ABOUT SHEETAL MEHTA WALSH
Sheetal provides advisory services to socially conscious technology companies so that they can access smart venture capital, corporate partnering, global expansion and pr. She sits on several advisory boards in this capacity including MetaCert, which specialises in content classification to help protect children from unsuitable content on the web.
Specifically Sheetal is focussed on microfinance in developing and developed countries. She is a spokesperson on the topic, having presented at Cambridge, LSE, Doha Forum, House of Lords, Tedx and other prestigious forums. Currently Sheetal is launching a for profit social enterprise kuuja.com which will act as a marketplace for microfinance recipients to sell their products and services online thereby scaling their businesses and becoming bankable. Sheetal is Founder of Shanti Microfinance a social enterprise and UK Charity that provides access to technology and capital for entrepreneurs in slums and villages in India.
Sheetal is the UK Deal Maker (by appointment) for the UK Trade and Investment’s Global Entrepreneur Programme. As a liaison between Government and entrepreneurs, she is responsible for helping innovative start up technology and life sciences companies make the UK their base so that they can be successful globally through strategic partnerships.
Previously, Sheetal was Director of VC Relations at Microsoft where she worked with the Venture Capital community in EMEA and the Silicon Valley to help their portfolio companies leverage the .NET initiative, access smart funding and go to market.
Sheetal has received several awards: Asian Women of Achievement: Social and Humanitarian (Prince Charles and Cherie Blair) for her efforts on taking technology to developing communities in India and Africa (2005); Management Today Magazine 35 Under 35; Success Magazine No 5 of top most powerful Asian women in the UK (2006), Award for Entrepreneur of the Year by Asian Woman Magazine and No 3 Ones To Watch’ section of the Asian Power 100 list – the most influential and highest achieving Asian women in Britain (2007). Asian Woman Magazine covered a story of Sheetal’s business in the Sept 2007 issue. Sheetal has been invited to Buckingham Palace for “Women in Business” reception hosted by Her Majesty, The Queen in November 2007, Alumni Award of Excellence from the University of Alberta in 2008.
Sheetal has a Masters in International Relations (Economics) at the London School of Economics and a BA (Honors) in International Politics at the University of Alberta, Canada. She is a yoga teacher and plays drums and dohl.
