Shikha Shah

We convert agricultural waste to materials majorly for textiles. Given the intensity of Climate Change, sustainable materials for basic needs, like textiles, are imperative. Sustainable textiles like HEMP textiles are definitely desirable. But sustainability doesn't sell at scale if it isn't feasible and viable. This is why I founded AltMat, where we make sustainability feasible, viable and scale-able. At AltMat, we pull in sustainability, functionality and economic excellence in every inch of fibres and yarns we manufacture. These fibres are not only viable than ever before but are also compatible and scalable with the current textile infrastructure.

Company has been restructured- I continue to lead work under the flag name of AltMat.

As a curious grad student I started a company that bridges the gap between tech makers and tech user. Tech Makers are great at making tech but not necessarily Selling Tech. Similarly Tech Users might benefit a great deal from technologies like IoT, AI and analytics but not necessarily and picking the right tech fit. We bridged this. I learnt a great about tech and business while helping clients and vendors across continents. Later, to choose what I loved more, I successfully exited the company to pay attention to the one thing- to my company in alternative materials space- now one of the leading of its kind- AltMat.

Heading from business background, I ventured into execution of technical projects believing that academic degrees are not the only passports to venture into the desired fields. Having executed Knight Light project and going through Strategy Training with a global team, the next big break was working with the Drone Detection technology company's Founder, Mr. Andrew Bennet; Business Expert, Justin Manley. This taught me to gear up the self educating spirit, scout for rare confidential data, and entwine business and technology to chart out execution realities. A few of the tasks carried out were: • Analyzed Anti-drone industry and presented a report on the same. • Performed market and competition analysis to define most appropriate position of the firm in the market. • Designed business model and revenue streams for the tech start-up. • Studied market segmentation and developed value proposition and target market fit. • Formulated launch action plan for entering rare tech space.

Leading leaders is totally a different ball game. It brings learning and experience at exponential rate. This exposure was about the same. I leaded a group of entrepreneurs at Babson College - from different races, countries, age groups and industries. Each person in cohort was a founder/ leader/entrepreneur pursuing a start-up in different industry. My role was to help them achieve their goals. We decided weekly targets for each start-up, formed strategies to achieve them, reported the progress, discussed the failures and successes and took actions. In all as leader, I had to make my team set and achieve their goals. It was my thing to get value to their start-ups, it was my things to help them overcome their hurdles.

Being gratified by the opportunities to travel 4 continents in a year and getting trained in design thinking and entrepreneurship, I believe in the wealth of wisdom that such experiences bring. Start-up Island had the similar vision and wanted to study the feasibility of expanding into Asia, especially India. I was expected to to do the feasibility check and chart out the execution plan. Feasibility check was done by conducting both the primary and secondary research.

Adani introduced me to the MNC corporate culture of the publicly listed company. Being at the strategy control team of the group I got armed with the understanding of complexities and synergies that come with diversification, having subsidiaries and by having global operations. I was blessed to find my first corporate mentor Ashish Rajvanshi, Strategy President of Adani gorup who painted the true potential of leadership on the canvas of my curiosities about top management roles. Under his guidance I accomplished following 7 projects: • Analyzed the proposal for strategic partnership for Maglev Trains in India and recommended the action plan after first due-diligence process. • Analyzed Management information Systems with focus on integration between ERP software, SAP and HRM solution, Success Factors. Recommended steps for better integration. • Interviewed heads and module champions of SAP and SF from different SBUs to map the practices, point out the scope of cross-pollination of best practices and recommended the plan for consistency across MNC. • Analyzed the scope of strategic engagements with 2 international companies. • Prepared a report on political and security risk for the company in 2016-17. • Prepared data sheets, charts and graphs to map manpower vis-à-vis revenue, cost and EBIDTA. • Analyzed the relative performance of Business units and divisions of on-roll, contract and top management employees to provide insights for strategic planning of the group.

'Selling Art' was something I had often heard of, but never experienced it. Films, the form of art I admire, took me to a start-up called Friday Fiction FIlms (FFF). Through this experience and under the mentorship of Mr. Tanmay Shah, I discovered it is never about selling Art, it is about touching others life and creating an impact, expanding the perspectives, enhancing the mindsets (even if it is minuscule) or simply putting real life into reel with a purpose. This happens only when you put in understanding of life, observations and empathy in Art. At FFF we created social films, advertising scripts and corporate videos. It sharpened by observation skills and negotiation skills, because we made film with ZERO budget. Less financial resources is one thing but no financial resources is a different chapter, the chapter that was challenging and exciting. It kept me on toes. Key Tasks includes: • Designed innovative marketing ideations and strategies. • Charted marketing plans and recommended steps to build the public image of the start-up. • Convinced actors to work for free in 4 zero budget short films, releasing in consequent weeks. • Scouted for right script fit locations and convinced owners to avail them for free. • In the hour of emergency, acted in one of the films. • Documented synopsis for 26 films in creative ways, using prose, poems, and images.

After being actively involved in the social work and management studies for one year, I thought of combining the both fields. Thus, went ahead to experience Management of NGOs. While doing so I was involved in four projects: 1. Random acts of kindness 2. Evolution- infrastructure enhancement of schools 3. Cricket tournament for kindness 4. Lunch for kindness Key tasks are listed below: • Planned fund raising events, a lunch for educational scholarships for poor and a cricket tournament for infrastructure development at municipal schools. • Documented and presented a report and presentation on Infrastructure makeover of municipal schools due to our efforts, which was used to raise funds further. • Recruited volunteers for varied acts of kindness. • Networked with different universities for NGO’s spread and increase in volunteer base.