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Tag: Karishma Mehta

  • Humans of Bombay blossoms into full-stack media powerhouse

    Humans of Bombay blossoms into full-stack media powerhouse

    MUMBAI: Humans of Bombay (HOB), the platform that’s touched millions with its poignant tales, is no longer just telling stories; it’s now poised to write its own, transforming into a full-stack digital media company. Having spun over 6,500 narratives and built a community of more than 7M, HOB is branching out to become a veritable media tree.

    With a belief that real human stories can, in fact, change the world, HOB is now taking that power to the next level. Expect a bumper crop of original IPs, bold new partnerships, and immersive formats that aim not just to recount lives, but to shape the very culture of a New India. It’s a bit like turning a heart-warming anecdote into a blockbuster franchise.

    “Stories change people. And people change the world. We’re building storytelling ecosystems—formats and IPs designed to inspire, influence, and push India forward.” said Humans of Bombay founder & CEO, Karishma Mehta

    Every grand transformation needs the right hands to steer the plough, and HOB is no exception. They’ve brought in some serious talent to cultivate this new growth.

    Amit Sobti is joining HOB as its new president. With two decades of experience in building and scaling media companies, including a dozen years spent nurturing Fork Media into one of India’s leading digital media powerhouses—Sobti will be driving operations, revenue, and partnerships to new heights. He’s clearly got a knack for turning narratives into net profits.

    “This move just felt right,” Humans of Bombay president, Amit Sobti. “I’ve spent years building brands and businesses, but HOB is different. It’s honest. It’s human. And in a world full of noise, that really matters. I’m excited to help shape what comes next—thoughtfully, and with purpose.”  

    And because creativity is the very soil in which HOB thrives, Jasleen Kaur Gupta is stepping in as vice president, creatives & delivery. Armed with a decade of experience in shaping content, marketing, and talent IPs at big names like Myntra, 120 Media Collective, and Fork Media, gupta will lead the creative vision, bringing bold, fresh storytelling formats to vivid life.

    Much before joining HOB, I was a fan of their content. To now actually be here and have the opportunity to make an impact with life changing storytelling and creative experiments is a chance to do what I do best. Build. Bigger, better and be disruptive,” says Jasleen Kaur.  

    “At our core, we’ll always stand for real, empathy-driven stories. But the future we’re building is about going beyond content—into culture, influence, and impact at scale,” adds Karishma Mehta.  
     

  • Ladies Who Lead launches Venture Vault for open, actionable learning

    Ladies Who Lead launches Venture Vault for open, actionable learning

    MUMBAI: Ladies Who Lead, the exclusive women-led network founded by Aabha Bakaya and Aditya Ghosh, has officially launched Venture Vault an open-to-all, immersive learning platform designed to equip professionals with real-world business insights.

    Previously available only to members, Venture Vault is now accessible to all genders, welcoming founders, freelancers, consultants, and corporate leaders alike. The initiative is built to bridge critical knowledge gaps in strategy, scaling, and leadership through practical, high-impact sessions.

    The first public edition of Venture Vault kicked off in Mumbai, drawing a crowd of over 250 attendees — from CXOs to startup founders. The event featured a star-studded panel including Ghosh, (Akasa Air CEO) Vinay Dube, (Bombay Shaving Company founder) Shantanu Deshpande, (Humans of Bombay founder) Karishma Mehta, and (Blume Ventures) Karthik B. Reddy among others. The sessions tackled early-stage funding, execution challenges, and customer acquisition strategies.

    “We believe that true leadership is nurtured when insights are shared and opportunities are made accessible to everyone,” said Ladies Who Lead founder Bakaya.

    “This platform is our commitment to fostering a future where diverse voices and bold ideas drive innovation.”

    Co-founder Ghosh added, “Following successful pilot runs, we are now introducing Venture Vault to non-members as a pan-India platform to foster knowledge sharing and networking.”

    What sets Venture Vault apart is its focus on actionable learning. Rather than traditional theory-heavy formats, the sessions are designed to offer real-time strategies and conclude with live Q&As, allowing participants to engage directly with business icons.  

    The launch marks the beginning of a multi-city rollout, with upcoming editions set for New Delhi and Bangalore. By integrating digital media, expert-led panels, and interactive formats, Venture Vault is positioned to redefine entrepreneurial education in India.

    With this move, Ladies Who Lead signals its intent to build an inclusive, future-ready professional ecosystem, empowering individuals across sectors to learn, connect, and grow together. 

  • Humans of Bombay celebrates ten years with ‘Realign’

    Humans of Bombay celebrates ten years with ‘Realign’

    Mumbai: Humans of Bombay, one of the storytelling platforms renowned for capturing inspiring stories from diverse individuals celebrated its ten anniversary on 29 January 2024. Commencing its legacy in Mumbai, over the past decade, the platform has expanded to cover all Indian cities and connect with people across the globe through the power of storytelling. With a community of over 5M followers and a diverse pan-India audience, HOB chronicles stories ranging from local tea stalls to decoding the journeys of India’s foremost leaders like Ratan Tata and Narendra Modi.

    The platform is committed to capturing the brighter side of human experiences, delving into complex subjects such as domestic violence, homosexuality, sex work, and drug abuse. This milestone not only marks a decade-long strive to championing India’s exceptional stories, but also signifies the platform’s dedication to making important conversations accessible to a wider audience.

    The journey has been extremely rewarding, achieving numerous milestones, including raising funds for individuals such as Ali Bhatt, a Kashmiri carpet weaver wrongfully imprisoned for 23 years, a young girl from the Kalbelia tribe, and a 14-year-old aspiring pilot. In addition to sharing inspiring narratives, HOB has collaborated with brands like Dove, Amazon, WhatsApp, OLA and Hindustan Unilever, to further showcase the achievements and success of ordinary people. The Suvidha Centre, a CSR initiative by Hindustan Unilever, collaborated with HOB highlighting stories of individuals benefiting from dignified sanitation, generating positive responses and increasing social media awareness. Beyond these online initiatives, the platform extends its influence through various channels, including a white-label agency, YouTube shows like ‘How The Hell Did I Do It’ and ‘The Humans of Bombay Show’.

    Looking ahead, HOB is gearing up for its first large offline event, the ‘Bombay Storytelling Festival,’ scheduled for later this year. The festival aims to bring online stories to an offline space, offering unique experiences like the human library, panel discussions, open mics, live music performances, food stalls, and interactive installations. Alongside this HOB now has plans to diversify further into long form content as well.

    The platform is now diving deep alongside their storytelling approach, with ‘Realign’, a new venture that serves as an immersive experience, exploring a unique intersection of science, spirituality, and wellness. ‘Realign’ stands on three pillars, ‘listen,’ ‘learn,’ and ‘live,’ offering a podcast with insightful conversations, courses that help you align life, and creative community based experiential events, to provide a comprehensive platform and community to Realign.

    The launch of ‘Realign’ marks a new venture expanding towards diving deep into holistic narratives and guiding people towards a better life. The first leg of ‘Realign,’ the podcast, is now live. With each episode, listeners are invited to partake in transformative conversations with experts, thought leaders, and visionaries who add up to one’s personal growth. Patrons can anticipate engaging conversations with notable guests such as Shikhar Dhawan, Zepto founders Aadit and Kaivalya Vohra, and humanitarian and spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

    On 13 January, 2024, the 3 Pillar of Realign – Live, was launched with their Manifestation edition. The event focused on the topic of manifestation conducted by Karishma Mehta and specialist Dr Karishma Ahuja. The 3-hour event was a mix of conversations, a workshop and a bringing together of like-minded individuals. It saw a wonderful turn out that was a diverse range of people from 18 to 60 years of age of whom some had flown in from different parts of the country with the vision and goal to Realign.

    A glimpse of the first event is presented here.

    Humans of Bombay CEO Karishma Mehta reflects on the journey, stating, “One thing that binds us together is inspiring real-life stories. And in the past ten years of Humans of Bombay, we have believed in the thought strongly. As we look back with gratitude, it’s empowering to see how the platform has created a sense of belonging and resonated with millions of hearts. In the future, our goal remains the same – to unify humans with authentic stories. We are also excited to introduce new avenues, the ‘Bombay Storytelling Festival,’ and much more, as we embark on the next chapter of storytelling. While these 10 years we have focused on the going wide with our stories and we continue to do that, we now bring to you Realign which is a whole venture about Diving deep into Science, spirituality & Well being”

    Celebrating a decade of impactful storytelling, Humans of Bombay (HOB) remains steadfast in its commitment to positive change. Humans of Bombay, pledges to explore new ways of storytelling that uplifts and inspires. Realign, HOB’s latest venture, is a testament to giving back and empowering the community to lead better lives. In this next chapter, Humans of Bombay continues with its mission, weaving narratives that resonate with the essence of humanity.