SheSparks 2024 was all about inspiring women and sparking change

On the eve of International Women’s Day, the Royal Orchid Hotel in Bengaluru witnessed a power-packed gathering of more than 400 women to celebrate the essence of being a woman at SheSparks, YourStory’s platform for actionable change.

For the past five years, SheSparks has proven to be more than an event. It continues to be a powerful movement—inspiring, encouraging and reflecting the strong voices of women from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life.

SheSparks 2024 was no different, as several women (and men) came together to be part of engaging conversations and deliberations on diverse topics, ranging from inclusion and diversity to the missing women of technology and making mental health a priority. 

Technologists, innovators, entrepreneurs, leaders, and changemakers participated in a 10-hour celebration of women through fireside chats, panel discussions, inspiring keynotes, and deeply moving stories.

The day kickstarted with an insightful session with Lingraju Sawkar, President of Kyndryl India, who highlighted the importance of increasing women's representation in the workforce. He emphasised that the need for having more women in the workforce has been established and the focus now needs to shift to execution.

In another fireside chat, Ajay Vij, Country Managing Director, Accenture in India, stressed the need to empower women to break free from limitations.

“The onus of nurturing the next generation lies on women leaders. Get that degree, prepare yourself, take charge of your career, and go multiply it; this will break the glass ceiling on its own,” he said.

Women's health, diversity, and more

Female health is a vital yet overlooked area, said Geetha Manjunath, Founder and CEO, CTO of NIRMAI Health Analytix. She revealed that only 2% of women proactively undergo screening for breast cancer, which in her opinion "is not right". 

Rachana Gupta, Co-founder, of Gynoveda; Tamanna Singh, Founder, MenoVeda; and Navneet Kaur, Founder and CEO, of FemTech India, highlighted the need for more conversations around periods, menopause and general health of women. 

“You cannot build a women's health company without key principles like advocacy and awareness. Educating and raising awareness is paramount,” said Kaur. 

Tina Vinod, Founder and CEO of Diversity Simplified; Sarika Naik, CMO and Chairperson of Diversity India, Capgemini; and Neha Bagaria, Founder and CEO of HerKey (formerly JobsForHer) shared their insights on fostering a genuine commitment towards diversity, in order to take the charter beyond tokenism.

While Naik stressed the reality of “unconscious bias”, Bagaria spoke about diversity in SMEs and startups that are striving to secure top talent.

“We need representation, more women in boardrooms and leadership roles, as well as more people from underrepresented intersectional backgrounds,” said Vinod.

Speakers also spoke about emerging tools and technologies to capture growth in the new-age marketplace.

While Samriddhi Bhattacharyya, Country Director of Small Business Solutions at Dell Technologies, described generative AI as a field with ample room for growth, Deepti Prasad, Co-founder and Head of Marketing at Spyne, underscored the importance for brands, whether direct-to-consumer or large-scale, to invest in tools that enhance productivity and facilitate faster scalability to capture the attention of customers on marketplaces.

SheSparks also saw distinguished speakers such as Anisha Padukone, CEO of Live Love Laugh; Anusha Bharadwaj, Executive Director of VOICE 4Girls; and Roopa D Moudgil, Inspector General of Police, Internal Security, Karnataka, who shared their impactful journeys with the audience.

Serving some food for thought, post a sumptuous lunch, Hena Mehta, Co-founder and CEO of Basis, and Deena Jacob, CFO and Co-Founder of Open Financial Technologies Private Limited, talked about why women must take control of their money and advocated life insurance and financial independence.

Advice for entrepreneurs

“You should grow at a speed that scares you,” said Priyanka Gill, Venture Partner, Kalaari Capital, and Group Co-founder, The Good Glamm Group, setting the stage for business conversations.

Advising entrepreneurs looking to build brands, she said, “You must ask yourself: why I am building this brand, who I am building it for, and how this offering will add value to customers in a way that would differentiate me from the others.”

Vani Kola, Founder and MD of Kalaari Capital pondered upon the funding slowdown in the country. This powerful session also saw Kola urging women founders to maintain confidence and dignity.

“Women often find it difficult to balance self-assertiveness and bragging. Always maintain confidence and stop being apologetic all the time,” she said.

Encouraging women to be financially independent CK Kumaravel, CEO and Co-founder of Naturals Salons & Spa said, “The best fashion statement is standing on your own legs. Indian women do not have financial independence, and that is a problem. But if you flip it it becomes an opportunity, and that is my business model."

He also emphasised the importance of prioritising self-care before nurturing other relationships.

The day ended with SheSparks Awards, where women from diverse fields, who've sparked change, were honoured.

The curtains are down on SheSparks 2024, but we hope the flame of entrepreneurship never dies and continues to foster growth and transformation among women.