Our next session welcomes Padmini Gupta (CEO of Rise and Xare) where she takes us through the processes of raising funds for your startup and the best practices for finding and pitching to investors. Padmini is a pioneer in brining financial products to women and minority led businesses. As a mentor and advisor for several startups, Padmini harnesses her financial expertise to create a more equitable future.

Topics of Discussion

• When is it the right time to raise funds?
• Finding the right investors for your startup
• How to pitch to investors effectively
• Dealing with rejections and closing deals

Moderator

LORENZO JOORIS

CEO, Creative Zone
A seasoned entrepreneur, the man behind One World Communications and LEADERS Middle East that started the Young Global Leader Summit and the Power Women of Arabia Debate.

Speaker

PADMINI GUPTA

CEO, Rise

Padmini Gupta is an award-winning banker and a World Economic Forum Global Leadership Fellow, who is now re-imagining financial services for 250 million migrants worldwide and the billion people who depend on them. Padmini started her career in banking in the 1990’s in California, where she was running a $200 million+ portfolio in commercial banking. She was one of the early pioneers in bringing financial products to women and minority led businesses and was twice awarded by the US Small Business Administration. She also sat on the Banker’s board of Accion, and was a part of the San Diego City Redevelopment task force.

She left a lucrative banking career to pursue an MBA at Oxford and joined the World Economic Forum as a Global Leadership Fellow, working with global public and private sector leaders on topics of urban mobility, smart cities and climate change. She was also a distinguished member of the World Affairs Council, leading discussions with international experts around key global issues. A passionate advocate for society’s ignored voices, Padmini has always been a strong proponent for the importance of financial independence and co-founded Rise in 2016, as a way to harness her financial expertise with her desire for global impact.

Padmini continues to be a mentor and advisor for several startups and plays an active role in supporting women entrepreneurs through her involvement at Dubai Business Women Council, Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (SHERAA) and others. As a global citizen who has lived and worked in more than 10 countries, she brings a unique understanding and passion to redefining migrant banking and helping a billion people build a better, a more equitable and a more sustainable future.