"Great entrepreneurs are entrusted with finding new challenges, discovering possible niche markets, reforming their original processes, and inventing", quotes Deepmala Gupta, the Founder of Cognerate. Established in 2019, Cognerate lays the road for the digital transformation of its clients. The firm offers accelerated digital experiences to aid customers in accomplishing their business objectives by utilizing Design Thinking and Artificial Intelligence. Furthermore, Cognerate's proprietary AI engine enables the firm to produce solutions up to two times quicker while retaining excellent quality. Cognerate's approach comprises co-creating solutions with clients and constantly inventing and adjusting them for long-term success.

Deepmala discovered her interest in programming and computers when she was ten years old, and also recalls spending her days in elementary school computer labs. Deepmala's fascination with computer programming drove her to seek a B.Tech - Computer Science degree. Deepmala spent her undergraduate years honing her programming abilities and learning new computer languages. In an exclusive interview, Deepmala describes the professional journey that has led to her transformation as an entrepreneur, as well as the milestones she has accomplished.

What motivated you to venture into establishing an organization that specializes in designing software applications by leveraging design thinking and artificial intelligence?

I secured a position at a startup after completion of my degree, and it was this endeavour that shaped who I am now. From the beginning of my career, I was actively involved in creating client connections while juggling a variety of tasks and activities. I improved my self-learning skills by figuring things out on my own with little help. Being a part of a team that lives on the precipice of success and failure helped me to witness failure up close and hate it less. The frequent ups and downs, as well as balancing several responsibilities, taught me the need for adaptation. I joined a well-known international firm after around five years, which allowed me to progress both vertically and horizontally. Working at a major firm benefited my knowledge growth and gave me a broader exposure to learn from and work with professionals from other fields. I improved my knowledge of biometrics and artificial intelligence.

Throughout my journey, I had the opportunity to work with several outstanding leaders and entrepreneurs who inspired me and instilled a feeling of possibility in me. I was also at a time in my life when I wished for greater flexibility and control over my life. Being your own boss liberates you from a variety of restraints in the realm of entrepreneurship. You may set your own hours, work from anywhere you choose, and create your own objectives and responsibilities. As an experienced AI practitioner, I wanted to build creative solutions that would help organizations solve problems and provide value to their customers. Today, the amount of data created by people and robots far outpace humans' capacity to consume, interpret, and make complex decisions based on that data. Artificial intelligence is the foundation for all computer learning, as well as the future of complex decision-making. At Cognerate, we strive to make software development more efficient, effective, and user-friendly.

Throw some light on your other venture, Firstweave. What is the objective that you aim to achieve through the organization?

Firstweave was established in the year 2020 as a result of an incredible experience that led us to discover a means to promote ethical handcrafted goods by indigenous tribes through e-Commerce. We encourage fair trade at Firstweave by utilizing sustainable materials and emphasizing the traditions of our local communities.

We think that we can do better as a community and as people. Let's face it: mass production is a dysfunctional system that doesn't take into account our environment or the individuals who create excellent items for us. We accept responsibility for our carbon impact and seek to develop inventive solutions to weave real sustainability throughout the supply chain, beginning with ourselves.

How do you keep yourself well aligned with the periodic evolutions occurring within your respective industry and technology domain?

First and foremost, I am a hands-on tech enthusiast. I appreciate experimenting with new programming platforms and taking part in online training. Mentoring, coaching, and educating aspiring technologists are other things I appreciate. Keeping up with technological news requires only a small portion of each day. I dedicate around 15-20 minutes of my daily time to technology news. I keep a close check on industry and tech company accounts on numerous platforms to stay up with what's new because I normally work with evolving technologies.

“If you get responses promptly, you'll make greater progress”

To discuss technology at work, I schedule regular meetings with co-workers, professionals from different departments, and industry peers. These networking meetings are an excellent opportunity to learn about new technology, how others are applying it, and what changes you might anticipate in your organization. On a regular basis, I also like visiting technological conferences and events. Meet with vendors and other startups to learn about their products, creative solutions, and technology.

As a successful business leader, what would your advice be to young women and girls aspiring to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?

Analyze what drives you to want to be an entrepreneur or what pushes you to want to be one, and question as much as you can. Most individuals avoided asking questions that would jeopardize their credibility. On the other side, entrepreneurship is all about inventing something new. Finding relevant questions, learning, changing the strategy, and creating new questions all require time. If you get responses promptly, you'll make greater progress. It's not an invitation to waste intelligent people's time by asking questions that can be answered with a Google search but don't be afraid to ask things that only a subject-matter expert would know and aren't easily available.

Women are stereotyped as not being good negotiators. And this might be one of the reasons for any gender wage disparities. Personally, I believe it is a significant factor. Hence, negotiate, negotiate, and negotiate more.

Deepmala Gupta, Founder, Cognerate

Deepmala completed her Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science from Punjab Technical University, and later earned her one-year learning course from the famed MIT Sloan Institute. Deepmala started her professional journey in 2000 working with Inde Associates Private Limited, and in her professional journey, she has been part of some prominent companies like HealthAsyst Private Ltd., Accenture and began her entrepreneur journey with Cognerate in 2019, followed by Firstweave.