This is one of those moments I know I will never forget in my lifetime.

Very recently, I hosted two incredible women on the podcast "Baatein Startup Ki" by eChai Ventures and Radio LJ, Koumal Kalantry, Founder of Bignano Ventures and Dr Aradhana Gupta, Founder of Airmed Pathology Private Limited and Usmanpura Imaging Centre.

There were multiple moments during that one hour when I genuinely had goosebumps. The strength, resilience and willingness to create an impact in the world that both these women carry was powerful.

Koumal spoke about her journey with Bignano, from the early days of doing everything from the ground up, navigating the struggling phases, to witnessing some incredibly proud moments, including being felicitated by the President of India. Hearing her talk about the journey behind those achievements made me see Big Nanno's story from a completely different perspective.

Dr. Aradhana shared her journey of taking the decision with Dr. Amit Gupta to move back to India, with a strong thought of doing more in healthcare, contributing through modern technologies, and serving more people. Her journey, the challenges, the decisions, and everything they have built since then were commendable.

I have known both of them for years. They are not just very good friends, but people I deeply admire. Yet, that day, I got to know them in a completely different way, from their very initial days and struggles to their failures, learnings and back-to-back victories.

It reminded me once again how important it is to be surrounded by the right people. The people around you shape your thoughts, your courage and, in many ways, the impact you choose to create.

I can probably keep writing about both of them because they are among the women entrepreneurs I look up to the most. I feel incredibly blessed to have such inspiring people in my personal and professional life. And trust me, it is very important to have such people in your life.

This conversation reminded me once again why spaces like the eChai Women Founders Initiative matter. When women share their real stories, not just the achievements but also the struggles behind them, it inspires so many others to keep going.

A big thank you to Jatin Chaudhary for starting the "Startup Ki Baatein" series and creating a platform that is impacting so many people.

Big shoutout to eChai Ventures and the entire team at Radio LJ 90.8 FM for making this conversation possible.

You can listen to the full podcast here:
https://lnkd.in/dQerTQRY