Startup incubator at IIM Bangalore hosts an event aimed at empowering female entrepreneurs

By: WE Staff | Saturday, 12 March 2022

In December of last year, NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore's start-up hub, hosted one of their biggest events, inviting women entrepreneurs from all walks of life to join together and celebrate their accomplishments. Here's a look into the world of Summit Up, a space brought to you by NSRCEL and home to a unique community.

This two-day virtual event, which took place on December 10 and 11, 2021, drew over 3,000 people and featured over 20 well-known business speakers.

We had local icons like Vineeta Singh, CEO of Sugar Cosmetics, all the way up to international business powerhouse Daymond John, founder and CEO of FUBU and Shark Tank, come and speak to our large audience about the burgeoning entrepreneurial spirit in India.

Other notable speakers included Heidi Roizen (Partner at Threshold Ventures), Rashmi Daga (Founder of FreshMenu), Megha Chawla (Partner at Bain & Company), and Vinita Bali (Partner at Bain & Company) (Non-Executive Director at Bunge Ltd., Smith & Nephew plc, Crisil Ltd & Syngene International Ltd).

The summit covered a variety of topics related to women's entrepreneurship and the challenges they encounter on a daily basis, including how to start a business after becoming a mother and how to manage a family and a business. We also discussed first-time founders, the various strategies to establish a brand, and assisting women in STEM in their entrepreneurial endeavours.

Vineeta Singh spoke to our audience about her entrepreneurial hardships in starting a cosmetics brand from the ground up and finding her niche as a woman entrepreneur in India. "Women entrepreneurs excel at multitasking and making snap decisions." "This is the way business will be in the future," Singh says. "This empowerment has a knock-on effect: more women are employed by other women." It's time to start big companies, to be bold, and to be fearless."

Daymond John, well known for his role on the television show Shark Tank, spoke about his experiences as an entrepreneur and the importance of having the correct mindset to overcome any obstacles that come your way.

“When it comes to staying motivated, it’s how you want to stay on track. It’s all about goal setting. All of us have bad days, especially when you’re a true entrepreneur. Goal setting helps navigate your way to your dreams, helps you understand your passions and keeps you motivated with your own goals and dreams without anyone else’s opinions coming in the way. Be in charge of your narrative and goals.” 

NSRCEL-IIMB hosts a three-month programme that encourages women entrepreneurs to scale their businesses via rigorous learning, leadership training, and networking with like-minded people. The latest cohort is presently accepting registrations!