Her Story
About Kumuda
I shifted from India where I used to work in automotive. When I wanted to start out a new career path for myself and reach a better understanding if I wanted to start my own company or have more insight into vehicles and cars, I started looking into my master's. I got a job offer at BMW, then I shifted to ATC Drivetrain. We remanufacture cars there, and I am a senior data architect. With my background in automotive, it gives me more insight into sustainability and remanufacturing cars. I love cars, so it's part of me - that's what made me go into the automotive industry. More than driving, I am fascinated by how cars move and the mechanics. I basically take care of live production on the floor. There are apps running which we do production of engines - we take out the whole stuff and do whole new stuff, new parts basically for engines. I take care of the whole software which runs to make the whole engine have remanufactured new parts. I basically work on the backend and data application which runs the whole plant. I'm also the founder of GoEI Cure and Recycling, which I've been running for almost 2 years now. When it comes to my founding company, I take care of strategic partnerships with hospitals and AI architecture. I work with the people I have hired to make sure the whole pipeline for healthcare is running and good. Having your own company and working together, it's not easy - you have two full-time jobs practically. My biggest achievement is founding a company, because not knowing anything, not having a background of money, when you want to dream something and you have to take up a hard thing, sometimes you have to wear a different hat - being a developer, a founder, a CEO, or a strategic planner. Taking up the company and getting it funded, that's where I stand and I would be proud of myself for that.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kumuda
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say my parents working hard - my mom leaving her career just to take care of me. I have seen them work hard with their careers, and that made me move forward. My dad always wanted to found a company or something, which he never had the opportunity to do, but he made sure that he gave me an opportunity to do that. So that keeps me going forward. And also my dog, I would say - fostering dogs and caring for them is part of what motivates me.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I got from my manager - he is amazing - he says, 'Just work hard, but don't work so hard that you forget to be smart.' I had a bit of anxiety when it comes to speaking on stage or anything, and I never took a chance to speak out myself. But this advice helped me understand that it's not just about working hard, but about working smart too.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Whatever you face, I know you may face it step by step - take that as a challenge, take that as appreciation, and work hard on yourself, and just believe in yourself, I would say. The biggest challenge is people criticize that a girl can't code and a girl can't lead a company. But my co-founders are male - they're guys - but they are the biggest people who support me. So when you're standing in the industry, show that a girl can do something, and she can do it. There are a lot of opportunities, and VCs are looking to have a person who is interested in the startup, rather than focusing on whether you're a girl.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Right now, I am actually pitching in competitions and going to accelerators as a startup founder. The biggest challenge is people criticize that a girl can't code and a girl can't lead a company. But my co-founders are male, and they are the biggest people who support me. The challenge is when you're standing in the industry, proving that a girl can do something and she can do it. But there are a lot of opportunities - VCs are looking to have a person who is interested in the startup, rather than focusing on gender. We just got selected into Startup Bootcamp, and they are giving us tremendous opportunities to explore our markets.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I keep different characteristics in my work and personal life. I'm more of a straightforward person when it comes to my work life. I am like, hey, if this is wrong, let's discuss, let's fix it. So I'm more of a strong-headed person. When it comes to personal life, I'm more humble and caring, sympathetic and caring. I'm quite reserved, I would say. I'm a bit of a reserved person, but when I get to know people, I'm just a happy and jolly person.
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