How motherhood shapes the companies women build

Hello,

Alibaba is reportedly working on integrating its AI platform Qwen and its online marketplace Taobao. The goal is to move shopping away from traditional keyword-based searches toward a more conversational experience, where users can browse, compare, and purchase products through AI-driven interactions within the Qwen app. 

In the broader AI landscape, Alphabet Inc. briefly surpassed NVIDIA Corporation in market value during after-hours trading this week, marking a notable shift for a company once viewed as vulnerable at the start of the AI boom.

The stock has surged roughly 160% over the past year, as investors grow more confident in Google’s position in AI through its in-house models, vast distribution network, and cloud business benefiting from AI demand.

Among other US trillion-dollar tech firms, Broadcom has been the next strongest performer, rising about 107% over the same period.

Meanwhile, in the luxury sector, Italian fashion label Giorgio Armani is reportedly weighing the sale of a 15% stake, to be divided equally among three investors after the designer’s death, according to a newspaper report published Sunday.

Armani, who passed away last September at the age of 91, had identified French luxury conglomerate LVMH along with longtime commercial partners L'Oréal and EssilorLuxottica as his preferred shareholders for the company.

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• How motherhood shapes the companies women build 
• Lisa Ray on menopause and women’s health

Here’s your trivia for today: In August of 1997, Microsoft bailed what technology company out of bankruptcy?

Women Entrepreneurs

How motherhood shapes the companies women build 

Motherhood and entrepreneurship may seem like two full-time roles, but for many women founders, the two are deeply interconnected. From navigating boardrooms to bedtime routines, entrepreneur-mothers bring empathy, resilience, patience, and long-term thinking into the companies they build. This Mother’s Day, women leaders across industries share how motherhood has shaped their leadership styles, business values, and vision for creating meaningful impact.

Key takeaways: 

• Women founders say motherhood has made them more patient, intuitive, empathetic, and resilient—qualities that directly influence how they lead teams and grow businesses.
• Several women turned challenges or gaps they experienced as mothers into opportunities to create solutions-driven businesses.
• From building sustainable companies to creating better ecosystems for future generations, these entrepreneurs emphasised endurance, consistency, and purpose over short-term gains. 

ICYMI

Lisa Ray on menopause and women’s health

When actor Lisa Ray went public with her cancer diagnosis, she didn’t speak about another life-altering aftermath—treatment-induced menopause. Years later, she’s breaking that silence, challenging stigma, and building solutions to reshape how women understand and experience midlife health.

Key takeaways: 

• Ray’s stem cell transplant pushed her into early menopause, but with little guidance or support. Like many women, she navigated symptoms and confusion largely on her own, exposing a major gap in awareness and care.
• Conversations with other women revealed how widespread the lack of knowledge is around perimenopause and menopause. By speaking openly, Ray has helped normalise these experiences and push for informed, science-backed care.
• Through NuHer, a midlife health clinic that provides expert, integrated care for women navigating perimenopause and menopause, Ray is working to create a holistic, patient-centric model, combining medical, hormonal, and emotional support, while urging women to advocate for themselves and seek better care when dismissed.

News & updates

• Eponym: Scientists have named a newly-identified wasp species after David Attenborough to mark his 100th birthday. Attenboroughnculus tau, found in Chile’s Valdivia province, has been held in the London Natural History Museum’s collection since 1983.
• Crypto: Banking groups are floating last-minute changes to a compromise on stablecoin yield as a key Senate panel begins considering a landmark digital asset bill. 

What you should watch out for

• BharatAI 2026 is scheduled to take place in Bengaluru from May 13–15, 2026, at the KTPO Convention Centre in Whitefield. This 3-day conference and expo is designed to accelerate the use of AI across India by connecting AI creators with customers, investors, and system integrators.

• Alcohol in Beverage (AIB) is Karnataka’s new excise policy, replacing the six-decade-old system of taxing bulk litres of alcohol. On Friday, the state government issued the final notification for the Karnataka Excise (Excise Duties and Fees) (2nd Amendment) Rules, 2026, which will take effect from May 11.

In August of 1997, Microsoft bailed what technology company out of bankruptcy?

Answer: Apple Computer Inc

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