Meet woman, IIT, Harvard alumna who left job in US, took loan from mother to build Rs 120 crore company at 30 in just...

Self-made women have the audacity to change their careers, start from scratch and build something which is extraordinary, all this compiles to become an inspiring success story for the youth of today. One such motivating story is of Ahana Gautam, founder of Open Secret, a healthy snacking option, in India. 

After finishing her chemical engineering graduation from IIT Bombay, she shifted to US. She then pursued her MBA from Harvard Business School from 2014-2016. Subsequently, she spent four years working at Procter and Gamble (P&G) in various positions at General Mills. However, she quit her high-paying US job to build her business in India. In 2019, she established Open Secret with her mother providing the initial funding. 

Ahana chose this startup as she was inspired by this idea after learning about eating healthily upon visiting a Whole Foods store in the US. Her company sells nutritious snacks and aspires to provide an alternative to junk foods that are high in artificial colours, flavours, and refined sugar.

As per reports, her startup in 2023 earned Rs 120 crore in revenue, which is a testament of her great business acumen. However, Ahana's entrepreneurship journey wasn't smooth, but she conquered all obstacles with her determination to succeed in just 3 years. 

While talking about the role of her mother in her success, Ahana said, "Whatever I am today is because of my mother. She always used to tell me two things: Number one is that education levels the field. It doesn't matter what your gender is, or which small city you come from, if you have a great education, you can make a difference in the world. Those words inspired me and were the fuel for me to go to IIT-Bombay and Harvard Business School." 

"The second thing she always told me was to be financially independent. 'Once you're financially independent, you can make the decisions of your life,'" she added.