Bumble’s co-founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd achieved something that she had never hoped for – THE YOUNGEST BILLIONAIRE!
Whitney Wolfe Herd became the youngest woman billionaire Thursday after the second-biggest online dating company went public in the US. With her nearly 12 percent stake in the company, 31-year-old Wolfe Herd ended the day with a net worth of $1.5 billion.
This, dating app Bumble was founded in late 2014.
“This is only possible thanks to the more than 1.7 billion first moves made by brave women on our app—and the pioneering women who paved the way for us in the business world. To everyone who made today possible: Thank you. #BumbleIPO.” – She quotes.
Why Bumble?
Did you know, there is an interesting story behind the establishment of the company. Earlier, she was the co-founder of another famous dating application – Tinder however she left that due to conflicts and decided to come up with a female-focused app.
But, what makes her Bumble different from the rest of the dating or networking applications?
It is a pivotal role given to women on the platform as they can only make the first outreach in the app.
Seriously, if you look around all the other applications, they are mostly male-oriented where males are supposed to make the move first. But Bumble turned out to be the game-changer. Not just that it broke the stereotype but also normalized it.
Here are the billion dollars lessons that we are taking from this massive success that Whitney witnessed. If you are an entrepreneur in making, take note of these important lessons!
Don’t give up on your dreams: Your vision and your dream are not meant to be given up. If you have that entrepreneur streak in you, please explore it. Give it a chance.
The market is made: Don’t shy away from bringing the product/service that is already existing in the market. Had she thought of this, Bumble would have never happened.
Change the conversation: As the old saying goes, when you don’t know what is being talked about, change the conversation. Whitney didn’t like the narrative of dating apps and she decided to change it.
Take leaps: Whitney did not stop at Tinder and that is a big lesson. When conflicts surfaced and she needed to follow her vision, she decided to take the leap of faith!
Whitney showed us that no dream is too big to be achieved especially if you have the service that is in demand, a clear vision, and a proper plan!
Culminating out of love and experience in child care over the years, CITTA is the brainchild of mother-daughter duo Akanksha Sharma and Monisha Sharma who bring a gift of baby skin care products for millennial parents. The duo incorporates the ancient child care methods with the backing of modernity and advancement to provide a safe and nourishing skincare solution for children. CITTA was created with the serious desire to create a sustainable Indian product for the discerning customer.
Her Story
A team always seeks inspiration from a leader who is dynamic yet humble, goal-driven yet accommodating, and fierce yet kind. These qualities are exactly what defines Akanksha Sharma as the new-age young female entrepreneur of India.
Twenty-three-year-old entrepreneur Akanksha, is the epitome of contemporary leadership. With an education in Design & Management from the United States of America, Akanksha is able to approach business through her multidimensional understanding of concepts and ideas.
Having grown up with some of the most noteworthy names of the Indian business domain, with edupreneur parents, Pankaj Sharma & Monisha Sharma, as well as her grandparents and uncle and aunt (pioneering leaders of The Lexicon Group, Pune), Akanksha believes she was destined to venture into entrepreneurship early in her life.
She has witnessed her family’s indefatigable work ethic and how they have built an entire body of business right from scratch. This drive and motivation led Akanksha to launch CITTA, a premium brand of baby skin care products for children.
“CITTA is a brand embodying the clear ethos of conscious business; with products that are all-natural, chemical-free, and manufactured upholding the highest standards of practice, this a brand that blends Indian traditions and new-age scientific technology”, says Akanksha, CEO & Co-Founder of CITTA. She oversees the entire operations, marketing, and sales at CITTA since its launch in August 2020.
Mission and Vision
Inspired by the traditions and knowledge of childcare passed down by grandmothers to mothers, the #Dadi Nani Ke Nuskhe is what CITTA’s range of baby skin care products pride in. This homegrown brand caters to millennial parents specially curated baby products for the age groups of 0-5 years.
“Working on the principle of ‘Tradition backed by Science’ all CITTA products is a culmination of painstaking research into rituals, customers, and best practices in baby-rearing and caring. Therefore, each one has been designed with thought and age-old wisdom married with state-of-the-art technology and natural Indian ingredients”, adds Akanksha. The brand envisions providing the same love and caring that a grandparent would, while today’s parents juggle personal growth and parenting altogether.
“Our products that are all-natural, chemical-free, and manufactured upholding the highest standards of practice, this is a brand that blends Indian traditions and new-age scientific technology”. 2020.
“I envision this brand to be an Indian household name for skincare products for children. My mother is the Director of The Lexicon Group & Co-Founder of CITTA, who also has a keen interest in and a sound knowledge of cosmetics and skincare”.
Her mantra of entrepreneurship is perhaps deeply inspired by her father’s personality and his experiences: “Focus on what can go right, not what can go wrong; believe in yourself and make your own path to success.” With no apprehension of going the extra mile for her personal and professional families, Akanksha Sharma is the vibrant new face of Indian business.
What is special with this baby skin care product?
Keeping in mind the tender and fragile skin of babies and toddlers, CITTA’s formulations are Safe and Tested that work well for the fast-paced demanding self-sustained life of millennial couples today. That is why, they are developed using natural ingredients and are guaranteed free of parabens, sulphates, silicones, mineral oil, and allergens. Keeping the motto of transparency as a way to serve each parent, CITTA mentions each ingredient clearly on its packaging.
Whether it is the various natural oils, the oat silk, or the multiple extracts, each one of them has been combined with precision in a controlled environment and has received all the safety approvals, and is cruelty-free.
Achievements
Akanksha was a TEDx Speaker in 2020 and a panelist at ‘How and why MSMEs will be the growth catalyst for India to become a $5 trillion economy at the Pune Times Mirror Leadership Awards. She had collaborated with the Governor of Maharashtra, Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, to distribute CITTA care packages to the underprivileged children of the community.
Infano Thanks Akanksha Sharma for sharing her story with us.
If you know of a powerful woman whose story needs to be heard, mail us at infano.care@gmail.com
Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin has done her masters in Journalism & Communication and has worked as a senior journalist, editor and columnist for leading publications like The Logical Indian, Deccan Chronicle, Worldwide Media Corporation, The Bridge and Provoke.
With Infano, she hopes to create more awareness about women’s health issues. Suffering with Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition, she has also been advocating for its awareness through media.