Shownotes
Jyothi Vemu
Bio
Jyothi Vemu is the founder and Managing Director of Futurebytes, a STEM.org-accredited education company in Silicon Valley offering hands-on STEM learning in coding, robotics, AI, and 3D printing for K–8 students. A former engineering professor from India, she launched Futurebytes to close STEM gaps for girls and underserved communities. Under her leadership, it has grown to multiple centers and earned widespread recognition. Jyothi has been featured in multiple magazines and is a 2025 Enterprising Woman of the Year, a Woman Changing the World Award winner in Education, a 2025 AAPI Leadership Award honoree, and a Woman of Influence 2025 by Silicon Valley Business Journal. She recently launched $50K in scholarships to support STEM access for underserved girls. Her work is inspiring the next generation of innovators while driving equity in education.
Intro
Jyothi Venmu's remarkable journey from facing adversity as an immigrant to establishing a thriving STEM education enterprise serves as the focal point of our discussion. In this enlightening conversation, we explore how she transformed her initial self-doubt and the skepticism of others into a successful business model that now serves over a thousand students across Silicon Valley. Through resilience and an unwavering commitment to her vision, Jyothi navigated significant challenges, including the complexities of immigration law and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. She emphasizes the importance of taking action despite uncertainty and encourages aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly women, to embrace their unique journeys. This episode is a testament to the transformative power of perseverance and the potential to turn obstacles into opportunities in the realm of entrepreneurship.
Conversation
The dialogue between Jothy Rosenberg and Jyothi Vemu unveils the arduous yet inspiring journey of the latter as she transitioned from a dependent immigrant to a thriving entrepreneur in the realm of educational services. Jyothi's story is characterized by her resilience in the face of numerous challenges, including self-doubt and societal skepticism regarding her aspirations as a female entrepreneur. The episode delves into her initial struggles, such as the dismissal she faced while seeking employment, where potential employers questioned her motivations for wanting to start her own venture. Despite these obstacles, Jyothi's determination propelled her to volunteer in local educational settings, which not only equipped her with invaluable insights into the STEM education landscape but also laid the foundation for her subsequent business, Futurebytes.
The discussion highlights how Jyothi's initial foray into entrepreneurship was marked by her willingness to embrace uncertainty and take risks. Her journey commenced with humble beginnings in a church basement, gradually evolving into a robust educational enterprise serving over a thousand students annually across multiple locations in Silicon Valley. The episode emphasizes the importance of transforming constraints into strategic advantages, as Jyothi adeptly navigated her immigration status and funding challenges by reinvesting profits into her business, fostering sustainable growth. This narrative serves as a powerful testament to the notion that limitations can catalyze innovative solutions rather than serve as insurmountable barriers.
As the conversation unfolds, Jyothi also shares her aspirations for the future, including plans for expansion and an eagerness to empower other aspiring female entrepreneurs through mentorship and support programs. Her commitment to fostering an inclusive and nurturing entrepreneurial ecosystem is underscored by her desire to establish accelerator initiatives aimed at assisting women in overcoming the obstacles she herself faced. This episode not only chronicles Jyothi's remarkable achievements but also serves as an inspirational blueprint for anyone grappling with self-doubt or contemplating the leap into entrepreneurship, reinforcing the message that resilience, confidence, and action are paramount in the pursuit of one's dreams.
Takeaways
- Self-doubt is a common experience among entrepreneurs, and it is important to acknowledge that it is a normal part of the journey.
- Women often face societal pressures and questions regarding their choices to pursue entrepreneurship, which can hinder their confidence and aspirations.
- Building a business requires resilience and the ability to navigate obstacles, and one must embrace the learning process that comes with each setback.
- Starting a venture without perfect conditions can lead to growth; taking the first step, despite uncertainties, is crucial to building confidence and success.
- Networking through service rather than traditional methods can yield deeper industry insights and connections, which are invaluable for entrepreneurial success.
- Reinvestment of profits into the business can promote sustainable growth, transforming constraints into strategic advantages during the expansion process.
- Facebook for Futurebytes
- Jyothi's LinkedIn
- Futurebytes site
- Jothy's TEDx talk - On why those with disabilities tend to overachieve
- The Who Says I Can't Foundation - Jothy's non-profit that helps disabled kids get back into a sport they love to restore their self-esteem
- Our YouTube channel
- Designing Successful Startups — Jothy Rosenberg | Author | Speaker | Podcaster - Site with all podcasts
- Tech Startup Toolkit book
- Please leave us a review
Transcripts
Hello.
Speaker A:Please meet today's guest, Jyoti Venmu.
Speaker B:Self doubting is normal.
Speaker B:Not only self doubting.
Speaker B:People will ask so many questions.
Speaker B:Why don't you go for a job?
Speaker B:Why do you want to try something on your own?
Speaker B:It's hard.
Speaker B:It's not for women.
Speaker B:And what's the success rate?
Speaker B:We don't know until we try.
Speaker B:So I have gone through the same path.
Speaker B:There were so many questions asked and so many unnecessary comments which pulls us back.
Speaker B:I have heard, I have gone through so much, but still, even though you are self doubting or even though somebody is pulling you down, but just be confident.
Speaker B:Just give us give a try.
Speaker A:I'm Jathy Rosenberg, host of Designing Successful Startups.
Speaker A:Yes, our names sound almost the same, but are spelled very differently.
Speaker A: education empire serving over: Speaker A:Today's guest, Jyothi Venmu, came to America on a dependent visa with no work permit, two young children, and a dream that seemed impossible when potential employers literally asked her why she was there and turned her away for admitting she wanted to start her own business, she didn't give up.
Speaker A:She got started from volunteering at robotics competitions to launching Future Bites in a church basement.
Speaker A:Jothi built her STEM education company one student at a time.
Speaker A:She survived COVID lockdowns, navigated the complex world of immigration law, and recently earned an extraordinary ability visa, all while raising two boys and expanding to three locations.
Speaker A:This is a story about turning your biggest disadvantages into your greatest strengths.
Speaker A:If you've ever felt like an outsider trying to break into entrepreneurship, this conversation will show you exactly how to transform obstacles into opportunities.
Speaker A:Let's dive in and.
Speaker A:Hello, Jyothi.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's sort of like I said to you privately, it's kind of funny to introduce somebody with a name that's pronounced the same as mine.
Speaker A:Luckily, it's spelled differently.
Speaker B:Hello, Jyoti.
Speaker A:Is that a.
Speaker A:A common name where you come from?
Speaker A:You're.
Speaker A:You're from India, right?
Speaker B:Yes, I'm from India.
Speaker B:It's a very common name.
Speaker B:Jyoti means light.
Speaker A:Light.
Speaker A:You mentioned that you're from India.
Speaker A:So tell us a little bit about where you're from in India and then where you live now.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Thank you so much for having me here, Jyoti.
Speaker B:It was my pleasure.
Speaker B:I am from India, especially from South India, Andhra Pradesh.
Speaker B:And the major city I can correlate from the people is Hyderabad.
Speaker B:It's a software city.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And that too I'm from very remote place.
Speaker B:It's a small town where I studied and worked for several years.
Speaker B: licon Valley, California from: Speaker B:We came to California for my husband professional commitments and.
Speaker A:And in within Silicon Valley because some of us know it pretty well.
Speaker A:I lived there for 10 years.
Speaker A:What is the city you live in?
Speaker B:San Jose.
Speaker A:You're living in San Jose?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:If you've ever gone up over the Highway 17.
Speaker A:We lived in Scotts Valley for 10 years.
Speaker B:Oh yeah.
Speaker B:Such a beautiful place.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:That's my route every day.
Speaker B:17.
Speaker B:I was a lot.
Speaker A:You're an entrepreneur and, and we're going to get into this in a bit.
Speaker A:But, but you're in the, in the education generally in the education space and we're going to hear a lot more about that.
Speaker A:Was there a defining moment in your life when you became an entrepreneur?
Speaker A:Weren't you teaching where you were a professor?
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Start there.
Speaker A:You were a professor and where were you a professor?
Speaker B:So back in India I was working as professor.
Speaker B:I was teaching undergraduate students in several electronics and engineering discipline.
Speaker B:The defining moment for me was when I moved to Silicon Valley for my husband's work.
Speaker B:As I mentioned, as an immigrant woman coming on depending visa along with my husband with no work permit, I have no clue what I'm going to do in America.
Speaker B:But what I have in my background was I have to do something in the same space I came from.
Speaker B:So initially as I do not have work permit, I started volunteering.
Speaker B:I started volunteering at the charter school where my son is going and I started volunteering as judge for the children's robotics and coding competitions around in Bay Area Silicon Valley with First Robotics.
Speaker B:So I took as many roles as possible to understand what exactly going on in the STEM space, especially with the kid.
Speaker B:So every time I took a role, it's a huge learning learning for me.
Speaker B:I have seen in full turn the approach around the unique solutions students are bringing up with the problems they're solving in each year's theme.
Speaker B:And I have seen students from kindergarten to high school striving to participate, trying to learn STEM concepts and build their maker profile here.
Speaker B:So then that triggered me like yes, this is the space I worked for.
Speaker B:This is what I was doing.
Speaker B:I was mentoring undergraduate students, I was evaluating and guiding their projects.
Speaker B:So I thought why can't I start finding a role in this space?
Speaker B:Then I started applying, started to understand going on indeed.
Speaker B:Is there any particular wrong which fits me?
Speaker B:And as I said, I'm absolute New to America in that period.
Speaker B:And I have no clue.
Speaker B:Then I found out there are few organizations which are training kids in several Lego Robotics and the Beast that I thought like I'll work some time first so that I can gain experience and then figure out when I went to interview it's a minimum wage job again.
Speaker B:And when I went to interview, they asked me why are you here?
Speaker B:Then I explained the whole background of mine and everything and what's your goal?
Speaker B:When somebody asked, I frankly said I want.
Speaker B:I am from this background.
Speaker B:I'm going to launch my own business here.
Speaker B:Nobody likes.
Speaker B:I don't know whether I have to say that or not, but I did.
Speaker B:Nobody liked it, nobody offered the job for me.
Speaker B:And then I realized I'm ready.
Speaker B:With all the experiences and the receptions, I realized I'm ready.
Speaker B:But I did not have any hope where it will go, how I can do.
Speaker B:But I jumped in.
Speaker B:Meanwhile I have to mention this like within one and a half year while I was figuring out all the piece here, I got my work permit.
Speaker B:So then that's the perfect time for me to launch Future by it.
Speaker B:So I haven't registered it as a company because as I said, I still need to figure out so many things.
Speaker B:So I just registered with county doing as a Victory business name.
Speaker B:So that's when I started.
Speaker B:And then we have launched a program where we can offer free lesson on several robotics.
Speaker B:And then that's when it started.
Speaker B:We started offering for free.
Speaker B:Nobody showed up.
Speaker B:Even though so many registered, but nobody showed up.
Speaker B:It was again disappointment.
Speaker B:But still when I reached to the school by saying this is hold my background, this is what I'm trying to do.
Speaker B:School gave me the opportunity of teaching an after school in the electronics over there.
Speaker B:All the students liked it, all the parents loved it.
Speaker B:They gave me a very good feedback.
Speaker B:And then it boosts even more confident.
Speaker B:And then we launch into summer camp by taking a small space in the church.
Speaker B:And the people trusted me over there as well as an immigrant woman trying to figure out things.
Speaker B:So they.
Speaker B:It's almost.
Speaker B:They charge very low.
Speaker B:It's almost like free.
Speaker B:But that year we served only for the summer.
Speaker B: students in: Speaker B:They jumped in and helped me.
Speaker B:So each time we are getting the flow, we used to figure out the materials, everything.
Speaker B:It was like a roller coaster ride.
Speaker B:So that's how I have started.
Speaker B:And then Covid hit again.
Speaker B:We have to step back.
Speaker B:We realized there is a Demand here.
Speaker B:Then we went to take our own space for release.
Speaker B: And we did as well in: Speaker B:But in my whole journey I have met so many amazing people.
Speaker B:The landlord helped me just to take the space for the summer camp.
Speaker B:And even though I signed release for three years, he helped me to get out of it so that I can just use the space whenever I needed.
Speaker B:So that was a huge help for me.
Speaker B:Even then we were there.
Speaker B:There were so many established businesses went away because of the COVID Everybody moved to online.
Speaker B:But we were there helping the parent for their children need enrichment needs, especially in person.
Speaker B:And even we did very good business in that season as well.
Speaker B:And then I realized this is going to be good.
Speaker B:So I was taking very small steps till then.
Speaker B: And in: Speaker B:I have recruited staff, we got our own space, and yeah, now here I am after three years.
Speaker B:We have three centers in Silicon Valley, San Jose, Cupertino and Santa Clara.
Speaker B:And we are serving at least thousand students per year.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:So it's called Future Bites.
Speaker A:It's a limited liability corporation.
Speaker A:Now you're expanding.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's growing.
Speaker A:That's just to reiterate, your mission is really.
Speaker A:You're training the next generation.
Speaker A:Pretty much everything in the STEM category.
Speaker A:It doesn't sound.
Speaker A:It's like it's.
Speaker A:It's limited to robotics.
Speaker A:What about programming?
Speaker B:Yes, we are serving in generation both in robotics and coding.
Speaker B:We have so many different channels.
Speaker B:We have gaming curriculum, we have AI machine learning curriculum.
Speaker B:We have pure coding starting from block coding to Python, JavaScript and the next level C.
Speaker B:And we have robotics program starting from kindergarten into high school.
Speaker B:So we have all the channels which covers the whole, all the branches of stuff.
Speaker A:And was your training in computer science?
Speaker B:No, I'm not a computer science student.
Speaker B:I'm from electronics and communication.
Speaker B:Background.
Speaker A:Electronics?
Speaker B:Yeah, that's my graduation.
Speaker B:And I did master's in embedded systems and VLSI design.
Speaker B:So most of the courses here were designed by me by taking the resources from Arduino Raspberry PI.
Speaker B:So that's what I learned.
Speaker B:That's what I thought I was teaching when I was working as assistant professor.
Speaker B:So I had the major series here is electronic series.
Speaker B:And we are popular for that as well.
Speaker A:You have a thriving business.
Speaker A:How many people are on your staff?
Speaker B:We have 15 to 20 instructors working for us at present this year, and we have five volunteers.
Speaker B:We give the opportunity for high schoolers who want to fill their volunteer hours.
Speaker A:Of course, you've got to balance like any.
Speaker A:Anybody who's working a lot more falls on a woman who's working.
Speaker A:Women do a lot more in terms of sort of supporting their kids and everything.
Speaker A:Do you have kids?
Speaker B:Yes, I have two kids.
Speaker B:Two boys, 13 and 10.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:I'm sure they're good boys.
Speaker A:Hi.
Speaker A:The podcast you are listening to is a companion to my recent book Tech Startup Toolkit how to Launch Strong and Exit Big.
Speaker A:This is the book I wish I'd had as I was founding and running eight startups over 35 years.
Speaker A:I tell the unvarnished truth about what went right and especially about what went wrong.
Speaker A:You could get it from all the usual booksellers.
Speaker A:I hope you like it.
Speaker A:It's a true labor of love.
Speaker A:Now back to the show, boys.
Speaker A:So how do you balance the family work responsibilities that you feel?
Speaker B:Definitely not easy.
Speaker B:It's not at all easy.
Speaker B:And every day it's different.
Speaker B:I would say it's a delicate balancing and that always shifting.
Speaker B:So one thing I always make sure is writing down the tasks I need to accomplish for the next day before I sleep each day.
Speaker B:And then I prioritize things.
Speaker B:I narrow down what is most important for me to finish as the first thing on the day.
Speaker B:And then I do delegate lots of work where it doesn't need my presence to our staff members and not only at office, I do delegate work at home.
Speaker B:Luckily, as my children are older enough, they're very responsible, they take care of their own things.
Speaker B:And my husband is also very supportive as I need to handle juggle between this many things.
Speaker B:So they'll always be very mindful to give my own pace.
Speaker B:But yeah, and even though we plan things ahead of time, but realistically it's not that easy.
Speaker B:Few days are very exhaustive.
Speaker B:I feel like I can't do anything on that day.
Speaker B:But still I come back, I push through just by reminding myself why I started, what's my purpose.
Speaker A:There are thankfully there are an increasing number of female entrepreneurs, in fact on this podcast, which.
Speaker A:And you're the.
Speaker A:You're the 76th that I have had on this show.
Speaker A:It's been fantastic.
Speaker A:But what I was going to say is that the percentage of women entrepreneurs that have been on this podcast is higher than the number of female entrepreneurs there are, you know, out in the world.
Speaker A:So for some reason I'm very lucky to have quite a few female entrepreneurs.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker A:And so for those female entrepreneurs listening, what would you the advice you might give them if they're either struggling or thinking about getting into an entrepreneur doing a startup.
Speaker B:So yeah, so whenever as a woman we need to, there will be so many phases where women need to come as a second inning after the children and everything that time working for somebody else might be different thing but working on their own startups, it's not a small thing.
Speaker B:I have gone through the same phase.
Speaker B:Self doubting is normal.
Speaker B:Not only self doubting, people will ask so many questions.
Speaker B:Well, why, why don't you go for a job?
Speaker B:Why do you want to try something on your own?
Speaker B:It's hard.
Speaker B:It's not for women.
Speaker B:What's the success rate?
Speaker B:We don't know until we try.
Speaker B:I have gone through the same path.
Speaker B:There were so many questions asked and so many unnecessary comments which pull us back.
Speaker B:I have heard, I have gone through so much but still, even though you are self doubting or even though somebody is pulling you down, but just be confident, Just give it, give a try.
Speaker B:Your work is important, your voice is important.
Speaker B:Just get through that fun step.
Speaker B:You, you ride here or the whole world.
Speaker B:No need to be perfect at that moment what you're seeing, but just jump in and start, be resilient, figure out things on the way.
Speaker B:We learn so much which helps us to grow even more.
Speaker B:That's what my journey and that's the same thing I suggest to everyone who are trying to come into a business or startup.
Speaker B:And once we're trying to figure out things over the actions, the confidence build along the way.
Speaker A:So this is sort of a, I guess a delicate question.
Speaker A:So you've talked about the challenges of being a woman entrepreneur.
Speaker A:How much harder was it do you think?
Speaker A:On top of that also being an immigrant, did people give you even more of a hard time?
Speaker B:It's not about the people.
Speaker B:But I had so many hardships in my journey being an immigrant because as I mentioned, it's just been exactly 10 years.
Speaker B:We came here as an immigrant first.
Speaker B:Nobody will try.
Speaker B:In my position where I am on H480, that that is dependent work permit.
Speaker B:Nobody will try to start a business.
Speaker B:Everybody will start working for somebody.
Speaker B:People will settle in the jobs.
Speaker B:But I chose a different way where I want to prove myself, I want to build something on my own.
Speaker B:As I mentioned, even I was not confident in the beginning.
Speaker B:But as I was working through, I was learning.
Speaker B:I was taking the advices from mentors.
Speaker B:I had built the supporting network and everything.
Speaker B:But still in order to expand business, I need to have at least a green card or citizenship here.
Speaker B:That's where I struggled.
Speaker B:Even though we have huge plans for expansion and there is a lot of scope for franchising and everything.
Speaker B:But I have to limit the operations only to the place where I need.
Speaker B:I'm confined because we haven't raised any investments.
Speaker B:If I go ask somebody, obviously people will ask what's your status here?
Speaker B:Are you.
Speaker B:People will see like how long you're going to be here.
Speaker B:What's your status or is it your visa or green card or who are you here?
Speaker B:So yeah, in that case till now I don't know like now I got the stability I'll share with you but that time I do not have right answer.
Speaker B:So I was.
Speaker B:That path was closed for me going to somebody and asking for the investment.
Speaker B:So what we did was whatever we are getting, we are reinvesting.
Speaker B:Reinvesting.
Speaker B:That's how from single location to I we have expanded three centers and we're all already working on both center.
Speaker B:But still today I haven't raised a single dollar from any investors or we.
Speaker B:Because I was on my immigrant.
Speaker B:My immigration was not on a stable path but now I believed I did.
Speaker B:And in the process I have acquired not only the knowledge recognition as well.
Speaker B:I got local media recognition, international, I mean journal recognitions, magazine recognitions and I have been recognized in so many international platforms.
Speaker B:I got seven awards till date and I've raised all of that and I have applied for my extraordinary ability visa which got approved very recently.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's fantastic.
Speaker A:Congratulations.
Speaker B:So now I'm even more confident and there is nothing which stops us from the expansion whether it is nationally or internationally.
Speaker B:So I have the stability.
Speaker B:My business has stability.
Speaker B:Now I can go as the investors.
Speaker B:This is what I am.
Speaker B:I figured out and I'm sure that I have extraordinary ability.
Speaker B:This is my expansion plan.
Speaker B:I need help so I can ask.
Speaker B:I'm confident now.
Speaker A:That's great.
Speaker A:So this extraordinary abilities visa, really I've never heard of it before.
Speaker A:It's not a green card but it's.
Speaker A:It's going to enable you to do everything you want to do.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:And it's a path for the extraordinary ability green card as well.
Speaker B:Within few years I can get through that as well.
Speaker A:Talk to us a little bit about how your plans to scale the business and how you're going about it.
Speaker B:As of now, as.
Speaker B:As I mentioned we have three centers now and we are planning to go into the franchise more.
Speaker B:We have already started working on it but it takes time.
Speaker B:At least 6 to 7 months roadmap where I need to register and figure out all the franchisee things and options.
Speaker B:Meanwhile, just like how I started, I know there are so many wonderful women out there.
Speaker B:Just like how I do not have the confidence in the beginning and the resources I do not have.
Speaker B:So just like who?
Speaker B:I just want to find out.
Speaker B:Especially women who need support to fulfill their entrepreneurial dreams.
Speaker B:So we are going to start accelerator program kind of thing so that we can gather who are all interested and I can guide them, I can share my knowledge and my journey.
Speaker B:And not only that, I am planning to equip them with the investment they need to start launching their ideas.
Speaker B:And if they're ready, we want to give our franchise to them as well.
Speaker B:So before moving on to the actual franchise, I do have this idea of empowering other women like me who are struggling.
Speaker B:So that's one plan.
Speaker B:And as I said, I'm from India and I really want to establish and expand to India and especially there.
Speaker B:There is a lot of.
Speaker B:Not only the scope, it's not about the scope.
Speaker B:There is a need.
Speaker B:There is a need.
Speaker B:There is a huge gap.
Speaker B:So we really want to fill that gap.
Speaker B:Going back to India and launching over there to serve the community where I came from.
Speaker A:And do you have plans to also expand within California?
Speaker B:Yeah, first we want to start with expanding in California handily.
Speaker B:We are planning to launch in India as well.
Speaker B:And then my goal is to expand nationwide.
Speaker B:Once we figure out all the franchise work, everything.
Speaker B:Yes, we are ready to expand nationwide states as well.
Speaker A:Okay, well, I'm in Boston so we would welcome this kind of capability in Boston.
Speaker A:For sure.
Speaker B:For sure.
Speaker B:Thank you so much.
Speaker A:Well, I have one more thing I would like to hear your thoughts on which is, you know, you've been very modest about how you were unsure of yourself and you didn't have confidence at first.
Speaker A:But what you show very clearly is like so many founders I talk to, basically all of them is a lot of grit.
Speaker A:So I'm sure you agree with me.
Speaker A:You have a lot of grit.
Speaker A:Where do you think it comes from?
Speaker B:It comes from learning.
Speaker B:It comes from, from all the setbacks.
Speaker B:So each setback I crossed it with resilience and I learned, I figured out there and then moved to the next step.
Speaker B:So it's not one, it's not one setback I have gone through.
Speaker B:There were several, several things health wise.
Speaker B:While I'm figuring out my business.
Speaker B:I have gone through so many setbacks in my health as well.
Speaker B:So I get through there and in the business and in the family, children, everything.
Speaker B:So I was very resilient.
Speaker B:Now I was Resilient.
Speaker B:And I was even more resilient now.
Speaker B:So I say the grit comes from all the setbacks and the learning we do on the way.
Speaker A:You know, I gave a TED talk about this topic.
Speaker A:It was not quite the same.
Speaker A:It wasn't about, where does, you know somebody that's trying to be an entrepreneur, develop grit.
Speaker A:It was my story of losing my leg to cancer and, and having a second bout of cancer before 19.
Speaker A:It.
Speaker A:But it was.
Speaker A:I say the same thing you just said, which is that the challenges, the adversity that kept making me stronger and stronger and stronger.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Even people and the friends, the community who saw me from the moment when I started, they're very empowered by seeing my journey and my story.
Speaker B:Because everybody knows, like, what I have gone through.
Speaker B:Medical, medically, and.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And while I'm figuring out the business, the challenges I have faced, especially being a woman.
Speaker B:No support we do not have, except me, my husband, my children.
Speaker B:We do not have any known person when we came here.
Speaker B:So we just learned.
Speaker B:We just learned, learned, learn.
Speaker A:I think being a woman, being an immigrant, tackling, you know, the family, tackling the entrepreneurship, it's a lot.
Speaker A:And you clearly had a whole reservoir of strength to start with and then just got stronger.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's a great story.
Speaker A:Well, I thank you for this because I think you're going to be a fascinating person for a lot of people to listen to, maybe women in particular who are the audience of this podcast.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker B:Thank you so much.
Speaker B:Thank you for the opportunity.
Speaker A:Oh, my pleasure.
Speaker A:Here are three takeaways for startup founders that I call your toolkit.
Speaker A:1.
Speaker A:Start before you're ready.
Speaker A:Don't wait for perfect conditions or complete confidence.
Speaker A:Jyothi started with a fictitious business name and free lessons in a church.
Speaker A:She didn't have her immigration status figured out, didn't have funding, and felt uncertain, but she started anyway.
Speaker A:Action builds confidence, not the other way around.
Speaker A:Take that small first step today, even if you can't see the whole staircase.
Speaker A:2.
Speaker A:Turn constraints into strategy.
Speaker A:Jyothi couldn't raise traditional funding due to her visa status, so she reinvested every dollar back into growth.
Speaker A:This forced discipline led to sustainable expansion from one location to three centers now serving a thousand students annually.
Speaker A:Your limitations aren't roadblocks.
Speaker A:They're forcing functions that can create stronger, more resilient business models.
Speaker A:3.
Speaker A:Build your network through service.
Speaker A:Instead of networking events, Jothi Valent volunteered at robotics competitions and charter schools.
Speaker A:This gave her deep industry knowledge, credibility, and relationships that became the foundation of her business.
Speaker A:Don't just network, serve your way into your industry.
Speaker A:The expertise and connections you gain will be invaluable when you launch.
Speaker A:So that's our episode with Jothi.
Speaker A:Until next time, keep designing your success.
Speaker A:The show notes contain useful resources and links.
Speaker A:Please follow and rate us@podchaser.com designing successful startups.
Speaker A:Also, please share and like us on your social media channels.
Speaker A:This is Jothi Rosenberg saying TTFN Tata for now.
