Katalyst Labs’ Post

Driven by a passion for #youth empowerment and meaningful change, I am eager to contribute to the Mbano Big Family Pre-Summit Conference, an initiative led by my friend, Agbakwo Magnus. This event is more than a gathering; it’s a movement to empower the Mbano youth to become agents of change, equipping them with foundational skills to forge business-oriented futures. I'll be sharing insights on Tech Clarity: Understanding Foundational Skills in Tech, where we’ll dive into how young minds can break into the tech world, leverage its potential, and build careers that impact not just their lives, but their communities. As someone whose academic journey is rooted in Artificial Intelligence in Business, I will also introduce how AI can revolutionize industries, including small and medium businesses. AI is no longer just a tool for large corporations, it’s a powerful resource that young entrepreneurs can harness to scale businesses, drive innovation, and solve local challenges. By making AI accessible and practical, I hope to inspire these youths to envision what’s possible and how they can be part of this digital transformation. Magnus's vision to uplift and empower through this initiative is nothing short of remarkable. He is creating a platform that equips the youth with foundational skills that will prepare them for the challenges and opportunities of the future. It is a reminder that with the right support, young people can change the narrative of their communities and drive sustainable growth. I am proud to stand with him and play my part in this journey. I’m also calling on organizations who believe in the power of youth to join in supporting this initiative. There is no better investment than in the future leaders who can create sustainable growth and meaningful change. Together, we can foster a generation of innovators and business leaders who will redefine what’s possible. #YouthEmpowerment #AIinBusiness #TechClarity #MbanoYouth #BusinessInnovation #SupportYouthInitiatives

When the Young Lead the Way: A Lesson in Digital Transformation from an 11-Year-Old In today’s fast-paced world, it’s often the younger generation that surprises us with their knack for making the complex simple. As the Secretary of Laghu Udyog Bharti, I was hosting an online meeting for new women start-ups—many of whom are just starting their entrepreneurial journeys. During this session, we faced some challenges with something as basic (or so we thought!) as filling out a Google form. These incredible women, determined to make their mark, found the process a bit daunting. Enter my 11-year-old son, Udit Maheshwari, who overheard our conversation and, without missing a beat, offered to help. In no time, Udit created a step-by-step explanatory video, making the exercise of filling out the form not only easy but also systematic and efficient. His approach was so clear that even those unfamiliar with digital tools could follow along seamlessly. This form is crucial for our latest initiative—a coffee table look book that showcases the startups, products, services, and social media handles of our members. The idea is to keep it handy for industrialists and company owners when they need to procure gifts or items from small and medium businesses. Thanks to Udit’s effort, gathering this data became a breeze. But the real lesson here? Never underestimate the power of young minds. They’re not just absorbing our conversations—they’re ready to jump in with solutions that make our work more effective and efficient. And let’s face it, there’s nothing quite as humbling (or humorous) as realizing that while we’re busy complicating things, the kids are showing us the way forward! Let’s all take a page out of Udit’s book and be open to listening to the fresh perspectives these young innovators bring. #DigitalTransformation #YouthLeadership #WomenEntrepreneurs #SmallBusinessSupport #Innovation #NextGenLeaders #LaghuUdyogBharti #GoogleForms #ProudMom

🎉Happy International Women’s Day! 🎉 Today, we are celebrating by talking to some of the female founders in the APEX Ventures portfolio about the powerful lessons they learned from their founding experiences and the challenges they overcame. Take a look at what they shared: 🪐Maria Birlem, co-founder and CEO of Yuri: “For me, the biggest challenges are always team-related. I have faced and am facing HR fluctuations that I and my team members must make. It's hard for both cases. I believe that honesty and empathy are the keys to a successful and strong team. But I learned to strongly rely on my intuition when it comes to making decisions.” 🚀Kristina Nikolaus, co-founder and CEO of OKAPI:Orbits: "While building OKAPI:Orbits, one of the most challenging tasks we faced was finding the A-team to execute the vision, could match our passion and share our values to achieve extraordinary results. Accepting uncertainties, taking risks, and listening to intuition was key in all hiring decisions and crucial in the process of building a venture-scale business." ✍Thelma Zablocki, COO and Co-founder of CardiaTec Biosciences: "My advice is to always be ambitious and continuously push forward while surrounding yourself with exceptional people and mentors. This powerful combination, to me, is the key to success in entrepreneurship and also a guiding principle in life." 🤝Joana Cartocci, co-founder and COO of Robeauté: “One challenge I’ve had to overcome is the idea that you can do it better and faster on your own. Once you build the right team, one powered by a shared mission, make sure to trust the collective intelligence rather than the individual ego. Very often, the best solutions arise when each person on the team can grow and thrive, personally and professionally - so hire well and trust your team.” 🙌 Thank you to our female founders for sharing their insights with us. 🙌 We hope this inspires other female entrepreneurs to face the challenges of starting their own businesses.👏 Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash #IWD2024  #InspireInclusion #WomenInStem #FemaleFounder

See this? It's a sneak preview of a VERY exciting new development for She Mentors 🎊 When we launched the platform in 2019 my tech co-founder Brendon Nicholas and I kept saying: “We can optimise this later, let’s just get it out” I had been feeling lonely, unsupported and uninspired by my corporate role and wanted to meet other women who could help me grow. So we built a tech platform to bring together women across industries, roles and locations so we could learn from each other. It was (and still is) designed so that everyone has the opportunity to give back and share knowledge through 'one-off' mentoring sessions. But with 700+ women and organisations using the platform in Aus, NZ and Singapore to book Mentor Hours each month, you might guess that it's time for a revamp... Our wonderful dev team at DotCollective, lead by superstar Ellie White, are working on instant messaging, built-in automations and the ability to quickly create calendar invitations across timezones. No more emails being lost in junk. No more lengthy 'back and fourth' to lock in a time to meet. This is going to make our platform sing and make our growth plans a reality. Thanks to the devs Alex Skipper for working on this, we hope to have phase 1 being rolled out in the coming weeks. Watch this space! Not a member yet? Individuals sign for our September enrolment here: https://lnkd.in/gwAPqyU9 Organisations, learn about our corporate offering here: https://lnkd.in/g4UTk9hP Onwards and upwards Natalina Morelli Amelia Theodorakis Roselynn Fricke Lory Costa Deborah Daly (FGIA, GAICD) Amanda Greenman Vanessa Condemi #womensupportingwomen #mentoring #womeninleadership

It breaks my heart that only 14% of Indian entrepreneurs are women. Leading just 20% of MSMEs. For too long, women have been underrepresented. But not anymore! This Women's Day, I am partnering with Kairos to offer a ₹1.75L scholarship for a woman entrepreneur.  What could ₹1.75L mean for you? ✅Turning that biz idea into a prototype ✅Funding your first marketing campaign ✅Kickstarting your entrepreneurial journey It's time for you to: ✨ Acquire top-notch biz skills ✨ Get mentored by 40+ CEOs & CXOs ✨ Join a community of 50 entrepreneurs Here's how to apply: 1) Fill out the form in the first comment. 2) We'll reach out to the shortlists via email.   3) One of you will get the ₹1.75L wings! This 6-month Kairos fellowship will help you soar from a dreamer to a leader! P.S. The glass ceiling was meant to be shattered! Are you ready?

🌟 The Power of Mentorship: A Journey of Growth and Giving Back Reflecting on my career journey, I can confidently say that mentorship has played a pivotal role in shaping who I am today. 🚀 There were moments when I faced challenges that felt insurmountable, but having a mentor by my side made all the difference. Their guidance, encouragement, and wisdom helped me navigate obstacles and seize opportunities I never thought possible. As I progressed in my career, I realized the importance of paying it forward. It became clear to me that I had a responsibility to support other women entrepreneurs who are on their own journeys. 🤝✨ At DTechists Consulting, I’ve had the privilege of mentoring aspiring business leaders, helping them cultivate their ideas, build their confidence, and develop strategies to overcome barriers. 💪 Each mentorship experience has not only enriched their lives but has also profoundly impacted mine. One memorable experience was with a young entrepreneur who was hesitant to share her innovative ideas with the world. Through our sessions, we worked on refining her vision and building her confidence. Watching her take those bold steps and ultimately launch her business was one of the most rewarding moments of my career. 🌱 Mentorship is more than just sharing knowledge; it’s about fostering relationships, building networks, and empowering others to reach their full potential. It’s about lifting each other up and creating a community of support. As we celebrate the achievements of women entrepreneurs, let’s remember the power of mentorship. Let’s commit to supporting one another, sharing our experiences, and helping each other thrive. 🌍💖 If you’re a woman entrepreneur looking for guidance or someone willing to give back, reach out! Together, we can create a ripple effect of empowerment and success. #MentorshipMatters #WomenInBusiness #PayItForward #DTechistsConsulting #Empowerment #SupportWomen #VarsharaniAgare Digital Techists Consulting

I'm thrilled to be a mentor for this personalized program, where founders will receive tailored guidance to overcome business challenges and secure transformative investments. The Women Founders Mentorship Hours Series on April 2nd, in partnership with She Loves Tech and the United Nations ESCAP. Let's empower female entrepreneurs together! #WomenFounders #MentorshipSeries #EmpowerWomen #Femtech #Caretech #UNESCAP #Entrepreneurship #WomenInBusiness #Mentorship #Empowerment #InvestInWomen

Ever notice how female founders are usually more humble about their businesses than men? 🧐 This is continuously striking me in pitch workshops and 1:1 sessions with women. They tend to downplay their traction or market opportunity, I see less pride for achievements and similar. I wonder why.. Is it upbringing that is focused on modesty? Or that the assertive women are often labeled as b****es? Or maybe lack of role models that actively and openly promote their business? 🤔 Curious to hear more thoughts.. If I compare Latvia and Estonia, for example, I definitely can see that the latter factor, i.e., having charismatic and visible role models has played a big role in how Estonian founders present themselves. Whereas, modesty is something I see also in male founders coming from Eastern Europe (and I personally think that being realistic about your business is def better than super inflated self esteem and salesy pitch). We picked up a similar discussion also last week at the pitch and public speaking workshop for Riga TechGirls mentorship program participants. And it is clear that first time female founders definitely need more confidence boost and support, which is why I truly celebrate organisations like Riga TechGirls that are aimed at helping women and girls transition to IT careers and build tech startups. Kudos to the purpose driven team: Anna Andersone, Alise Dīrika, Alise Gurenko, Elvīra Zaltāne, Diāna Butina, Lina Sarma, Aiva Staņēviča, Pauls Siliņš and many more. ❤️💪 As for experienced female founders - ladies, be loud and proud about your achievements. Your story can inspire others. 🌟💡 #FemaleEntrepreneurs #PublicSpeaking #WomenInBusiness #FemaleFounders #PitchPerfect

Networking with strong, like-minded individuals is like charging up your entrepreneurial batteries in a room full of positive vibes!  I recently had a blast at the SHE Founders LAUNCHPAD event, co-hosted with Google at their Gurgaon office. It was like diving into a pool of inspiration and high-fives! 💥 The launch of SHE Founders community, led by the dynamic duo Rakhee Singal and Shivani Singh, was like setting off fireworks in the entrepreneurial sky! This powerhouse community is all about women-led businesses coming together to conquer, collaborate, and create magic. Guess what? 🙌 The event was more star-studded than a Hollywood premiere! We had the privilege of soaking up wisdom from incredible speakers like Annurag Batra, Roma Datta Chobey, Shumita Kakkar, Simran Khara, and MasterChef Aditi Madan and a amazing Panel Discussion as well.Their insights were like golden nuggets of entrepreneurial wisdom, leaving us all buzzing with excitement! 👉 At IndusTreeBiz , we're all about lifting each other up, especially our fellow women entrepreneurs facing the corporate jungle. SHE FOUNDERS reminded us just how crucial it is to support and champion the ladies blazing trails in the business world. 🤩 Talk about girl power in action! SHE FOUNDERS was not just an event; it was a celebration of the unstoppable force that is women entrepreneurs. It was like being surrounded by a tribe of superheroes, each with their own unique powers and stories. 🤗 Gratitude overload! Being part of the event was like winning the entrepreneurial lottery. Connecting with such incredible souls who are shaping the future was an absolute honor. Can't wait for the next adventure with these game-changers! Kshitij Kulshreshtha , Priyanka Sachdeva, Shweta Singla #shefounder #google #womenentrepreneur #womenempowerment #narishakti #indianwomen #shwetaraka

As I prepare to speak about Cultural Intelligence (#CQ) at #WIBCON2024 tomorrow, the largest women-centric event in Islamabad, I came across a few case studies of women #leaders who used Cultural Intelligence (CQ) to overcome cultural challenges in the #global market. One woman who caught my attention was Mona Ataya, the founder and CEO of Mumzworld.com, an online shopping site for mothers, babies, and children in the Middle East. Mona Ataya, of Palestinian origin, launched Mumzworld in 2011, recognizing a gap in the market for a comprehensive, user-friendly online platform that caters to the needs of mothers and children. Operating across the Middle East, Mumzworld has navigated #diverse cultural landscapes to become a leading e-commerce platform in its niche. She understood the importance of respecting and incorporating regional #cultural norms into her business model and incorporated products that respect her diverse customer base's cultural and religious sensitivities. Recognizing women's cultural challenges in the workforce, Ataya has also been committed to creating employment opportunities for #women, providing flexible working conditions that allow them to balance professional and family responsibilities. Her story illustrates the power of #CQ not only in overcoming cultural challenges but also in harnessing these differences as a source of strength and #innovation in the global market. #culturalintelligence #globalbusiness #globalleadership #globalmarket #leadershipdevelopment #leadershiptraining #globalcareer #globalbusiness #globalization #interculturalcompetence #intercultural