50 plus women prove age is just a number
Sangeetha Lala(Left); Rukmini Cariappa(Center); Usha Iyer(Right)
Bengaluru: Usha was 53 when she hit upon the idea of starting a green school. Having run a pre-school for several years and headed many international schools she had the experience, but funding was a challenge. With the backing of many parents of her students, her friends and financing from a bank, she took the risk and started The Green School Bengaluru.
Today, she has won a UN award for the sustainable practices she follows in the school including recycled materials, renewable energy and power conservation among others. It is determination and success to achieve her dreams that made her achieve this, notwithstanding her age.
"Age is just a number. I am passionate about education and children. During the time when we were facing COVID, it was very tough to sustain. But I believe when going gets tough, the tough gets going. In disaster, always have a plan B," says an intrepid Usha Iyer.
Sangeeta Lala, 50, a hospitality graduate and a housewife, was travelling abroad with her husband on a holiday when she saw a designer fan in a restaurant and got the idea of bringing such fans into India as the country sadly lacked designer fans. In just a span of a few months, with the support of her husband, she started Fanzart with just one showroom in Bengaluru by tying up with a manufacturing unit outside India. Today after 10 years, she has nearly 100 showrooms in all major metros in the country with her own manufacturing set up in three countries.
"It is the passion for what I do which keeps me going. I am 60 now but I am still looking forward to working every day as I just love what I do," says a beaming Sangeeta.
Rukmini was in her 50s when she decided to start a fashion school as she felt that there was a huge dearth of fashion schools in the country. Today, Vogue Institute of Art & Design is spread across a sprawling campus in Apparel Park in Doddaballa pur with over 800 students. On entrepreneurship Rukmini Kariappa advises, "I quote from Steve Jobs – "Stay hungry, stay foolish".
With the help of the internet, and advancements in technology this is perhaps the best time to be an entrepreneur. Having confidence and passion in what you do, networking with other women entrepreneurs, being patient and persistent during challenging times and most of all - loving what you do are of some of the key attributes, in my opinion, that goes a long way in being a woman entrepreneur."
One thing common about all these three women is the challenges they overcame despite their age and moved forward undeterred towards achieving their dreams. In short, they are 50 plus, and raring to go!
Concludes Usha Iyer, "When faced with a tough situation, never say 'why me'. always say 'try me'. Then we can celebrate womanhood every day."