Articles by Sachi Shenoy
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Guest Articles
Monday
January 23
2023Lessons in Resilience: What an Impact Investor Learned from an Entrepreneur Who Refused to Give Up
Entrepreneurship is a long game, and winning often comes down to grit. One case in point: Arindam Dasgupta, the co-founder and CEO of Tamul Plates, who has built a thriving business in India despite the historic challenges of recent years. Sachi Shenoy at Calidris and Steve Schwartz at the World Economic Forum were early investors in Tamul Plates through Upaya Social Ventures, the impact investing firm they co-founded. They discuss what Dasgupta has taught them about the qualities and practices investors should look for when seeking resilient entrepreneurs.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
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Guest Articles
Thursday
September 8
2022Designing an Impact Measurement Strategy: What’s Your North Star?
As impact investing evolves, there are a growing number of impact measurement solutions available to investors and the ecosystem at large. But as Shruti Goel at Upaya Social Ventures and Sachi Shenoy at Calidris explain, the deluge of impact measurement data, frameworks and methods can be confusing. They share some key lessons Upaya has learned in its 11 years of supporting impactful entrepreneurs, and explore how investors can develop a robust measurement strategy that helps them understand the breadth and depth of their impact.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing, Social Enterprise
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Guest Articles
Tuesday
February 2
2021When ‘Hibernation’ Is Not an Option: How a Small Business in India Fought to Stay Alive During the Pandemic
Soon after the COVID-19 lockdown started, Lal10 – a social enterprise that connects India’s indigenous artisans to formal markets – faced cratering demand for its standard products, like saris and other textiles. As Sachi Shenoy at Upaya Social Ventures explains, in order to survive, the company essentially had to start over. She explores how Lal10 managed to quickly pivot to meet the intense demand for personal protective equipment, while continuing to connect its artisans to dignified work – and building a more efficient company in the process.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Social Enterprise
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Guest Articles
Tuesday
September 8
2020A New Status Quo for Workers: Shaping A Good Jobs Recovery from COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic wiped out 30 million jobs in the U.S. in the first four months, and an estimated 120 million jobs in India. As the U.S. celebrates Labor Day, Bulbul Gupta at Pacific Community Ventures and Sachi Shenoy at Upaya Social Ventures argue that recovery from this crisis will require more than a return to the pre-COVID status quo. It will require impact investors, business leaders, governments and others to create "the kinds of jobs that uplift their communities to a better tomorrow."
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Investing
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Guest Articles
Monday
March 19
2018On Pioneering Capital, Mentorship and Accelerators: It Turns Out You Can Do (A Lot) More With Less
Less than 3 percent of impact investment funds made their way to early-stage ventures in 2017. Sachi Shenoy and Nathan Byrd of Upaya Social Ventures believe the impact investing sector must do better. After several years of investing pioneer capital in social enterprises, they offer several solutions that take advantage of a "less is more" philosophy.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing, Social Enterprise