More about Sonia Notani
Sonia is the Co-founder & CEO of BrainGymJr, that teaches children ‘How’ to think by enabling application and problem solving.
Sonia is a Strategy & Marketing professional who has donned multiple hats over the last 18 years. Listed amongst India’s Fortune 40 Under 40, awarded the ‘Top 30 SuperCMO’ by IAMAI and ‘Woman Leader in Insurance’ by ASSOCHAM in 2019; Sonia is recognized for her business acumen.
A strong believer in passion with purpose, Sonia is drawn to initiatives that are socially beneficial and commercially viable. With BrainGymJr, she saw an opportunity to strengthen aptitude and make children future ready irrespective of socio-economic background or geography. BrainGymJr offers a subscription of daily educational games customized for children between 5-11 years. These games come in 16 + fun formats, in-built positive reinforcement and instant solutions. Children can play, solve and learn on this DIY platform / App with new games daily as well as 20,000+ practice games!
Prior to this, she spent 12+ building IndiaFirst Life Insurance, where she was a founder member, Chief Marketing Officer and an integral part of the Leadership team.
Sonia started her career with the Aditya Birla Group and has also worked with Citibank, Reliance Life Insurance and KPMG advisory. An alumna of St. Xavier's College, Sonia is an Economics graduate who also holds an MBA degree from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (Mumbai). She has completed an executive one-year program on ‘Leadership and Diversity for Innovation’ by Women’s World Banking and Wharton School in 2020.
Sonia is a Strategy & Marketing professional who has donned multiple hats over the last 18 years. Listed amongst India’s Fortune 40 Under 40, awarded the ‘Top 30 SuperCMO’ by IAMAI and ‘Woman Leader in Insurance’ by ASSOCHAM in 2019; Sonia is recognized for her business acumen.
A strong believer in passion with purpose, Sonia is drawn to initiatives that are socially beneficial and commercially viable. With BrainGymJr, she saw an opportunity to strengthen aptitude and make children future ready irrespective of socio-economic background or geography. BrainGymJr offers a subscription of daily educational games customized for children between 5-11 years. These games come in 16 + fun formats, in-built positive reinforcement and instant solutions. Children can play, solve and learn on this DIY platform / App with new games daily as well as 20,000+ practice games!
Prior to this, she spent 12+ building IndiaFirst Life Insurance, where she was a founder member, Chief Marketing Officer and an integral part of the Leadership team.
Sonia started her career with the Aditya Birla Group and has also worked with Citibank, Reliance Life Insurance and KPMG advisory. An alumna of St. Xavier's College, Sonia is an Economics graduate who also holds an MBA degree from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (Mumbai). She has completed an executive one-year program on ‘Leadership and Diversity for Innovation’ by Women’s World Banking and Wharton School in 2020.
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The eChai Effect - In Their Words
“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 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
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Shalin (Shawn) Parikh
Founder, MyCPE One
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.
