Ep 23 | Nisha Dua
How to Change Your Career
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Nisha Dua is a General Partner at BBG Ventures, which she co-founded with Susan Lyne in 2014. BBG Ventures is an NYC-based seed fund investing in consumer tech start-ups with a focus on women and underrepresented founders.
Nisha believes the greatest untapped opportunity for venture capital lies in backing women who are using technology to address common life-challenges and transform daily habits. Women are the dominant users of the fastest-growing mobile and social platforms, and they make or influence 85% of consumer purchases. Nisha has invested in over 70 start-ups, including a few that you may know such as Zola, The Sill, Carbon38, and Lola.
In addition to her work at BBG Ventures, she founded #BUILTBYGIRLS, a platform that encourages young women to enter tech by introducing them to opportunities, practical skills, and a network of women in the industry.
But before all of that, Nisha explored a variety of careers from being a singer, actress, lawyer, and consultant. In our interview, we’ll talk to Nisha about how to make career transitions in your life, incredible advice about raising money for your business and common mistakes too many entrepreneurs make.
Show Notes
Nisha opens up about her upbringing with Indian parents & how their expectations academically impacted her early career [2:51]
Nisha shares tips on how to make big career leaps & why she decided to leave law [9:06]
After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Nisha discusses why she had to make a career change & re-evaluate what success looks like [16:12]
How Nisha gained the confidence to take on a new opportunity in business despite having no “formal” experience [23:54]
How a business she was running led her to founding BUILT BY GIRLS [27:36]
How Nisha’s varied career path led her to venture capital and launching her own fund [33:22]
Nisha explains how founders should think about raising money & why venture capital isn’t for everyone [39:07]
After seeing over 7,000 pitches, Nisha explains key themes that make a great founder [44:38]
How to think about storytelling when you’re a founder and why it’s critical in your business [51:22]
Follow Nisha:
BBG Ventures Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbgventures/
BBG Ventures Website: https://www.bbgventures.com/
Built By Girls Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/builtbygirls/
Built By Girls Website: https://www.builtbygirls.com/
