Leaders
In the realm of Indian women education leaders from Asia, Priya Sengupta stands out as a visionary entrepreneur who is reshaping the landscape of education and technology. As the Founder and CEO of LifeVitae, an AI and ML-based start-up, Priya is on a mission to address the glaring lack of career and education counselling for the majority of children in emerging markets like India and Indonesia. With a vision to bridge the gap and provide personalized guidance to students, Priya's innovative approach is empowering the next generation of learners.
Driven by her passion for education and the desire to provide a platform-based solution for children to express themselves beyond grades, Priya founded LifeVitae. Guided by the UN WHO life skills model, the start-up developed an AI-driven platform that offers students personalized guidance to navigate their educational and career paths. With a focus on accessibility, affordability, and scientific validity, Priya and her team strive to ensure that every child has the necessary support and enabling high school counsellors with tools for success.
What are some important facets of your life and professional journey?
I am a woman entrepreneur who has founded an AI and ML-based start-up in education and technology. Our start-up’s focus is on addressing the lack of democratized resources for career and education counselling for over 99 percent of children in emerging markets like India and Indonesia. We aim to change this situation. Currently, only about one percent of students in the emerging markets of Asian countries have access to guidance and a clear path to success. Many students face challenges and setbacks on their journey. To tackle this issue, our start-up provides an early action plan for students using AI technology, minimizing human intervention.
Through our platform, students receive personalized guidance to navigate their education and career choices. Our aim is to bridge the gap and ensure that every child has the necessary support and guidance. Empowering students and equipping them with the tools for success is our goal.
Brief us about your education, industry experience, and the inspiration behind establishing LifeVitae. Also, highlight the venture's key areas of expertise.
I graduated in Mathematics from IIT Kharagpur and later pursued an MBA from IIM Lucknow. Initially I worked in an NBFC in India, later shifted to real estate research and consulting, first in India and then in Singapore, where I am currently based. During my professional journey, I entered the field of education as an adjunct lecturer at Fore School of Management and Ngee Ann Real Estate School of Business. This marked my entry into education and sparked my interest in the impact space. Volunteering with organizations like the People's Association and SINDA in Singapore, I closely interacted with underprivileged children and realized how their early educational challenges and a lack of guidance significantly affect their progress. This realization drove me to address the issue and create an affordable platform where children can go beyond grades to express themselves. Inspired by the UN WHO life skills model, which encompasses six parameters that every individual possesses, I developed a priori model to tackle this problem. With a strong dedication to making a difference in the lives of children, I embarked on this journey in 2019.
Tell us about the responsibilities you shoulder as the founder of LifeVitae. What are your key focus areas in terms of driving growth for the company?
As the founder of LifeVitae, my responsibilities encompass developing the product and making it accessible to rural and semi-urban areas of India and Indonesia. I prioritize keeping the product affordable, which led to building it in-house rather than relying on costly licenses. I collaborated with colleagues from prestigious institutions to develop the product using scientific methods and conducted extensive testing to ensure its validity.
"Our aim is to bridge the gap and ensure that every child has the necessary support and guidance. Empowering students and equipping them with the tools for success is our goal"
To drive growth, our main areas of focus are product development and innovation. We prioritize maintaining the highest quality standards, ensuring that every aspect meets our specifications on service delivery. Due to our target audience’s fleeting attention span, we continuously innovate and introduce at least one new product feature every month. People development is very vital to us. We foster a close-knit environment, considering our team members as friends rather than colleagues. We hold regular team meetings that combine work and fun, fostering personal connections and camaraderie within the company.
What challenges do you face as an edtech entrepreneur and how do you overcome them? What are some key milestones in your professional journey?
As an edtech entrepreneur, I face critical challenges related to rural internet bandwidth, limited device accessibility, and securing funding. To overcome these challenges, we have developed innovative solutions for smooth product functioning in low connectivity areas and accommodated device availability within a limited timeframe. Ongoing fundraising efforts have yielded promising conversations with supporters who recognize the importance of our work.
Through my professional journey, I achieved academic success, secured prestigious jobs, and transitioned to the academic sector where teaching and mentoring became my passion. I have been recognized and invited by educational institutions in Singapore, but the most significant milestone for me has been guiding and supporting students, witnessing and celebrating their growth and success. Volunteering with underprivileged students and providing educational opportunities has been a rewarding aspect of my career shift.
Tell us about your leadership philosophy. What advice do you have for aspiring women entrepreneurs?
My leadership philosophy is collaborative and hands-on. I believe in leading by example and actively participating in day-to-day operations. As a technology company, we have frequented commits every 15 days, and during these crucial periods, I work closely with my team, testing and collaborating alongside them. No task is too small or trivial, and attention to detail is critical for me.
For women entrepreneurs, my advice is to focus on the product/service. Once it directly addresses customer needs and solves their problems, the leader's gender becomes less significant. Honing the product to resonate with customers to deliver value has been my key driver. Revenues and success are not gender-specific in my opinion; the goal is to scale up and expand across regions, languages, and sectors. Customer-centricity and effective communication should be at the core of any business. By addressing customer needs and providing a seamless user experience, the founder's gender becomes secondary to the value delivered.
