Chezuba – web based platform; helps skilled professionals to find online volunteering projects

Adela – Short Introduction

Born in a little landlocked European country, Adela’s passion for foreign cultures began as she travelled the world dancing, volunteering and studying. Following her interests, she continued working with multinational teams in China, Taiwan and Slovakia. Focusing on facilitation of intercultural relations, she gained 6+ years of public service experience in foreign missions.

Her adventurous spirit, care for diversity, social inclusion and a natural thirst for making appositive difference brought her to India, where she joined Sukhendra and Jagan in co-founding a multinational startup. With her diplomatic background, a great attention to detail and customer oriented approach, she is now on a mission to build a product for multicultural users creating a global social impact.

When did the entrepreneur bug bite you?

I never dreamt of being an entrepreneur, but when I was approached by my friend Sukhendra to take part in building an online volunteering platform, I was immediately connected with that idea as at that point of time I was looking out for an opportunity where I can create impact, directly changing lives of those who were not that lucky as me. The idea matched my aspirations and I became an entrepreneur without even realising it.

Looking back, are there any indications from childhood that foreshadowed your becoming an entrepreneur?

Raised in a family of lawyers, gaining a high-level of education was a matter of course. However, the freedom of choosing my own degree and profession didn’t only give me the courage to start whatever I wanted, but also the responsibility of completion or failure. I was never a risk taker, though, I didn’t want to walk the path that was taken by others. A bit of courage, innovative thinking and a great network around you brings the opportunities to your doorstep. Entrepreneurship came to me like that as well.

Tell us about your first entrepreneurial venture: How did you come up with the idea and how did you start your business?

I was planning to take a sabbatical after I finished my work at the Embassy in Taiwan and was on a lookout for more satisfying profession. I believed that skilled volunteering in Southeast Asia would help to refine my thoughts about the future job, finding the right volunteering project was a challenge though. First, I would have to pay for going volunteering abroad, second, most of the projects are focused on manual work or teaching English and that would not help my goal. Jagan and Sukhendra were batchmates at the IIT Dhanbad. While in University they have co-founded AIESEC Dhanbad. They have also encountered similar problem in finding the right international volunteering opportunities for the students that have time or money constraints, hence we have decided to come together and start Chezuba

What is Chezuba?

Chezuba is a web based platform that helps skilled professionals to find online volunteering projects to make an impact and ease the work of the NGOs across the globe. Currently, we are catering to the needs of more than 1000 NGOs from over 30 countries and have registered more than 10 000 volunteers from 100 countries.

Do you follow a certain morning routine or daily schedule to maximize productivity and well-being?

Sport, sleep and a well-balanced diet is beneficial not only for body, but also for the mind. I run and do yoga on a daily basis. Morning exercise it’s a great start of the day and physical activity helps me to maintain sane during the times when the work gets really stressful.

What is the biggest challenge for you as an entrepreneur?

Being an entrepreneur has its own challenges, not mentioning being an entrepreneur in a foreign country. Cultural and legal differences are immense, and to learn how to swim in these water takes a lot of time that you don’t have in a startup. It’s only the people who stand at the beginning and the end of any of the channels. To understand who to approach and how to deal with that person is a skill that I still need to learn, as that is essential for any entrepreneur.

How do you solve big problems as an entrepreneur?

The right approach to any problem is identifying the real reasons behind it. In our founding team, we always deeply analyse the problem before jumping to quick solutions. The next step is clearly communicating the problem analysis and a proposed solution to the team, so as it understands the approach we have chosen. This way the team is connected to the solution and executes well.

How many people are on your team, and do you have any tips on hiring and growing a team of employees or contractors?

We have currently a team of 15 people, but we are in the middle of hiring looking at boosting our team up to 30 members this year. We’ve been very lucky with our team members, we have a developer from IIT, our BD is looked after by someone who has 16 years experience working with Fortune 500 companies as well as NGOs. Our Customer support executive has previously worked with Bank of America and Google. Hult School Graduate in Social Entrepreneurship is developing our Partnerships. We have regional ambassadors in France and Nicaragua and are on the lookout for more in the following months. During our hiring we are very focused on passion and cultural fit as we believe the company can grow only with the team that is fully dedicated to the mission and enjoys the work.

What do you do for encouragement or to be motivated?

The encouragement and motivation always come from within the team and from the customers, respectively. If I see a successfully completed volunteering project that helps both the NGO in pursuing their mission as well as it boosts the work and impact satisfaction of the volunteer, it confirms the value and meaning of our work. Every time there is a little success from anyone in the team the other team members will cheerfully send their congratulations, encouraging each other. I believe the encouragement only works if it’s in both directions.

What tips do you have for other women who would like to start their own businesses?

Look for the right people to help you in your journey. The path is too difficult to walk alone and with the right people who you can trust, you can do wonders. Ask a lot of questions, network, and don’t be afraid to ask for a help at any point of time.

How do you balance your entrepreneur life with friends that don’t understand the challenges we experience?

My life has changed dramatically after I moved to India and became an entrepreneur. Hence, the difficulty of explaining the challenges I’m facing to family and friends back home has been very tricky. What I have understood is that all your close ones want to see you happy, not necessary successful or rich, but happy and content. If I’m able to communicate the problems in a balanced and positive way, they feel less concerned and always provide the support I need.

What are the pros and cons of being a female entrepreneur in 2019?

Comparing to two decades ago, I believe in many parts of the world the access to education and tools for females has improved a lot. Women are getting equal rights and working positions that ease their entrepreneurial journey. There is also a lot of encouragement from the Government and private initiatives that I have observed primarily in India. On the flip side, the challenge of finding a balance between professional and personal life will always be more difficult for female entrepreneurs as their role in a family is irreplaceable.