EnterpriseZone.cc Connecting Global Leaders
Nina Alag Suri’s commitment to improving people’s lives is enhanced by her use of AI.
What’s your story?
25 years entrepreneur, I am on to my 3rd startup. I started the 1st venture with $1000 investment to make it a multimillion dollar-5 continent business. Then started an AI ML startup to disrupt my own business and created a SAAS AI people analytics company . The 3rd venture recently started is an APP that has a virtual mentor for people on the autism spectrum and helps in improving employability for ASD individuals.
What excites you most about your industry?
Technology has endless possibilities and has tremendous power to improve people’s lives. This really excites me.
The current startup- Empauwer , uses AI and ML to mentor employers to work more efficiently with people on the autism spectrum hence enabling companies to benefit from the strengths of these professionals for the benefit of both the organisations and the individuals.
What drives you in business to push beyond what other people consider normal?
The impact. The positive impact on people’s lives. The possibilities are endless. For eg removing subjectivity from hiring, getting rid of human biases are just some of the very basic things that technology can help with. Improving employability, matching people for compatibility and not just capability- endless possibilities.
What have been the most useful skills you have learnt and applied in your journey?
Less is more, focus drives growth 🙂 and simple is good!
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Think big! This is such a cliched statement but just so true when practiced. We are limited by our own imagination.
Who inspires you?
Many people have inspired and made me who I am. Starting with my dad who taught me fearlessness, my husband who gave me unconditional support and believed in me enough to invest in my venture :). Externally I admire what Satya Nadella has done with Microsoft making it such a humane company.
What have you learnt recently that blew you away? While we all have heard the benefits of exercise, I always assumed that physical activity and exercise help you keep fit, keep the heart pumping and builds muscle. But then recently I have been reading about impact of physical activity on the brain and how it impacts dementia and other neurological conditions.
If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
I would do a formal training in finance- beyond the basic finance that I know.
How do you unwind?
I love tv shows! I binge! which is the only downside. If I like a certain serial its hard for me to put it away. I am also a huge music fan. But the biggest stress busters are our puppies, we have 3 of them a poodle, a maltipoo and a labradoodle- there is nothing better than playing with them!
What is a major mindset change, belief shift or ‘ah ha’ moment that you’ve experienced in relation to your business?
The power of partnerships. I think for me this is a big learning curve and I am making sure we leverage this in our current startups. The power of collaboration, integration and partnerships.
Everyone in business should read this book:
Blitzscaling: The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies by Chris Yeh and Reid Hoffman
Shameless plug for your business:
Make valuable people decisions whether it is for hiring, admissions, scholarships, internships- make objective and accurate selections with X0PA’s award winning AI-automation solutions!
How can people connect with you?
Linkedin! I am an open networker. Or write to me at nina@x0pa.com.
Social Media Links?
Twitter: ninasuri
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ninaalagsuri
www.x0pa.com
www.x0paroom.com
www.empauwer.com
This interview is part of the CallumConnects series.
