Women leaders come together to keep the conversation going at TechSparks 2020

Every journey is unique. With the right perception, there are lessons to learn in the most mundane and challenging ways to pave the way forward. The challenges may be doubly stacked for women dreaming big, but these seldom come in the way of those who are determined. 

A major part of TechSparks 2020, a virtual event this year, is set to be fuelled by enthusiasm and dedication of such women leaders who have embraced the odds to come out wiser. There are women shaping tech and product innovations, working towards female employment, ensuring equal opportunities for women at work, and also striving to correct the funding gap. 

Filmmaker and author Tahira Kashyap will also be presenting her latest book that is garnering praise for high relatability quotient for women. 

The 11th edition of TechSparks, to be held from October 26-30, will be an immersive experience for all to network and connect with venture capitalists, and most importantly, learn something. 

Tune in to see what’s brewing for women in the Indian startup ecosystem and the opportunities that lie ahead.

1. Meredith Tretiak 

Meredith Tretiak has over a decade’s experience in product marketing and is skilled in identifying market opportunities and striking a chord with the audience. As the Vice President of product marketing at CleverTap, a customer engagement and retention platform, Meredith was earlier associated with companies like Disney, EA, Square Enix, and The Gap. 

An MBA graduate from Fox School of Business at Temple University, Meredith is passionate about app optimisation and has helped launch a dozen mobile apps.

2. Neha Bagaria

In the long ongoing discussion on women employment and participation in the workforce, Neha Bagaria acted on the concerns by founding JobsForHer. The Bengaluru-based online portal helps women re-enter the workforce by reskilling them, provide mentorship, and pass the hiring processes.

A serial entrepreneur, her first venture, Paragon, helps students seeking admission to colleges in the US. Neha completed her bachelor’s in finance and marketing from University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School in 2003.  

3. Prashanti Bodugam 

Prashanti Bodugam is the Vice President of Technology and Chennai Centre Head at Walmart Global Tech. With over two decades of experience in leading IT services, she was earlier associated with United Health Group and Capgemini in global leadership roles.

The tech veteran holds a master’s in computer science from New Jersey Institute of Technology, US.

4. Preksha Kaparwan 

From being a sous chef to venturing into entrepreneurship and diving into depths of tech and AI, Preksha Kaparwan is living a unique journey. She is the founder and CMO of Alpha AI, a platform that simplifies analytics and helps businesses gain knowledge insights. 

A graduate from IHM, Delhi, and a data expert, the entrepreneur is known for beating her path.

5. Ritu Anand

In a career spanning three decades, Ritu Anand rose through the ranks to become Chief Leadership and Diversity Officer at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). She joined the company’s training and development wing in 1989.

Besides inclusive initiatives at TCS, she is a member of the governing board of Forum for Women in Leadership India that brings together women in executive leadership to nurture and mentor women in corporates across India.

6. Ritu Verma

Ritu Verma is the Co-founder and Managing Director of Ankur Capital Fund. She has marked her presence loud and clear by investing in successful startups. Focussed on early-stage investment with focus on moving with the entrepreneur's journey, its portfolio includes Niramai, Karma Healthcare, CropIn, Jiny, BigHaat, and Health Sutra. 

A PhD holder in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA graduate from INSEAD, Ritu will deliberate on fundraising strategies amid global pandemic at TechSparks.

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7. Sangita Reddy 

As a member of the founding family, Sangita Reddy has witnessed Apollo Hospitals’ journey from close quarters. She started her career as a management trainee in 1983 and went on to become the Joint Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals in 2014.

At present, she also serves as the President of The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) with focus on science, innovation, and entrepreneurship. 

She was a member of the steering committee on health for India’s Twelfth Five Year Plan between 2012 and 2017 and the digital committee of The World Economic Forum, among many important associations. In 2017, the global healthcare influencer received honorary doctorate from Macquarie University in Australia.

8. Sapna Chadha

Sapna Chadha is at the helm of Google’s marketing efforts in India and Southeast Asia as its senior marketing director. This entails marketing the tech giant’s devices and services across B2B and B2C space. Prior to joining Google as the head of SMB marketing in 2014, she was associated with the American Express for ten years.   

Starting as an intern at New Jersey-based financial services company Prudential Financial in 1995, Sapna has more than two decades of experience in the consulting and marketing space.

Sapna holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and did her bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Michigan. 

9. Sheenam Ohrie 

Sheenam Ohrie’s quest to learn has taken her far, including her latest role as the Vice President, Dell Digital and APJ CIO Leader Dell Technologies. She leads a team that takes charge of various digital transformations including enterprise application, analytics and business intelligence, and enterprise mobility engineering.

As the Chairperson of Women in Action (WIA) at Dell in India, she works towards building diverse workplaces that nurtures female leadership.

With over two decades of work experience, she has assumed leadership positions in both small companies as well as corporates like SAP.  

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10. Shilpa Kumar 

Shilpa Kumar is a partner at Omidyar Network India, assuming overall leadership role including strategy, investment, and policy work related to financial inclusion. She brings with her an expertise in the financial market that comes from her three-decades long career at the ICICI Bank Group.

An IIM Calcutta graduate, she was part of major bodies like SEBI’s Secondary Markets Advisory Committee, RBI’s Technical Advisory Committee, and RBI’s Mohanty Committee on Monetary Policy.

11. Sneha Choudhry

Entrepreneur Sneha Choudhry is redefining accommodation for most urban Indians, especially university students and young working population. As the Co-founder and Chief Business Officer of co-living startup Zolo, Sneha looks after sales and customer experience.

An MBA graduate from IIM Kozhikode, she was previously associated with Deloitte and Oracle as strategy and operations consultant for nearly a decade.

12. Soumya Rajan

Soumya Rajan quit an illustrious banking career spanning nearly two decades and founded wealth advisory firm Waterfield Advisors in 2011. The entrepreneur advises several leading family businesses in the country on several aspects, including continuity and transition of roles, managing family investments, business strategy, and philanthropy. 

Soumya, who holds master’s in mathematics from the Oxford University, has 25 years of experience in the financial services sector. She is an advisory council member of Research Park & Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre at IIT Gandhinagar. The entrepreneur also sits on the board of Bengaluru-based think-tank Centre for Study of Science, Technology, and Policy (CSTEP). 

13. Swati Bhargava 

Swati Bhargava’s story is nothing short of inspiring. The conventional story of her entrepreneurial success involves co-founding CashKaro with notable investments from the likes of Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons. 

Swati secured scholarship from the Government of Singapore to study at the National Junior College, followed by bachelor’s in mathematics and economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Climbing up the corporate ladder and venturing into entrepreneurship, she knows that women have to work doubly harder than their male counterparts. At TechSparks 2020, the entrepreneur will discuss nurturing female leadership.

14. Tahira Kashyap

Tahira Kashyap’s story as a breast cancer survivor and spreading awareness about the life-threatening disease is well known. The filmmaker-writer recently released The 12 commandments of being a woman, her fourth book that is gaining popularity for its dollops of relatable content for women. 

Wife of Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khuranna and a mother of two, Tahira has carved a distinctive journey for herself outside. According to internet buzz, Tahira’s latest account of being a woman is a must-read for all women “who are multi-tasking”.

15. Tina Vinod 

As the diversity and inclusivity lead at ThoughtWorks India, Tina Vinod is a staunch proponent of the importance of diversity at workplace. A feminist leader, she works towards building a culture of belonging for minority groups like women and LGBTQI community to ensure equal opportunity at workplace. Tina also chairs the company’s anti-sexual harassment committee.

Under her leadership, ThoughtWorks is widely recognised for its inclusive workplace. 

Passionate about social change, she has led initiatives such as Humanitarian Software Program, allowing ThoughtWorks to provide pro bono services to organisations for social development.

16. Varsha Tagare

As the Managing Director at Qualcomm Ventures India, Varsha Tagare handles a $150 million fund dedicated to Indian startup ecosystem. She was earlier associated with Intel Capital’s global investment for a decade.

An advocate for diversity in technology, she has led an interesting mix of investments in India and the US. The list includes Blue Canoe, JAMDAT, Lookout, MindTickle, Mobile365, Zinier, Bounce, Capillary Technologies, Enstage, Ideaforge, MapMyIndia, MCX, Ridlr, and Reverie Language Tech, among others. 

Varsha holds master’s in computer and electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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17. Vrushali Prasade

Vrushali Prasade is harnessing artificial intelligence to help brands navigate social media channels better through PyxisPM, founded in 2019. It claims to be the next generation marketing cloud to produce creative advertisements with great targeting capabilities.

The entrepreneur holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from Birla Institute of Technology and Science.

18. Yulia Aslamova 

Yulia Aslamova can more than tell bad digital marketing practices apart. After several stints as the marketing manager and consultant, she started MakeSucess, a brand marketing agency that specialises in SaaS and e-learning platforms, in January 2020.   

Hailing from Siberia and having travelled to over 20 countries, she set foot in Bengaluru in 2014 and made it her home. Yulia holds a master's in economics from The National Mineral Resources, University in Russia.