The Tech Panda looks at women in technology, bringing you the latest breakthroughs, leadership moves, and milestones you need to know.
Women in Cloud launches ICONIC Leadership Kickstarter Campaign Designed to Build the Next Generation of Leaders for AI Economy
Women in Cloud (WIC) launched its ICONIC Leadership Kickstarter Campaign that is aimed at preparing professionals, executives, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem builders to develop the next generation of leaders, who will shape the AI economy through trust, collaboration, innovation, and economic access. The campaign is designed to be a global leadership movement, which is a part of the book launch of CONIC Leadership that has been co-authored by Dee Dee Walsh and Chaitra Vedullapalli along with 20 others. The campaign will run for 60 days, concluding on September 15, 2026.
The genesis of ICONIC Leadership Kickstarter campaign is deep rooted in the recent Economic Access Research conducted by Women in Cloud in 2026 that revealed a critical leadership challenge. The research highlighted that 92% of professionals know where to learn new skills but only 10% know how to access opportunity. ICONIC Leadership addresses this opportunity gap by shifting the conversation from technical excellence to opportunity creation, helping women and allies to build trust, expand influence, activate partnerships, and create lasting economic impact for others.
The campaign also invites 1,000 Founding Members to help launch a global leadership movement focused on economic access, opportunity creation, and developing 10,000 ICONIC Leaders worldwide. These founding members will help establish the first ICONIC Leadership cohorts, leadership workshops, assessments, companion tools, and a worldwide community committed to democratizing economic access through leadership. The program also has insights from 20 accomplished global leaders.
Commenting on ICONIC Leadership Kickstarter campaign, Chaitra Vedullapalli, Co-founder and President of Women in Cloud and co-author of ICONIC Leadership, said, “The world doesn’t need more managers. It needs ICONIC leaders. AI can automate knowledge. It cannot automate judgment, trust, courage, or the ability to create opportunity for others.”
The first 1000, who would join as co-founders will get invitations to the inaugural ICONIC Leadership Workshop, exclusive founding member recognition, access to 20+Co-Authors and Global Leaders through behind-the-scenes conversations and leadership experiences, special Kickstarter-Only Experiences, and get access to launch Celebration and Book Reveal Experiences available only during the campaign.
The Kickstarter campaign has an initial funding goal of $20,000, which will support production of premium collector editions, educational experiences, leadership resources, and launch activities that bring the ICONIC Leadership framework to professionals around the world.
Namma Yatri Invites More Women to Take the Wheel Through a First-of-its-Kind Mobility Initiative
As part of its efforts to encourage greater participation of women in the mobility ecosystem, Namma Yatri recently organised a unique, one-day experiential activation that invited women from diverse professional backgrounds to step into the shoes of a driver partner. Held in Bengaluru last Saturday, the initiative offered participants a first-hand experience of driving with the Namma Yatri platform, highlighting professional driving as a career that offers financial independence, flexibility and dignity, while challenging long-held stereotypes around women in mobility.
The activation featured participants from diverse industries, including, Vidhu Vinod, Lead Program Manager – Strategy & Operations, Target; Preity Nanwani, Brand Manager, TBWA\Lintas; Vanshika Shah, Creative Content Strategist, Poetic Potato; and Kavya Mendiratta, Creative Manager, Namma Yatri.
Namma Yatri has already been working towards increasing women’s participation in mobility through its Mahila Shakthi programme, which supports a growing community of women auto-rickshaw driver partners. Building on that foundation, this activation was designed to encourage more women to consider driving cabs as a profession as well, with the long-term objective of expanding its network of women cab driver partners alongside its existing women auto driver fleet.
Rising Female Participation in Gaming in India, As Per Niko Partners’ Latest Report
Niko Partners’ August 2026 update of the India Player Behavior and Market Insights report reveals that India’s video game market surpassed $1 billion in revenue for the first time. Key trends highlight surging female gamer participation, shifts away from battle royale titles, and distinct payment preferences across the country.
Female participation has risen to 49% in 2026, up from 43% in 2023, where the total audience is projected to exceed 550 million players in 2026.
Goa Institute of Management’s First Woman Founding Donor with INR1.025 Cr Contribution
Goa Institute of Management (GIM) has recognised Supria Dhanda (MBA, Class of 1998) as the Institute’s first woman Founding Donor of the GIM Endowment Fund, following her contribution of INR1.025 crore, one of the largest alumni gifts in the Institute’s history.
On being recognised as GIM’s first woman Founding Donor, Dhanda said, “Strong institutions shape nations. Contributing to the GIM Endowment Fund is my way of giving back to an institution that has been part of my journey. I appreciate GIM and its partner, Univariety, for creating a platform that makes it easier for alumni to come together and contribute. I hope more alumni will join this effort to support future generations of students.”
Speaking about the significance of alumni philanthropy, Prof. Ajit Parulekar, Director, Goa Institute of Management, said, “Institutions are built not only through academic excellence but also through the enduring commitment of those who have benefited from them. Supria’s contribution reflects the confidence that alumni place in GIM’s future and in the role the Endowment Fund can play in creating opportunities for generations of students. We are honoured to recognise her as our first woman Founding Donor.”
