Big plans for a ripple effect in entrepreneurship
'A social entrepreneur can’t just teach a person to fish, but must revolutionize the entire fishing industry,' says Olivia Deka
Olivia Deka started her networking and mentoring group in 2018 as a college project, but soon realized the potential it had to change the lives of young women around the country. She for Change nurtures and fosters young women with an entrepreneurial and leadership mindset by connecting them with mentors and leaders in various industries.
“I realized that I have certain privileges and I had built my network in such a way that I could bring change if I took it on seriously. That is when I decided to focus on it full time,” says Deka.
Growing up in a gender-neutral household has a lot to do with her taking up the fight for gender equality and leadership.
“I would often ask myself, why are my parents different from other parents? Or why is my dad okay doing this work but other men are not?,” she says. Finding people who can help without thinking about monetary aid has been challenging, especially since She for Change is a self-funded non-profit venture. “Challenges are always there. It is more about how you overcome such barriers,” she says.
“I was never influenced by Gandhi as a person but he could align many people with one single goal and that has inspired me a lot,” says Deka, who now recognizes his as the mindset of a social entrepreneur who had pushed the country towards independence.
“A social entrepreneur’s job is not to teach a person how to fish, but to revolutionize the entire fishing industry. We must strategize every move carefully so that every action can have a ripple effect,” she adds.
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First Published:1 Oct 2019, 11:31 PM IST
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