Nine entrepreneurs took the stage at the US consulate recently to pitch their businesses to investors, while sharing insights on leveraging innovation and networks and fostering growth.
The investor conclave titled Rising Women: A Women First Founder aimed to address the pressing issue of women’s economic empowerment, particularly in the light of the pandemic's disproportionate impact. Entrepreneurs, investors, and experts from across India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and the United States gathered to share insights and experiences over two days.
Students of Heritage Academy Kolkata were lauded for their impactful social media campaign on women's leadership in the workplace.
Participants and attendees of Rising Women: A Women First Founder Conclave
Day 1 of the conclave, themed #InvestInHerBusiness, delved into the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in accessing funding and financial services.
“Throughout 2023, we focused substantial programming resources on promoting economic empowerment, especially for women, to the 300+ million people in our 11-state consular district in East and Northeast India. Through programmes like the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), Women Wielding the Workplace (WWW), The Global Links Initiative (TGLI), Regional Startup Network (RSN), business English courses, and U.S. government exchange programs, we helped empower hundreds of women, students, and new entrepreneurs,” said Elizabeth Lee, the director of American Center.
Lee also spoke about a partnership, “We’ve also partnered with Arizona State University’s Thunderbird Global School of Management’s 100 Million Learners program, a free resource in multiple languages, including Hindi and Bengali, which can help anyone learn the basics of entrepreneurship. Multiple chambers of commerce, state government agencies, and incubators in the region praised our efforts and showed interest in collaborating for this year’s entrepreneurship programs. These programs are part of a broader effort to build capacity not just for women directly, but for their families and communities, and this goal is advanced when we work together to address barriers and create opportunities for women”.
Anindita Dasgupta, Founder of Heal Thy Earth
Anindita Dasgupta, Founder of Heal Thy Earth, was one of the entrepreneurs taking part in the conclave. “At the heart of my farming endeavour is my passion for nature and my desire to understand and connect with it profoundly. I am also curious about the dynamics of environmental conservation. I am learning about our wrong-doings of the past 50-plus years in our push for unfettered economic growth, the growing global consciousness of the necessity of people cohabitating with the planet — the two important ‘Ps’ within the People Plant Profit banner popularised by environmental activists in the Westwern world,” she said.
The second day of the conclave focused on #InvestInHerSkills. The discussion revolved around the pivotal role of education and skill development in enhancing women's leadership. Drawing inspiration from the G20 EMPOWER declaration, discussions centred on equipping women with the tools needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Rimjhim Ray Founding Partner and Group CMO at My Operator & Heyo Phone
“I am a generalist and as an entrepreneur I have realised that this has become my strength. As a founder you take 1000 decisions every day. When you combine multiple disciplines: product, tech, marketing, sales you build a more holistic picture. At MyOperator and HeyoPhone we are building the next gen of intuitive communication tech for small businesses. This is a large TAM but also one very difficult to solve given their uneven digital exposure. Am taking a customer first approach to solve this problem. Once you understand user behaviour, empathise with it, any problem becomes easier to understand and solve,” said Rimjhim Ray, founding partner and group CMO at My Operator & Heyo Phone.
Mehr Kaur, a dedicated labour economist
The Stakeholders present at the conclave discussed ways to strengthen women's leadership, promote awareness of opportunities in STEM fields, and facilitate capacity building in 21st-century skills.
Mehr Kaur, a dedicated labour economist, spoke about different kinds of stigma in Indian society.