Influential Woman · Marketplace
Smita Karhade
Founder & CEO Renteez.ai, www.Renteez.ai
Fremont, CA
Her Story
About Smita
Smita Karhade serves as Founder and CEO of Renteez.ai, where she is building a marketplace platform that enables people to use underutilized assets for community building. She has held this role for the past two and a half years as the company moves toward a soft launch. In addition, she is Co-Founder and President of Rangmansh Theater, a nonprofit organization she has led for the last 10 years that brings together diverse artists to raise funds and awareness for community causes through performing arts. Karhade's professional journey spans nearly 25 years. She began as a physician after earning a bachelor's degree in medicine in India, then transitioned into technology after completing a master's degree in computer science from Silicon Valley University in 2013. She furthered her expertise with studies in product management at the Haas School of Business, web development at the University of Santa Cruz, and app development at the University of Santa Clara. She is also the founder of the global participatory model Gavai Kela, which connects women leaders across countries. Karhade maintains active involvement in professional and community organizations including the Chamber of Commerce in Fremont, BMM Bruhan Maharashtamandal, and the Diaspora Connect Initiative of the Government of Maharashtra.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Smita
01What do you attribute your success to?
My success is always believing that the road less travel by often leads to a beautiful destination. Constantly believing the power comes within yourself, that when you try to focus on good qualities in whatever is thrown in your way, then only you can achieve the success. Believe in yourself, that you are whatever you're building, you're building it genuinely and with honesty. The integrity should never be compromised.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received was always, the power is within you. You always come at an intersection where you find two routes. One is the shortest path, and the other is the hardest part. Believe what path is necessary. Sometimes hardest path takes you to your destination, rather than following the shortest path.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would advise people, when they actually are very focused on what they're building, and they want to leave the system behind, the platform, that communities, that continually creating opportunities long after even they are not personally involved, that's when they can create something meaningful. Even the business, even the ecosystem, whatever they're building, they have to build with integrity. When you see what you're building as a more value than your own self, that's only you can build something.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is loneliness of entrepreneurship. And finding right people who actually will believe in things. Carrying multiple identities. At times when I walk into the room, I have to really figure out what we say, which flag to carry, whether I should carry my hat of being entrepreneur or the hat of my being artist, director, or community builder, ecosystem builder.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity. Building something with honesty. That has made gave me ground to whether I'm building my platform, my company, Rangmansh, or Gavrice, all opened the tremendous opportunity door for me. People have seen me, that whatever I build with the honesty, my name has become synonym of an honesty and integrity.
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