Trailblazing Indian Women Shaping the Business World, December 2025

www.enterprisereviewmedia.com

December • Issue 133 • 2025

Trailblazing Indian

Shaping the

The Minds Behind The Movement Shaping Corporate India

Coach, Consultant and Creator-in-Chief School of Life and Livelihood

Roohi Sharma Building a World Where Purpose Meets Possibility

SCAN

THE QR CODE

TO GET IN

TOUCH

BECAUSE YOUR STORY DESERVES THE SPOTLIGHT

Perspective

ditor's Celebrating Visionary Leadership and Impact

L

eadership is not just about occupying positions of authority; it is about the ability to create meaningful change that resonates beyond the individual and transforms communities, organizations, and industries. True leaders are those who identify gaps, experiment with solutions, and persistently work to improve systems that touch lives. They combine insight, courage, and a sense of responsibility to guide others while nurturing an environment where ideas and actions have lasting influence. This edition celebrates individuals who have taken bold steps to reshape the way we think about impact, innovation, and equity.

In a world where technology, education, and leadership intersect, pioneering professionals are reimagining traditional approaches to create results that matter. From guiding organizations to adopt thoughtful digital practices to mentoring leaders in personal and professional growth, these individuals demonstrate the power of integrating human understanding with strategic action. Their work highlights that progress is not merely measured in outputs, but in how it empowers people, builds resilience, and strengthens institutions. The edition, Trailblazing Indian Women Shaping the Business World, presents a curated collection of leaders who are changing industries, creating opportunities, and expanding the boundaries of influence through courage, insight, and vision.

Among the leaders featured, one has championed social impact through digital transformation, enabling nonprofits to scale their work while equipping them to respond to emerging challenges. She also guides individuals in leadership and executive coaching, helping them reclaim

their agency and step confidently into roles of influence. Another profile highlights a professional whose career spans education reform, policy implementation, and program design, showing how thoughtful interventions can improve learning outcomes and create inclusive environments. The edition also presents women who advocate for equity, challenge entrenched biases, and design programs that offer actionable solutions, demonstrating that leadership grounded in fairness and purpose can create long-term societal change.

This collection is a testament to the vision, dedication, and creativity of these trailblazing leaders. Each story reflects a commitment to shaping systems, supporting growth, and ensuring that innovation and purpose go hand in hand. Readers will find in these profiles not only inspiration but practical examples of how determination, clarity, and courage can drive meaningful outcomes that extend far beyond traditional definitions of success.

Let each page inspire reflection, purpose, and forward thinking!

-Bill Limbert

Content

The Front Page Exclusive

Roohi 10 Sharma

Building a World Where Purpose Meets Possibility

Industry Insights

Shaping the New India

The Minds Behind the Movement

14 Women at the Helm of Innovation

18 Shaping Corporate India

Merry D' Souza

Editor-in-Chief

s

CONTENT Managing Editor: Bill Limbert Assisting Editor : Joe Lee

DESIGN

www.twitter.com/enterprisereview.com/ www.facebook.com/enterprisereview.com/

WE ARE ALSO AVAILABLE ON

Visualizer : Stewart Jonas Art & Design Director : Robin Clarck Sr. Graphic Designer : Authur Watson

SALES Vice President : Jil Kendal Asst. Vice President : Kevin Johnson

Email

BDE : Daniel Smith

sales@enterprisereview.com

BDE : Jennifer Peters

For Subscription www.enterprisereviewmedia.com

TECHNICAL Technical Head : Andrea Jackson Technical Specialist: Mike Anderson Technical Consultant : Oliver Sutton

SME-SMO Research Analyst : Wendy J. SEO Lead : Tasha L.

Copyright © 2025 www.enterprisereviewmedia.com, All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Enterprise Review. Reprint rights remain solely with enterprisereview.

December, 2025

Trailblazing Indian

Shaping the

Featuring

Designation

Brief

Pooja Aggarwal

Chief Operating Officer, Fenesta Windows

Pooja Aggarwal delivers business transformation across industries, implementing strategies that drive growth, market leadership, and high-performing, collaborative teams for success.

Priyami Maheshwari

Principal Consultant, Knight Frank

Priyami Maheshwari is a principal consultant specializing in urban planning and architecture, shaping sustainable, functional, and well-designed city landscapes.

Rachna Kanwar

Founder, Think Indic

Rachna Kanwar drives strategy, digital innovation, and business growth, mentoring leaders while integrating ancient Indic wisdom into corporate learning and leadership programs.

Reema Narula Bandlish

Independent Entrepreneur, SImplified Mathematics

Reema Narula Bandlish focuses on education and environment, making learning engaging, especially in mathematics, while caring deeply for future generations.

Roohi Sharma

Coach, Consultant, and Creator-in-Chief, School of Life and Livelihood

Roohi Sharma drives social impact through digital transformation, leadership coaching, and equity advocacy, empowering nonprofits, individuals, and communities for lasting change.

Roohi Sharma Coach, Consultant and Creator-in-Chief School of Life and Livelihood

The Front Page

Exclusive

Building a World Where Purpose Meets Possibility

T

here are moments in life when change doesn’t come with a warning. It arrives quietly, through an unexpected loss, a restless calling, or a deep desire to live with more meaning. Many of us spend years searching for that moment of clarity. Some ignore it; some wait for the “right time.” And then there are a few who choose to listen, to begin again, even when it’s hard.

Roohi Sharma is one of those few. Her life is a testament to what happens when courage meets curiosity and when purpose becomes the north star. Today, as the Coach, Consultant, and Creator-in-Chief at the School of Life and Livelihood, also known as the Roohi Sharma Collective, she stands at the intersection of technology, social impact, and leadership, designing what she calls a continuum of growth and expression.

The Human Layer of Change What makes Roohi’s journey rare is how she blends logic with empathy and compassion. She doesn’t compartmentalize her identities, the coach, consultant, creator, caregiver or mom, within her all coexist harmoniously. “Coaching sharpens my empathy for the human condition, consulting fuels my systems thinking, and creating keeps me playful,” she explains. “I don’t chase balance, I design flow.”

Roohi lives by this philosophy every day. She sees her work, her child, her creativity, and her solitude as parts of one whole. She doesn’t separate them; she lets them flow together. Some weeks she rests more, some she rises more.

She listens to her body and her heart. She’s learning to move with her natural rhythm, not against it.

The Heart Behind the Pivot Roohi’s professional story began in the precise world of technology. As a Software Engineer at IBM, she mastered the science of systems, even topping her SAP ABAP examination. But while success looked defined on paper, her inner voice kept asking what about impact? “I see technology as a tool for enablement, not just efficiency,” she shares. That thought became the seed of transformation.

Years later, when she led a digital transformation program for nonprofits, the realization hit deeper that the real bottleneck wasn’t tech, it was people, their beliefs, behaviours, and bandwidth. That understanding changed everything. Roohi decided to work at the human layer of change, the place where transformation truly sustains.

Roohi believes balance isn’t about perfection; it’s about harmony, trust, and grace. She finds peace in knowing that every phase, whether slow or full, has its own meaning and beauty.

I see technology as a tool for enablement not just ef iciency.

Learning Across Worlds Her evolution from technology to transformation began when she joined Teach for India in 2011 as a Teaching Fellow. Standing in a classroom full of third and fifth graders in Pune, she realized that leadership begins with listening. “Those two years gave me a calling of sorts,” she recalls. They taught her what it means to hold space for growth.

That curiosity about impact took her across the ocean to the University of Washington, Seattle, where she earned a master’s in education policy with a GPA of 3.9/4.0. For eight years in the U.S., Roohi explored the complexities of educational systems and of herself. She dove deep into the charter school movement, seeing in it the possibility of innovation meeting equity. Her co-authored chapter in the Handbook of Research on School Choice – 2nd Edition remains a proud milestone.

At the Center on Reinventing Public Education, Roohi worked as a Research Analyst. She studied how schools, parents, and policymakers respond to change. Education reform taught her patience and humility. She learned that real change is slow, nonlinear, and deeply human. Roohi still carries this truth with her.

Whether it’s in education or digital transformation, she believes lasting change comes from empathy, compassion and co-creation. She knows that progress isn’t about control but about collaboration. For her, transformation begins when people listen, connect, and build together, with curiosity, care, and courage.

I’ve seen that transformation succeeds not when we install new software, but when we unlock new mindsets.

Returning Home, Rebuilding Life In 2021, life called Roohi back to India. The return wasn’t easy; it followed deep personal loss and emotional upheaval. But Roohi is rebuilding herself, sliding inch by inch, one meaningful project at a time. At ChangeInkk Foundation, she created and led their school education vertical, pioneering initiatives around disability inclusion and learning disabilities in India. Working in states like Nagaland and Bihar, she saw firsthand how transformation happens at the intersection of policy and compassion.

Later, at India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS), she led a first-of-its-kind Digital Transformation for Social Impact Program, collaborating with 40 nonprofits and 15 digital experts in a 7-month long study first and later led the

development of the 10 week long curriculum and the led the first cohort with 14 Indian non-profit organisations. She also co-created India’s first sectoral portal, Digital Toolbook for Social Impact (DiTSI) a platform dedicated to digital transformation in the social sector.

“I’ve seen that transformation succeeds not when we install new software, but when we unlock new mindsets,” she says.

In every initiative she’s led, her guiding principle has remained the same: change must be both digital and deeply human.

The Birth of a Collective In May 2025, Roohi took her boldest step yet, founding the Roohi Sharma Collective & Companies, a venture designed to bring together her three worlds: coaching, consulting, and creation. The Collective is envisioned as a “canvas for conscious growth,” a space where individuals and

Leadership today is less about command and more about coherence.

institutions can thrive through reflection, purpose, and creativity.

“The next decade, for me, is about scaling wisdom, not just work,” she says. Her vision is to build a hub that nurtures both personal transformation and professional excellence, one where people can grow without burning out, and where leadership is measured not by control, but by coherence.

Her women-centric coaching practice lies at the heart of it.

Focused on self-trust, boundaries, and autonomy, Roohi works with individuals and organisations to help them lead from wholeness.

“Women thrive when they embrace both power and softness strategy and stillness,” she says. “Leadership today is less about command and more about coherence.”

Leading at Intersections Roohi’s genius lies in her ability to address problem solving through multiple lenses. She describes herself as a ‘crosspollinator’ of ideas and contexts and someone who learns horizontally. She reads widely, from the latest in AI and digital governance to research on burnout, somatic practices, and emotional resilience. “Innovation happens at intersections, not in silos,” she believes.

Her multidisciplinary curiosity allows her to bring fresh insights into every conversation. She often reminds aspiring women leaders: “Build your digital literacy and emotional literacy both. The future belongs to women who can hold both code and compassion.”

Whether she’s mentoring a social entrepreneur or helping a nonprofit reimagine its digital journey, Roohi’s approach blends analytical clarity with intuitive wisdom, a rare mix that makes her work transformative.

S

I’m most proud of impact, not titles.

Achievements Rooted in Impact Roohi’s career is filled with impressive milestones, yet she remains deeply humble about them. “I’m most proud of impact, not titles,” she says. Her leadership at ILSS led to the launch of India’s first Digital Transformation for Social Impact Program.

Her research work has informed national conversations on education and technology. She’s also served on the boards of leading organizations, including Fig Education Lab (Virginia), the League of Education Voters (Seattle), and the University of Washington’s Alumni Advisory Board.

Each role, she believes, taught her something essential: the art of listening, of leading with empathy, and of knowing when to step back so others can rise.

Beyond Work: The Music of the Soul Behind the strategist and reformer is an artist with a song in her heart. Roohi’s love for music began early, singing Hindustani classical vocals as a child and performing at Delhi’s Roshnara Club. “Sixteen-year-old me wanted to audition for Coke V Popstars,” she smiles, “but life had other plans.”

Today, she’s taking Western vocal lessons under singersongwriter Aadya Jaswal and sharing her musical growth on Instagram. She also writes on Substack, penning thoughtful essays on leadership, healing, and the human spirit. For her, creativity isn’t an escape from work; it’s the way she makes sense of it all.

A Woman of Many Worlds Roohi’s journey is one of courage, reinvention, and grace.

She has walked through change not as a detour, but as her path. From technology to teaching, from global research to

grassroots reform, from personal loss to purpose-driven leadership, every chapter of her life has shaped her into a leader who leads with both heart and intellect.

Her story reminds us that transformation doesn’t require perfection; it asks for presence. In a world chasing speed, Roohi stands for depth. Through her work, she is helping others return to themselves to lead from authenticity and to build a life that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside.

Words to Lead By If there’s one philosophy that defines her, it’s: “Start small, stay human, and don’t wait for perfect conditions. Digital transformation isn’t just about tools and technology, it’s about mindset and readiness first.”

That mindset, equal parts courage and compassion, is what makes Roohi Sharma one of the trailblazing Indian women shaping the business world today. Her journey is not just about breaking glass ceilings, but about building kinder rooms for everyone who follows.

Subse Subse Today Stay in the known.

Subscribe to Enterprise Review Get Enterprise Review Magazine in print and digital on www.enterprisereviewmedia.com

Shaping the New India

14 | Enterprise Review

W

omen are redefining the world of business and innovation with ambitious concepts, steady leadership, and clear purpose. Their influence is especially visible in India, where women leaders are driving growth across technology, finance, startups, and social enterprises. The phrase Indian female executives to watch captures not just a trend but a powerful shift in how leadership and innovation are defined in the country.

Women redefining innovation

Women leading innovation are not simply managing companies. Their influences are changing the way businesses think, operate, and react to challenges in the real world. Their approach often focuses on inclusive growth, long-term value, and solutions that improve lives alongside profits. Many Indian female executives to watch combine strong business acumen with social awareness, creating models that are both commercially successful and socially responsible.

Their leadership style frequently blends data-driven decision-making with empathy, collaboration, and patience.

This balance helps them build strong teams, nurture talent, and create work cultures where ideas are encouraged and tested thoughtfully. Such leadership encourages innovation that is resilient and sustainable even when there is uncertainty in an economy.

Breaking barriers in boardrooms For decades, women faced limited representation in senior decision-making roles in India. That picture is slowly shifting with the increased number of women taking C-suite jobs, boardrooms, and founder roles in the business world.

Lists that highlight Indian female executives to watch reflect this shift and offer visible role models for younger professionals.

These leaders often navigate complex career paths shaped by perseverance, continuous learning, and the need to overcome bias. Their journeys underscore a significant fact: leadership greatness is shaped by vision, integrity, and competence rather than gender. With increasing numbers of women ascending up the leadership pipelines, organizations are finding a reason to re-evaluate the way they recruit, promote, and retain talent.

December| 15

Innovation across sectors

The wider impact on society

Indian women leaders are leading innovation in technology, finance, healthcare, digital media, e-commerce, and social impact. Some of them are heads of rapidly growing startups, while others head major business units within established corporations. Their presence in various sectors indicates that Indian female executives to watch are shaping the economy at multiple levels.

When women lead innovation, the impact often extends beyond the organization. Their decisions influence which problems are prioritized and how resources are distributed.

This often results in solutions that serve underserved communities and smaller businesses.

Women leaders impact the product strategy and platforms consumed by millions in the field of technology and digital services. In finance and fintech, they work to expand access to capital, modernize systems, and build inclusive financial products. Women in top management education and social enterprise are concerned more with long-term community benefits and quantifiable results than with immediate profits.

Leadership styles that enable change A common thread across women-led innovation stories is a people-centered and collaborative leadership style.

Listening, open communication, and shared ownership of goals are often emphasized. This builds trust and psychological safety, which is necessary in creativity and experimentation.

Visibility also matters. As more women leaders appear on public platforms and rankings, aspirations change. Women and young girls start to regard leadership positions as a realistic goal, which brings social change in the long run.

Challenges that remain However, despite improvements, there are still challenges.

The issue of funding gaps, limited access to influential networks, and societal expectations towards caregiving still impact women's career patterns. These barriers can slow growth and limit opportunities.

However, awareness is increasing. Organizational programs, management training efforts, and policy campaigns are becoming more oriented toward assisting women in their development, so that more leaders can sustain long-term careers.

Looking ahead

Another defining characteristic is the capability to balance between ambition and caution. Instead of pursuing every new trend, many Indian female executives to watch take focused, well-researched risks aligned with a clear sense of purpose. This allows innovation to progress without compromising long-term stability for employees, customers, or investors.

Building inclusive workplaces Women leaders frequently use their influence to make workplaces more inclusive and supportive. They advocate for flexibility, mentorship, and fair evaluation systems that benefit the entire workforce. They believe diverse teams will give rise to superior ideas and enhanced business performance.

Mentorship plays a key role in this process. Many senior women actively mentor younger professionals, enabling and providing opportunities. This forms a positive cycle as the current generation of leaders assists the next generation of innovators.

16 | Enterprise Review

The future of innovation in India will be shaped significantly by women in leadership roles. As technology, sustainability, and inclusion intersect makes their capabilities to balance the interests of business goals with human needs become a strategic advantage. Supporting women at the helm is not just about equity. It is about building a more resilient, innovative, and representative economy for the years to come.

The Minds Behind the Movement

Shaping Corporate India

18 | Enterprise Review

T

he definition of corporate India is no longer about profit, policies, or quarterly performance. It is also about representation, responsibility, and who gets to build the future. With this evolving environment, women are becoming the founders, leaders, and decision-makers in the sectors. The rise of successful Indian women entrepreneurs is not merely a trend but a change that is affecting the way businesses operate, who they serve, and the kind of impact they create.

A new face of leadership Corporate India is undergoing a subtle but meaningful transformation in leadership identity. More women are launching companies, heading business verticals, and influencing boardroom decisions. This change is challenging long-held assumptions about leadership and scale. The increasing number of successful Indian women entrepreneurs is indicative that leadership lies in vision, resilience, and integrity.

Many of these leaders adopt a balanced growth strategy.

They combine strategic thinking with responsibility towards employees, customers, and communities. This results in organizations that value both performance and people.

Workplaces tend to be more accommodating, cooperative and welcoming to new ideas when women are shaping leadership culture.

Entrepreneurship as a force of change Entrepreneurship has given many women the freedom to design their own paths. Instead of waiting for opportunities, they are creating them. By building ventures in technology, retail, finance, healthcare, education, and impact-focused sectors, successful Indian women entrepreneurs are expanding the boundaries of corporate India. Their businesses create jobs, introduce new products, and satisfy markets that had no attention before.

This entrepreneurial movement also redefines social thinking. It illustrates that women have the potential to be risk-takers, wealth-makers, and decision-makers at scale.

As more women grow visible businesses, they become relatable role models, inspiring students and young professionals to see entrepreneurship as a realistic and rewarding choice.

December| 19

Building inclusive business cultures

The power of networks and mentorship

Women who build companies from the ground up often pay close attention to workplace culture. Fairness, respect, and flexibility are the core objectives in many women-led organizations. These values bring in diverse talent and create spaces where different perspectives are encouraged.

Such environments promote free discussion, enhanced trust, and improved decision-making.

With an increasing number of women becoming more influential, they are strengthening support systems for others. Through mentorship, peer networks, and accelerator programs, experienced leaders guide early-stage founders through practical and emotional challenges. Learning from successful Indian women entrepreneurs gives newcomers confidence and clarity.

This focus on inclusion explains why successful Indian women entrepreneurs are influencing broader corporate norms. They challenge strict hierarchies, inadequate flexibility, and biased evaluation systems. They instead encourage mentorship, work-life balance, and growth based on merit. These practices eventually affect even traditional organizations.

These networks are especially valuable for first-generation founders who lack traditional business connections.

Collective growth replaces isolation, and this progress makes the wider business ecosystem stronger.

Driving innovation with a human lens Innovation based on empathy is a unique strength of most women-led businesses. Instead of focusing only on numbers, these leaders pay attention to everyday challenges people face. This helps them design solutions that are practical, accessible, and meaningful. Women-led ventures often use technology to meet real human needs by simplifying financial services, reaching smaller towns, and closing social gaps, while also driving growth.

Balancing purpose and profit Purpose-driven growth is another defining feature of many women-led ventures. The business model often includes ethical sourcing, fair wages, sustainability, and impact on communities. This balancing is consistent with the increasing investor and consumer expectations around responsibility.

By proving that purpose and profit can coexist, women leaders are influencing how corporate success is measured and perceived.

The way forward

This approach builds long-term relevance. Customers feel understood, which strengthens loyalty. Investors also see the value of businesses that achieve commercial success while meeting social needs. By doing so, successful Indian women in business are defining an image of corporate India that is profitable yet grounded.

The rise of women in entrepreneurship and leadership is transforming the blueprint of corporate India. Firms are becoming more accommodating, strategies are more longterm, and leadership is more reflective of society. As access to education, capital, and mentorship improves, more women will step forward with confidence.

Expanding opportunity beyond big cities Many women entrepreneurs deliberately look beyond metro cities. Their businesses often focus on smaller towns, rural regions, and underserved communities. By working with local producers, artisans, and micro-entrepreneurs, they build inclusive supply chains that share income and opportunity.

This has a ripple effect on local economies. New skills emerge, employment grows, and communities become more resilient. Corporate India, therefore, extends beyond urban business hubs to include ecosystems that women actively build and connect.

20 | Enterprise Review

The growing number of successful Indian women entrepreneurs signals a corporate future that is more balanced, inclusive, and forward-looking. As they build, lead, and inspire, they are not only transforming their lives but also transforming the history of corporate India for generations to come.

www.enterprisereviewmedia.com