The FoundHers Podcast

Shaili Chopra on Media, Feminism, Menopause & Building SheThePeople

What does it really take to go from reporting the news to shaping the national conversation? In this episode of The FoundHers Podcast, Shaili Chopra opens up about her journey from award-winning journalist to building SheThePeople, Asia's largest storytelling platform for women, and Gytree, a health-tech platform tackling some of the most ignored gaps in women's healthcare. We talk about why women are not looking to be empowered, what led her to start SheThePeople, the lessons she learned from constantly asking questions, why no opportunity should be considered small, and what founders should watch out for when speaking to investors. The conversation also explores the state of journalism today, gender equality, women in leadership, entrepreneurship, women's health and the personal experiences that shaped Shaili's perspective over the years. If you've ever wondered what it takes to build a movement, challenge the status quo, or create space for voices that have long been overlooked, this episode is for you. 🎙️ Guest: Shaili Chopra, SheThePeople & Gytree 🎧 Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | JioSaavn 📢 Subscribe for more entrepreneur stories, startup lessons, and business insights from Indian founders. #ShailiChopra #SheThePeople #Gytree #WomenFounders #WomenEntrepreneurs #Journalism #Entrepreneurship #WomenLeadership #StartupIndia #FounderStory #WomenInBusiness #Menopause #Media #BusinessPodcast #TheFoundHersPodcast About Shaili Chopra: Shaili Chopra is an award-winning journalist turned entrepreneur and the founder of SheThePeople, India's largest storytelling platform for women, reaching over 150 million people monthly. She is also the founder of Gytree, a platform tackling the most ignored gaps in Indian women's healthcare. A Ram Nath Goenka Award winner, five-time author, Stanford and Aspen Fellow, Shaili has spent a decade building what she calls India's Sisterhood Economy. About the show: Bringing women founders, leaders and experts together to share their experience and business journeys. Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thefoundherspodcast_/ https://startinc.in/podcast/ Hinal Mehta, Host https://www.linkedin.com/in/hinalmehta15/ StartInc https://www.instagram.com/startinc.in/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/startinc/posts/?feedView=all Shaili Chopra, Guest https://www.instagram.com/shailichopra/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/shailichopra/

Menstrual Cup: How to use, is it safe? PCOD, Endometriosis and more on women's menstrual health | Ira Guha, Asan

Most women grow up knowing very little about periods, menstrual health, or even how their own body functions. In this episode, Ira Guha, Founder of Asan, breaks down everything people are genuinely confused about when it comes to menstrual cups, PCOD, endometriosis, period myths, and women’s health. From how to use a menstrual cup safely to why urban women still hesitate to try them, this conversation covers the questions most people are too awkward to ask out loud. Ira also talks about the environmental impact of sanitary pads, why rural India is adopting menstrual cups faster than cities, and what building a menstrual health brand in India actually looks like. We also get into: • How to insert and remove a menstrual cup • Are menstrual cups safe? • Can teenagers use menstrual cups? • PCOD, endometriosis & painful periods • Period stigma around the world • Building Asan Cup and product innovation at Harvard

Burger King India's Ex-President on scaling from 0 to 500 stores | Cicily Thomas

Cicily Thomas was the first employee of Burger King India and went on to become its President. She scaled the QSR brand from zero to 500 restaurants across the country. In this episode, she breaks down how Burger King took on McDonald's in India, why the Indian food business needs a completely different playbook, the truth about cloud kitchens and delivery margins on Swiggy & Zomato, and the consumer behaviour insights that shape every fast food decision. A must-listen for anyone interested in brand building, restaurant business, F&B strategy, or how global brands crack the Indian market. 🎙️ Guest: Cicily Thomas, Former President, Burger King India🎧 YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | JioSaavn

How to Build a Beauty Startup in a Crowded Market | Ghazal Gupta, founder of un:fltrd

How do you build a business in a market that already feels overcrowded? In this episode of The FoundHers Podcast, we sit down with Ghazal Gupta, founder of un:fltrd, to decode the Indian beauty market. This conversation goes deep into what actually matters when building a brand today: customer insights, market research, product positioning, and finding your niche in a highly competitive space. Ghazal shares her unfiltered perspective on building a beauty business from scratch, and the technical realities early-stage founders often overlook. Whether you are building a D2C startup or are curious about the economics of the cosmetic industry, this conversation covers the tactical reality of building a brand from scratch. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction 01:28 Shade matching in India 04:28 Sampling strategy for customers 06:00 How many customers converted? 07:05 Mom's as an audience segment 08:34 What do you get from an expo? 10:50 How to manage vendors? 12:58 Facing a big loss 14:54 How to find the gap in the market? 17:13 Difference in Indian skin tone 20:40 Building in a niche category 22:48 What's next for un:fltrd? 23:48 Rapid Fire 24:58 Conclusion 📢 Subscribe for more entrepreneur stories, startup lessons, and business insights from Indian founders. #entrepreneur #startup #indianstartups #founderstory #beauty #makeup #womeninbusiness #businesspodcast #businindia About Ghazal Gupta: Ghazal Gupta is the founder of un:fltrd, a community-led beauty brand built for Indian skin tones. She’s known for her unfiltered takes on beauty, shade matching, and the realities of building a brand in your twenties About the show: Bringing women founders, leaders and experts together to share their experience and business journeys. Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thefoundherspodcast_/ https://startinc.in/podcast/ Hinal Mehta, Host https://www.linkedin.com/in/hinalmehta15/ StartInc https://www.instagram.com/startinc.in/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/startinc/posts/?feedView=all Ghazal Gupta, Guest https://www.instagram.com/ghazalguptaa/ https://www.instagram.com/stayunfltrd/

She Built a Startup for India’s Public Transport System | Priya Singh, Chalo Mobility

How do you build a tech giant in India's hardest market? In this episode of The FoundHers Podcast, we sit down with Priya Singh, Co-founder of Chalo Mobility, to break down the reality of building in India’s public sector. From launching a mobility tech app in Bhopal to working closely with government systems, Priya shares honest insights on what it really takes to scale, stay profitable, and create change at a national level. With over 20 years of experience across the government, UN, and startup ecosystem, Priya brings an unfiltered perspective on Indian consumer behaviour, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, the truth about working with the government, and what resilience truly means for founders building in complex ecosystems. If you’re curious about public sector startups, urban mobility in India, or building real-world impact, this episode is a must-watch. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction 01:45 What is Chalo Mobility? 03:05 Launching the app in Bhopal 07:55 Bus v/s Metro 12:35 How to get profitable in the public sector? 18:40 Is it easy to work with the government? 23:00 How are women treated in government roles? 28:25 3 truths about the Indian consumer 31:48 Why is resilience important? 33:45 What is Priya finding in this journey? 37:20 Conclusion 📢 Subscribe for more entrepreneur stories, startup lessons, and business insights from Indian founders. #entrepreneur #startup #indianstartups #founderstory #chaloapp #publictransport #womeninbusiness #businesspodcast #businindia About Priya Singh: Priya Singh is the Co-founder and Director at Chalo Mobility and serves as Chief Business Officer, leading Public Market business and Brand Advocacy across India and international markets. She oversees a vertical that contributes nearly 80% of Chalo’s revenue, scaling operations to 30,000 buses across 100+ cities. With over 21+ years of experience across government, global institutions, and startup ecosystems, Priya brings deep expertise in building commuter-first, scalable urban mobility systems. About the show: Bringing women founders, leaders and experts together to share their experience and business journeys. Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thefoundherspodcast_/ https://startinc.in/podcast/ Hinal Mehta, Host https://www.linkedin.com/in/hinalmehta15/ StartInc https://www.instagram.com/startinc.in/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/startinc/posts/?feedView=all Priya Singh, Guest https://www.linkedin.com/in/priya-singh-49a96212/ https://chalo.com/