Leaders
The survival of Humankind is currently facing one of the most dangerous threats due to an ever-growing population and an increasing deficiency of natural resources. Other factors, such as climate change and poor economic infrastructures are adding to the woes. Among the various suggestions developed by scientists and economists, one particular solution stands out. The Circular Economy concept is a sustainable economic system driven by renewable sources and energy, maximizes resources. Once a resource is used, instead of being dumped as waste, it returns to the beginning of a closed loop to be reused, reducing the amount of waste left.
After a fruitful career in diverse sectors, such as blogging, content creation, and eCommerce, Ushma Upadhyaya discovered the circular economy concept. Fascinated with the idea, she joined the Circular Economy Alliance as a Communication Officer and has enthusiastically trained individuals and professionals on the benefits of the Circular Economy model.
In an exclusive interview with Women Entrepreneur, Ushma shares her early education and experience, the underlying idea behind Circular Economy Alliance, and much more:
Shed some light on your early educational journey and prior industry experience that you both bring to the table.
During my childhood, I was more into extra-curricular activities than studies. However, the whole equation changed during my high school days, and I suddenly became a more studious individual who cared about studies and merits. While studying for a bachelor's degree in communications, I pursued a one-year course in Electronic Media in parallel as I wanted to explore the electronic media industry further. Later I earned my master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a specialization in electronic media from Jagran Lakecity University, Bhopal. At the same time, I completed several other diplomas and certifications, including a certification in Electronic Media at the University of Arts, London, which widened my horizon and gave me a new perspective on thinking broadly.
My social media experience started already in high school when I began writing blogs, and created my own YouTube channel. I completed several internships in radio, local television,
and production houses during my college days. These experiences helped me land a job with the University radio and broadcast channel. As part of campus placement, I secured a position as a Full stack Content Producer for WittyFeed, one of the leading digital content creation companies at the time. At WittyFeed, I had the opportunity to both host and produce several lifestyle shows. After one and a half years there, I joined as a Community Producer at an e-Commerce platform named Bikayi, where I discovered sustainability concepts and was introduced to Circular Economy theory. The more I read, the more excited and driven I became. Luckily, I got the opportunity to enter the domain through Circular Economy Alliance which elevated my sustainability journey significantly.
"Don’t be overly specific about your goals in the beginning of your career as it limits your ability to explore new opportunities"
Define Circular Economy Alliance as an organization and its position in the industry.
Circular economy alliance (CEA) leverages the impact of knowledge and education in facilitating the transition towards a circular future. By providing easy-to-implement, practical, yet disruptive actions, we motivate and encourage people and organizations to assist in the transition and be part of the change. We seek to upskill and reskill the workforce, influencing people to join the march to achieve collective change.
We bring together stakeholders with a genuine interest in the domain to support the transition from a linear economy to a circular one. We support and encourage the shift to Circular Economy by offering certification in the domain. Our certification program serves both established professionals as well as newcomers in the field of circular economy. Administered by the École des Ponts Business School and the Circular Economy Alliance, the certification process serves under the auspices of the Circular Economy Research Center (CERC), which provides its research track record credibility to the body of knowledge.
What are the various responsibilities you shoulder as the Communication Officer at Circular Economy Alliance?
My role as the communication officer at Circular Economy alliance is quite dynamic. The management doesn’t believe in micromanaging or limiting employees, which gives us great freedom to learn and grow as employees and find the best solutions to our assigned tasks and responsibilities. While I primarily work in the communication department, I am also involved at various levels in different departments, such as social media and marketing. I also plan to try my hand at writing soon, seizing the opportunity of having brilliant authors surrounding me.
What are some of the most critical challenges you face as a communications professional and how do you take to mitigate them?
Honestly, I have never faced any critical challenges as I have been continuously guided by my mentor, Joyce Halloun, at Circular Economy Alliance. Even though the communication domain was new to me professionally, she has guided me throughout the process. When you work on a platform that engages individuals around the globe, you have to ensure that everything is professional and polished. In the beginning, it was a bit challenging as I was starting from scratch and had a lot to learn about the concept of circular economy and sustainability. However, research, hard work, and of course the correct guidance made things move quite smoothly for me.
Drawing from your experience as a business leader, what would your advice be to young women and girls who also aspire to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?
For individuals who aspire to become Communication Officers, there are a few factors they should consider in order to succeed in the field. First authenticity, which automatically enhances your expertise. Nowadays, people want to be able to relate to others, and they will trust you if they see something relatable and transparent in you. Another thing that works brilliantly for me is having a good balance between my soft skills and technical skills. Finally, I recommend the importance of staying abreast of the latest trends and updates in everyone's domain and working accordingly.
Ushma Upadhyaya, Communication Officer, Circular Economy Alliance
After a fruitful career in blogging, content creation, and e-Commerce working for reputed firms such as WittyFeed and Bikayi, Ushma is currently working as the Communication Officer at Circular Economy Alliance. Ushma holds a Master’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a specialization in electronic media from Jagran Lakecity University, Bhopal, as well as a certification in Electronic Media from the University of Arts, London.
