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In this conversation – as part of the Women’s month in 2022 – Shiv is in conversation with Poornima Shenoy, CEO – Hummingbird Advisors.

Poornima shares her thoughts and experiences related to:

  • Wanting to be in advertising when she started to work 30 years ago
  • Starting her own company – Nexus – into recruitment and getting Wipro and Infosys as their first customers
  • How the IT industry grew by attracting people with non IT backgrounds and how passion and integrity were the key skills that helped them succeed
  • How her gut has always played a key role in her success – a combination of hard work and some luck
  • Not sure if you can develop your gut, no substitute for hard work
  • Her career in three phases : entrepreneur, Corporate world – for profit companies, not-for-profit world NASSCOM Semiconductor Association, 
  • Her experience in setting up the India Semiconductor Association, a first of its kind in India
  • Her perception of differences between software and hardware professionals, without stereotyping
  • Entry of women into the sector is not so much of a problem as it is to retain them in the sector
  • WFH: problem to find physical space for people who live in shared spaces’ but it is a plus when people needed to run around to manage day to day chores
  • There are benefits that come with a corporate job; but, as an entrepreneur, nothing can be taken for granted to enable switching off
  • First time entrepreneurship was because she could not get along with her boss
  • Women should not hesitate to talk about money: salary, funding, accounts etc
  • About her book for women entrepreneurs: wanting to write from her teenage years, but kept postponing it after some other milestone
  • Name of the book: ‘Accelerating her business’
  • Her experience in getting funding as a woman entrepreneur
  • Starting conversations first with your family

Poornima Shenoy Is the CEO of Hummingbird Advisors which works with young companies. She is on the Boards of 4 companies –Dixon, NSEIT, Co-Forge BPM, and Padget Electronics. She is a TiE Charter Member and a British Chevening Scholar. 

Poornima is the Co-author of Accelerating Her Business which focuses on women’s entrepreneurship.She lives in Bangalore with her family.

Twitter:@PornimaShenoy

linkedin.com/in/poornimashenoy

Email: poornimashenoy0@gmail.com