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Asha Vettoor

Founder at SwaraVOW - MBA candidate at Oxford - '22 Skoll Scholar - '22 Laidlaw Scholar

Asha Scaria Vettoor is the Founder and CEO of Swara - Voice of Women, an ethically made sustainable fashion brand based in India.12 She is dedicated to advancing women's financial empowerment and fostering sustainability.1 Currently, Vettoor is completing an MBA at Saïd Business School.2

Background and Education:: Vettoor holds a BSc in Statistics from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.5 She was also a Laidlaw Scholar at Saïd Business School.3

Career and Entrepreneurial Ventures::

  • Swara - Voice of Women: Vettoor founded Swara in February 2018. The company utilizes the tailoring skills of women in rural communities, compensating them ethically and enabling them to attain skills to compete in the market.12 Swara began as a project marketed on Instagram and has grown since its inception.2
  • A28: Vettoor is also the Co-Founder of A28, which she has been a part of since July 2019.1
  • Antler: She worked as an Entrepreneur at Antler for three months, from June 2023 to August 2023.1
  • Kaivalya Education Foundation: Vettoor served as a Consultant from December 2019 to May 2020.1 She also completed the Gandhi Fellowship with the foundation from July 2016 to May 2018.1
  • UNLEASH - Innovation lab for SDGs: In November 2019, Vettoor participated in the UNLEASH Innovation lab for SDGs.1

Swara's Mission and Impact:: Swara aims for women in even the most remote parts of India to work, create, and innovate.4 The organization provides jobs with geographical proximity and flexible work schedules to balance household chores, as well as a living wage.3 During the pandemic, Swara intensified its efforts to digitally connect rural women artisans and provide access to a global market.3 Vettoor was awarded one of Google's "Digital Women Awards" in the category of Social Impact and was chosen as a Mentor at the Industry Disruptor program run by UN Women.3

Challenges and Lessons Learned:: Vettoor identifies the internal challenges, such as self-doubt, as a significant obstacle for women entrepreneurs.2 She emphasizes the importance of building female networks for collaboration and support.2

Advice for Women Entrepreneurs:: Vettoor encourages women entrepreneurs to build a strong female network.2 She was also told, "You have infinite potential. You’re only limited by your imagination".3

Languages:: Vettoor is fluent in English and Malayalam and has proficiency in Hindi, German, and Tamil.1

Highlights

Scholar Spotlight: Asha Scaria Vettoor
Scholar Spotlight: Asha Scaria Vettoor
Sep 11 · poetsandquants.com
2022 MBA To Watch: Asha Scaria Vettoor, University of Oxford (Saïd)
2022 MBA To Watch: Asha Scaria Vettoor, University of Oxford (Saïd)
Feb 1 · enspire.ox.ac.uk
Asha Vettoor, founder of Swara Voice for Women | EnSpire Oxford

Related Questions

What inspired Asha Scaria Vettoor to start Swara - Voice of Women?
How has Asha's experience at the Saïd Business School influenced her entrepreneurial journey?
What are some of the biggest challenges Asha has faced while building Swara?
How does Swara ensure that the artisans and tailors are compensated ethically?
What future plans does Asha have for Swara - Voice of Women?
Asha Vettoor
Asha Vettoor, photo 1
Asha Vettoor, photo 2
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