Rising Stars 2016: So what happened next for our winners? | Part three
In 2016, thanks to the help of a number of amazing supporters and sponsors, WeAreTheCity ran its Rising Star awards programme for a second year.
The aim of the awards was to identify 100 future leaders and role models under, management level, across 20 different industries. After more than 800 nominations and an intensive judging period, we finally arrived at our shortlist and opened the public vote.
The public vote resulted in over 27,000 votes from across 110 different countries and galvanized amazing support from our nominees’ networks, their companies, the press, as well as our own sponsors and supporters.
After a final judging process, we identified our amazing top 100 winners and celebrated their awards alongside our sponsors at a ceremony hosted by Barclays.
We spoke to our winners about life after winning a Rising Star award.
We spoke with to Adobea Atsrefi, Senior Internal Auditor, at AIG and a winner in our Rising Stars in Insurance category, Sponsored by Lloyd’s.
Adobea please tell us what has happened in your career since winning the Rising Star awards back in June?
“After the awards I was featured on the AIG internal homepage along with the two other winners from AIG. This article was a celebration of our accomplishments and a thank you to all the employees for their support and votes! This was a great acknowledgement of our achievements and it definitely helped to raise our profiles within the company. We were also invited to a celebratory lunch with the Global CEO which was brilliant. It was nice of him to take time out of his trip to the UK to meet and congratulate us personally.
I was also asked to write an article which was focused on diversity from a millennials perspective. This article was also featured on the AIG intranet. I am still heavily involved in different diversity initiatives and will be helping to run an insight day for penultimate year university students to introduce them to the insurance world.
Finally I have recently been promoted into a Senior Auditor role. This is a role I would have only dreamed of getting but the department saw my potential and so far I love every minute of this new position. The job involves learning about different process within the business, talking to different individuals throughout the company and suggesting improvements if needed, so it plays directly to my skillset (especially the talking part!).”
What top tips would you give to our other members to enhance their careers?
- “Never be afraid to ask. If you want something, ask the right people and ask the right questions. If you need help, definitely ask! I’ve learnt that fear of asking can definitely hold you back but the worst anyone can ever say is ‘no’ and in my experience, people are always willing to help.
- Mentors are different to sponsors but both are very important. A mentor will help train and guide you on skills you feel you need to develop, but a sponsor will champion you and help promote you to other individuals.
- Believe in yourself and know your worth. Never underestimate what you are capable of. This is another thing I did (a lot!) but I have recently realised, I have a lot to offer, I deserve opportunities as much as anyone else and most importantly, I am more than capable! I think once you know that about yourself, the fear of not being good enough goes away (even if only slightly) and you open yourself up to more opportunities.”
Next we spoke to Danielle Ayres, Associate Solicitor, at Gorvins Solicitors and a winner in our Rising Stars in Law, sponsored by Reed Smith.
Danielle please tell us what has happened in your career since winning the Rising Star awards back in June?
“Since June I have been asked to speak on various BBC Radio stations, across the country and also featured on the National News, discussing pregnancy and maternity leave.
I have been recognised in the Legal 500 for the first time for my maternity discrimination work, with the comment that I fight tirelessly for my clients without losing perspective.
I was asked to be a panel member for The Guardian in a live question and answer session regarding 'Tips on balancing your career whilst starting a family' with a follow-up piece featuring some of my advice in the Guardian.
I have continued my volunteer work for Pregnant then Screwed and Working Mums, which continue to assist those suffering pregnancy discrimination.”
What top tips would you give to our other members to enhance their careers?
“Be confident in yourself and have faith that you can achieve even the impossible. You may get knock backs but take time to reflect on them, you will learn from your mistakes.
I suggest making a plan of action, what you want to achieve and the steps you need to take to make that possible. Don't be scared of deviating from the plan, as you never know what new opportunities this might bring, however check in on it at regular intervals to ensure that you haven't lost sight of your end goal.”
WeAreTheCity India’s Rising Star Shortlist 2016 Announcement
We are extremely proud to announce our shortlist for WeAreTheCity India’s Top 50 Rising Star Awards 2016.
The 100-strong shortlist showcases remarkable women across India from a wide variety of industries including banking, consulting, insurance, technology, hospitality, arts and culture, health and wellbeing, retail, entrepreneurs, charity and NGOs, public sector, executive assistants, media and journalism, law; sport, sales and marketing, HR & recruitment, education and academia.
The full shortlist includes individuals from leading firms such as American Express, Aon, Barclays, Bloomberg, BlackRock, EY, Marks and Spencers alongside founders of NGO’s, Charity workers and not forgetting small business owners.
The awards also celebrate Rising Star Champions, recognising the efforts of male and female leaders who are actively supporting the female talent pipeline. This award is open to both men and women who currently hold senior positions within their organisations and who have demonstrated their support for the gender agenda either internally or externally.
“The response to this year’s awards in India has been absolutely amazing given this is the first year WeAreTheCity has run the awards in India. I am in total awe of the calibre of nominations and the outstanding achievements from all of our nominees. All of the team at WeAreTheCity are very much looking forward to shining a spotlight on these women as we continue in to the final rounds of judging”
Vanessa Vallely, Managing Director of WeAreTheCity
The 100 shortlisted women will now face a further round of judging accompanied by public votes of support. The overall top 50 winners will be announced on 24 October 2016. The awards, sponsored by Barclays, will then be celebrated on 9 November 2016 at an awards ceremony in Mumbai for winners, guests and sponsors.
To view the 2016 shortlist, please visit here.
In June 2016, WeAreTheCity India, with the support of Barclays announced that it was launching the Rising Star Awards in India to recognise the achievements of the female talent pipeline across the country.
“Barclays are delighted to support the inaugural WeAreTheCity Rising Star Awards in India. The breadth and depth of talented women which these awards showcase is inspirational, they are role models for their colleagues and more broadly across industry and in their communities.”
Mark McLane, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Barclays
WeAreTheCity India believes it has a responsibility to ensure that female talent, regardless of age and background, receives the necessary support, encouragement and skills to transition into key decision-making roles within their organisations.
By highlighting the accolades of inspirational female talent, WeAreTheCity India hopes to encourage organisations and business leaders to invest in and recognise women as leaders of tomorrow and individual contributors within their respective industries.
We would like to personally thank our shortlist and Champion judges: Ashu Tkahur, Kuku Singh, Rita Gangwani, Amit Desai, Kavita Ashok, Anuranijta Kumar, Apurva Purohit, Sarika Bhattacharya and Archana Shiroor. They all gave their valuable time to assemble our shortlist and to help WeAreTheCity India to recognise the fantastic achievements of all of our amazing nominees.
“It was a pleasure judging the Rising Stars awards. While diversity is still a concern in Corporate India at the middle and senior levels, change is happening slowly but surely. Going by the high quality of entries we received and judged, I am convinced that these talented women are going to be at the forefront of the change we have been striving for so many years! For me each of the women whether they won or not is a star!”
Apurva Purohit, one of the Rising Star judges & President of Jagran Prakashan
Supporters of our nominees are now able to show our shortlisted nominees their support by casting their votes. The vote count does not determine the winners. Please note there is no public voting for our Champions category. Votes can be cast via the shortlist pages.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish our shortlisted nominees the very best of luck in the final round of judging.
For more details about the awards, please visit here.
Rising Stars in the UK
WeAreTheCity’s 2017 Rising Star Awards are open on 01 February 2017.
WeAreTheCity launched Rising Stars in the UK in 2015 and since then has recognised the achievements of 150 women. The first awards in 2015 awarded 50 women from 10 different industries as Rising Stars. In 2016, due to the success of the 2015 awards, Rising Stars was expanded to recognise 100 women from 20 industry sectors and five Rising Star champions.
For more information about the Rising Star Awards in the UK, please visit here.
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Source: WeAreTheCity - Information and jobs portal for business women
Vermeen Kapoor | Barclays
Vermeen Kapoor is a change management leader with over 15 years of experience in Banking & Financial Services Industry. As a Director with Barclays, she is responsible for driving large scale transformational programs that will help the bank comply with the changing regulatory landscape. Earlier, in her association with Shinsei Bank, she has led various technology initiatives for the Retail Banking group thereby enhancing customer experience.
A mother and business-woman, she takes immense pride in the mentoring and sponsorship she has received from many leaders at various stages in her life and career and has taken up the mantle of mentoring colleagues at workplace. She is currently the co-Chair of Women’s Initiative Network (WiN) at Barclays Noida, with an aim to attract, develop and retain women at all levels and empower them to develop their full potential.
The daughter of an Army officer, she owes her outlook towards inclusion and cross-cultural sensitivity to the services background and to her association with Melton Foundation, an International foundation that actively promotes global citizenship as a way for individuals and organizations to work together across boundaries of place and identity to address global challenges.
Vermeen has a passion for technology, reading, coffee and nurturing relationships.
Rashmi Anand | Woman of the Elements
Once a victim of domestic violence, I now work with issues that devastated the lives of my children and me. Having voluntarily counseled thousands of women and children at the crime against women cell, I now run a trust that gives free legal aid to women and child victims of violence below the earning capacity of Rs 5000.
Today, I am a published author of 13 books - on gender and violence, children's books, books on life and death, and on love happiness, joy and abundance.
I give talks and lectures in educational institutions and corporates on gender, on love, joy, positivity, dignity and respect, and work with the sexual harassment at the workplace law.
Recipient of the Naari Shakti Puraskaar by the President of India, the Neerja Bhanot Award, the Karmaveer Puraskar, the CNN IBN Zindagi Live Award, the Bharat Excellent Award, amongst others, I have also been awarded in the Literary Category by the Indian Council of UN Relations.
The 2010 Delhi Police Calendar was based on my life and my first book.
I was felicitated as a Karamyogi by the Chinmaya Mission World Head and I have also worked extensively with the Regional Bishops Council of the Catholic Church (North Indian Diocese) on women’s issues.
I have been been on social awareness shows on various national channels and documentaries and articles on my life have been done across the globe. The latest issue of the Chicken Soup for the Soul inspirational series of books carries the story of my life entitled Awakening.
More about me can be found on www.rashmianand.com.
Hema Balakrishnan | Color D Earth
Hema Balakrishnan is a social entrepreneur and founder of Color D Earth, an Eco Socio Enterprise.
Born out of a passion to create one of a kind jewelry with river bed clay, Color D Earth was founded in June 2003 and works towards the sustainable and economic growth of the Terracotta Artisan community.
Today, Color D Earth empowers nearly 200 terracotta artisans, predominantly women, i.e 12 artisan groups from 6 different states across the country, by giving them the true value for their craft so that they earn a fair wage and get a steady income.
A Post Graduate in Personnel Management, she started her career in 1993, as a Career Counselor and worked as a Placement Consultant at Randstad India.
She is an alumnus of the 10000 Women program, a Goldman Sachs funded Initiative for Women Entrepreneurs in 2009.
In March 2012, she was chosen by the U.S Department of State to attend the prestigious, International Visitors Leadership Program on Women and Entrepreneurship in the U.S.
She was an investee at UnLtd Hyderabad in 2014, an organisation that finds, funds and supports Social Entrepreneurs.
Hema is also a passionate speaker, story teller and mentor at several forums, and conducts workshops to mentor women entrepreneurs. She was a panelist at the TEDX women Hyderabad event in June 2015.
Color D Earth currently retails their one of a kind artisan jewelry at Color D Earth - The Terracotta Studio in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad.
In 2013, Color D Earth launched their online store, www.colordearth.com, the first social ecommerce store that showcases and retails only terracotta jewelry to their customers across the world.
Their future plan is to bring 500 terracotta artisans under their umbrella from rural and urban areas in the next three years.
Recently Hema has been a speaker at TedX IIM Raipur and Color D Earth was one of the 12 selected enterprises at Facebook's first India SME Council.
Deepika Chawla | American Express
Deepika Chawla, a certified Chartered Accountant & Six Sigma Green Belt, having a rich experience of 22 years in Retail & Investment Banking, Finance, Business Development, Financial Operations, Migrations, Control & Compliance. She is currently part of American Express since last 12 years & prior to AXP, she has served as Chief Branch Manager for ICICI Bank Ltd.
A mother & business-woman, she is a kind of person who possess immense Self Belief & Passion for People, Women & Society. To smile in all situations & face difficulties in a resilient and Tenacious manner are key mantras of her success which she ensures to pass on to all the people who are connected with her.
She is very passionate of using her strengths and knowledge to give back to society in different forms. She is on the advisory board of Taleem, an NGO supporting Health and Education of the underprivileged. She also a core lead for WIN – An American Express global initiative, promoting women in industry to reach their full potential. She participates in external & internal Mentoring programs with organizations as a Mentor. Not only this, for >10 years she has promoted cancer awareness programs in the office and society through NGOs called ‘Forum for Breast Cancer Protection’ & say ‘Yes to Life’. She strongly believe that youth are the future of the world & contributing there development can bring the change which everyone desires. She contributes through participating in various speakers session like as a TedX speaker and other college events, motivating students to be Passionate, Resilient and Tenacious in everything they do.
Nidhi Gupta | Miraaya Holistic Growth Centre
I am an award winning physiotherapist and a revolutionary edu-preneur, running a chain of holistic growth centres called Miraaya, which has gained national and international recognition in a short space of time. I have consistently been a rank holder in my school and college days and yet when I began my career - be it as a doctor, educator or entrepreneur - I realized no-one was asking me for my past mark sheets. Rather everyone who came to me was looking for a compassionate and passionate expert who could help them heal or become the best they could be. I realized that our education system was testing memory much more than learning. it was forcing children to be a part of the rat race - and the sad part of it all was that even if you win a rat race - at the end of it all, what are you? Still a rat! I felt education needed to become much more real, alive, fun, creative, experiential and exciting. The two words that I use abundantly in my teaching children or even counseling special children is 'I CAN' - and what a difference I have seen it making in the very course of life for all.
Srishti Warman | Barclays
I hail from Chandigarh with an MBA in Marketing and Finance from Panjab University. I was selected to join the 2013 Future Leadership Development Programme (FLDP) at Barclays, where I serve as a Business Analyst. Early in life, I inherited my parents' humanitarian values and ethics, which I've practiced ever since. In December 2015, I led a 30-strong team, raising Rs. 2.75 Lakh for SOFOSH, a high-performing charity - to support low-cost foster and special education for abandoned kids aged up to six. Thereafter, Barclays named me Citizenship Ambassador, to help engage Barclays with Lila Poonawalla Foundation and NASSCOM Global Talent Track on initiatives to improve employability of disadvantaged students in Pune. Perturbed by growing farmer suicides in Maharashtra, I led a Barclays relief this August to donate Rs. 5 Lakh to affected families. My solace lies in channelizing funds direct to beneficiaries, a cause I commit my diligence and expertise to, and my pride stems from helping develop India's human potential. Philanthropy aside, I'm an avid painter and have had my work exhibited at city art galleries. When not teaching computers to village girls on weekends, I unwind over a movie, a Harry Potter book or Italian food.
Bharti Singh Chauhan | PraveenLata Sansthan
Bharti was born in a middle class family at Jaipur. An incident with her younger brother becoming handicapped pushed the family into a financial crisis, also hindered by her mother was paralyzed.
When Bharti was in 9th class, her father told her that he could not afford her education due to major responsibilities at home and his growing age. Bharti wanted to study and did not lose her hope and started stiching falls of sarees, managing to complete her 10th STD. However with time, her responsibilities increased and she had to take care of the family earnings and health expenses of her handicapped brother, ill mother and father. Her father had had an accident and due to vision issues he lost his job.
Now, alongside with stiching falls in sarees, she also started taking tutions and a part time job at Lingerie shop. It was not easy, as her personal safety become a challenge. Men working with her tried to abuse her, and she had to deal with a lot of abusive comments from relatives. She moved out of the house to work from home to home and at a lingerie shop, giving negative waves to her family who were asking her to get married.
She had a clear vision about her better future. Without hearing all the negative words, she stood strong and continued her studies as a non colliagite. After completing her graduation she started her career from small outsourced bank; later working with Print Media Rajasthan Patrika and Dainik Bhaskar. With time her hard work paid off. Currently, she is working with leading Telecom MNC Vodafone as an Assistant Manager.
Her story does not end here; she always wished to support children who were facing issues in the society hence started community work from her teenage, volunteering with various NGOs. In 2013 she started an NGO named PraveenLata Sansthan by investing all her savings and working at a grassroot level at various slums and communities for Holistic Development of Child Welfare and Women Empowerment. She has educated over 11,500 girls on personal safety through workshops, 55,000 community people on the importance of saving girls, educating girls and stopping child marriages through roadshows and Nukkad nattak with the support of volunteers. She is also supporting more than 150 kids in their education, grooming and development from various slums.
As a Professional & Social Activist she has won many national and international awards for her contribution towards the society. She was the winner of the World of Difference Program by Vodafone Foundation in 2012, for working for Street Living Kids at Mumbai and is known as Ambassador for Vodafone Foundation. She is Ambassador for the International Girl Rising Campaign which was launched by US First Lady Micheal Obama and is promoting girl's education in Rajasthan. Recently, she has been recognized by Hon. President Shri Pranab Mukherjee and Smt. Maenka Gandhi for her contribution towards society under the Women Empowerment category and Ministry of Women and Child Welfare Department – Government of India in association with Facebook as 100 Women Achievers Nationally under Women Empowerment Category. She is the State Chairperson of Women Economic Forum All Ladies League (Rajasthan).
Geet Jain | The Orphanage Project & TheOfficialGeet
At the age of 10, Geet was in a horrible car accident which left her paralysed. Unable to use her legs, she had to re-learn to live life. But, Geet chose to never give up. Just months after the accident, she returned to school, ran for Student Body President and won, participated in the school play, maintained a straight A grade point average, and participated in sports day activities, all while seated in a wheelchair. As a teenager, she even began teaching Indian dance to NRIs, like herself, in the US. Geet became the first person in the world to win a beauty pageant, while confined to a wheelchair, where all the other contestants were able-bodied. She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor's degree in engineering and a juris doctorate in law. She worked for a leading law firm in the US. But 10 years ago, Geet left a promising career in the US to move to India to start The Orphanage Project, an NGO geared towards the betterment or slum children, at-risk-youth and underprivileged women. She also currently runs a motivational page on Facebook with over 1.6 million followers and aims to be India's First Wheelchair Actress.