The SEEMA Summit International Women’s Day 2021 ‘Investing in Women Founders’ online panel debate on 9th March 2021 was moderated by digital entrepreneur Lopa Patel MBE, with speakers Joyeeta Das, Priya Guha; Gurpreet Manku; Deepali Nangia and Neeta Patel CBE. The panel explored entrepreneurship and the development of tech businesses by South Asian women; dealing with global challenges in new and innovative ways and funding for women-led ventures. An introduction to the SEEMA Summit was given by Seema Kumar, a globally recognized executive, with a life-long passion for empowering women.
About the SEEMA Summit
SEEMA is a multidimensional platform that focuses on connecting and empowering women of Indian origin globally. It is a growing community that advocates the advancement of women of the Indus diaspora who break barriers, influence change and create a better future for the next generation. The SEEMA Summit 2021 will be a virtual event spanning the globe from 3.30pm BST (10.00am EST) on Saturday March 13, to 11.30pm BST (6.30pm EST) on Sunday March 14, 2021.
For further information, visit https://www.seema.com/
Speaker Biographies
Seema Kumar
A native of India, Seema Kumar is a globally recognized executive, with a life-long passion for empowering women. A successful business leader by day, Seema spends her evenings and weekends focusing on building SEEMA, a global network and a multi-dimensional platform to connect South Asian women and to increase their representation and spotlight their contributions globally.
In all her years’ jet setting the world at high level forums, Seema has met many leading South Asian women who are making positive impact in the world, change makers creating a better future for the next generation, but she finds that their accomplishments and stories are untold.
SEEMA is her endeavor to showcase the untold stories and incredible contributions of South Asian American women… their lives… their journeys…their struggles… their triumphs.
As the largest and most influential network. SEEMA connects and empowers South Asian women, wherever they are in the world through an online content hub, SEEMA.COM, SEEMA WEEKLY, the SEEMA App, the SEEMA monthly magazine, the SEEMA summit and more. SEEMA is building a dynamic, growing global community, with passionate advocates connecting with the network every day.
Lopa Patel MBE
Digital Entrepreneur, Chair – Diversity UK (Moderator)
Lopa Patel MBE is a digital entrepreneur with significant experience of creating start-ups and transforming businesses through technology. The founder of two ventures in online media and a data-driven marketing consultancy, she is also skilled in working as Chair of equality & inclusion charity, Diversity UK; a Non-Executive Director of the Intellectual Property Office (IPO); a Trustee of the Science Museum Group and as a Council Member of the Open University (OU).
An inspirational leader, Lopa has been recognised with many accolades including an MBE for services to the creative industries in 2009 and the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion 2015. She was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by the OU in 2017 for her efforts in promoting diversity in science & technology, and for her contribution to British industry, society and culture.
Joyeeta Das
Co-Founder & CEO – Gyana
Joyeeta Das is a serial entrepreneur focussed on bringing value to deep tech entrepreneurial pursuits by thinking out of the box, identifying market gaps and rapidly scaling to commercial goals.
Customer success and employee welfare are the cornerstones of her entrepreneurial philosophy and building long term, sustainable, resilient technology-based value propositions are her
Speciality.
In 2014, she pursued an MBA at Oxford University and was awarded the Said Scholarship. She also received a Fellowship for Entrepreneurship Centre and holds a degree in Electronics
Engineering and Physics. Joyeeta is a mentor at Oxford University foundry and also chairs 2 global women’s groups. She mentored at least 40 graduate and postgraduate students in Oxford, UCL, Dartmouth (USA) etc. She has been selected to be a diplomatic representative at the highest levels of international cooperation such as UK-Brazil, UK-India, UK-Canada and UK-USA trade delegations. She is a FT 100 BAME leader, Top 100 in UK Tech, Ambassador for Innovate UK, EG-TECH rising star and has won many other awards.
Priya Guha
Venture Partner – Merian Ventures UK
Priya Guha is a Venture Partner at Merian Ventures, investing in women-led innovation, a Member of the Innovate UK Council, NED at the Digital Catapult and Adjunct Faculty at the Ashridge Hult Business School. She was previously GM for RocketSpace, launching their UK operations. Priya used to be a career diplomat, most recently as British Consul General to San Francisco and previously in India and Spain. She is on the Althea Foundation Board and the Tech London Advocates Advisory Board. She also Chairs the Board of Trustees of Modern Muse and is an Advisor to The Youth Group. Priya was recently named in the 2020 Top 50 Most Influential Women in Technology for the 3rd year running.
Gurpreet Manku
Deputy Director General – BVCA & Trustee – Diversity UK
Gurpreet Manku is a Trustee of equality charity, Diversity UK, and BVCA’s Deputy Director General and Director of Policy, and a BVCA board member. She is responsible for leading the BVCA’s response to a wide range of policy challenges facing the industry from a legal, tax, reporting and regulatory perspective, both in the UK and Europe. Gurpreet is a member of the board of the Cost Transparency Initiative and is a member of the coalition that developed the Wates corporate governance principles for large private companies. She is also the executive liaison to the Private Equity Reporting Group, the body responsible for monitoring the industry’s compliance with the Walker Guidelines on Transparency and Disclosure.
Gurpreet is passionate about improving diversity and inclusion within the venture capital and private equity industry and leads the BVCA’s efforts to support firms. Before joining the BVCA, she worked at Deloitte LLP and specialised in auditing and advising private equity funds and their managers. Gurpreet studied at the London School of Economics and is a Chartered Accountant and a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.
Deepali Nangia
Venture Partner – SpeedInvest
Deepali is a Venture Partner at SpeedInvest and an advisor to female founders around their fundraisings. She is also an angel investor and part of VC Fund, Atomico’s Angel program. Deepali has a keen interest in digital health, femtech and sustainability. Deepali invests only in female founders/mixed teams and some of her investments include LiveBetterWith, PensionBee, Polipop, Parla, Planera, Kama Labs, Sano Genetics, Shell Works, SideQuest, Juno Bio and Flown. Deepali is a co-founder at Alma Angels, set-up to democratize and demystify angel investing and create more female angel investors that invest into female founders.
She is a Mentor at Imperial Enterprise Lab, ZincVC, WeWork, Blooming Founders, has been a Judge at London College of Fashion, Imperial Business School, Imperial Enterprise Lab, Latymer Upper Social Enterprise Program, Longevity Leaders, Life Labs, Asians in Tech, GFS Creative Economy and EISA Awards 2018, amongst others.
Neeta Patel CBE
CEO – Centre for Entrepreneurs
Neeta Patel CBE is the Founding CEO of the Centre for Entrepreneurs (CFE), home of the New Entrepreneurs Fast Track programme. CFE is the UK’s leading entrepreneur development programme and since its launch in 2011, nearly 300 young entrepreneurs have gone through its programme: they have launched 120 new businesses, raised £60m in funding, and created over 1,500 new jobs. Neeta has a broad range of commercial experience in finance, media, publishing, education and the arts. She has also worked in private equity and has led her own Fintech startup.
She is passionate about the role that tech entrepreneurs can play in the economy and supports and mentors first-time entrepreneurs both in and outside CFE through her work as Entrepreneur-Mentor in Residence at London Business School, as a board adviser for Cass Ventures and Tech London Advocates. She is also a board director at £1.3bn, FTSE350-listed Allianz Technology Trust, which invests in quoted technology companies. Neeta was awarded a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in the Queen’s birthday honours in October 2020 for services to entrepreneurship and technology.