CREW Network Conference Launches With Inspiring Business Story
Revathi Roy, a serial entrepreneur who has been working towards empowering urban poor women since 2007 tells CREW Network audience that you “have to start somewhere” when picking the right path for your life and your business.
Day one of the 2020 CREW Network Convention kicked off on Tuesday with CREW Network President Christine Gorham welcoming attendees to the (virtual) convention, which brought together more than 1,200 commercial real estate leaders for deal making, business networking, industry education and leadership development.
The strictly online format was not how CREW first envisioned its conference when it began planning it a year ago and indeed they are hardly alone. But in its opening hours CREW has not shied away from the pandemic and the lessons it has brought home. During her opening keynote session, Wendy Mann, CAE, chief executive officer of CREW Network, encouraged the audience to look back and reflect on the past six months. “There may be ‘ah ha’ moments for you…What lessons can you take from this as you go back to living forward? What are the hard lessons and silver linings that you can embrace?”
CREW, though, like so many other organizations and associations, have shifted to the new normal without missing a beat and its first day offerings of speakers are telling compelling stories.
One example is Revathi Roy, a serial entrepreneur who has been working towards empowering urban poor women since 2007. Roy pioneered Asia’s first all-women taxi service, Forsche and recently founded India’s first all-women instant parcel delivery service, Hey Deedee.
Roy talked about aiming to empower underprivileged women by skilling them in two-wheeler riding and soft skills, and guaranteeing them a job on her platform. Her vision, she says, is to create the world’s largest last mile delivery service logistics platform done only by women.
“I have been driving for the past 42 years and it gives me the greatest pleasure of my life and I just had an idea that this business of women cab service was just what I was supposed to do,” she tells CREW attendees. “I had to start somewhere. I was new to the concept of ‘angel investor’ but I had one who said they would help me set up my company.”
Women should be empowered, she said. “There is a full life ahead of you. You never need to jump into anything to prove something to anyone. My advice to a lot of youngsters is to take your time. Give yourself time and don’t push yourself too hard.”
Check back in the next day or so for more coverage from the event.