Day 1 of Mentor on Road, USA

“If the mind is intensely eager, everything can be accomplished—mountains can be crumbled into atoms.”

Swami Vivekananda

So, the D- Day has finally arrived!!

Day 1 of #mentoronroadusa in Boston began with a quick session at the World Trade Center in Boston. 

The WTC Boston is a focal point for international activity in New England. It houses the US Export Assistance Center, including the US Department of Commerce and other trade-related organizations. It offers one of the largest regional venues for international trade and business meetings, exhibitions and conventions.

                   

                                            WTC, Boston

Through the WTC Institute, WTC Boston works with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Port Authority, local universities and industry councils to host visiting trade delegations, provide business data and organize match-making programs.

For Mentor on Road, the USCS authorities from US government exchange office were additionally present and it was good interacting with them. It was interesting to note that a few of the difficulties confronted by American SMB's (Small and Medium Businesses) were similar to those faced by SMB's in India. India is a huge market for American organizations, however they require social perspectives of the actual ground realities for doing business in India. Few action points from the meetings will be taken forward.

At WTC, Boston

Day 1 of #mentoronroadusa meeting number 2, was with women entrepreneurs and individuals from Center for Women Enterprises (CWE) in Boston which is upheld by Small Business Administration. SBA is an agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Andrea Silbert Founder and CEO of the Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE), one of the largest non-profit entrepreneurial training centers in the country, came back to the place where she grew up in Boston in 1994 following a two-year spell in South America, she carried with her a thought for a non-profit which facilitates the availability of easy loans for women visionaries. 

That was the ideology preceding the foundation of this enterprise. I showcased practical examples to them on how women empowerment in India is evolving with aspects such as selection of women Industrial Parks of CWE, the Stand up India program and its relevance to CWE, insurance free loans, and the social aspects of women cooperation in Indian economy. The social contrasts amongst American and Indian SMBs in context to business culture were shared.

Center for Women Enterprises event with MoR,USA in Boston

It was pleasing to note that when the meeting was over, three women owned businesses, messaged me for subsequent stages and one-to-one meetings.Women owned businesses representing real estate biz, student settlement services biz, designing services, textile design services, women biz growth fund etc had participated. Had an active Q/A session. I realized that the biggest challenge faced by American women owned business is not ideas but capital.

Day 1 of #mentoronroadusa meeting 3 was with Mr. Praveen Tailam, President of TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) Boston and his manager Ms. Laura. TiE, is a non-profit organization in Cambridge, Massachusetts. TiE Boston has been supporting entrepreneurs by offering education, mentorship, networking, and funding opportunities since 1997. 

The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), was founded in 1992 in Silicon Valley by a group of successful entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and senior professionals with roots in the Indus region. There are currently 13,000 members, including over 2,500 charter members in 61 chapters across 18 countries.

Later on we had a one on one meet where I attempted to comprehend the outlook of American new businesses on India as a market. It was fascinating to discover that India still does not feature prominently on the global markets radar of these youthful new companies as they are yet attempting to organize and move their products/services from the product advancement stage.

With President OF TiE Boston

We also visited the collaborating space office which is around Harvard Business School. In 2017, HBS was tied for 1st by U.S. News & World Report. No. 1 in the U.S. by Bloomberg Business week, and 4th in the world by the Financial Times.

HBS belongs to the M7 group of elite MBA programs which recognize each other as peers, consisting of Chicago Booth, Columbia, Harvard, Kellogg, MIT Sloan, Stanford, and Wharton. The school offers a large full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, HBX and many executive education programs.

Superb single seater offices to numerous lodges. Awesome cafeteria, picturesque views, sports areas, work stations, support offices, telephones, positive work environment, cooperation, coaching - all are the elements of an example of a success story. We require lots of such facilities in India. Each town of India needs 10 such facilities to harness the spirit of Indian youth into profitable new businesses.

                                       Harvard Business School

Later on we stopped at McDonald's for a quick bite, then drove back to my Hartford camp.

Jai ho (Let victory be yours)!