinity.

    ST – Why did you choose to be an entrepreneur? If not entrepreneurship, then what?

    Madhura Moulik – I spent my childhood in a remote mining colony, where I grew up as a typical girl-child amongst traditional ideologies, I was no exception. While my parents always wanted me to be well-educated and successful in my career, there was also an expectation of becoming a good homemaker. I guess, as a child, most Indian girls have learnt to be loyal to their families and prioritize it when the time comes to make a choice.

    It took me a little more than 30 years to travel around the world and meet women from various cultures and societies to get a wider perspective on how to make non-biased choices in life. That was the time I knew that I wanted to start an enterprise of my own where like-minded people and I, get the opportunity to apply our knowledge without any restriction.

    During my early days in business school, I was always keen to study marketing and wanted to pursue a career related to it. It was later when I started working for the corporates I got introduced to the marketing world beyond that of Philip Kotler and got exposed to the complex, fast-changing industry. So, if not entrepreneurship, my career would have always been as a marketer for a corporate with some intermittent struggle to remain motivated.

    ST – What Challenge did you face as a woman entrepreneur and How did you solve it?

    Madhura Moulik – There are more internal challenges than external. Most of the external challenges are not really gender-related but some obstacles every entrepreneur might have faced.Coming from a patriarchal society the biggest challenge for me was decision making. Most Indian women are nor really the final decision-makers in their household, and that sometimes hinders us to make prompt and crucial decisions that are expected from the head of the business.
    Early failure of the decisions is important. While you learn to overcome those failures, you gain the confidence to stand by your future decisions. The key is to overcome this mental barrier and start trusting your instincts.

    ST – What policies your company has adopted to support women at your workplace?

    Madhura Moulik – As a startup, all our employees, be it, women or men, get to work from home, get a flexible working hour, fair pay and choose their own holidays. We also have an open-door policy to maintain transparency and resolve various challenges like work pressure, financial need, etc.

    While policies are easy to make, it is difficult to build up a culture. The core culture that we want to inculcate is to think like an entrepreneur and not as an employee. So far I have observed that women have an ingrained sense of responsibility and ownership that makes it easier for me to establish this particular school of thought when I am working with women colleagues.

    ST – How can working women manage both, home and work?

    Madhura Moulik – It gets extremely difficult to manage both home and work. Most working women get burned up and decide to take a sabbatical from their career. I have seen several women struggling to return from a hiatus and fit into daily work life, often questioning their initial choice to take a break from their job. While our society is changing rapidly and there is more and more awareness, the key is to keep going during the dark days and not to quit.

    If the resistance is only driven by the gender factor, it is important for the person to strongly resist and denounce such obstruction. Any individual should have complete freedom to make their career choices.

    ST – Do you think there must be at least one female co-founder, why?

    Madhura Moulik – I think the qualification to become a co-founder should be based on other factors rather than gender. Having a female co-founder for companies that revolve around motherhood, childcare, women fashion, food, healthcare and beauty have been the trend so far. However, more and more women are now penetrating into the businesses that were traditionally been dominated by men and gaining business acumen that they can harness through effective leadership and management. As a co-founder, these new-age women leaders are bringing a fresh perspective for problem-solving, making them extremely invaluable for a new business.

    Overall, a diverse leadership attracts a diverse talent group as well as clients, thus directly impacting the company’s revenue.

    ST – As a women entrepreneur, What kind of support have you got from the government? What would you like to suggest?

    Madhura Moulik – No support and neither I’ve been seeking any so far. To be honest I would appreciate if the government can support women entrepreneurs like me through schemes that can be availed without any administrative complexity.

    ST – Why do you think still women’s contribution is too less in the Indian startup Community?

    Madhura Moulik – Gender diversity in various industries in India is quite low leading to a massive dearth of women leaders who can eventually become part of the startup community. I think the change can happen when parents and even the education system encourage more girl-child to make their own career choices based on their aptitude.

    In the current condition, various start-up incubators and government bodies can provide a platform for women entrepreneurs and thus build role-models to inspire the next generation.

    ST – If someone is stopping women to become an entrepreneur what advice do you have for her?

    Madhura Moulik – If the resistance is only driven by the gender factor, it is important for the person to strongly resist and denounce such obstruction. Any individual should have complete freedom to make their career choices. Especially for women, if there are expectations for them to perform household responsibilities at the cost of their career and subsequently they decide under pressure, it might pave way for bigger discontent in future, thus jeopardizing both personal and professional life. A mature conversation about the consequences of a particular decision might help to resolve the situation.

    Women Entrepreneurs on Why They Chose Entrepreneurship
    It is Sunday. You wake up in the morning, as usual and grab the newspaper to go
    through the headlines and you are pleasingly surprised to know that SBI is
    willing to step up and invest in the already troubled Yes Bank. Well, this may
    sound like any other acquisition news but there’s something differ…
    StartupTalkyAshwini

    About Skilfinity

    Skilfinity is an integrated digital marketing consulting firm with clients across multiple domains headquartered out of Singapore. Their inique name comes from the fact that as individuals, we have limited skills, but when we are grouped together we have infinite skills to achieve tasks that apparently look difficult or even impossible.

  • Deepikaa Jindal, Creative Director and Managing Director, JSL Lifestyle, On Women Entrepreneurship

    The history of International Women’s Day dates back to 1908, when some 15,000 women marched on New York City in the name of better working hours, fairer pay, and the right to vote. Three years later in 1911, the first official IWD was celebrated throughout Europe as more than a million women walked challenging stereotypes for their right and equality.

    Women in India have not only stepped into the corporate world but have also begun to make a mark in entrepreneurship. Fast forward even 2020, Women Entrepreneurs comprise 11% of all entrepreneurs in India, which means there are only about 550 women-led companies out of more than 5,000 startups (NASSCOM reports). The number is small and growing slowly, the with all the policy and most importantly mindset change coming up, we will soon see a rise in the same.

    March 8 marks International Women’s Day 2020, and we at StartupTalky, also wanted to celebrate the spirit of womanhood with the entrepreneurs who have come out breaking all the barriers to and lead and change the world for the good! let’s learn how these women are changing the entrepreneurial landscape and how!

    Here is our small interview with Deepikaa Jindal, Creative Director and Managing Director at JSL Lifestyle.

    ST -Why did you choose to be an entrepreneur? If not entrepreneurship, then what?

    Deepikaa Jindal – I have always been a family person! At my prime, I was busy with my family when my kids were growing, and needed my time and attention. Fortunately for me, in my early 40s, my husband approached me with the idea of creating a lifestyle brand in stainless steel. It definitely was a sudden click with me! By then, my kids were settled and progressing well in their worlds. I had time to dive in a whole new project of creating something unique and fresh that may add some value in people’s life, for the goodness of the material. I quickly saw an opportunity of packaging a traditional material in something contemporary, which was apparently the exact gap in the market at that point. Material knowledge has been our core strength, and owing to that precedence we gloriously transformed an idea into an extremely elegant and stunning possibility, which is truly fulfilling for me.

    ST – What challenge did you face as an entrepreneur and how did you solve it?

    Deepikaa Jindal – Creating and stabilizing a brand in a dynamic market like India is not easy! The journey has been challenging, yet extremely enriching. It has been quite a ride for me so far! Since beginning when we started off, I wanted to put the Indian Artisan on the global map, which portrays our true strength of ‘karigari’ and ability of designing. Hence, the core idea of ‘Make in India’ was in my head right from the inception. And I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it!

    There were learning, successes and failures! But one has to understand that it takes all of these things to create something incredible. And nothing is easy when you have to craft something from the scratch.  And you learn so much in that process, while I think I am still learning. I truly feel, elegance translated into products is by far the most difficult to achieve, yet the most divine to experience!

    ST – What policies your company has adopted to support women at your workplace?

    Deepikaa Jindal – I feel blessed to have an opportunity of contributing towards the society in my own way. I passionately work towards making some difference that we can bring through our assorted efforts, especially for women. We value all our employees and have taken numerous initiatives to ensure their well being and security, like 24 Response enrollments, POSH policy enforcement, destination call checks for women employees, and much more.

    Furthering this, as a chairperson of varied O.P. Jindal platforms, I feel that we are not leaving any stone unturned to make constructive change in the society, and are utilizing every resource available to better lives that we are able to touch through our deep rooted social work. These duties entail me to get involved at the ground level and see how we can contribute in making social difference. We have planned interventions in the fields of education, vocational training, integrated health care, women empowerment, social projects, rural infrastructure development, environment sustainability, sports, preservation of art and culture, and much more.

    ST – How can working women manage both, home and work?

    Deepikaa Jindal – I think one should have clarity of their ambitions! That is of utmost importance and a starting point that further defines what you achieve in life. Knowing what you want without any ambiguity keeps you ahead, always!

    As a woman, the spectrum of responsibilities is wider, be it home or work. And, we have to balance both worlds without compromising anything! It is extremely crucial that one should know what to shun. So, removing ‘the unnecessary’ really helps in focusing on doing what is required or important at the given time, thus enhancing balance.

    Giving up on one’s dreams is really not a solution or a direction. You have to be a go-getter to make it happen. We truly have the power of empowering resistance. If the vision is clear, one can achieve what one is deemed to be!

    ST – Do you think there must be at least one female co-founder, why?

    Deepikaa Jindal – I feel both men and women have their parts to play, and that this is not a race of proving anyone wrong or better! I feel that women have a great quality of balancing and multi-tasking, which is always helpful and beneficial for business management. They are also naturally blessed by the foresightedness, which further enhances them to be visionaries.

    ST – As a women entrepreneur, What kind of support have you got from the government? What would you like to suggest?

    Deepikaa Jindal – Government has been constantly engaged in the consistent push for women empowerment and to build women entrepreneurship in the country. We

    ST – Do you think still women’s contribution is too less in the Indian startup Community?

    Deepikaa Jindal – Progression of women in today’s world is a recent development owing to our long history of women suppression in the society. Big changes take time, and are gradual. Having said that, I firmly feel that in today’s modern world women are leading from the front. However, it is also true that this has to take a leap in smaller or rural pockets of our country. While start-ups are mushrooming from all directions now across India, we will soon see many more businesses cemented by women in this domain as well!

    ST – If someone is stopping women to become an entrepreneur what advice do you have for her?

    Deepikaa Jindal – As I said, women have the art of balancing! I really feel that one has to believe in herself, and try triumphing in-securities or challenges that they encounter to be what they have to be. Giving up on one’s dreams is really not a solution or a direction. You have to be a go-getter to make it happen. We truly have the power of empowering resistance. If the vision is clear, one can achieve what one is deemed to be!

    Women Entrepreneurs on Why They Chose Entrepreneurship
    It is Sunday. You wake up in the morning, as usual and grab the newspaper to gothrough the headlines and you are pleasingly surprised to know that SBI iswilling to step up and invest in the already troubled Yes Bank. Well, this maysound like any other acquisition news but there’s something differ…
    StartupTalkyAshwini

  • Moushumi Pal, Founder, Woodpecker Media, On Women Entrepreneurship

    The history of International Women’s Day dates back to 1908, when some 15,000 women marched on New York City in the name of better working hours, fairer pay, and the right to vote. Three years later in 1911, the first official IWD was celebrated throughout Europe as more than a million women walked challenging stereotypes for their right and equality.

    Women in India have not only stepped into the corporate world but have also begun to make a mark in entrepreneurship. Fast forward even 2020, Women Entrepreneurs comprise 11% of all entrepreneurs in India, which means there are only about 550 women-led companies out of more than 5,000 startups (NASSCOM reports). The number is small and growing slowly, the with all the policy and most importantly mindset change coming up, we will soon see a rise in the same.

    March 8 marks International Women’s Day 2020, and we at StartupTalky, also wanted to celebrate the spirit of womanhood with the entrepreneurs who have come out breaking all the barriers to and lead and change the world for the good! let’s learn how these women are changing the entrepreneurial landscape and how!

    Moushumi Pal founder at Woodpecker Media
    Moushumi Pal founder at Woodpecker Media

    Here is our small interview with Moushumi Pal , the founder at Woodpecker Media.

    ST – What led you to entrepreneurship? If not entrepreneurship, what would be your other choices?

    Moushumi Pal – I have always been someone with a knack and fondness for the creative field and communications. I had always planned on pursuing  a profession and a dream but to expand it to an entrepreneurial venture was not something that I was eyeing on. It was too big a bite at that point of time and I was not sure how I would approach the sheer vastness of it.

    Hailing from a small town, I never really dabbled with the idea of  entrepreneurship and that further cemented my skepticism to pursue entrepreneurship. I had mentally cut out a path for myself where having a steady job was the ideal  way to go.

    While it began with an ideal scenario but gradually as life started taking its turns there were serious decisions to be made which were too dear at that time to part with !!! Be it marriage or motherhood they looked more lucrative and satisfying then to make a decision of my career choices. With different phases of life I entered the journey of understanding job versus self employed and balance where I explored a lot about myself, my likes, what impacted me, and discovered the desire to finally do something of my own, the need to make a mark started smouldering within me.

    I knew I wanted to be different and there was deep urge within me to make an impact. I read  stories of real women who, in their lives, had triumphed over adversities and made their mark in not only the business sector but on the world as well. I am also thankful to some incredibly strong and inspiring women who provided an amazing ecosystem during my journey, rooting for me and encouraging me to grow.

    The culmination of all these experiences led me to be an entrepreneur that I am today.

    ST – What challenges did you face as a woman entrepreneur and how did you solve them?

    Moushumi Pal – When it comes to gender differences in the industry, the challenge mainly lies in the number of levels where a women entrepreneur has to prove her worth to all those who are a part of the market.

    Every step and circumstance demands us to be absolutely perfect because anything less than that can dampen our hard work that we have put in so far. That is the sad truth but we have to toughen up, A LOT!

    We have to be tough because this position demands that you work late into nights, rise up early with the same vigour, hectic schedules, taking care of your home if you have a family and most importantly, responding to a situation rather than reacting to it.

    There is a famous quote which states, “Life is 10% action and 90% your reaction”. There is a huge element of truth present in this small statement that can turn tables around for anyone.

    My mantra is plain and simple. Instead of seeing a situation as a problem, I try to engage my energy into finding the solution. For me, it is all about the attitude towards that situation. If you have decided to see the negative attributes of it, you will only see the negatives, but if we seek the positive, positive element is what we shall get.

    This is the half battle won where you eradicate hurdles in the form of negativity and convert them into stepping stone for success. We just need to be confident and determined towards what we want to achieve in our lives and have an absolutely clear vision about that. We need to continuously remind ourselves why this business is important, and we must remember that in the end, it is the vision that drives us to develop a successful enterprise.

    ST – What policies your company has adopted to support women at your workplace?

    Moushumi Pal – The main idea in the company is to allow a free flow of ideas without the hurdles of policies and hierarchies. Being a creative agency, it is important that we give our team members the room to allow them to engage in creative thinking. In a nutshell, we ensure that those working with us have flexibility, more leadership roles and empower them to be the decision makers on behalf of the company.

    We are trying to make independent thinkers instead of robotic members.The agency aspires to enable women to forge a successful career while raising a family.

    ST – How can working women manage both, home and work?

    Moushumi Pal – It all boils down to effective planning and management. While we have a lot of balls to juggle and a lot of struggles to overcome, it is always important to have a strategy in mind for both work and home. We have to be at least 2 steps ahead of everything so that we are prepared for everything that comes our way.

    Multi-taking is something that working women ABSOLUTELY HAVE to embrace and do not quiver in the face of hardships. In case you want to slow down, please do so by all means, but there is absolutely no reason for you to quit and leave the fight.

    One must not give the business and ecosystem she worked so hard build up in the face adversities. It is all about facing that adversity head on and crashing it down to be the fearless and flawless entrepreneur you are.

    ST – Do you think there must be at least one female co-founder, why?

    Moushumi Pal – So, in nature, there is always a need to maintain a balance. In the Chinese, it is known as Yin and Yan. I like to believe that having a woman co-founder balances a lot of things out.

    Look at Sheryl Sandberg! Mark Zuckerberg hired her when they were not even looking for a COO. He found her intellect and experience to be of value and thus, carved a role for her then and there. She is the one who pushed for Facebook Ads, one of the most successful marketing tools used today in the business.

    Having a woman co-founder can bring in the empathetic quotient to the organisation and also bring in the social skills that are usually the forte of the ladies.

    ST – As a women entrepreneur, What kind of support have you got from the government? What would you like to suggest?

    Moushumi Pal – The government has already taken a lot of steps in order to push for women entrepreneurship. From sustainable business models to subsidised financial help, a lot is being done.

    However, there is an impertinent need to foster women entrepreneurship right at the grass-root level in the form of education programs and policies. They must be introduced to the idea of entrepreneurship right from a young age where they can think of themselves as future founders of Indian conglomerates.

    ST – Why do you think still women’s contribution is too less in the Indian startup Community?

    Moushumi Pal – While it is good that there is a growth in the number of women entrepreneurs in the business scenario, the growth is extremely slow. The way the startup scenario is booming, there is a need to bring in more minds and hands on deck and women can be that reinforcement that is important for the growth trajectory.

    There is a HUGE scope for women entrepreneurs to make their mark in the business world as there is always a need for bright minds to lead from the front.

    As female entrepreneurs, we can always use a helping hand when it comes to helping fellow colleagues to grow their skills, business, and network. We can become mentors and offer direct support to female entrepreneurs, to create a chain to set up a great career that she, in turn, can pass on, too.

    About WoodPecker Media

    Woodpecker Media is a PR Firm based in Mumbai that develops customised strategies for Events, PR, Digital solutions, brand collaborations. Their USP for a successful business is a tremendous reputation for quality, service, and competitive pricing.

  • Ghazal Alagh, Co-founder, Mamaearth, On Women Entrepreneurship

    The history of International Women’s Day dates back to 1908 when some 15,000 women marched in New York City in the name of better working hours, fairer pay, and the right to vote. Three years later in 1911, the first official IWD was celebrated throughout Europe as more than a million women walked challenging stereotypes for their rights and equality.

    Women in India have not only stepped into the corporate world but have also begun to make a mark in entrepreneurship. Fast forward even 2020, Women Entrepreneurs comprise 11% of all entrepreneurs in India, which means there are only about 550 women-led companies out of more than 5,000 startups (NASSCOM reports). The number is small and growing slowly, the with all the policy and most importantly mindset changes coming up, we will soon see a rise in the same.

    March 8 marks International Women’s Day, and we at StartupTalky, also wanted to celebrate the spirit of womanhood with the entrepreneurs who have come out breaking all the barriers to lead and change the world for the good! Let’s learn how these women are changing the entrepreneurial landscape and how!

    Here is our small interview with Ghazal Alagh, Co-founder of Mamaearth.

    ST – Why did you choose to be an entrepreneur? If not entrepreneurship, then what?

    Ghazal Alagh – It was my life’s calling. My husband and I believed in our business idea so strongly that we decided to go ahead and quit our jobs. Being a mom entrepreneur has been one of the best experiences of my life, there is new learning, and a new adventure every day and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else!

    ST – What Challenge did you face as a woman entrepreneur and How did you solve it?

    Ghazal Alagh – The biggest challenge that I faced, like most women entrepreneurs, was managing the work-life balance, especially being a parent. There is only one way to solve it- never hesitate to ask for help, whether it is support for raising your startup or for raising your baby. We all need help and there is no shame in asking for it.

    ST – What policies your company has adopted to support women at your workplace?

    Ghazal Alagh – At Mamaearth, we understand the worth of women’s talent and time. In our endeavor to encourage more women to move forward in their careers, we have been promoting women-friendly HR policies including flexible working hours and mentoring support.

    Trust yourself. Trust your idea! Find people who believe in your idea and request for their support.

    ST – How can working women manage both, home and work?

    Ghazal Alagh – Like I mentioned earlier, getting the necessary support is crucial to be able to manage both home and work. If you are a mother, then leave your baby with someone who you trust completely so that you can pay 100% attention to work. When at home focus completely on your family. But don’t forget to take out some me-time as well, that’s equally important!

    ST – Do you think there must be at least one female co-founder, why?

    Ghazal Alagh – Women are born entrepreneurs! They are much better at taking calculated risks and always tend to take the long-term view into consideration while growing their business. When you give birth to a baby, you also give birth to a mother. A woman, a mother is actually like the CEO of the household- juggling schedules, managing budgets, and solving problems. These are the same competencies required to be the CEO of a business.

    ST – As a women entrepreneur, What kind of support have you got from the government? What would you like to suggest?

    Ghazal Alagh – While in India, women have been conditioned as homemakers and lack the basic financial and emotional support from their own family members, the government has taken some initiatives to encourage women to start up their own businesses. Some of the schemes include Mudra Yojna, Annapurna scheme, and Mahila Udyum Nidhi Scheme.

    ST – Why do you think still women’s contribution is too less in the Indian startup Community?

    Ghazal Alagh – Yes, unfortunately, this is the case. While many women possess the necessary skills and talents required to run a startup, not many actually end up doing it. Socio-cultural barriers, living in a male-dominated society, and lack of financial support are some of the factors that hinder Indian women to take up entrepreneurship.

    ST – If someone is stopping women to become an entrepreneur what advice do you have for her?

    Ghazal Alagh – Trust yourself. Trust your idea! Find people who believe in your idea and request their support. Grow your network and take inspiration from other women entrepreneurs.

    Women Entrepreneurs on Why They Chose Entrepreneurship
    It is Sunday. You wake up in the morning, as usual and grab the newspaper to gothrough the headlines and you are pleasingly surprised to know that SBI iswilling to step up and invest in the already troubled Yes Bank. Well, this maysound like any other acquisition news but there’s something differ…
    StartupTalkyAshwini

    About Mamaearth

    Mamaearth is an all-natural toxin-free brand specially formulated for soon-to-be or new mothers and newborn babies. They are Asia’s first made safe certified brand! They have everything from mosquito repellents to hair oils.

  • Kusum Bhandari, Director, Bhookha Haathi, On Women Entrepreneurship

    The history of International Women’s Day dates back to 1908, when some 15,000 women marched on New York City in the name of better working hours, fairer pay, and the right to vote. Three years later in 1911, the first official IWD was celebrated throughout Europe as more than a million women walked challenging stereotypes for their right and equality.

    Women in India have not only stepped into the corporate world but have also begun to make a mark in entrepreneurship. Fast forward even 2020, Women Entrepreneurs comprise 11% of all entrepreneurs in India, which means there are only about 550 women-led companies out of more than 5,000 startups (NASSCOM reports). The number is small and growing slowly, the with all the policy and most importantly mindset change coming up, we will soon see a rise in the same.

    March 8 marks International Women’s Day 2020, and we at StartupTalky, also wanted to celebrate the spirit of womanhood with the entrepreneurs who have come out breaking all the barriers to and lead and change the world for the good! let’s learn how these women are changing the entrepreneurial landscape and how!

    Kusum Bhandari, Director at Bhookha Haathi
    Kusum Bhandari, Director at Bhookha Haathi

    Here is our small interview with Kusum Bhandari,  Director at Bhookha Haathi.

    ST – Why did you choose to be an entrepreneur? If not entrepreneurship, then what?

    Kusum Bhandari – After working for 18 years for others, being an entrepreneur finally gave me the freedom to work on my own terms. Though, it is more challenging than working for others; when you start the journey of your entrepreneurship, you have to manage several tasks and roles at once rather than performing just one assigned task or role. You have to be more hands-on with everything and it makes you learn things that you wouldn’t have learned in any job. The adrenaline rush of being on your own is much greater than any high in the world. It helps you grow as a person and as a professional as you learn to overcome many challenges and hurdles on the way, which is very rewarding.

    If not entrepreneur, then I think I would still be a small-time business owner, having a small café or home-stay in the hills of my homeland Uttarakhand while at the same time following my passion for painting and other crafts.

    ST – What Challenge did you face as a woman entrepreneur and How did you solve it?

    Kusum Bhandari – Fortunately, there were no major hurdles for me as I found full support and encouragement from my family and peers when I decided to be an entrepreneur. I was lucky enough to find the right business partner at the right time in my journey of entrepreneurship.

    ST – What policies your company has adopted to support women at your workplace?

    Kusum Bhandari – We have adopted all the policies as per government rules and regulations. We have equal pay parity. We also have flexibility in terms of timing and working from home when a woman decides to get back to work after the said maternity period is over so that there isn’t any added pressure on her. She can get back to normal working hours slowly over a period of time keeping all her baby’s needs in mind. We have very strict no harassment policies and any type of harassment is not tolerated at all. I am directly approachable in case any of the women have any issues that need to be resolved at any hour of the day.

    ST – How can working women manage both, home and work?

    Kusum Bhandari – Women have multi-tasking abilities by nature so it comes naturally to them. They are problem-solvers and get things done rather than waiting for things to happen. They give priority to others’ needs first rather than their own. They like to take care of the people around them and are more compassionate towards them. Even when they have domestic help around, they like to give their own touch to things. They hold the entire family together even when faced with adversity. At work, they are more disciplined, well organized and manage tasks and people with ease.

    At this day and age where more and more women are joining the corporate workforce, they are still expected to manage both work and home with perfection. Sometimes, one or the other aspect suffers because of given timelines and circumstances. I feel the true balance could only be achieved when their responsibilities are also shared by their partner and the family equally.

    ST – Do you think there must be at least one female co-founder, why?

    Kusum Bhandari – Having at least one female co-founder not only provides a balanced perspective but also brings gender diversity to any organization. Women are emotionally stronger and more adept at handling tricky situations with calm and ease. A woman’s intuitive abilities are a great compliment to the risk-taking capabilities of their male counterparts. Women are good listeners which combined with their problem-solving skills, can help in resolving day-to-day issues and conflicts arising in the organization. Their soft skills help bring discipline and much cohesive work environment that is required for any organization to succeed. Women create deeper bonds with their peers and the team which is very crucial for smoother operations in any organization.

    My only advice would be not to listen to any voice that is deterring you to go ahead in your path. The only voice you need to listen to is your inner voice, your intuition

    ST – As a women entrepreneur, What kind of support have you got from the government? What would you like to suggest?

    Kusum Bhandari – We are registered under MSME and DIPP. Till now we have not sought any support from the government. Our vision to reduce tobacco consumption in India at least by 50% by 2050 aligns with government’s mission of “Swastha Bharat”, we would like government to provide more encouragement to entrepreneurs who are working towards a larger social cause in form of tax exemptions and other financial schemes so that both entrepreneurs, as well as consumers, can benefit from it. This step will encourage more and more entrepreneurs to come up with more such solutions enabling them to work towards a common mission and target other such widespread vices in the society that affect the health and well-being of people.

    ST – Why do you think still women’s contribution is too less in the Indian startup Community?

    Kusum Bhandari – For women to choose the path of becoming an entrepreneur takes a lot of courage and deliberation. We step into it thinking of all the personal, financial and familial responsibilities in mind; it is not that men do not think about all these things, but the expectations out of a woman are much greater than that from a man. We as women are expected to perform every role in our life with perfection at work and home. Most often than not, our decision to become an entrepreneur is questioned and criticized. Therefore, more often than not, women chose not to pursue their dream of being an entrepreneur. For more women to choose the journey of entrepreneurship, we need much more support, encouragement and the right advice from people around us.

    ST – If someone is stopping women to become an entrepreneur what advice do you have for her?

    Kusum Bhandari – My only advice would be not to listen to any voice that is deterring you to go ahead in your path. The only voice you need to listen to is your inner voice, your intuition cos that’s the biggest strength you have that will guide you to the right path and keep at it in your entrepreneurship journey.

    Women Entrepreneurs on Why They Chose Entrepreneurship
    It is Sunday. You wake up in the morning, as usual and grab the newspaper to gothrough the headlines and you are pleasingly surprised to know that SBI iswilling to step up and invest in the already troubled Yes Bank. Well, this maysound like any other acquisition news but there’s something differ…
    StartupTalkyAshwini