NEF Empowering India

18/07/2026

Only legends find joy in giving on their birthdays.

For most of us, birthdays are about being celebrated.

For Dr. Ganesh Natarajan, they’re another opportunity to celebrate others.

Today, instead of taking centre stage, he spent his birthday doing what he loves most—sharing ideas, sparking conversations, and inspiring women leaders to think bigger and lead with purpose

We suppose that’s what happens when making a difference isn’t a job—it’s what brings you joy.

Happy Birthday

May the year ahead bring you as much happiness as you have brought to the countless lives you’ve inspired.

06/04/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆?

We are proud to mark the culmination of "Success with Scale", the Natarajan Empowerment Foundation's and TiE Pune's Co-created capacity-building program designed to take ambitious founders from potential to performance.

This cohort brought together entrepreneurs from various sectors, each at a pivotal stage of their growth journey. Over the duration of the program, they didn't just learn, they transformed. From validated market strategies to investor-ready pitch decks and clearly defined growth levers, the outcomes spoke for themselves.

To all the mentors, domain experts, and ecosystem partners who stepped in as a guide, thank you. Your real-world experience became the foundation our founders built upon.

Congratulations to the founders who won the Award for Resilient Founder, Bold Pivot, and Clarity Champion.

To the NEF team, Ganesh Natarajan, Uma Natarajan, and our organizing committee, Avani Shroff, your vision and dedication made every session seamless and impactful. And to our partners, TiE Pune, Parul Ganju, and Anuya Nisal, your belief in this mission made it real.

This is what ecosystem-building looks like. And we are just getting started.
Follow Natarajan Empowerment Foundation to stay connected with our work and future initiatives in the entrepreneurship space.

12/03/2026

𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 👇

If you’re someone who’s quietly carrying the load, quietly growing the team, or quietly dreaming of stepping into bigger impact—this one’s for you.

NEF’s Leadership Accelerator Program is designed for women who are ready to level up their leadership, zoom out on their vision, and build the confidence (and circle) to actually own it.

✅ 𝗜𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 → 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺
✅ 𝗜𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 colleague/ wife / 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 / 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵-𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 → 𝘁𝗮𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄

And if you want to know more before you decide:
We’re hosting a LinkedIn Live with Avani Shroff, where she’ll walk you through how the program works, what you’ll actually gain, and answer all your questions live.

🔗 We’ve shared the Event link in the first comment. Grab it and either join or tag the woman who needs to see this.

Let’s build this sister‑squad of bold, supported women leaders together. 💪✨

hashtag hashtag Indian Institute of Management Mumbai

02/03/2026

What if leadership did not begin with a title, but with preparation?

Mid-career is where many high-performing women pause, question themselves, or feel unseen. Not because they lack capability. But because the next level demands a different skill set.

The IIM Mumbai + NEF Leadership Accelerator is designed for that exact transition.

Inside this 6-month journey, you do not just learn frameworks. You build agency.

You understand the Broken Rung and how to move past it.
You work through imposter syndrome and internal barriers.
You build executive presence, strategic thinking, financial acumen and AI fluency.
You receive one-on-one mentoring from senior CxO leaders.
You experience immersive campus learning at IIM Mumbai.

And importantly, this program is structured to be 30 to 40 percent lower in investment than comparable top-tier leadership programs. Because investing in yourself should feel powerful, not prohibitive.

If you are ready to move from high performer to recognized leader, this may be your moment.

Apply here:
https://nefconnect.org/iim-mumbai-nef-leadership-accelerator-program/

26/02/2026

🌏 In a country as beautifully diverse as India, true leadership means uniting people with different perspectives, languages, and visions toward one shared goal.

The secret lies in finding that perfect Yin and Yang balance, being clear about the purpose while staying flexible in how people achieve it. 💫

💪 The Leadership Accelerator Program (LAP) by IIM and the Natarajan Empowerment Foundation helps mid-career women master adaptive and compassionate leadership.

🎥 Watch this insightful conversation between Prof. Sumi Jha and Avani Shroff, Mission Director at NEF. It is an inspiring dialogue on leading with clarity and empathy.

Watch the full video here- https://bit.ly/4cge5VR
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20/02/2026

On 14th February 2026, we hosted an energising and reflective session on “SPICE of Entrepreneurship” with Narendra Goidani.

Entrepreneurship is not just about strategy or scale; it is about who you become in the process.

The SPICE framework: Social, Performance, Identity, Communication, and Emotional Intelligence, reinforced the idea that building a venture begins with building the agency to choose, act, and shape one’s path with clarity and courage.

The insights were particularly valuable for entrepreneurs navigating POCs and early-stage ventures, where clarity, focus, and strong decision-making are critical. Simple yet powerful insights were shared on managing time effectively, prioritising what truly matters, and eliminating the noise that often distracts from meaningful progress.

At Natarajan Empowerment Foundation, we remain committed to nurturing conscious, capable, and courageous entrepreneurs.

Grateful to our vibrant learning community for making the session engaging and impactful. Stay tuned for more conversations and experiences designed to support your growth journey.

19/02/2026

The double bind is real.

If women leaders are decisive, they are labeled aggressive.
If they are collaborative, they are called weak.
If they are assertive, they are “difficult.”
If they are empathetic, they are “too emotional.”

And while male leaders are judged largely on outcomes, women are judged on outcomes, tone, likability and conformity.

In this powerful conversation, Prof. Sumi Jha (IIM Mumbai) and Avni Shroff (NEF) unpack the invisible pressures women leaders navigate every day.

This is exactly why leadership transitions require more than performance. They require clarity, executive presence and the confidence to internalize authority.

These are the conversations we are building inside the IIM Mumbai + NEF Women Leadership Accelerator Program.

A 6-month immersive journey designed for mid-career women ready to step into senior leadership roles.

If you are ready to move from high performer to recognized leader, this is your moment.

Apply now:
https://nefconnect.org/iim-mumbai-nef-leadership-accelerator-program/

IIM Mumbai

17/02/2026

We are proud to have partnered as the Knowledge Partner for People’s Code – 2026: Crafting Culture That Cares, hosted by The PowerPoint Co-Working and Managed Spaces at Courtyard by Marriott, Hinjewadi, Pune.

This HR Conclave brought together HR leaders and professionals to discuss key challenges in building sustainable organisational cultures, including wellness, sustainable leadership, cybersecurity, retention, and CSR impact. A special highlight for us was our Founder, Dr. Ganesh Natarajan, delivering the keynote address, where he spoke on sustainable leadership.

Congratulations to the People’s Code team for curating an outstanding lineup of speakers and relevant topics that added real value to the HR community in Pune. Listening to speakers including Dr. Ganesh Natarajan, Rashmi Maheshwari, Ronita Sengupta, Priyanka Khandelwal Gupta, Sanil Nadkarni, Dipal Panchal, Melrose Rebeiro, Sachidanand Kulkarni, and Nabomita Mazumdar was truly inspiring.

We look forward to more such conclaves. With changing times, organisations need to continuously adapt and reinvent themselves, and HR remains at the forefront of driving this transformation.

13/02/2026

Many mid-career women are not held back by lack of talent.
They are held back by internal barriers that quietly limit their growth.

Imposter syndrome.
Superwoman pressure.
Ambition without the right sponsorship and strategic direction.

The IIM Mumbai + NEF Leadership Accelerator Program is designed specifically for mid-career women professionals ready to step into senior leadership with clarity and confidence.

Through immersive self-awareness sessions, executive presence training, CXO mentorship, and a powerful peer cohort, this 6-month hybrid journey helps women:

Build inner leadership and confidence
Develop strategic thinking and decision-making skills
Strengthen finance, business, and AI fluency
Gain access to a network that opens real doors

You have been leading all along.
Now it is time to be recognized for it.

Download the program guide and take the next step.

🔗 https://nefconnect.org/iim-mumbai-nef-leadership-accelerator-program/

12/02/2026