Posted by Richa Sharma
More often than not, the buzzing startup culture has been praised for its progressive mentality across the board. Key aspects like funds, safety, comfortable work environment, business opportunities and many more, have been improved from a female standpoint, either by the use of cutting edge technology or a holistic system to create a niche space for women.
In turn, this actuates development and growth for women in the workplace and empowers them with special offerings. Such favourable setting aids in creating a comfortable system for women to turn into entrepreneurs and take charge from the front. Be it an ed-tech startup, or a non-profit organisation, the concern for women’s issues is at an all-time high.
On that note, let’s take a look at some of the new-age startups that stand for women empowerment.
1. LevelApp: Founded by Suchitra Reddy and Ashwitha Reddy Chinnamail, LevelApp is primarily aimed at helping students find the best tutors from among their own peers or seniors. The platform was established as a result of the lack of instant peer learning platforms in India. Students can clear their doubts through online and in-person learning and earn knowledge from amongst their peers. LevelApp’s e-learning platform has carved a niche for itself, just like other ed-tech firms including Testbook, Byjus, Vedantu and more.
Suchitra and Ashwitha are both alumni of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, and have completed their bachelor’s course in computer science and information technology. Even with no managerial background in their resumes, they have been able to enroll more than 7,000 students from across 19 countries, with courses for K-12, bachelor’s, and PhD levels, as well as skill-based learning.
2. Leap: Founded by Ragini Das and Anand Sinha, who are both ex-Zomato executives, Leap answers some of the fundamental questions in terms of Indian women in leadership positions. While it is obvious that the road to the top is often marred by roadblocks and different challenges for women and also that they end up facing unconscious biases and take on more family responsibilities, Leap plans to forge a powerful private network of rising women leaders beginning from the Delhi-NCR region, with eventual plans to expand across the nation.
Through intensive research, they found out that women’s careers are often distracted due to four major factors: network, support, learning, and wellness. The immediate need for a proper professional network that fostered solid offline professional relationships and went beyond the usual online connections, is what Leap looks to fulfill.
3. Sisters in Sweat: Corporate consultant turned Nike-certified fitness trainer, Swetha Subbiah paired up with former Tottenham and Fulham footballer, Tanvie Hans, to create an entrepreneurial adventure revolving around sports and fitness. It started one Sunday via football classes and has now turned into a full-blown community of over 350 women passionate about the sport. This well-knit community effectively utilises expert skills to impart teachings in yoga and dancing as well, building a community of women and sisterhood in the process.
Swetha is one of the only four trainers in India to be certified by Nike, is also the fitness trainer for the Karnataka State Football Association and has helped the likes of tennis player Rohan Bopanna as well. Her hard work and determination got her featured in Nike’s ad campaign alongside India’s female athletes and trainers.
4. She=Q: Seeking to Empower, Promote and Connect Women Within the Quantum Computing Industry, Srivathsan is bridging the divide by the way of webinars, online workshops and much more. She is hellbent on using these premium online courses for beginners, intermediates and even experts, to promote the discipline to a wider female-specific audience. Another strand in her vision involves fabricating a membership-based e-learning platform, which will offer ‘special concessions and scholarships for women’.
It is no secret that the Indian subcontinent is full of hungry, educated people in the STEM subjects, and SheQ is taking the initiative to reach out to the female global community of women with a passion for Quantum computing, irrespective of their race or financial situation. The ultimate aim is to inspire young girls to take up research in this field.
5. Inner Goddess: Anannya Parekh, the Co-founder and CEO of Inner Goddess, hails from Mylapore, Chennai, and is working to empower women by making them understand the importance of financial literacy. The 24-year-old aims to tackle sensitive issues in financial anxiety, mental health issues, and personal investing, and has organised more than 70 workshops so far to raise awareness about the same. The target audience primarily consists of young women between the ages of 16 and 25 years, who hail from underprivileged backgrounds.
Ever since starting up in 2016, Inner Goddess has impacted over 10,000 women across Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. Echoing the popular adage of ‘Today a reader, tomorrow a leader’, the workshops used to cost Rs 300 and Rs 20,000 earlier, but are free of cost now.
Richa describes herself as an avid dreamer and a curious soul! She is a certified Content & Search Marketing Specialist from Digital Marketer, USA. With an experience of 6+ years as a content marketer and researcher, she is in love with Digital Breakthrough, Content Marketing, Startup Strategies and so much more.
