Even the best of courses might not prepare you for the real world. Now, with the scores of startups in the city, this is all the more apparent — people no longer hesitate to take the plunge and make a living of their passion. Bapan Debbarma, after graduating in economics, political science and sociology, went on to do a course in ethical marketing in the UK.
"There, Iworked part-time as a waiter and discovered how much I loved cooking," says the native of Tripura. "But I also really enjoyed ethical marketing — travelling and talking about products made in rural India."
"There, Iworked part-time as a waiter and discovered how much I loved cooking," says the native of Tripura. "But I also really enjoyed ethical marketing — travelling and talking about products made in rural India."
After spending a few years on this, he realised he wasn't making as great an impact as he would like to. "So last year, I started my own food joint called Lot Like Crepes. Now I cook for a living," he says, laughing. He loves innovating, and experiments with different fillings. "Sometimes it takes an hour to serve up an order, but I'm thankful that people have the patience to wait for it," he adds.
Namratha Sastry, who has studied electronics and communications engineering, always loved gardening. "I probably inherited it from my father who spent a lot of time pottering about the garden," she says.
After a 10-year stint as a business analyst in the corporate world, she took a break when she was pregnant. "Then, I started working in a garden. When it was time for me to go back to work, I realised Ididn't want another job in the corporate sector," she says.
So over the next couple of years, she met people who were into gardening, learning as much as she could along the way. In 2014, she co-founded a gardening solutions firm Smart Gardens with her friend.
"Now, as soon as Iwake up, Ihave to walk into the garden, whether it's to clear out old leaves or pick out pests. I don't have too much time in the morning, but I have to spend the first 10 minutes of my day with my plants," she says. Anubhav Ankit, also an engineer by qualification, would never have guessed that the seed for his future venture was sown during his boarding school years, when he wrote letters to his family every week.
"I was never good at math and in my fourth year, Igot a chance to go to be part of a college radio station," he recounts. "I went on to study mass communication, but worked in the marketing sector before I founded two startups — a break-up helpline and a venture where we hand write letters for others."
So what he studied and how his career path has panned out, he says, is rather interesting. Tejaswini Gopalawamy, an advertising professional, spent a decade working with various advertising agencies. After taking a few solo trips in Bhutan, China, South Africa and some parts of India, she ran into her school friend Gurudeep Ramakrishna back here in Bengaluru.
"He had done two cycling trips — one with a few friends and another with a bunch of other people — from Manali to Leh by then, and he talked to me about Unventured," she recalls. The next year, the duo registered the company that takes people places on the bicycle, "the humbles means of travel". They are also passionate about taking people through the Bengaluru they grew up in — "before it became the IT city or garbage city". "And we can't imagine doing anything else now — it's more a lifestyle than a separate venture for us," she explains.
Even the best of courses might not prepare you for the real world. Now, with the scores of startups in the city, this is all the more apparent — people no longer hesitate to take the plunge and make a living of their passion. Bapan Debbarma, after graduating in economics, political science and sociology, went on to do a course in ethical marketing in the UK.
"There, I worked part-time as a waiter and discovered how much I loved cooking,” says the native of Tripura. "But I also really enjoyed ethical marketing — travelling and talking about products made in rural India.”
"There, I worked part-time as a waiter and discovered how much I loved cooking,” says the native of Tripura. "But I also really enjoyed ethical marketing — travelling and talking about products made in rural India.”
After spending a few years on this, he realised he wasn’t making as great an impact as he would like to. "So last year, I started my own food joint called Lot Like Crepes. Now I cook for a living,” he says, laughing. He loves innovating, and experiments with different fillings. "Sometimes it takes an hour to serve up an order, but I’m thankful that people have the patience to wait for it,” he adds.
Namratha Sastry, who has studied electronics and communications engineering, always loved gardening. "I probably inherited it from my father who spent a lot of time pottering about the garden,” she says.
After a 10-year stint as a business analyst in the corporate world, she took a break when she was pregnant. "Then, I started working in a garden. When it was time for me to go back to work, I realised I didn’t want another job in the corporate sector,” she says.
So over the next couple of years, she met people who were into gardening, learning as much as she could along the way. In 2014, she co-founded a gardening solutions firm Smart Gardens with her friend.
"Now, as soon as I wake up, I have to walk into the garden, whether it’s to clear out old leaves or pick out pests. I don’t have too much time in the morning, but I have to spend the first 10 minutes of my day with my plants,” she says. Anubhav Ankit, also an engineer by qualification, would never have guessed that the seed for his future venture was sown during his boarding school years, when he wrote letters to his family every week.
"I was never good at math and in my fourth year, I got a chance to go to be part of a college radio station,” he recounts. "I went on to study mass communication, but worked in the marketing sector before I founded two startups — a break-up helpline and a venture where we hand write letters for others.”
So what he studied and how his career path has panned out, he says, is rather interesting. Tejaswini Gopalawamy, an advertising professional, spent a decade working with various advertising agencies. After taking a few solo trips in Bhutan, China, South Africa and some parts of India, she ran into her school friend Gurudeep Ramakrishna back here in Bengaluru.
"He had done two cycling trips — one with a few friends and another with a bunch of other people — from Manali to Leh by then, and he talked to me about Unventured,” she recalls. The next year, the duo registered the company that takes people places on the bicycle, "the humbles means of travel”. They are also passionate about taking people through the Bengaluru they grew up in — "before it became the IT city or garbage city”. "And we can’t imagine doing anything else now — it’s more a lifestyle than a separate venture for us,” she explains.