Prajakta Karekar is a successful businesswoman who has come a long way in her journey from being a mother to an entrepreneur. The story of Prajakta Karekar is one of resilience, determination, and a deep sense of social responsibility. As a Recruitment Specialist and Counsellor, Prajakta started Convocare HR & Counselling LLP with a vision to encourage the importance of work-life balance and better job opportunities for NRIs in India. After Covid hit, she started an NGO called ConvoDream Foundation to help people get better job opportunities by sponsoring the training and development of people belonging to lower economic backgrounds.
Education
Prajakta’s company offers recruitment, counseling, and NGO services. Her highest education is a Master’s in Industrial & Organisational Psychology. She was the leader of the NSS group in college and started her journey in the field of social work at the early age of 12 by becoming a member of People for Animals. Prajakta’s journey to entrepreneurship began at the age of 27 when she started her first company called Step In 1 HR & Counselling LLP. Born in Mumbai, she later moved to the Gulf after her marriage. In 2019, she returned to India with a mission to provide job opportunities to people and raise awareness about mental health in organizations. It was then that she founded Convocare.
Prajakta is based in Mumbai, India, and is operating her business from Qatar. Her clients and competitive strengths are confidential, but she is connected to startups/entrepreneurship forums and business communities such as BNI. And she is the Vice president & Secretary of the Inner Wheel Club of Bombay Andheri East. Her larger goal or vision is to start a training center for employees where they will get free on-the-job training, and companies can hire free of cost employees from their training center. In the next 10 or 25 years, she wants to be known as the trusted brand in their industry and the only solution to all corporate needs in HR.
Challenges
The most challenging part of Prajakta’s journey so far was moving back to India in 2019 alone with her four-year-old daughter. It was the most difficult time handling a startup with a child without husband support, and soon after, Covid started. The only aim during this time was to make sure to be strong and make sure her company survived during the difficult time. She started helping corporates by giving free recruiting advice and free employees to make sure they get all the support in the most challenging time of Covid. It was only during this that she got support from the corporates for goodwill and recognized their strengths.
The boldest decision Prajakta ever made was to not charge a single penny from clients and candidates during Covid. As she was also struggling financially, she felt that society needed her services. She started a 24/7 free counseling service to help people during the panic situation of Covid. Prajakta is still working through obstacles such as managing and traveling from India to Qatar, managing a daughter with a business, and following her dreams with a work-life balance.
Awards
In 2020 Prajakta was also awarded for her Philanthropic work by Inner Wheel Club. Prajakta has received awards and recognition such as Women of the Year 2022 by The Best Vendors and the second award by Vyapaar Jagat in the year 2022. She finds a balance between work, family, and social life by dividing her time equally between family and work.
Prajakta expressed her gratitude towards her husband for his unwavering support throughout their entrepreneurial journey. She acknowledges that it is often said that women are behind their husbands’ success, but in her case, she can proudly say that their husband was behind their success.
In her own words, Prajakta believes that “the best way to help people is to help them become independent.”
Advice to Young Entrepreneurs
Prajakta’s advice to young entrepreneurs and startups is simple yet profound. She emphasizes the importance of working with honesty and treating employees with respect and dignity. According to her, employees are the backbone of any company, and without them, a person is just a freelancer. Therefore, it is crucial to value and appreciate the efforts of your team members.
Prajakta’s story is an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women who have to juggle multiple roles and responsibilities. Her journey from being a mother to a businesswoman is a testament to the fact that with hard work, determination, and the right support, anyone can achieve their dreams. The title “Journey from Being a Mother to A Businesswoman” encapsulates the essence of her story, which is about the transformation that she went through as a person and as a professional.
