The ESADE Alumni Mumbai Chapter, in partnership with DEXTRUS Workspace, brought on 1st January its first edition of Women in Business “The Entrepreneurial Woman”, where we alumni learnt about the stories of a group of successful women entrepreneurs who are disrupting their respective landscapes. After the panel discussion, an open conversation for an exchange of ideas and networking took place.

The session was a platform where the audience was inspired by success stories appreciating the opportunities and challenges in the Indian start-up ecosystem. The Mumbai Chapter also hoped that these discussions will inspire and motivate young women not only to take on entrepreneurial and management roles but also to change the perceptions and stigmas associated with the Indian market. In the audience they were not only ESADE Alumni from across India, but also alumni from other institutions, and executives from a wide range of industries.

Panelists:

Bhavisha Bafna, HOD.life
Bhavisha Bafna is the co-founder of HOD.life in Mumbai. Bhavisha has worn many hats since the inception of the company, ranging from product design and operations to business development. She has over 12 years’ experience in healthcare, coupled with a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Management Studies from London.
She has presented a study on “Reversal of Diabetes” at the World Diabetes Congress and co-authored a chapter for a Medical textbook on “Thyroid Disorders in Pregnancy”. She brings her problem solving and decision-making skills to the table and has been instrumental in ensuring quality and scaling up the organisation’s operations.

Shuchi Pandya, Pipa+Bella
Shuchi Pandya is the founder of Pipa+Bella, a fast-fashion jewellery brand for the young Indian, urban woman. Armed with an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and over 10 years of experience in the jewellery industry, Shuchi started Pipa+Bella with the philosophy that today’s young digital consumer prefers trendy, high quality and affordable jewellery. Pipa+Bella uses advanced technology tools to disrupt a traditional industry and in a short span of time has become a market leader across various categories of fashion jewellery.
Pipa+Bella recently won the Google SMB Heroes 2017 Award, the ShethePeople.tv/Axis Bank 2017 Digital Women’s Award in E-Commerce and was listed as a Top 25 Startup by Singapore’s Startup-O Javelin Fund, and the Wharton 40 Under 40 Award. The company has successfully raised over $2.5 million in funding from venture capital and angel investors.

Rubeina Karachiwalla, Ruby’s Organics
Rubeina Karachiwala is the founder of Ruby’s Organics, an organic, natural and mineral makeup brand in India. Rubeina has worked with beauty brands as a public relations officer and simultaneously pursued a Certification in Makeup Design by Bianca Louzado. She has always had a great deal of interest in the beauty industry, started experimenting at home with a few supplies and a coffee grinder and after spending two years in research and development, India’s first organic makeup brand was born. The idea was to start a ‘healthy’ makeup line that does not compromise on quality.
Her story and the brand have been covered by ‘Mumbai Mirror’, ‘The Hindu’ and ‘Deccan Chronicles’ with her products featuring in ‘Vogue’ and ‘Grazia’, and have recently won the 2018’s best natural makeup brand by ‘Harper’s Bazaar’.  Her experience in product development and giving the consumer what they want is what makes her so special and Ruby’s Organics so unique.

Pooja Dhingra, Le15 Patisserie
Pooja Dhingra is the founder of the Le15 chain of patisseries and cafes, which she founded in 2010. Over the years, it has grown to include 3 branches and 2 cafes in Mumbai, with a nationwide delivery service. Pooja is a graduate of hospitality from Cesar Ritz Colleges, Switzerland and trained at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, for a Patisserie Diploma.
Featured on the Forbes 30 under 30 list both in India and Asia, Pooja has won acclaim from critics, the press and her customers not just for her extraordinary skills as a patissier but also for her incredible entrepreneurial journey. She was an INK Fellow in 2017, and now hosts an extremely popular podcast called #NoSugarCoat. She is soon launching her third book. Her first was The Big Book of Treats.