Women who Inspire
Today, on International Women’s Day, we want to take a moment to honor the amazing women who’ve made a difference at UL. Up-beat, pragmatic, and chock full of advice we spoke to three leading women at UL. Each an inspiration with challenges they faced through various life stages and under various circumstances.
Meet Nandini Vishwanath, who handles operations at UL and has been with us since almost inception.
Anytime a sexist joke is being cracked or the “F” word, we mean the new big “F” as in Feminism is used, all eyes go to this lady. Full of an almost infectious energy, she expresses her opinions and makes herself heard, every single time. To any woman who’s listening, she says,”Never take things lying down. Always stand up for what you believe in; whether it is for yourself or for someone else.”
Feminism has become a very misunderstood term in recent times. It is perceived as more privileges for women as opposed to equal rights for all. “Choose your battles,” Nandini says. Every time you pick a fight for something small, you might be at the risk of losing the battle, therefore, it is very important to prioritize.
Tina Roy, Design Lead at UL, was hesitant about coming back to work full time after her daughter was born.
Being a traditional thinker when it came to raising a child, she decided to stay at home and be a freelance designer till her daughter turned 4, afterwhich she joined UL for her full time job. “I never faced any challenges or had any difficulty coming to work at UL thanks to very supportive colleagues,” says Tina. “In fact, the kind of support and understanding I got from others and the organization as a whole makes me want to give my 100% at my job,” she says. She loves what she’s doing, she loves her family and makes time for both.
Sonia Parandekar, Director of Engineering at Urban Ladder has been with us for a little over two years.
Sonia has managed to scale up the career ladder, in the male dominated field of engineering.“It is important to plan your career, whether you are ambitious or not,” she says, “irrespective of whether you are a man or a woman”. Sonia exudes positivity and a drive to achieve the goals she has set for herself.
The demands that come with a family life did not allow any of these ladies to hold back but fired them further to become valuable assets to the organization. If you want to build a career and do what you love, there are no excuses. If there’s a will, there’s always a way! Here’s to the women who make things happen without letting negative circumstances or criticisms get in the way - More power to you!
