Powerful Platform. Curated Experiences. Networking Access.

Established by Aabha Bakaya in 2021, Ladies Who Lead is an organic membership community, that empowers, enables and encourages women leaders to actualise their core potential – together.

LWL focuses on curated mentorship sessions, intellectually stimulating conversations with industry stalwarts, networking events, workshops, and roundtables, thereby equipping women to thrive in their respective fields.

Within two years of inception, Ladies Who Lead has established a strong growing presence across 4 major cities - Delhi-NCR, Mumbai and Bangalore, with a diverse member base of 1000+ members from over 30 sectors.

Ladies Who Lead is on a mission to create a robust community of 10,000 women leaders across the globe, over the next 5 years. Our community prides itself on being a safe space that is inclusive and dedicated to meaningful change through interactive experiences, powering us to co-create the future.

Founding Team

Our Founding Team at Ladies Who Lead - the think-tank, who set the ball in motion.

Aabha Bakaya

Aabha Bakaya is the Founder & CEO of Ladies Who Lead, a premium members-only platform for women leaders, purpose-built to foster their professional and personal growth through shared experiences and cross-disciplinary exposure. 

A veteran Business Journalist, Aabha has closely observed the gender biases prevalent in the business landscape. To mitigate the opportunity gaps induced by these biases, she founded Ladies Who Lead in 2021. Her vision is to build a diverse community of veteran and emerging women leaders who can co-create an equitable future for women in the workforce, and speed up meaningful change. After a successful career as a highly-illustrated Business Journalist, News Anchor, Editor, Writer, and Producer, Aabha has recently exited journalism and is now completely devoted towards strengthening LWL as a brand.

Through Ladies Who Lead, Aabha aims to foster a tribe of connections who can exchange a fresh perspective on their decisions and challenges, while enabling themselves to become better leaders. Today, the platform hosts a robust community of 1000+ members from over 30 sectors, which is shaping the narrative for women in leadership. The platform has built a robust presence across 4 major cities: Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Pune, and is poised to expand across the country.

As the Founder of Ladies Who Lead, Aabha firmly believes that women in positions of power can pave the way for other women who aspire to achieve beyond extraordinary, and drive immense impact through incremental actions. With this belief, she has designed LWL as a platform for needle-moving conversations — empowering, engaging, and enabling powerful women leaders, executives and entrepreneurs to grow and succeed through curated learning and networking experiences.


Across her journalism career spanning 2 decades, Aabha has worked as a Senior Journalist and News Anchor with reputed networks such India Today Group, NDTV Profit, ET NOW, and Bloomberg TV India, wherein she has been instrumental in production of various celebrated shows. Reflecting her versatility, some of the shows that Aabha has hosted and produced include Boss’ Day Out, Gadget Guru, E-Inc, and Rising Stars. Aabha is also the recipient of the Business Today award for Best Business News Anchor.

Aditya Ghosh

Chief Mentor at Ladies Who Lead, Aditya is a Business Leader and Co-Founder of Akasa Air. Aditya is currently on the Board of Directors at FabIndia Group, OYO Hotels & Homes, Director at GreenCell Mobility, a pan-India shared electric mobility player, and an Independent Director at Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) International Airport.

He is also the Chairperson of the Social Enterprise Central body of SEWA. SEWA is a member-based organisation of poor self-employed women from the unorganised sector.

Global Advisors

Allison Kimmich

Allison is a transformative nonprofit leader and consultant who has built thriving, diverse organizations and programs in order to advance gender equity. She led the National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) for more than a decade and was a consultant and researcher for Indra Nooyi’s bestselling memoir, My Life in Full.

She has special expertise in creating leadership programs for women. She championed the expansion of the Women of Color Leadership Project in her executive director role at NWSA, and she created a leadership program for Barnard’s Pre-College program. She holds an MA and PhD in women’s studies from Emory University.

Laurien Field

Laurien leads Gender and Economic Inclusion for Disruptive Technologies and Funds at the International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group). She also leads IFC Startup Catalyst, a program that invests in accelerators, incubators, and seed funds in emerging markets globally to develop nascent venture capital ecosystems. Previously she spent many years leading direct venture capital investments, and investments in private equity and venture capital funds, in Asia, and prior to that making direct equity investments in sub-Saharan Africa. Originally from the UK, she studied at the London School of Economics and began her career in consulting, with a focus on Private Equity, at Ernst & Young where she also qualified as a Chartered Accountant (ICAS).

Meet the team

A group of dynamic and multi-talented individuals, each bringing a unique skill set to the fore, ensuring seamless operations and business functionality.

deepti

Deepti Bellad

Head Brand
& Partnership Alliances

anoushka

Anoushka Khokher

Programming Head
North & South India

Priyam

Priyam Narayan

Head Marketing
& Communications

shruti

Shruti Khandelwal

Head of Community
Delhi NCR

Priyam Wadhwa

Priyam Wadhwa

Brand Partnerships and Alliances

alisa

Alisa Warsi

Associate Manager
Community Engagement

prerna

Prerna Mirpuri

Associate Manager
Community Engagement

Daniela

Daniela Barretto

Community Manager: Operations & Engagement, Bengaluru

Devika

Devika Pathak

Head of Community
Mumbai (West)

Sanya (1)

Sanya Matta

Sr. Manager Community Development & Growth

FAQ's

Ladies Who Lead is a first-of-its-kind members-only platform founded by Aabha Bakaya, where we curate exclusive events and experiences for our members to connect, network and collaborate in a premium lifestyle environment.

The idea was to build a safe space that encourages and empowers  working women to create a bigger impact in their businesses, and share their success stories, mantras and guiding principles with the rest of the interactive community, thereby creating a haven of shared knowledge.

 We opened membership in September 2021 to provide our members with exclusive ACCESS to our platform.

We are currently present in Mumbai, Delhi/NCR, Bengaluru, Pune and Goa.

Ladies Who Lead is an exclusive “women’s only” network, bringing together women achievers across cities.

At LWL, we don’t require our members to follow a mandatory networking curriculum. Neither do we accept members based on their financial profile. Lastly, we don’t rate our members on their level of engagement with the community.

We are an inclusive community where members attend events, with a vision to interact, empower, inspire, network and grow – both professionally and personally, under a social umbrella of curated experiences.

Once you become a member, you will get access to all our distinctively curated events where you can interact and network with other members.

On signing up, you will get added to a WhatsApp group, enabling you to communicate with fellow members, get access to the latest LWL news and alerts, receive updates on upcoming events and stay engaged with the community at large.

You will also get to avail our special brand partnership benefits from a wide selection of 40 + aspirational brands like Cafe Reed, Taj,  Jiva Spa, Sarovar Hotels and Resorts, WeWork, Massive Restaurants and more.

The offers are time bound. You will need to check at the time of renewal to see if there is any promotional offer. However, we do not carry forward the early bird offer of previous sign ups by policy.

While both our membership tiers provide a similar experience for growth and learning, here are a few differences between both the categories:

  1. Fee structure:.‘Titan’ membership is priced at INR 80,000 plus 18% GST for 12 months, while ‘LWL’ membershipis priced at INR 35,000 plus 18% GST for 12 months.
  2. Brand Privileges:. Titans enjoy a higher percentage of discounts and more benefits at our partner brands, as compared to LWL.
  3. Exclusive Experiences: Titan members enjoy access to all of our events and get access to our exclusive Titans-only events or experiences.  A Titan can attend all calendar events, whereas an LWL cannot attend Titan specific events/experiences.
  4. Titan members are often invited as guest speakers for talks, panels and round tables (as per our discretion)

Note that we are now open to upgrades from LWL to Titan membership.

No, we do not have any instalment payment option currently.

We have separate corporate packages. Please email us for more information at events@ladieswholead.in

Yes. Both LWL and Titan members have free access to attend their respective events across multiple cities.

LWL is a platform that celebrates women leaders across spectrums – individual achievers, professionals and entrepreneurs. We invite you to connect, engage and benefit from this community by growing both personally and professionally. While we do celebrate your success, we do not market your brand for you, but in turn we provide a platform for you to build connections on your own. 

At a learning level, you can explore synergies, gain exposure to diverse perspectives and build thought leadership from industry leaders. Furthermore, your presence will fuel your company’s branding, visibility, association and share of mind.

Note that some of our events do have opportunities for brand integrations and partners, where we give preferential treatment to our members who wish to collaborate across our properties.

There is no mandatory attendance policy at LWL events. In case you cannot attend an event(s), it does not affect your membership status.
However, We do recommend that our members attend at least 8 events per year to maximize the benefits of their membership.

 Joining LWL doesn’t come with a pre-requisite of commitments from our members. While we curate events of interest, growth and engagement, members can attend the events at their own discretion and convenience.

You are the best fit if you’re just starting out! Nothing works more than connections, network and strong word of mouth, when you are beginning to ascend the business ladder. More so, the strong credibility and experience of some of our members will only benefit you in business practice and give you unparalleled knowledge and a plethora of new ideas.

Titan members have access to all events. Should anyone have a specific query or want to meet a particular Titan member, they may feel free to reach out to us and we will connect you, basis their availability.

Your membership card is sent to you via email. If you cannot find it, please email us and the team will email your membership card to you again.

You may bring up to one guest per event, subject to capacity.

Please note that your guest can only experience our events once as a non-member.

Leaders – Women who join LWL are all leaders – whether you want to gain insight, enjoy stimulating conversations or build new friendships – this is a group of women leaders that come together to support, empower and celebrate each other.

Our esteemed ‘Titan’ and ‘LWL’ members include women across industries like Finance, Entertainment, Technology, Media, Travel, Fintech and Food & Beverage to name a few, amongst others. 

Our Titans are wielding their influence and moving the needle with values we admire. They have overcome significant odds and are leading the way for the leaders of tomorrow.

Our LWLs are willing to take initiative and have the tenacity to drive impact. They are armed with brilliant ideas and the determination to disrupt.

At LWL we curate exciting and engaging events – the cornerstones of which are networking, shared knowledge and social interaction.

All of our events offer a rewarding and fulfilling experience to our members – full of energy, growth and empowerment.

 

Our 5 Key properties are enlisted below:

  1. Expresso –Engage with angel investors in an environment designed to get support and business scale up techniques.
  2. Round Table –Step into a learning zone of conversation – covering trends, insights, and strategy by experienced industry stalwarts.
  3. Conversations over Cocktails – An engaging conversation with our speaker(s) over an exciting blend of cocktails makes for the perfect casual evening.
  4. Experiences – Immersive experiences ranging from factory visits to museum tours, drives and more.
  5. Curated LWL Soirees –Specially curated signature dinner events for our Titan members, focussing on entertainment.

You may email our respective city head for the same:

For Delhi, please email Shruti Khandelwal at: shruti@ladieswholead.in

For Mumbai, please email Devika Pathak at: devika@ladieswholead.in

Refund policy
– Non refundable (after 1 month)
– Freeze upto 3 months (only at the start or at the time of renewals or in case of serious illness or maternity)

Taruna Seth

Founder, Encompass Experiences LLP
Awarded the prestigious Premiere Aussie Specialist for New Product Development for 2022-2023 at the Australian Marketplace. A University of Michigan graduate with 20 years of experience, she passionately explores the world, founding an experiential travel company with a global network of luxury travel designers. Recognized for her exceptional contributions, she was honored with the ‘Exceptional Women of Excellence creating a better world for all’ award by the Women’s Economic Forum.

Tarini Nirula

Founder, TN Accessories
An accomplished Indian Accessory Designer, entrepreneur, and Yoga teacher, founded Tarini Nirula Accessories, debuting at the 76th Festival de Cannes. Blending fine Indian craftsmanship with contemporary design, her accessories graced Paris Fashion Week, India Fashion Weeks, and Bollywood’s “83″. Through her intricate designs and the transformative essence of Yoga, Tarini aims to share Indian artistry globally, enriching lives with beauty, functionality, and timeless style.

Swapnali Kadam

Founder, COVIE
Founder, COVIE A distinguished entrepreneur and Eklavya Award recipient, she’s known for agile thinking in diverse sectors, with Harvard’s Owner/President Management completion. Her impactful projects at ABIL and Bharati Vidyapeeth include Pune’s first 100m tower, pioneering educational and healthcare initiatives and launching COVIE, a luxury co-living venture in 5 cities.

Surbhi Aggarwal

Digital creator
A celebrated digital creator, author, and TEDx speaker, renowned for influential contributions in fashion, lifestyle, and travel. Diversifying from a mom-blogger to a recognized figure, the author of “The Rose with A Hundred Petals” addresses mental health innovatively. Recognized with the prestigious Times 40 under 40 award, she amplifies awareness on mental health through podcasts and TEDx talks, emphasizing empowerment without compromising gender rights.

Saniya Sugla

Creative Entreprenuer

A 23-year-old entrepreneur and creative strategist, this professional visionary, a University of Bath master’s graduate, launched a boutique marketing company amid the pandemic. Specializing in empowering women-owned businesses, she curates clientele from fashion, luxury, and lifestyle brands. Adept at fostering opportunities, her mission extends to shaping the next generation of female talent.

Sahar Mansoor

Founder, Bare Necessities
She is a leading advocate for zero-waste living. Recognized as ‘The Most Inspiring Indian of the Year’ by Google India, she received the 2023 Green Entrepreneurship Awards – Circular Economy Grant for her commitment to promoting a sustainable circular economy model. Her accomplishments include authoring “Bare Necessities – How to lead a Zero Waste Life” and receiving the Circular Economy Grant from IKEA Foundation, Adelphi, and SEED.

Reena Sachdev

Founder, Travel Arena
Recognized for her profound love for travel, she achieved the prestigious Premiere Aussie Specialist for New Product Development for 2022-2023 at the Australian Marketplace. With a business family background, she expanded horizons after working for SOTC/Kuoni, seamlessly blending passion with work and family.

Prerna Rajpal

CEO & Chief Designer, Amaris
An inspiring woman leader, celebrated for her exceptional fine jewelry adorned on the Cannes Red Carpet. Recognized in 2023 with the ET Inspiring Women Leaders Award, her creations grace Bollywood stars and international publications, affirming her status as a top entrepreneur in India’s luxury industry. With over a decade of experience, Prerna has made high-fashion couture jewelry accessible, drawing inspiration from India’s cultural richness.

Preeti Jatia

Founder, Fayon Kids
Krishna Tamaila VoraCelebrated as one of the Top 10 Women Leaders in Retail 2023, gracing the cover of Women Entrepreneur Magazine. Passionate about art and design, her brands, Fayon Kids, Label by Fayon, and Beyondallter, epitomize comfortable and creative fashion.

Petrushka Dasgupta

Partner, ALMT Legal
A Partner at ALMT Legal, she was recognized as the recommended lawyer for dispute resolution and litigation in the Legal 500 – 2021 edition, along with being invited to speak at prestigious events, including the Aviation Week Asia 2014 in Singapore.

Neeha Nagpal

Partner, NMD Law Chambers
A seasoned lawyer for over 15 years, she excels in commercial litigation. Forbes ‘Tycoons of Tomorrow’ Awardee (2018), Forbes Powerlist for Lawyers (2021), and BW LEGALWORLD ’40 under 40′ Awardee. Certified Gut Health Coach and passionate philanthropist, Neeha actively supports causes for gender inclusivity, LGBTQI+ rights, and community welfare. As a Partner at NMD Law Chambers, Neeha continues to receive accolades, including the BW Legal World ’40 under 40′ Award in 2022 and Forbes Tycoon of Tomorrow’s Next Gen Icon Award in 2018.

Krupa Dalal

Sales Manager - Legal Media Business - India & Middle East, Thomson Reuters
As the Sales Manager – Legal Media Business at Thomson Reuters, Krupa Dalal received The Circle for Excellence award for surpassing revenue numbers by over 100% YoY. With 18+ years of experience, she brings consultative expertise, focusing on renewals, innovations, and year-over-year sales growth.

Krishna Tamaila Vora

Founder, Mom's Therapy

She was acknowledged among the 100 Emerging Women Leaders by YourStory, adding pride and distinction to her name. Additionally, her feature on Sony Television’s Shark Tank India Season 1 marked a significant milestone in her journey.

Kanika Gupta

Vice President, Colorbar Cosmetics
Recently promoted to Vice President Retail at Colorbar Cosmetics, Kanika brings over 18 years of expertise in Product Development, Sourcing, Retail operations, Marketing, and Fashion retailing. Recognized for her empathetic leadership, she pioneered Colorbar’s international expansion and is spearheading the launch of a new Luxury Home & Lifestyle brand.

Jasmine Bedi

Chief Editor & Publisher, Interglobix
As President, she elevates InterGlobix Magazine, seamlessly blending technology and luxury. Recognized as an International Business Ambassador, Bedi’s strategic efforts have attracted foreign direct investment, fostering economic development in Loudoun County. Honored with the prestigious ‘IM100’ award by Infrastructure Masons and ‘The President’s Volunteer Service Award’ by the US India SME Council.

Hiral Mehta

Contemporary Artist & Founder of God Of Onions Podcast
A celebrated contemporary artist, gained recognition as one of the 33 Women Achievers of India. Her artwork, showcased at the Festival of Architecture and Interior Design, exemplified her talent. Additionally, she was honored as one of the 99 WomEn Achievers of India 2023 by the Indian Achiever’s Club.

Harpreet Kapoor

Co Founder & Practice Leader, HR Tech
Demonstrating innovation and expertise, SHE successfully launched Konverz—an AI product transforming hiring decisions with conversational intelligence. With a profound background spanning HR transformation and organizational development, their extensive experience has shaped impactful solutions across diverse industries in India, MENA, and ASEAN regions.

Gauri Monga

Founder, Anaash
A Business Management graduate, achieved commendable recognition with the brand featured on Lifestyle Asia’s cover and worn by notable actors, including Sanjana Sanghi, Kajol, and Vidya Balan. Born from a profound love for pearls, Anaash embodies elegance and sophistication in the world of jewelry.

Foram Shah

Lawyer
A seasoned lawyer with 18 years of expertise in corporate laws, trademarks, copyright, real estate, shops and establishments, and labor laws. Notably, she achieved a remarkable single-handed acquisition valued at 30 crore, setting a benchmark in the legal industry.

Eesha Sukhi

Founder, The BlueBop Cafe
She received the Economic Times F&B Leaders 2023 Award. With a brand-building background at Yahoo, Starbucks, Vero Moda, and Vogue, Eesha excels in the F&B sector, notably with BlueBop Cafe and BlueBop Bakes. Previously honored as an Emerging F&B Woman Entrepreneur, her commitment resonates.

Dr. Sonia Lal Gupta

Neurologist and Director, Metro Group of Hospitals & Co-Founder, Voice of Health
Recognized as the “Best Neurologist” in 2014 and a “Rising Star in Healthcare” in 2017, she continues to excel. Recently, Dr. Gupta added another accolade to her impressive repertoire – the prestigious “40 Under 40 Exceptional Leaders” award by the Times of India in 2023, further solidifying her impactful leadership in the healthcare domain.

Bhakti Kapoor

"Neurologist and Director, Metro Group of Hospitals & Co-Founder, Voice of Health"
She was honored with the “Most Promising Nutrition & Wellness Expert Award 2023.” Recognized at the Global Business Conclave & Awards, London, she also received accolades from Women Iconza Awards and India Icon Awards, solidifying her authority in holistic nutrition.

Benaifer Jal Kapadia

"Vice President, The Club Mumbai & Taj Resort and Spa, Bekal, Kerala"
Renowned for hotelier expertise, she was honored as ‘The Most Admirable Marketeer in 2023’ by the World Marketing Congress and CMO – Asia. Passionate about hospitality, a dedicated food enthusiast, with a life mantra: “To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone!”

Akanksha Mishra

Founder & Principal Architect, Space Unfold Ventures

She earned the “Under 40 Elite Trendsetter Architect and Designer of the Year 2023” award. Her profound work in architecture, interior design, and art showcases meticulous attention to design, client needs, and vendor relationships, redefining luxury interior design and architecture.