Just days ahead of Digital Women Awards 2019, NewCrop caught up with Shaili Chopra, Founder, SheThePeople and discussed her vision behind the awards and advice for women entrepreneurs in the digital space.
Digital Women Awards 2019 are slated to be held on November 23 in Gurugram. NewCrop, India’s foremost video platform for startups and entrepreneurs, is Online Media Partner.
NewCrop (NC): Tell us your vision behind Digital Women Awards. and Summit.
Shaili Chopra (SC): Digital Women Awards and Summit created by SheThePeople and presented by Google India is now in its fifth year. The summit celebrates talent, entrepreneurship, innovation and creation by and among women who are building businesses using the internet. This year we have two women entrepreneurs from Sri Lanka, a brilliant workshop by Google titled ‘I Am Remarkable’ and a great piece of work by Kung Fu Nuns.
Women are bringing alive ideas for a new India with breakthroughs in digital and tech, transforming their lives and the nation’s potential. This new entrepreneurial energy is what can take India to the next level and put women at the forefront.
NC: What criteria are jury members considering while assessing awardees?
SC: The parameters that our judges look at include the following — creativity, innovation, revenue possibilities, growth potential, impact, filling the gap in the market, outcome driven, use of tech and digital etc. Whether or not the platform has raised funds previously or what their GMV is, these two factors are not critical as jury selects the winners, because ideas and the founder’s vision and problem-solving approach are far more important for long-term success. Our jury in the last five years has included Amitabh Kant, Mohandas Pai, Ankhi Das, Akila Urankar, Shivya Nath, Devita Saraf, ElsaMarie D’Silva and many more.
NC: We understand that a power-packed event has been planned complete with a Google workshop etc. Tell us more.
SC: #IamRemarkable is a Google initiative empowering women and underrepresented groups to celebrate their achievements in the workplace and beyond.
NC: We don’t see too many women in digital and tech. How can we change this?
SC: Yes, we have a big gap. Indian companies have one female engineer for every three male engineers. Aside of data, we also have challenges on normative behaviour from younghood about taking up STEM subjects. There’s enough evidence and research that suggests that having more females in teams fosters innovation, creativity, productivity and results in more revenue.
NC: You’re a Digital Woman yourself. Tell us about your journey with SheThePeople.
SC: We are 50 per cent of India’s population and 9 per cent of the world population. We women are not a number, we are a force. We are not just half of the (Indian) population. We produce and raise the other half. We are half the vote in our country. So we should be at least half the voice. But we are not. Why are we absent from the headlines? That’s what I wanted to get behind.
SheThePeople is India’s first women’s channel inspired by real stories and seeks to change the discourse on, about and for women. Started in 2015 as an initiative to bring women – for the first time – digital views and news focussed on women. Fierce and firebrand, it’s a platform for stories of women breaking new ground as entrepreneurs, feminists, mothers, doctors, actors, artists, leaders, activists, homemakers, and others who shatter glass ceilings in every sphere of life.
NC: What are your tips for women trying to make it in the digital space?
SC: Find A New Idea, Understand Your Market, Do Storytelling, Push For Social Media, Stay With the Trends, Be Original. Be Focussed On Your Core Audience.