Champions with Chequebook$

About Champions with Chequebook$

Welcome to the Women In Investing podcast, Champions with Chequebook$, where the members of our network talk about their investment journey, their learnings and white spaces in the market that are waiting to be disrupted! Women in Investing is a community of capital allocators and venture capitalists. We were founded in 2017 to create a platform for women investors and we’re excited to say that after hundreds of meet ups, master classes, mentoring programs and collaborations… we’re almost 400 members strong. We hope you enjoy and benefit from these conversations.

Publisher

Women in Investing Network

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

4 Mar 2024

Latest episode

1 Feb 2026

Latest episodes

12 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Feb 2026

   Mastering Exits with Lavanya, Partner at Trifecta Capital

   🎙️ CHAMPIONS WITH CHECKBOOKS | The Holy Grail of Venture Capital: Mastering Exits with Lavanya, Partner at Trifecta CapitalIn this power-packed episode, we dive deep into the world of venture capital exits with Lavanya, Partner at Trifecta Capital, who brings 18+ years of experience across growth equity investing and investment banking. From Goldman Sachs to SPO Partners to leading Trifecta's growth equity practice, Lavanya has seen it all—and she's here to share the secrets.💡 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:✅ The Art of Exits: Real stories from billion-dollar exits including PBS Logistics (5x return in 8 years) and Ixigo's successful IPO journey✅ When to Wait & When to Sell: Why patience with winners can transform lackluster returns into exceptional ones✅ Preparing for IPO: Critical insights on founder readiness and business model maturity before going public✅ The 3 Fatal Mistakes: Hiring pitfalls, capital raising traps, and expansion missteps that can derail your growth journey✅ Surviving Market Cycles: How to stay grounded when markets swing between euphoria and despair✅ From Series C to Exit: Practical advice for founders navigating the growth stage and preparing for liquidity🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS:"It's never as good as you think. It's never as bad as you think." — Lavanya's mantra for navigating venture cycles• Why $25B+ in exits last year signals a new era for Indian venture capital• The importance of being "truth-seeking" as an investor, regardless of market conditions • How Trifecta invests across Series C to pre-IPO stages with $15M average checks• Why business needs should drive capital decisions, not the other way around🔥 RAPID FIRE HIGHLIGHTS:• Lavanya's biggest inspiration? John Scully of SPO Partners (62 and still passionate about learning!)• Most impressive founder pitch? Aadit Palicha of Zepto (decided to skip Stanford during COVID to build India's 10-minute delivery revolution)• Fun fact: Lavanya manifested having twin boys at age 10... and the universe delivered in 2016!📚 BOOK RECOMMENDATION:"The Covenant of Water" by Abraham Verghese — one of Oprah's top 3 books ever!💼 ABOUT TRIFECTA CAPITAL:Trifecta invests in Series C and beyond, supporting founders from growth stage through their last private round. With a 150+ company venture debt portfolio and deep ecosystem networks, they're bridging the gap in India's growth stage funding landscape.⚡ ABOUT CHAMPIONS WITH CHECKBOOKS:A podcast by Women in Investing Network (WII), a 500+ member community of women investors in India. We bring you candid conversations with leading investors, uncovering the strategies, stories, and insights that drive successful venture investing.🎧 TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Introduction01:00 Lavanya's Journey: From Goldman Sachs to Trifecta Capital04:00 About Trifecta Capital's Growth Equity Practice08:00 The Art of Exits: Real Stories & Key Learnings13:00 PBS Logistics Exit: The Power of Patience17:00 Ixigo's IPO Journey: Timing is Everything18:00 The 3 Biggest Founder Mistakes at Growth Stage23:00 Navigating Market Cycles with Sanity26:00 Rapid Fire Round---👉 SUBSCRIBE for more insights from India's leading investors💬 COMMENT below: What's your biggest question about venture exits?🔔 TURN ON notifications to never miss an episode#VentureCapital #Exits #IPO #GrowthEquity #StartupFunding #IndianStartups #WomenInvesting #TrifectaCapital #InvestingPodcast #Founders #SeriesC #VCInsights---📧 Want to connect with Trifecta Capital? Series C+ founders building great businesses are encouraged to reach out.🌐 Join WII (Women in Investing Network): Building India's strongest community of women investors, one conversation at a time.

2. 

   15 Dec 2025

   Trusted advisor to funders & founders - In conversation with Kosturi Ghosh, Partner at Trilegal

   The startup ecosystem in India has seen a radical evolution over the last 20 years and Kosturi Ghosh, Partner at Trilegal has had both a ringside view and a pivotal role to play in this growth. Starting with a deep interest in IP law, Kosturi has seen companies grow from the garage to the listing floor, and been a trusted advisor to startups and funders in their growth journeys. She has also been a quiet and steady advocate of developing more diversity in the startup world. She has actively advocated for increasing diversity in startup leadership and governanceIn Season 2, Episode 3, our host Maya Chandrasesekaran, Managing Partner Green Artha, uncovers Kosturi’s insights on:✅ Setting up the right systems for good governance✅ How Founders should be tapping into the Founder-Network through their journey✅ Tactical and practical tips to build for scale✅ New tools and instruments that can help de-risk deals for funders and founders Insights on tools and financial instruments to mitigate risk for founders and investors✅ Using the Board as a platform to improve diversity in startups and the ecosystemFor every founder navigating growth, scale, governance and listing, and every funder thinking about portfolio creation and exits, this episode is a goldmine of insights.🎧 Tune in now to hear directly from Kosturi on what it truly takes to build, scale, invest and exit, in India's startup ecosystem.A special thank you to WaterBridge Ventures for graciously offering their studio space for this recording and Trilegal for supporting this podcast series.

3. 

   23 Jul 2025

   Swapna Gupta on Scaling DeepTech Startups and VC Careers

   When we think about the evolution of deeptech in India, there aren’t many who have seen it all. Our guest today on the Women in Investing podcast is one of those. Meet Swapna Gupta , Partner at Avaana Capital, Kauffman Fellow and previously investor from Qualcomm Ventures where she saw the early and emerging technology deals in India. In Season 2, Episode 2, our host Maya Chandrasekaran, Managing Partner Green Artha, uncovers Swapna’s insights on: ✅ Actively building a career in investing ✅ Transitioning from a CVC to a fund and the journey along the way ✅ The evolution of deeptech investing in India ✅ What founders should do better when they build ✅ What it takes to build conviction in a world of increasing uncertainty For every founder navigating the world of frontier tech or fundraising, or emerging investors thinking about a career in this space, this episode is a goldmine of insights. 🎧 Tune in now to hear directly from Swapna on what it truly takes to build, scale, exit, and invest in India's deep tech ecosystem.

4. 

   20 Mar 2025

   Shuchi Pandya on Scaling, Exiting & Investing in D2C Brands

   When we talk about consumer brand builders who have navigated the full journey—from launching a brand to scaling, exiting, and then turning investor - there aren’t many who have seen it all. But today’s guest on Women in Investing podcast is one of those rare few. Meet Shuchi Pandya, Principal at Fireside Ventures and the visionary founder behind Pipa Bella, a jewelry brand that not only captured the hearts of consumers but also secured a strategic exit with Nykaa. In Season 2, Episode 1, our host Sapna Goyal, VP, WaterBridge Ventures, uncovers Shuchi’s insights on: ✅ The early days of building a D2C brand before it was even a thing in India ✅ Lessons from raising VC capital and scaling a consumer business ✅ The inside story of exiting to Nykaa and what founders should know about acquisitions ✅ Her transition from operator to investor and what she looks for in founders today ✅ The biggest mistakes consumer brand founders make (and how to avoid them!) For every founder navigating the world of D2C, fundraising, or strategic exits, this episode is a goldmine of insights.🎧 Tune in now to hear directly from Shuchi on what it truly takes to build, scale, exit, and invest in India's consumer ecosystem. A special thank you to WaterBridge Ventures for graciously offering their studio space for this recording. Drop your thoughts in the comments—what resonated the most with you from Shuchi’s journey? 00:00 Introduction to Champions with Checkbooks 00:38 Meet Shuchi Pandya: From Founder to Investor 01:20 Building Pippa Bella: The Journey 04:58 Strategic Partnerships and Acquisition by Nykaa 07:12 Transition to Fireside Ventures 08:05 Insights on Operating vs. Investing 10:15 Fireside Ventures: Focus and Strategy 16:48 Advice for Founders: Building Consumer Brands 29:08 Rapid Fire Round with Shuchi Pandya 33:19 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

5. 

   14 Oct 2024

   Chanchal Bhoorani on building SaaS products from India and more

   Chronicling women investor and fund manager journeys and thoughts is the cornerstone of the Champions with Chequebook$ podcast series by Women In Investing. As part of that goal, Chanchal Bhoorani, VP, WestBridge Capital joins Sapna Goyal, VP, WaterBridge Ventures. all the way from the Valley to share her thoughts. Chanchal takes us through the journey from when she was a young girl who started her career as a Data Analyst and clawed her way to lead Product teams for some of Ola’s most important product categories to now, as the Vice President & Investor at WestBridge Capital. In this chat, she shares her love for product and the strategy of PLG motion with Sapna. She clearly breaks down the advantages of building in the Valley where she is based out of. Rapid technology innovation, diversity of founders and the ability to build where your users and buyers are. She further talks about gaps in the SaaS landscape and the kind of founder behaviors that enable success. A short chat full of insights on how her agency has worked for her in her career so far, and her takes on Indian founders building for the world. Dosa Corner in San Francisco that Chanchal mentioned - https://g.co/kgs/t2rkJLc

6. 

   22 Sept 2024

   Ratna Mehta, CEO & Managing Partner, Fundalogical Ventures

   It’s yet another solid chat from the Women In Investing’s podcast series ‘Champions with Chequebook$’. This series highlights investors who are coincidentally women and takes you through their thinking and journey as fund managers and investors. We hope you’ll listen in and share widely. In this episode,  Ratna Mehta (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ratnamehta/), Founder, Fundalogical Ventures (https://www.linkedin.com/company/fundalogical-ventures/) chats with Sapna Goya (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sapna-goyal1/)l, VP, Waterbridge Ventures (https://www.linkedin.com/company/waterbridgeventures/). Ratna’s clarity as an investor shines through this episode. The conversation ranges from the start of Fundalogical Ventures to Ratna’s love for travel! Ratna minces no words when she talks about building a support system, not just as a woman, but as anyone about to start something of their own. Dwelling on her journey, Ratna speaks about the differential edge for Fundalogical Ventures and she calls India as a barbell for investing. Listen to know why she says that! Ratna lives by the adage that no amount of ideation is enough to see results. Execution is all powerful and it shows in her investing philosophy too: Don’t invest out of any FOMO created externally. In this chat, Ratna opens up on the gaps she sees in the supply chain landscape in India. She also touches upon the most common mistakes founders make while building from 1-10. Some important nuggets in the episode for founders too on building moats and sticking to your core!

7. 

   1 Sept 2024

   Archana Srivatsan, Head of South & SE Asia VC at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

   Presenting another episode of the Champions with Chequebook$, this time with Archana Srivatsan, Head of South & South-East Asia VC at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In this podcast, we spotlight fund managers and investors from our network, their theses, journey and stories as investors. We hope you’ll listen in and share. Maya Chandrasekaran, Co-founder and Partner, Green Artha, Co-founder, Women In Investing speaks to Archana on a diverse set of topics around the impact investing ecosystem and more! In this conversation, Archana shares her non-linear journey in business & social impact and her decade-long career at the Gates Foundation, now focused on investing in technology companies that are innovating to solve critical socio-economic challenges, eventually leading her to the boardrooms of multiple companies. Archana shares her insights on opportunities in the Indian ecosystem, particularly the rural economy. Maya and Archana unpack the uniqueness of this market and how this space requires first-principles-driven, home-grown innovations. From her vantage point as an impact investor, Archana talks about the careful balance between commercial viability and patience - it takes time, focus, and catalytic capital to build institutions that achieve long-term social impact. At the same time, being too patient can lead to unsustainable ventures. In Archana’s words, “When I think about impact, outcomes matter, not just outputs. Outputs are an essential means to the end, but not the end.” Focus on ultimate outcomes beyond immediate outputs has indeed been the hallmark of Archana’s work.

8. 

   12 Aug 2024

   Anisha Singh, Founder & Managing Partner, She Capital

   Welcome to Episode 5 of “Champions with Chequebook$”, the podcast where we spotlight fund managers and investors from our network, their theses, journey and stories as investors. We hope you’ll listen in and share. In this episode, Anisha Singh, Founder & Managing Partner, She Capital chats with Maya Chandrasekaran, Co-founder and Partner, Green Artha, Co-founder, Women In Investing Community. Tune in as she talks about her early days as a founder that eventually led to her setting up She Capital. Anisha speaks candidly about female founders in the ecosystem and once again highlights the funding gap to women entrepreneurs. Global stats show that only 2% of women founders get funded through venture capital. In this episode, Anisha and Maya untangle the myths surrounding women founders and consumer startups. Anisha specifically talks about the success She Capital has had with Clovia's sale to Reliance, the returns they have achieved, and how being women-focused is not an ESG gimmick. Just one of many insights shared over this free-wheeling discussion! In Anisha’s words, “If we cheer on each other, that is when the ecosystem will get lifted. It's not about playing in silos.” Anisha lives this line, what with her support to WII and founders across the ecosystem. She is nothing short of inspiring and as a volunteer led community, we are immensely grateful for her backing!

9. 

   4 Mar 2024

   Paula Mariwala, Founding Partner at Aureolis Ventures

   In Season 1, Episode 2, we have the OG of OGs, Paula Mariwala (https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-mariwala-b6543918/?originalSubdomain=in), Founder, Stanford Angels (https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanford-angels-entrepreneurs/) and Aureolis Ventures (https://www.linkedin.com/company/aureolis/) chatting with Maya Chandrasekaran (https://www.linkedin.com/in/maya-chandrasekaran-801949/), Co-founder and Partner, Green Artha (https://www.linkedin.com/company/greenarth/), Co-founder, Women In Investing (https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-investing/) Community speaking openly as only she can on her trajectory in the Indian VC landscape. Paula is a trailblazer in the VC ecosystem in India for sure! She speaks of her journey from studying Physics at Stanford and the need to commercialize deep tech ideas that led to her understanding of venture capital. In this conversation, Paula speaks of the giant leap into venture with her mentor’s backing. Interestingly enough, she speaks of her lack of interest in numbers and business models, all while believing in the potential of technology and what it could do to a country like India. All this way back in 2005! More than anything else, Paula traces the highs and lows of the VC and startup ecosystem in India and talks in detail about the changes she’s witnessed and been a part of, all these years. Nostalgia abound with facts - very few have chronicled India’s startup growth with this lens.Also, don’t miss the story of the father-in-law walking up to Paula and asking her not to give his son-in-law any money! A very India story in every way.Listen in to Maya and Paula(link shared in the first comment) to learn more on her investing principles, her unwavering support to women founders and investors, alike. And lots, lots more in this goldmine of a conversation. Paula plays the role of the chronicler here, and this context is immensely valuable for what we are trying to build here with her support at Women In Investing. A champion all through!

10. 

    4 Mar 2024

    Rema Subramanian, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Ankur Capital

    In this fantastic episode, Rema Subramanian (https://www.linkedin.com/in/srema/?originalSubdomain=in), Co-founder and Managing Partner, Ankur Capital Fund (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ankur-capital/) brings together all the 12 years of early-stage investing experience to the fore along with our host, Maya Chandrasekaran (https://www.linkedin.com/in/maya-chandrasekaran-801949/), Co-founder and Partner, Green Artha (https://www.linkedin.com/company/greenarth/), Co-founder, Women In Investing (https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-investing/) Community. Rema speaks passionately about how Science helps move consumer behaviour forward. A multi-faceted person herself, Rema identifies her non-conformist hobbies or talents as a way to help her excel at her core job of investing. Her journey from factories (no toilets for women. Any surprises there?) to being at the cusp of the IT revolution and digitisation makes for a very long and interesting journey. Rema also spends time breaking down Ankur’s investment philosophy and goes deep into deep science solutions and data digitisation as two pillars of their strategy. This conversation stands out because of Rema and therefore, Ankur’s ability to pick the most disruptive and unconventional of bets, be it agritech, sportstech or within deep science. Her passion and steadfast belief in these unconventional themes stands out! The Women in Investing community, through this podcast series, hopes to shed light on women investors building their careers through high-purpose, intentional bets on themselves, the founders they decide to invest in and the kind of firms they build for the future. We hope you will share with us your thoughts on this series with us and others in your network. Until next time, here’s Rema breaking down what makes her and Ankur Capital tick!

11. 

    4 Mar 2024

    Nruthya Madappa, Partner at 3one4 Capital

    In this episode, Nruthya Madappa (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nruthya?originalSubdomain=in), Partner, 3one4 Capital (https://www.linkedin.com/company/3one4-capital/) talks to Maya Chandrasekaran (https://www.linkedin.com/in/maya-chandrasekaran-801949/), Co-founder and Partner, Green Artha (https://www.linkedin.com/company/greenarth/), Co-founder, Women In Investing (https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-investing/) Community about how she almost didn’t want to be an investor, her journey into various tech companies across life-changing healthcare and education tech. Her stint with a real estate major and co-working company opened her eyes to the need to help upcoming founders build in the India ecosystem. Maya delves deep into Nruthya’s choices as an investor in 3one4 Capital and their decisions on certain kinds of founders and companies. Nruthya speaks passionately about the hiring choices, the LPs they have supporting them and all the data and tech 3one4 uses to leverage their decision making. One of the most fascinating conversations  this season, Nruthya opens up in her no-nonsense style. This is a one of a kind episode with Nruthya because she lays down all the tribal knowledge that she’s amassed over the years building her startups and 3one4, all with the same intense focus and purpose she’s known for. What is fascinating also is the diversity and lack of hierarchy within 3one4 to make deal decisions. Definitely a refreshing way to think of traditional VC structures! Listen in, tell us what you think and most importantly, share widely in case you love this chat with Nruthya as much as we did! Nruthya’s ability to disrupt conversations, stand out and stand up for herself and her tribe comes through effortlessly in this chat. More power to her!

12. 

    4 Mar 2024

    Anjali Sosale, General Partner at WaterBridge Ventures

    In Season 1, Episode 1, we have the inimitable Anjali Sosale, General Partner, Waterbridge Ventures (https://www.linkedin.com/in/pinkamma/?originalSubdomain=in)chatting with Maya Chandrasekaran (https://www.linkedin.com/in/maya-chandrasekaran-801949/), Co-founder and Partner, Green Artha (https://www.linkedin.com/company/greenarth/), Co-founder, Women In Investing (https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-investing/) Community generously sharing her journey in venture capital. She also picks apart the choices she’s made over the years, speaks in detail about Waterbridge Ventures’ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/waterbridgeventures/) theses and shares her views on Conviction vs Consensus investing. In this conversation, Anjali talks about the start of her interest in venture capital and entrepreneur-led businesses way back in 2006, to her time at Myntra, to her move to her current role at Waterbridge. Maya explores with Anjali, her strategy to source the right kind of founders, the all-important pattern-matching and more on how Waterbridge has consistently built their portfolio. For all the founders out there, Anjali talks about the opportunity to build in the Manufacturing tech space 2.0 in the areas of demand enablement, productivity and procurement. In Anjali’s words, “You are only as good as your last deal. The ability to unlearn is as important as the ability to learn and relearn to stay relevant.” Speaks volumes of Anjali! Anjali with her support to WII and women founders across the ecosystem is nothing short of inspiring and as a volunteer led community, we are immensely grateful for her backing!

Podcast Authority Score: 18 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

26

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

27

Contact Champions with Chequebook$

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