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The New Indian Express - A Triad of Go-getters

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  • 17 Apr 2019
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A Triad of Go-getters

One is the founder of a personal care brand. Another has founded schools that promote stress-free learning, while yet another runs a job portal exclusively for women returnees, read on....

Gauri Singhal
Founder & CEO, Floh

When was Visionaari founded? What was the inspiration behind it?

Visionaari, which stands for visionary women, is a personal care brand that was incorporated in November 2017. The inspiration came about when two senior gentlemen at a panel discussion on feminine hygiene spoke for one full hour about sanitary pads. This is where I started my research across pharmacies, educational institutions and supermarkets. I found that while women are open to accepting better alternatives, the leading brands were only talking about a single product.

What was the reason behind bringing out ‘Floh’?

Floh tampons are portable digital viscous tampons that provide up to eight hours of protection in a price bracket that is conveniently similar to that of sanitary napkins. By offering such effective, high-quality tampons to women at affordable prices, we are encouraging them to ‘go with the flow’ even when they are on their period.

What are your hobbies?

I love to spend my free time with my family and friends. Further, I also like to take some time out to keep myself fit.

How is the support from your family members?

My family has been extremely supportive in all my endeavours since the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey.

Any memorable events that you can recollect?

The most memorable part has been the transition from the established setup of my family business to the relatively smaller setup of our startup. In the family business, there would be a lot of people to guide you. However, in a startup, you need to prove your worth to each and every person. 

What are your future goals?

The future goal is to take this business to the next level. With the right set of partners, we aim to become a recognised challenger brand that breaks norms and starts new conversations around feminine hygiene.

Meenal Arora
Founding Director, Shemford Futuristic Schools

When was Shemford Group founded? What was the inspiration behind it?

While working as a director in Shemrock, I realised that there is a need for the same stress-free philosophy of learning in the K-12 segment as well. To fulfill this vision, we embarked on developing a nation-wide chain of senior secondary schools under the name Shemford and started the first school in 2009.

What is ShemEduMax curriculum all about?

ShemEduMax curriculum has been thoughtfully designed to promote and sustain the innate curiosity of children. It has child-centered courses with modules like personality enhancement, thinking skills, etc.

What are your hobbies?

I love travelling and enjoy reading. Everybody at home reads before going to bed. That’s an unsaid rule.

How is the support from your family members?

My husband Amol Arora has always been my pillar of strength. He respects my talents and trusts my decision-making skills. At home, my parents and parents-in-law appreciate my efforts. But my biggest support is my son. He understands my work commitments and never pressurises me to choose between work and family.

Any memorable events that you can recollect?

In November 2017, our corporate office was accidentally burnt down. All documents and data were lost. But that did not deter us. We were back to work the very next day. The IT department started the process of document recovery from my home! And the rest of us started looking for a new office. To prevent panic, we did not even inform our branches. And after a few months, we shifted to our present office.

What are your future goals?

After already establishing a strong presence in South Asia, we are now looking to expand Shemrock and Shemford’s unique model of education across the globe, empowering students and unlocking their full potential.

Neha Bagaria
Founder & CEO, JobsForHer

When was JobsForHer founded? What was the inspiration behind it? 

I took a 3.6-year break in my career when I had children. During this time, I became aware of the difficulties a woman faces in order to re-enter the workforce. I also learned that 50 percent of all working women in India drop out of the workforce in just three years. I then became committed to the cause of enabling women to restart their careers, and founded JobsForHer on International Women’s Day, 2015.

Was it difficult taking a sabbatical during the peak of your career?

It was daunting at first, but turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Career-wise, the break helped me to find motivation, and set me off on a whole new entrepreneurial path. And not to mention the personal benefits of nurturing and caring for my children.

What are your hobbies?

I love adventure sports such as skiing, skydiving and scuba diving. I’m also a voracious reader, a closet artist and a dancer!

How is the support from your family members? 

My spouse has always been on board with my career choices. When I founded JobsForHer, I felt that not picking up my kids from school was a deal-breaker. But now, I don’t sweat the small stuff, and keep an eye on the bigger picture. I’ve learnt that when I’m at work, I don’t feel guilty that I’m not at home and when I’m at home, I don’t feel guilty that I’m not at work.

Any memorable events that you can recollect?

Over the last four years, we have made progress in changing the mindsets of both women and companies. Women, so that they feel confident about the ‘gap’ in their resumes and portray it in the right light; and companies, so that they hire women returnees.

What are your future goals?

We are scaling up to create a larger impact to women who want to start, restart and rise in their careers.

Publication: The New Indian Express

Headline: A triad of go-getters

Published Date: 14/03/2019

Link to the article: Click Here