Mother’s Day 2024: Mothers on a mission to nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs

This Mother’s Day, let’s celebrate the amazing women who don’t just run businesses, but also nurture the leaders of tomorrow. The power of mompreneurs is growing, and their influence extends beyond the boardroom. They are developing a new generation of ‘studentpreneurs’ who are equipped with the skills and mindset to succeed in an ever-evolving world.

Here, Padma Koli, director of Epistemo Vikas Leadership School, Aparna Achhalekar, co-founder of Koto, and Dr. Reema Nadig, co-founder and chief operating officer of Kites Senior Care, talk about entrepreneurship. I would like to introduce how I am raising my children.

Padma Koli, Director, EPISTEMO VIKAS Leadership School

(Her son Aryaman and daughter Sarayu are enrolled in BrightCHAMPS entrepreneurship classes in Hyderabad)

As an entrepreneur myself, the most important thing for me is to make sure that my son and daughter learn entrepreneurial skills, like everyday life skills, rather than things they learn in class once or twice a week. So, in a sense, their training began even before they began formally studying entrepreneurship at BrightCHAMPS.

I remember this moment. When they were really young, we went grocery shopping and his son said, “Apples seem to cost different prices at different supermarkets.” And there were many different price ranges for apples in the store. For this reason, I gave them the task of researching the differences in cost and variety at several stores.

As a result of this exercise, they quickly began to understand the relationship between price and demand in different locations, and also made correlations for income and price sensitivity. They also understood that beyond the actual price of apples, the selling price of apples must take into account transportation, storage, real estate, and labor costs for the markets in which they shop.

My purpose in wanting people to be trained in entrepreneurship from a young age is not so they can learn “how” to do different things. I think you can learn that later. But it’s about developing a “why” mindset. And I think that’s best learned in childhood, when you’re still exploring yourself and the world around you.

Another skill they should learn is not to disrespect people who disagree with their opinions or think they are wrong. I see this every day in my own workplace. Much of success depends on being able to handle dissent and conflict respectfully and without compromising their sense of self.

The other is resilience and problem solving. I combine them because one is not better than the other. There are so many situations in life and business where things can go wrong. Sometimes it’s because of other people’s mistakes, and often it’s because of our own mistakes.

Children, especially now, whose lives are increasingly exposed and recorded online, need the fortitude to not collapse or hit the panic button at the first sign of trouble. It needs to be taught. When I was getting my Executive MBA, my professors kept stressing the need to take calculated risks and have contingency plans in place before things get worse.

I always teach this example to my children. If I had 100 employees today, and tomorrow a competitor suddenly started a new business and offered 50 of them jobs at higher wages, would I go out of business? Will I break down and cry because I’m doing something that benefits the? Planning for future problems also requires resilience and a problem-solving mindset.

That’s why I want kids to be trained in these entrepreneurial skills from a young age. Because I can tell you from experience that mental skills are even harder to learn.

A lot of entrepreneurship is about emotional strength, and I don’t think anyone is too young to learn emotional strength. And what’s important to me is to help kids practice these skills in big and small ways in their daily lives and interactions.

Aparna Achhalekar, Co-founder of COTO

“I believe that children of working mothers are better than other children. They grow up to be more independent, responsible, and self-motivated. Children of mompreneurs, early in life, Develop an entrepreneurial spirit. They are better able to accept change, take risks, come up with creative solutions to problems, and innovate. They learn business vocabulary and learn about negotiation and financial management. Children develop entrepreneurial qualities by being close to their mothers.

DR. Reema Nadig, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO), Kites Senior Care

“My biggest challenge as a mother is not the business I’m in, but the way I nurture young minds. It’s about changing the ‘what if?’ “Why not?” and watch as they take their first steps toward building a better world. With every lesson I teach, such as the value of money, the importance of hard work, and the joy of creating something for yourself, I emphasize the fact that I’m not just raising a child, I’m mentoring a future entrepreneur. I’m conscious.

My role as a mother is to provide a safe space for my children to explore their ideas, encourage them to set goals and dream big, and provide them with the skills they need to make those dreams a reality. It’s about letting them wear it. Remember that every great entrepreneur once had a mother who believed in their potential. ”