From Founder to Funder: The Journey of Mala Ramakrishnan

Mala Ramakrishnan — founder of Progressive Ventures, serial entrepreneur, and investor — joins Indian Tech Icon Spotlight to share her journey from growing up in India to building companies, leading exits, and backing underrepresented founders in Silicon Valley.In this candid conversation, Mala reflects on starting her first company at 21, the power of belief and sponsorship, why women must think bigger when building startups, and how venture capital shapes economic outcomes. She also shares her vision for 50% representation in leadership, boardrooms, and venture-backed companies, along with practical advice for founders who want to build venture-scale businesses.A powerful episode on leadership, courage, ambition, and building long-term impact.__________________________________________________________Timestamps00:00 Intro and welcome to the spotlight01:00 Starting a company at 2102:10 The role of belief and early supporters03:10 Building first startups and early exits04:00 Why Mala started Progressive Ventures05:00 Barriers women face in leadership06:00 Rejecting the victim mindset07:00 Why women must step up and lead08:00 The vision for 50% representation09:10 Why venture capital drives real change10:00 Family, support systems, and balance11:00 Raising independent children while building companies12:20 Bay Area vs India startup ecosystems15:30 Why continuous learning matters17:40 Advice for women founders to think bigger19:00 What makes an idea venture-scale20:30 Working backward from big outcomes21:20 Rapid-fire23:30 Personal reflections and closing thoughts__________________________________________________________🔗 Connect with Mala Ramakrishnan → https://www.linkedin.com/in/malaramakrishnan🎧 Subscribe to the podcastYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnL3D6aI60R-cCvypFIkh4Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NIDE4cT5fuVjC3HaGbCDK?si=eoSTNmhqQNKHQl9d1Jx0UQApple Podcast: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/show/talking-to-the-leaders-of-ai-the-ceo-series-with-mala/22ad2bae-502b-4eb1-aa74-53bc79754db7Visit our Website: www.malaramakrishnan.com | www.founderscreative.ai