Empowering Women Biz Leaders

Ameera Shah, Promoter and Managing Director of pathology and diagnostics services chain Metropolis Healthcare, is also a financial investor and a business mentor. Passionate about women leadership and empowerment, she supports budding women entrepreneurs through 'Empoweress'. It is a not-for-profit platform for women-led businesses to find advice, mentorship and micro-funding. Launched in 2017, the platform has incubated more than 50 women-led businesses already.

The term empoweress is a mix of the words empower and empress that signifies women of worth, power and status, says Shah.

Empoweress has a panel of experts who mentor selected women entrepreneurs through peer-to-peer network, executive coaching, leadership communication, goal setting and different ways to achieve the desired results. They also guide women entrepreneurs through their experiences and direct them to the right resources to help them take their most critical decisions. Aspiring candidates have to send an online presentation with details, including business ideas, market insights, competitor analysis, sales and marketing execution plans, five-year projections and revenue models. An expert panel selects eligible projects for a year-long mentorship programme with one-on-one sessions and help for firming up funds to run businesses.