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Now releasing: Women Who Built It

Everyone talks about success. Very few talk about the beginning.

Stories of founders, first-generation earners, athletes, creators and local builders who began with nothing but determination.

Explore the series Why it started
They’d fund it. On one condition. That her husband run it.
Meet the founder: Upasana Taku, co-founder of MobiKwik. NIT Jalandhar, a Stanford master’s, then a payments company from a small flat in Dwarka.
In her words · Ep 4
“…standing in a manufacturing unit, exhausted … being told toxin-free products were a luxury Indians would never pay for.”
Ghazal AlaghCo-founder & Chief Innovation Officer, Mamaearth
Instagram Read more
Series 1, now releasing

Women Who Built It

Six women and the beginnings nobody saw. The first series is dedicated to women, because the story that started this initiative is a woman’s story.

See all six episodes

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  1. Ep 01
    Reel cover, episode 1: Vineeta Singh, SUGAR Cosmetics.
    Watch nowRead more
    Vineeta Singh SUGAR Cosmetics
  2. Ep 02
    Reel cover, episode 2: Kanika Tekriwal, JetSetGo.
    Watch nowRead more
    Kanika Tekriwal JetSetGo
  3. Ep 03
    Reel cover, episode 3: Upasana Taku, MobiKwik.
    Watch nowRead more
    Upasana Taku MobiKwik
  4. Ep 04
    Reel cover, episode 4: Ghazal Alagh, Mamaearth.
    Watch nowRead more
    Ghazal Alagh Mamaearth
  5. Ep 05
    Reel cover, episode 5: Ruchi Kalra, OfBusiness.
    Watch nowRead more
    Ruchi Kalra OfBusiness

Ten series.
One field each.

Pick a series to see what’s inside. Women Who Built It is releasing now; the rest are on the way.

Now releasing, Women founders

Women Who Built It

Five women and the beginnings nobody saw. The first series is dedicated to women, because the story that started this initiative is a woman’s story.

Open the series
Why it started

The story of Built By Shunya

Read our story

Early in her married life, a young mother lost her husband. With no family support, no formal education, no money and no backup, she raised her two sons on her own.

Years later, one son works with leading technology companies. The other completed an MBA, and started Built By Shunya to document journeys like hers, with his brother, professors, alumni and loved ones behind him.

Her story will never be in a newspaper. Millions of stories like it never are. That is why we write them down.

What we stand for
01 Our mission

To document the real beginnings behind success, and share the lessons within them, so anyone starting out can find the courage to begin.

Every story, four ways to learn from it

Story carouselsThe journey in slides you can save and revisit.
Case study PDFsThe full breakdown, lessons and verified quotes.
FrameworksThe business thinking behind each decision, in plain words.
Reels and videosThe story in a minute, on Instagram and YouTube.
In their words
“Yes we did raise a large round, yes it is at a worse valuation because [co-founder] Kaushik [Mukherjee] and I are here to build.”
Vineeta SinghCo-founder & CEO, SUGAR Cosmetics
InstagramYouTubeSoon
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