#27: Hardware business: building products and teams that survive any storm (or flood) - Polina Mikhaylova

Nadine Mezher was eager to spearhead change in habits and attitudes to handling money in the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa). She wanted to democratise access to investing and make it available to not only the ultra rich. Nadine co-founded Sarwa, a platform for investment and personal finance. In 2022, Forbes recognised Nadine among 20 women behind Middle Eastern tech brands. A fashion professional and owner of her own design house in the past, Nadine unpacks the concept of growth mindset in business and private life.Topics we discuss:Anticipating shifts in consumer behaviour early and being ahead of the curveConverting setbacks and struggles into fuel for growthThe art and science of branding and performance marketing: what really makes customers love your productTeam management: Pivoting the career trajectory of your people to unlock their potentialAdaptability that comes from facing hardships like political instability or warAbout Nadine Mezher (guest):Nadine co-founded Sarwa, a one-stop platform for investment and personal finance, after years of consultancy and executive roles in growth strategies for government entities as well as multi-national corporates. She comes from a multi-disciplinary background with over 18 years of experience in growth strategies across industries and geographies. Nadine is an award-winning regular speaker on global platforms on topics of business ownership and hacking growth, Fintech, and women in the workforce. Nadine is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.About Darya Kamkalova (host):Darya is a data industry professional, a startup mentor, and a speaker. She is committed to narrowing the gender investment gap for female founders and diverse teams. Darya is based in Berlin, Germany.Venturing Women website:https://www.venturingwomen.org/Follow us on social media:Instagram - LinkedInDisclaimer:No information in this podcast episode should be considered as an investment advice.

How do you launch an innovative business in uncharted territories? Alina Bassi realised she could apply principles of coffee waste management to recycle textiles into… plastics. A chemical engineer, she launched Kleiderly in a foreign country, with no language skills, and out of network. She masterfully addresses challenges of two industries simultaneously: textile waste management and plastics manufacturing.Main topics:Is it a good idea to donate used clothes?Think like an engineer: use materials in an unconventional senseThe most beneficial thing to do for an out-of-natural-habitat founderFrom a fear of failure to ‘Wow, I could do that. So what else can I do?’What if you’re pitching and your potential investor is yawning?About Alina Bassi (guest):Alina Bassi is a chemical engineer turned impact entrepreneur, with a passion for creating a more sustainable and equitable future. After 7 years in the biofuels and waste recycling space, she co-founded Kleiderly, a textile recycling startup. She is an impact investor and the co-founder of Founderland - a non-profit that supports women of colour to raise investment. She was on the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2020, and has been featured in Vogue, Wired, and Germany’s Shark Tank. She is an Obama Leader, TEDx speaker and advisor to over 50+ women-led startups.About Darya Kamkalova (host):Darya is a data industry professional, a startup mentor, and a speaker. She is committed to narrowing the gender investment gap for female founders and diverse teams. Darya is based in Berlin, Germany.Venturing Women website:https://www.venturingwomen.org/Follow us on social media:Instagram - LinkedIn

All-women startup teams receive less than 3% of the venture capital globally whilst male-led startups collect 89% of it. And as if this statistics wasn’t depressing enough, the trend is negative. It’s getting worse every year.Venture capital investors share their views on the reasons behind such disparity. What are its consequences? What are we as a society missing out if this gap perpetuates? And how can we possibly bridge it?About guests:Lucy Chow is the General Partner at the World Business Angels Investment Forum and a member of the steering committee of the movement 2022 Female Angels. Lucy has been recently recognized by Arabian Business as one of 50 Inspiring Female Business Leaders 2022.Katie Wachsberger is the Co-Founder of DANA Global, an Abu Dhabi based venture builder and investment platform for women-led startups in desert tech, including agritech, foodtech, renewable energy, water solutions, and circular economy. Medea Nocentini is Senior Partner at Global Ventures, an international venture capital firm. She is also the Founder of Companies Creating Change (C3), a UAE-based social enterprise helping impact-driven entrepreneurs in the Middle East and Africa to unlock their growth potential and maximize their positive impact on the community. Vera Futorjanski is the CEO & Founder of Veritas Ventures, a global strategic advisory firm. She is also an investor at Launch Africa Ventures. Vera is on the steering committee of the 2022 Female Angels. She is a serial entrepreneur and is currently building a community for female leaders.About Darya Kamkalova (host):Darya is a data industry professional, a startup mentor, a co-founder of Manifest Taproom (a craft beer bar in Berlin), and a speaker. She is committed to narrowing the gender investment gap for female founders and diverse teams. Darya is based in Berlin, Germany.About this episode: This episode was recorded at the Women’s Empowerment Convention organised by the Women’s Empowerment Council. WE Council is dedicated to empowering women to achieve their goals, ambitions, and dreams. The event took place in the Dubai Opera on March 8, 2023. The next Women's Empowerment Convention will take place on November 11-12 in Dubai. Venturing Women website:https://www.venturingwomen.org/Follow us on social media:Instagram - LinkedIn

Many businesses start with the future founders trying to solve an issue they face personally. FemTech startups (female technology) are no exception. Here, however, many areas are emotionally loaded and wrapped into layers of taboos.Fatoumata Ly shares how her own story of trying to conceive evolved into addressing the centuries-old issue countless women face. Fatoumata is now building Ninti, a company that provides digital solutions for personalised care around sexual and reproductive health.Topics we discuss:Raising awareness around reproductive health and breaking taboos in the workplace. Are employers ready? And employees?How to convert horrible customer stories about pain, loss or trauma into a company vision and a product, and keep building despite own heartbreaking circumstancesHow much vulnerability and authenticity a founder can affordHow can passion be treated differently based on who is displaying it. Is it a strength or a weakness?Does everyone have the luxury to just… be?About Fatoumata Ly (guest):Fatoumata Ly is a Franco-Guinean entrepreneur, currently a co-founder of Ninti, a company that provides digital solutions for personalised care around sexual and reproductive health. She is also a member of the board of directors of SISTA, a French NGO that focuses on reducing the funding gap between male and female entrepreneurs.Fatoumata is committed to putting women at the centre of the healthcare and entrepreneurship system. She actively works to reduce gender inequalities in the areas of reproductive health and entrepreneurship, with a soft spot for emerging markets.About Darya Kamkalova (host):Darya is a data industry professional, a startup mentor, and a speaker. She is committed to narrowing the gender investment gap for female founders and diverse teams. Darya is based in Berlin, Germany.Venturing Women website:https://www.venturingwomen.org/Follow us on social media:Instagram - LinkedIn

‘Be the change you want to see in the world’ sounds like a fulfilling life motto. But how do you put it into practice? How do you leave a positive mark in the world and enjoy the ride along the way? Ultimately, we all have just one life to experiment with.Jacqueline van den Ende aims to unlock 1 billion dollars of capital to help power climate solutions. That’s a big dent in the world to make! Jacqueline is a founder turned investor turned founder, twice over. A true adventurer, she moved to the Philippines to launch a startup, then ran a team of 500 as a CEO.  Now, she is building Carbon Equity, the world’s first impact investing platform.Topics we discuss:Why Jacqueline is building an impact investment platform to channel more money to sustainable startups. Why investing in startups moves the needle whilst investing on stock exchange does notHow to find what uniquely positions you for driving changeThe only difference Jacqueline-the-investor saw between herself and founders who sent her pitch decksFundraising technique ‘Ask Don’t Tell’, or how to create FOMO among investorsWe recorded this episode at the Impact Shakers Summit in Brussels, in May 2023, the first European startup event focusing on inclusive entrepreneurship and impact. Impact Shakers is an impact entrepreneurship ecosystem tackling complex societal challenges through inclusive entrepreneurship.About Jacqueline van den Ende:Jacqueline van den Ende is co-founder of Amsterdam-based climate fintech company Carbon Equity. Carbon Equity is a climate venture capital and private equity fund investing fintech platform. Carbon Equity was founded with the mission to unlock retail capital at scale to power breakthrough climate technologies whilst enabling more equitable ownership.Jacqueline brings a unique perspective as a founder turned investor turned founder, twice over. She worked at HAL Investments and at Peak Capital. The other half of her career she spent building and leading companies, including De Kleine Consultant, online real estate marketplace Lamudi (backed by Rocket Internet) and fintech scale-up TrueMoney (backed by Ant Financial).About Darya Kamkalova:Darya is a data industry professional, a startup mentor, and a speaker. She is committed to narrowing the gender investment gap for female founders and diverse teams. Darya is based in Berlin, Germany.

Can you become a better leader in 2 min a day? Yes according to Darja Gutnick, Co-Founder & CEO of Bunch, an AI leadership coach. Darja also shares her own story of how losing key people on her team and going through a split-up with her co-founder made her better leader.Topics we discuss:How can data help you to answer the deepest question about yourself?How technology and AI tools specifically can and cannot support our growth and career development. Micro-learning.Can you rely on ChatGPT and similar tools while creating content?Is it good for a leader to be a good problem solver?What do you do if your startup feels like a sinking ship?About Darja Gutnick:Darja Gutnick is Co-Founder & CEO at Bunch. She is a serial entrepreneur and maker, pushing the boundaries of her field with an ambitious vision to bring the power of a coach to every professional in the world. Darja is a passionate product builder, organisational psychologist, leadership coach, and 2x founder. She has helped over 100k professionals to upskill their leadership & career skills. She is specifically passionate about recommendation engines and AI powered approaches, and has led the important product and go-to-market iterations that have defined Bunch’s journey and success so far.About Darya Kamkalova:Darya is a data industry professional, a startup mentor, and a speaker. She is committed to narrowing the gender investment gap for female founders and diverse teams. Darya is based in Berlin, Germany.Venturing Women website:https://www.venturingwomen.org/Follow us on social media:Instagram - LinkedIn

Mental health and marketplaces - both are hot topics! Isn’t it a great idea to build a marketplace for mental health services? Viktoria Lindner and Leonie Ellerbrock, co-founders of Mindsurance, share a story of launching such a marketplace and then walking away from this model.Topics we discuss:What’s the difference between building a perk (a nice-to-have) and a sticky product that delivers true valueWeaknesses of marketplaces as a business modelHow investors can make a difference in your startup journey and what to look out for while choosing yoursFounder mindset necessary to build a venture-backed startupAbout Viktoria Lindner (guest):Viktoria is CEO & Co-Founder of Mindsurance, a digital mental healthcare platform that connects employees with therapists, coaches and digital mental health tools. Viktoria is a serial founder with more than 6 years of experience in the HR Tech space. She studied clinical psychology and founded her first startup DIMPACT in 2018 which she bootstrapped to a 7-figure revenue. In 2021, she started Mindsurance with a mission to remove the barriers to mental health care for employees.About Leonie Ellerbrock (guest):Leonie is COO & Co-Founder of Mindsurance. Leonie is a Berliner and joined the local startup ecosystem by 2011. She led teams in business development and operations, and has a deep interest in the MedTech area. Leonie holds a B.Sc. in Psychology and Business.About Darya Kamkalova (host):Darya is a data industry professional, a startup mentor, and a speaker. She is committed to narrowing the gender investment gap for female founders and diverse teams. Darya is based in Berlin, Germany.Venturing Women website:https://www.venturingwomen.org/Follow us on social media:Instagram - LinkedIn

Can FOMO (fear of missing out) be a market opportunity? Sonia Weymuller realised many people were seeking ways to invest into tech startups and be a part of the startup buzz. Yet, there was no platform in the MENA region to do so.Sonia Weymuller is a Co-Founder and General Partner of VentureSouq (VSQ), a MENA-based venture capital firm, and Partner Lead for the VSQ Conscious Collective, its global impact-focused investment and educational platform.Topics we cover:building a venture capital firm like a startup,why relationships between investors and founders are like marriage,how to build an ideal capital table and treat your investors like a team of allies,why investors should create a safe space for founders to be open and vulnerable,how to make a choice between building a lifestyle business and a venture-backed startup.About Sonia Weymuller:Sonia Weymuller is a Co-Founder and General Partner of VentureSouq (VSQ), a MENA-based venture capital firm, and Partner Lead for the VSQ Conscious Collective, its global impact-focused investment and educational platform. She is driven by a mission to support founders harnessing the power of technology to address tangible societal, economic, and environmental challenges.Sonia is an advisor to Village Capital’s Sustainability MENA Program and jury member for the Cartier Women’s Initiative. She is also a board member for the Middle East Venture Capital Association, and a Kauffman Fellow.About Darya Kamkalova:Darya is a data industry professional, a startup mentor, and a speaker. She is committed to narrowing the gender investment gap for female founders and diverse teams. Darya is based in Berlin, Germany.Venturing Women website:https://www.venturingwomen.org/Follow us on social media:Instagram - LinkedIn

Polina Mikhaylova co-founded KNOT, a micromobility company, in 2015, long before shared scooters came into vogue. Terms like ‘free-floating’ or ‘swappable batteries’ didn’t exist yet. Polina is a true enthusiast of docking stations. Can they be the future of shared micromobility?Topics:Users in big cities are spoiled with easy access to shared scooters and bikes which comes at a cost of safety and environmental impact. How can mobility companies and cities change user behaviour in favour of docking stations?Why outsourcing can be totally disastrous for a hardware company.How to validate ideas and build prototypes for hardware solutions. The magic triad ‘software-electronics-hardware’. Where do you start?How to conquer foreign markets with a small teamHow to build technology that can survive a flood (2 meters under water!)About Polina Mikhaylova:Polina Mikhaylova is a co-founder of KNOT, provider of sharing and charging infrastructure for micromobility, bikes and scooters, with a presence in 10 countries. She is also an active member of a local startup community in the city of Strasbourg with a passion for non-ordinary events and cooperation between French and German founders. In her previous life, she was a project manager for scale-up European environmental projects thanks to a strong financial background.About Darya Kamkalova (host):Darya is a data industry professional, a startup mentor, a co-founder of Manifest Taproom (a craft beer bar in Berlin), and a speaker. She is committed to narrowing the gender investment gap for female founders and diverse teams. Darya is based in Berlin, Germany.About Irina Vakatova (co-host):Irina is a product professional with background in operational excellence. She works at TIER Mobility, e-scooter and e-bike sharing operator striving to make cities more livable and transportation more sustainable.Venturing Women website:https://www.venturingwomen.org/Follow us on social media:Instagram - LinkedIn

This is a joint episode with the Female Business Angel Podcast hosted by Katia Yakovleva and Bettine Schmitz. We launched our shows more or less at the same time, one year ago. Darya, Bettine and Katia talk about one year of podcasting, their learnings, angel investing and the outlook for female founders.About Katia YakovlevaKatia is a Berlin-based entrepreneur currently working on her next venture. Previously, she had spent more than a decade at Spotify and co-founded a web3 analytics startup. She is an active angel investor and - a mentor at Techstars and other startup accelerators.About Bettine SchmitzBettine is a believer in the unharnessed potential of female founders. To this end she set up Auxxo - an investment company focusing on female entrepreneurs. Prior to that, she accelerated nearly 100 companies at Axel Springer Plug and play and has made nearly 20 angel investments.About Darya Kamkalova:Darya is a data industry professional, a startup mentor, a co-founder of Manifest Taproom (a craft beer bar in Berlin), and a speaker. She is committed to narrowing the gender investment gap for female founders and diverse teams. Darya is based in Berlin, Germany.Venturing Women website:https://www.venturingwomen.org/Follow us on social media:Instagram - LinkedInFemale Business Angels Podcast on social media:Instagram - LinkedIn