More about Manjula Dharmalingam
Board Member, Social Entrepreneur & Angel Investor Committed to Driving Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact for a More Equitable World!
I am an accomplished professional, serial entrepreneur, investor, and passionate advocate for societal change. Despite experiencing painful gender discrimination, I remain steadfast in my commitment to connecting people, processes, and technology to build a better world without biases.
As the founder of Her Second Innings, I empower women on sabbatical to reignite their career dreams through tech. Currently, I am building The Next Innings, a humane passion network for global tech talent. Additionally, I serve as a Board Advisor at Sarthy Venture Investment Partners, driving the creation of impactful and profitable social ventures.
Achievements:
• Brave and Business Savvy Women Award by SLP Achievers Award.
• Recognized social impact women leader - Karnataka Govt Unnati Grant.
• Fortune / U.S State Dept. Global Women Entrepreneur Fellowship.
• Outstanding Women Entrepreneur Award from the MSME World Bangalore.
• Best manager awards for people management at IBM.
• Top performer awards from IBM, Skycell, Skylark.
Speaking and Mentoring Engagements:
• TEDxYouth@PSBS 2022 - Igniting the Spark in You!
• Keynote Speaker at WE Local annual conference for women engineers.
• Bringing Women Back to Work - Confederation of Indian Industry IWN Panel Discussion.
• Mentor support for Business Design and innovation students at WeSchool.
As an investor and social entrepreneur, I constantly seek innovative ventures that aim to make a positive social impact. I am eager to connect with professionals who share my passion for social impact and diversity. I am also seeking mentors, particularly social impact leaders, to support the growth phase of social ventures through strategic partnerships. Let’s collaborate to create a transformative narrative for an inclusive and equitable future.
Connect with me here on LinkedIn to be part of this journey.
📧 [email protected]
I am an accomplished professional, serial entrepreneur, investor, and passionate advocate for societal change. Despite experiencing painful gender discrimination, I remain steadfast in my commitment to connecting people, processes, and technology to build a better world without biases.
As the founder of Her Second Innings, I empower women on sabbatical to reignite their career dreams through tech. Currently, I am building The Next Innings, a humane passion network for global tech talent. Additionally, I serve as a Board Advisor at Sarthy Venture Investment Partners, driving the creation of impactful and profitable social ventures.
Achievements:
• Brave and Business Savvy Women Award by SLP Achievers Award.
• Recognized social impact women leader - Karnataka Govt Unnati Grant.
• Fortune / U.S State Dept. Global Women Entrepreneur Fellowship.
• Outstanding Women Entrepreneur Award from the MSME World Bangalore.
• Best manager awards for people management at IBM.
• Top performer awards from IBM, Skycell, Skylark.
Speaking and Mentoring Engagements:
• TEDxYouth@PSBS 2022 - Igniting the Spark in You!
• Keynote Speaker at WE Local annual conference for women engineers.
• Bringing Women Back to Work - Confederation of Indian Industry IWN Panel Discussion.
• Mentor support for Business Design and innovation students at WeSchool.
As an investor and social entrepreneur, I constantly seek innovative ventures that aim to make a positive social impact. I am eager to connect with professionals who share my passion for social impact and diversity. I am also seeking mentors, particularly social impact leaders, to support the growth phase of social ventures through strategic partnerships. Let’s collaborate to create a transformative narrative for an inclusive and equitable future.
Connect with me here on LinkedIn to be part of this journey.
📧 [email protected]
Signing up on our website is completely free! If you encounter any issues with profile or notice something unusual, please don't hesitate to report it to us. We're here to help ensure a smooth and secure experience.
Featured speaker at previous eChai events:
Founders and startup folks who joined past eChai startup events
The eChai Effect - In Their Words
"eChai isn’t just a startup community … it’s a mindset . eChai has been one of the most impactful communities in my entrepreneurial journey. It’s been a turning point . In a world where building something can often feel isolating, eChai gave me a sense of belonging. I’ve found mentors, collaborators, and friends here — people who genuinely want to see you succeed. It’s a space where ideas are challenged, actions are celebrated, and founders grow not just in scale, but in clarity and confidence. From late-night ideas to early-morning pitches, this community has quietly but powerfully shaped the way I build, think, and dream. I’ll always be grateful for the way eChai creates spaces where founders don’t just grow businesses — they grow together."
Koumal Kalantry
Founder, Bignano Ventures
"eChai has been a game-changer for Hungrito, providing us with invaluable connections, insights, and opportunities that have significantly fueled our growth. eChai has introduced us to a global network of entrepreneurs and experts, fueling our growth and opening doors to new opportunities from Ahmedabad to Dubai. The community has become like a second family to us, providing support, guidance, and valuable insights as startup entrepreneurs."
Sahil Shah
Founder- Hungrito & Netsavvies. Digital Marketing Evangelist
“You don’t plan to build a company via eChai. You just keep showing up … and one day, you realize you did.” I’ve known Jatin since 2012, when I was still deciding what kind of second innings I wanted to play as an entrepreneur. Over the years, through events, chai breaks, intros, and seemingly small conversations, eChai helped shape not just Upsquare but also refined the lens through which we see collaboration. At Upsquare, we’ve hired talent, met partners, discovered co-investors, and built lifelong friendships. One of our joint ventures exists today only because a casual eChai memory sparked a deeper trust. Now, as we build House of Starts — our venture builder — eChai continues to fuel our mission: co-creating a shared future. eChai isn’t just a startup network. It’s a trust network. And for business builders like me, that makes all the difference."
Utpal Vaishnav
Founder @ Upsquare & House of Starts • Angel Investor + LP
eChai Partner Brands
eChai Ventures partners with select brands as their growth partner - working together to explore new ideas, open doors, and build momentum across the startup ecosystem.
