Vani Kola, is one of the very few prominent women venture capitalists of India, who serves as the Managing Director and Partner of Kalaari Capital. Here is all you need to know, about a woman who carved a niche for herself by practically spotting and building successful start-up ventures in India:
1. Vani Kola was born in the year 1964 in Hyderabad, Telangana.
2. Vani started her bachelor's degree in the stream of Electrical Engineering at the age of 16, and she was one amongst the six women ( as opposed to 400 men ) to have enrolled in the Engineering college at Osmania University, Hyderabad.
3. She left to the US in the late 1980's and pursued her Masters from Arizona State University.
4. Starting off with a stellar career path, Vani founded Certus Software and RightWorks e-Procurement, in Silicon Valley after serving as a partner at New Enterprise Associates.
5. With a desire in her heart to promote and back the start-up initiatives in India, Vani decided to return to India in the year 2006.
7. She fuelled the entrepreneurship culture and stood as a strong mentor for the start-up ideology in India.
8. Vani presently serves as a Director for top grade start-ups like Myntra, Snapdeal, Urban Ladder, BlueStone, Zivame, Dream 11 and many more.
9. Vani, who is a renowned entrepreneur is also a fun lover. Her interest in trekking, made her climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Also, she ran multiple marathons. A Yoga enthusiast as she is , Meditation is what keeps her motivated, she claims.
Vani Kola, is an Inspirational figure and a guiding light, to every entrepreneur who dreams of making it big in the start-up space, not only in India but all over the world. The impact that she has on Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem can only be termed as phenomenal. Her knack for hand-picking start ups which show promise and turning them into enviable success stories, is an inspiring lesson in itself for both investors and venture capitalists alike.
