#StartupSeptember 2022: Concluding Conversations—The next steps forward

After 6 successful sessions exploring the different aspects of sustainability, #StartrupSeptember is all ready to conclude the sustainability conversations with its final two sessions.

The 7th and 8th sessions of the month-long event will respectively focus on how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) be incorporated into the mission and vision statements of an enterprise from the early days and how start-ups in the sustainability space can challenge fundraising problems.

Session 7: The Green Checklist

The SDGs are a collection of 17 integrated and interrelated goals, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, “as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.”

For SDGs to be achieved by 2030, we need to find the balance between our economic growth, social development, and environmental impact. One of the smart ways to do this is to incorporate the rudiments of SDGs into the very identity of a business. The vision and mission statements are core focal point help ensure that everyone associated with an enterprise is working towards a single purpose.

The 7th session of #StartupSeptember The Green Checklist invites India’s top sustainability leaders to share insight on how enterprises can integrate one or multiple sustainable development goals into the very core of their organisations to ensure a path for better, sustainable, impact-focused practices. To register click here.

Panel Line-up

Dr. Nitin Dumasia is President & CEO of Growlity, Inc. (USA based Business Sustainability Management Consulting Company). He is a Global Leader on ESG & Business Sustainability Management, Coach, Strategist, Trainer, Consultant & Sensei. He has served more than 30 Countries and around 250 Clients for 500+ Projects, 1500+ Trainings (including training on ESG – Sustainability) and delivered unbelievable results and impact across the multinational corporations. He has 17+ Years of executive experience in Industry & Consulting.

Amit Singh is an ex-PwC Employee served as Associate in ESG Deals and Strategy Team, where he worked on several projects such as constructing of ESG Reports, Responsible Investment Policy, ESG Monitoring of portfolio companies for Private Equities amongst others. Prior to this he worked in Arabesque-S Ray as Senior Analyst in ESG Team supporting Quality management of data and ESG Research. Further adding to this he had also served at Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry as Research Associate in Transport Infrastructure department where he was involved in several projects related to sustainable transportation, EV and inland waterways etc. He has a total experience of 4 years.

Session 8: From Seed to Fruit

Be it at the personal or entrepreneurial level, lack of funding is one of the most common concerns in adopting sustainable practices. Given that sustainable business practices aren’t entirely in the mainstream at the moment, businesses in this space can face a plethora of challenges—the lack of funding being the most prominent one.

For any start-up to grow, it is imperative to invest in better resources—human, electronic, and technological. This is all the more true for start-ups in the sustainability space who have to work a little harder to be heard.

From Seed to Fruit is the 8th session of #StartupSeptember that will see entrepreneurs in the sustainability space share valuable insights into recognising and overcoming the challenges faced by a start-up when it requires funding to grow. To register click here.

Panel Line-up

Karanbir Singh provides management support for high-potential, growth-stage businesses and social organizations solving urban problems to develop Level 5 Leadership, pursue Excellence, and form the right partnerships, so they can scale up, maximize their impact, and help improve the quality of life for all 500 million urban Indians. 

The cohort now comprises 18 organizations across India which are working in various sectors of sustainability such as urban agriculture, WASH, air quality, solid waste management, clean and nonmotorized transportation, and affordable housing.

Eashita Maheshwary – A creative strategist,community builder and sustainability advocate. Eashita has a strong inclination towards building impactful business and has actively been a part of multiple initiatives to grow the start-up ecosystem. 

Having closely worked with startups and been an entrepreneur previously, Eashita took on the path to drive diversity in the start-up ecosystem in 2020 and co-founded Encubay, a diversity-focused network. She also co-founded the Encubay Angel Network in 2021 to encourage more women to enter the investment ecosystem. She also contributes and works closely with various communities in the diversity, innovation and sustainability space.

Rachna Chandrashekhar manages the accelerator program, related investments and partnerships at Upaya Social Ventures. She has been working with early-stage social enterprises over the last 6 years, through coaching, advisory and capacity building for business growth and investment readiness. She specializes in designing and managing high quality incubation and accelerator programs and is involved in the process across the stages – from scouting, selection and program delivery.

Since 2011, Upaya Social Ventures has been supporting entrepreneurs who are building businesses that can employ the poorest of the poor. Upaya was founded with an inspiring, if daunting, vision – a world where people living in extreme poverty could break the cycle by earning a dignified and reliable living. Our weapon against poverty is the inventiveness and perseverance of entrepreneurs who share this vision. By investing in and nurturing these entrepreneurs, Upaya helps build businesses that create long-lasting jobs that can pull families out of poverty. Till date, we have accelerated 59 social businesses, invested in 30, that have created nearly 25,000 jobs.

Neha Mudaliar is a Chartered Accountant and MBA from ISB, Hyderabad with more than two decades of experience in the field of investing, investment banking, consulting, and auditing roles in diverse industries ranging from financial institutions, cleantech, manufacturing, technology to social sector enterprises. 

Her most recent role was as an Investment Officer in International Finance Corporation, IFC – part of the World Bank group and prior to that she was a Director at Unitus Capital raising equity for highly impactful companies in financial inclusion and sustainability.  She has also worked in PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Ernst & Young and Ambit Corporate Finance.  She is a Fellow at the Bharati Institute of Public Policy at ISB, Hyderabad.

Apurva Sheel
Apurva Sheel
Apurva Sheel is a communications consultant with 3 years of experience in the Indian cannabis industry. Her thoughts and opinions find expression in writing.

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