Below is the list of 5 sparkling stars in the Education Business who are chartering unknown territories unabashedly and fearlessly.
"Whatever you do, be different – that was the advice my mother gave me, and I can’t think of better advice for an entrepreneur. If you’re different, you will stand out.” – Anita Roddick.
The disruption in the Education hagvs been the talk of the town for quite some time now. Well, it may seem to be a common phenomenon, and then what is the hassle all about. We have witnessed an influential bunch of women taking over the Ed space by storm.
Educationbiz is paying a tribute to some of the influential Edupreneurs who have set an unbreakable benchmark in the Indian Education market.
So let’s have a look at the Women Edupreneurs, the Women of Substance, the Women of Today.
Manjula Pooja Shroff
An ‘edupreneur’, a postgraduate from York University and executive alumni from London School of Economics, Manjula Pooja Shroff is the Founder, Calorx Foundation.
The calling came early in life for this 44-year-old educationist, who runs more than seven educational institutions for kids, differently-abled children and aspiring teachers.
She operates 40+ institutions across Western India and has created international footprints in UAE by establishing a pre-school chain, under the name of Blessings. The school’s portfolio consists of two Delhi Public Schools, one International Baccalaureate School, 11 Calorx Public Schools, 20 pre-schools, four Special Focus projects, Champions Schools (an Integrated Model School in Gujarat) and a university. Now that’s a massive bunch of expansion.
Lina Ashar
An Australian citizen who grew up in England and currently lives in Mumbai, Lina Ashar is a true global citizen, having nurtured a chain of schools across 29 Indian cities as well as Dubai, the Maldives, and Qatar.
Lina’s desire to offer a more holistic education style in India led her to request her father for a loan with which she started the first Kangaroo Kids preschool in Bandra in June 1993 with a small batch of 25 students. Lina went on to establish Billabong High International School and today Kangaroo Kids is a chain of 70 preschools globally, while there are 19 Billabong High International schools in India as well as in Dubai, the Maldives, and Qatar.
Aditi Avasthi
Embibe is the outcome of Aditi’s personal experience with the competitive exam system. In 1999, Aditi appeared for the IIT-JEE, but did not clear it. She felt it was because she did not study chemistry as much she should have. Embibe recently raised funding worth $4 million from investors Kalaari Capital and venture fund Lightbox.
It’s been quite a ride for Aditi. Although she still feels she is scratching the surface. The primary elements that have defined this journey have been the constant contact with people, which includes teachers, students and parents.
Vani Kola
If you are well acquainted with the venture capital investing space in India, it is hard to miss out on one name in particular, Vani Kola, Managing Director of Kalaari Capital.
Born and educated in Hyderabad, Vani got her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Osmania University and then left to get a masters degree from Arizona State University, spending 22 years in the US. Kola co-founded Kalaari, after successfully building and selling two companies, Certus and Rightworks in Silicon Valley.
She founded Kalaari Advisors in 2006 to create an early-stage venture ecosystem in India. To date, Kalaari Advisors has funded more than 50 companies in India, making herself to the list as one of the most powerful women in Indian Business by Fortune India.
Priya Krishnan
Priya, 43, started her career with Anderson Consulting and moved on to Bangalore Labs and MphasiS first in India and then in locations like Singapore, New York and London. Being a mother of two boys, Priya had experienced firsthand the difficulty in getting quality childcare. She wanted to start a daycare chain that would help mothers get back to work without dealing with stress and guilt.
Today, Founding Years Learning Solutions, the parent company of KLAY Schools and The Little Company, operates 80 centres from across seven cities in India. As of now, KLAY and The Little Company operates 80 centres across seven cities in India and its corporate clients include the likes of Airtel, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, L’Oréal, and Infosys.
"Whatever you do, be different – that was the advice my mother gave me, and I can’t think of better advice for an entrepreneur. If you’re different, you will stand out.” – Anita Roddick.
The disruption in the Education hagvs been the talk of the town for quite some time now. Well, it may seem to be a common phenomenon, and then what is the hassle all about. We have witnessed an influential bunch of women taking over the Ed space by storm.
Educationbiz is paying a tribute to some of the influential Edupreneurs who have set an unbreakable benchmark in the Indian Education market.
So let’s have a look at the Women Edupreneurs, the Women of Substance, the Women of Today.
Manjula Pooja Shroff
An ‘edupreneur’, a postgraduate from York University and executive alumni from London School of Economics, Manjula Pooja Shroff is the Founder, Calorx Foundation.
The calling came early in life for this 44-year-old educationist, who runs more than seven educational institutions for kids, differently-abled children and aspiring teachers.
She operates 40+ institutions across Western India and has created international footprints in UAE by establishing a pre-school chain, under the name of Blessings. The school’s portfolio consists of two Delhi Public Schools, one International Baccalaureate School, 11 Calorx Public Schools, 20 pre-schools, four Special Focus projects, Champions Schools (an Integrated Model School in Gujarat) and a university. Now that’s a massive bunch of expansion.
Lina Ashar
An Australian citizen who grew up in England and currently lives in Mumbai, Lina Ashar is a true global citizen, having nurtured a chain of schools across 29 Indian cities as well as Dubai, the Maldives, and Qatar.
Lina’s desire to offer a more holistic education style in India led her to request her father for a loan with which she started the first Kangaroo Kids preschool in Bandra in June 1993 with a small batch of 25 students. Lina went on to establish Billabong High International School and today Kangaroo Kids is a chain of 70 preschools globally, while there are 19 Billabong High International schools in India as well as in Dubai, the Maldives, and Qatar.
Aditi Avasthi
Embibe is the outcome of Aditi’s personal experience with the competitive exam system. In 1999, Aditi appeared for the IIT-JEE, but did not clear it. She felt it was because she did not study chemistry as much she should have. Embibe recently raised funding worth $4 million from investors Kalaari Capital and venture fund Lightbox.
It’s been quite a ride for Aditi. Although she still feels she is scratching the surface. The primary elements that have defined this journey have been the constant contact with people, which includes teachers, students and parents.
Vani Kola
If you are well acquainted with the venture capital investing space in India, it is hard to miss out on one name in particular, Vani Kola, Managing Director of Kalaari Capital.
Born and educated in Hyderabad, Vani got her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Osmania University and then left to get a masters degree from Arizona State University, spending 22 years in the US. Kola co-founded Kalaari, after successfully building and selling two companies, Certus and Rightworks in Silicon Valley.
She founded Kalaari Advisors in 2006 to create an early-stage venture ecosystem in India. To date, Kalaari Advisors has funded more than 50 companies in India, making herself to the list as one of the most powerful women in Indian Business by Fortune India.
Priya Krishnan
Priya, 43, started her career with Anderson Consulting and moved on to Bangalore Labs and MphasiS first in India and then in locations like Singapore, New York and London. Being a mother of two boys, Priya had experienced firsthand the difficulty in getting quality childcare. She wanted to start a daycare chain that would help mothers get back to work without dealing with stress and guilt.
Today, Founding Years Learning Solutions, the parent company of KLAY Schools and The Little Company, operates 80 centres from across seven cities in India. As of now, KLAY and The Little Company operates 80 centres across seven cities in India and its corporate clients include the likes of Airtel, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, L’Oréal, and Infosys.
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