Meet Manaswini Pai - our very own start-up enthusiast

“In 2002, my family lived in Porbandar, a town in Gujarat. It was the year ATMs came into existence. My father worked for a bank and played an instrumental role in installing the first ATM in the town. It created a significant impact on the community. I remember a few of them also hosted a gathering to celebrate. I would be lying to you if I told you it was an “ikigai” moment for me. I was eight, and I was there for the cake”. She laughed.

Manaswini Pai shares, “Witnessing the wonder and impact of that change stayed with me. And, the last few years in the startup ecosystem have reinstated my belief in the power of innovations and the impact it has on the communities”. 

She tells us about her experience growing up in different towns due to her father’s transferable job and how the constant uprooting also came with its unique challenges. Having studied in schools with limited resources and infrastructure, her early years of education were affected. She talks about having attended three different schools in three different towns over seven years, which led to a lack of continuity, highlighting how the teachers and the children primarily communicated in the regional dialect. Nevertheless, she fondly talks about the diversity and cultural immersion each place offered and how they are an integral part of her life even today. 

She shares that when she moved to Bangalore, a metropolitan city, she experienced a cultural shock. “Not having a solid foundational education and not being fluent in English put me in low confidence. Initially, I struggled to keep up with the pace my teachers were communicating in and in grasping the concepts.”

She talked about being anxious as a teenager struggling to keep up with her peers. She talks about how it impacted her grades and limited her opportunities. “I would often see my parents feel guilty about it and take the brunt of it. And I guess that instilled a challenge in me to address that.” She added.

“I took charge of learning, practicing, and not being afraid of making mistakes. I learned – by trying, falling, and doing it all over again. It is the same principle I applied when I joined the start-up ecosystem to combine my acumen for technology with my passion for entrepreneurship. It is also the same theory I use to balance my full-time job and my love for classical dance. It's also how I work with risk-taking mission-driven entrepreneurs by sourcing all their options to navigate the difficult path. Not every day is a celebration of victory, but then there is always another day to do it better."

“I have had great examples and an even greater support system to propel me. I have them to be grateful for, a lot of feminists (women and men), especially at Social Alpha. They have created inclusive spaces for me to learn and grow. It was standing on the shoulders of giants with the kindest hearts and great shoes!” She smiled. “I hope to be able to create such secure spaces for future generations as well.” After pausing, she says, “I hope I don’t have to. I hope they can exist, thrive, and do better than we did without facing hurdles.”

When discussing future goals and aims, Manaswini says she would love to see entrepreneurs and founders in the neuroscience sector with more diverse backgrounds, whether it with respect to gender, income, or community. Neuroscience in India is still in its nascent stages, so she hopes to work with more upcoming innovators and scientists who can impact communities pan India. She wishes to empower individuals with less advantage and who are often underrepresented. She strongly believes they are agents of change and deserve a seat at the table.

Authored by Social Alpha

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