Five‑Year Milestone of Ladies Who Lead

Ladies Who Lead (LWL), founded in 2021 by veteran business journalist Aabha Bakaya and business leader Aditya Ghosh, marks its five‑year anniversary as India’s premier leadership and networking platform for women professionals. The network now comprises over 1,500 women spanning more than 80 industries and operating in over 25 cities, with a growing footprint that includes India, Dubai and London. Over this period, LWL has facilitated more than 200 speakers within its curated ecosystem.

Tangible Outcomes for Members

The platform’s connections have translated into concrete business and career milestones. Rutvika Charegaonkar was inspired through an LWL curation to launch her curly‑hair‑care brand The Curl Co.; Supriya Jain leveraged a connection with Dr. Chytra Anand to open a Kosmoderma clinic franchise; Rachna Nath and Atreyi Das met via LWL and subsequently co‑founded BXV Global Consulting. Additionally, an introduction facilitated by LWL linked Suniti Gupta’s Meero Digital Labs with NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Program, resulting in the co‑design of the Agri ATR programme.

Evolving Ecosystem and Services

LWL has shifted from merely providing access to building an infrastructure that supports mentorship, knowledge sharing and opportunity creation. Its mentorship programme offers targeted guidance on specific career and business challenges, while broader conversations with leaders provide exposure to diverse perspectives. The organization emphasizes that access must translate into meaningful participation, such as building businesses, raising funding, securing board roles, finding mentors, or creating opportunities for others.

Strategic Focus for the Next Phase

Looking ahead, LWL aims to deepen the value of its network by expanding its global footprint and establishing stronger pathways across all leadership stages. Priorities include:

  • Enabling emerging leaders to locate appropriate mentors.
  • Supporting founders as they scale operations.
  • Assisting senior professionals in accessing board opportunities.
  • Enhancing access to capital, knowledge and global platforms.

The organization also intends to generate more measurable outcomes, specifically increasing the number of businesses scaled, leadership transitions enabled, board opportunities created, and collaborations facilitated.

About Ladies Who Lead

Ladies Who Lead is a premium, members‑only platform that empowers women professionals across India through curated events, high‑intent networking, mentorship and a robust digital platform. Its vision is to increase the representation of women in leadership roles and to create an ecosystem where women can lead boldly, drive impact and inspire change.