Creating Change with Nupura Kirloskar and Janhavi Joshi and Their Humanitarian Tech Startup, Bleetech Innovations

November 20, 20203 Minutes Read
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Did you love participating in the science exhibition in your school days? Does your college rely on you to come up with the most exciting science project? Then, you'll find the story of these two young entrepreneurs truly inspiring.

Nupura Kirloskar and Janhanvi Joshi were recently featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Their humanitarian company, BleeTech, has been praised globally. It all started when the duo went to see a dance performance by a group of deaf students. They observed that there was a lack of coordination within the dancers, and the audience wasn't fully engaged. Nupura and Janhavi were in the 3rd year of college pursuing product designing. They felt that it was an interesting problem to solve. And started working on it as a simple project assignment. The idea was so ingenious that their college professors insisted that they take it up as the main assignment in the final year too.

The product was tested on the same dancers. Jahanvi confesses that they were scared, but the dancer's reaction changed everything for them. What started as an idea for project assignment soon became the bedrock for their founding company, BleeTech Innovations.

Talking about the challenges the two young women have had to overcome, Nupura says that they did not have any knowledge of managing a business. They have learnt it all on the job. She admits that they were nervous after their first hire. Being accountable for someone's salary sent shivers down their spine. But, over time, the team has grown from strength to strength. They have learnt the art of delegating work, managing teams and developing a strategy for the future growth of their company.

Nupura and Jahanvi went to the same college and graduated together. They were roommates. So, becoming the co-founders of a company seems like a natural progression to them. They believe that the secret to their success is their collaborative efforts and the fact that they complement each other's strengths and weaknesses.

BleeTech Innovations has come up with many products that have drastically improved the quality of life for its users. Take, for example, their first product, a smartwatch. It is a revolutionary watch which listens for you. The watch has an in-built sound detection mechanism. It stores the sound, and when it is played again, the clock guides its user accordingly.

Another example of their innovative thinking is AskBlee which serves as a search engine for the deaf. The users can get their answers in sign language. The platform has over 500 active subscribers. Together, the young innovators have designed around 30 products.

The future belongs to problem solvers. But, before you can start innovating, you need to be thorough with your basics. Free online physics courses can help you advance your knowledge and understanding of various concepts in physics. Register on the Glow and Lovely Careers (formerly called, Fair & Lovely Career Foundation) website. Through our affiliation with various educational portals like edX and NIIT, you can gain access to a host of free physics courses online in theScience and Research field. These courses are categorized as beginner, intermediate and expert levels. Women already working in the product research department will find courses like Physical Application of Stochastic Processesparticularly useful.

When you've acquired the necessary knowledge, you can apply it creatively to design different types of products. Who says science and women don't mix? The field is full of shining examples like Nupura and Janhavi, and we could do with many more young women shaping the science and technology sector.

Quick Tips/Tricks:

  1. There are two categories of courses. One is Always Available and the other is Ongoing Courses. To make the most of your learning experience, keep an eye out on the expiry date of the Ongoing Courses.

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July 23, 20214 Minutes Read

Komal Mangtani: The Rebellious Girl Learned Coding and Is Now One of America’s Top 50 Women in Technology

Coming from a conservative family in Surat, Komal's rebellion was taking up Coding as a career. Today, Komal is the Senior Director and Head of Engineering and Business Intelligence at Uber.

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Komal came from a conservative family in Surat. The idea of women working or going away for higher education was not popular.

"I come from a conservative family. People were loving but not necessarily giving me the right feedback.
Back then, traveling 200 km to study, staying in a hostel, was all a no-no. I distinctly remember crying, trying to convince my family this was the right thing for me."

So Komal rebelled and decided to take up Coding.

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Having the right career guidance is important. It is easier to succeed when what you are doing matches your interests. To get a free online test in career planning click here!

Using education as a ticket to independence Komal once said, "For me, computer engineering became a ticket to freedom, to independence." Coding helped Komal explore her career differently. She could move away from social norms that were otherwise tying her down.

The initial struggle

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It was not easy though. Komal studied engineering almost 20 -- 25 years back. During the 1980s- 1990s. Computers were not easily available then.

"I had to pay by the hour for computer time!"

To save money, Komal started writing software programs on paper first. Then she would run to the local cybercafé and type those programs on the computer.

Komal, however, did not let these challenges discourage her. Instead, she started having fun. She treated these challenges like a game. Writing software programs and testing them gave an outlet to her creativity.

Converting challenges into opportunities
Komal's imagination was strong. She loved solving puzzles and riddles. When the computer programs she wrote didn't work, she treated them like a puzzle. It was her version of a video game.

Breaking society's rules

After graduation, Komal joined Wipro as a software engineer. The society, however was not happy. At that time, people thought a working woman meant the family was poor.

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At that time, Komal's father supported her.

Taking up a job...... Going away from home to pursue a career.... Pursuing Technology, which was predominantly a male-dominated profession...... Komal kept breaking the typical norms.

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Taking these risks paid off

The job in Wipro as a software engineer was the start of a successful career. Due to her background with Wipro, Komal could shift to the US. There she got an opportunity to work with Oracle in the US.

Later she joined Uber and has been in the news ever since! Today, Komal is a senior Director in Uber and heads engineering and business intelligence.

Komal on girls entering the world of Technology

Komal's advice to girls wanted to enter Technology is that they should broaden the definition of Technology. Match using Technology with their interests. She gives an example of YouTube and Facebook.

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One may be developing the next YouTube because she or she likes love watching videos. Similarly, one may create the next Facebook because he/she likes to socialize.

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Having the right career guidance is important. It is easier to succeed when what you are doing matches your interests. To get free career guidance about your dream career, click here!

According to Komal, having an equal number of men and women in Technology is beneficial to business. Since women think differently and bring a unique approach to solving problems -- which may be different from a man's approach.

Komal is a strong supporter of women joining Technology. She is on board of communities such as Women Who Code and Girls Who Code -- organizations that help girls make a career in Technology.

In fact, Komal was also instrumental in Uber donating more than a million dollars to Girls who Code to help girls develop technical knowledge at a young age.

Komal on empowering girls to make their own decisions

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Be it career or deciding what to eat, Komal firmly believes that girls should make their own choice.

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She feels that we need to empower girls to make decisions from a very young age. It can be a simple activity such as going to a restaurant and allowing them to order what they want. This helps boost their confidence."

Komal herself has 2 daughters. One is 10 years old and the other is 14 years old. She keeps telling her girls not to allow the world to define them. She feels girls should invest in themselves and now allow others to define their strengths and weaknesses.

If you wish to pursue a career in computers and Information technology, you can check out our free online courses in Information Technology
Or you can click here to get free career guidance about your dream career!