Hi there,

Looking back at Women’s History Month, it’s clear how far we’ve come and how far we have yet to go. Learning with women founders like Maria Chiancola of Tipsy Rose Wines or operators like Christina Castle of Dôen and several of the panelists at a local fashion sustainability event highlights the many ways women influence business and entrepreneurship.

In UN Women’s round up on gender equality, the roadmap is clear:

“Investing in women could lift hundreds of millions out of extreme poverty and add $4 trillion to the global economy by 2030.”

Improving the lives of women worldwide is possible, but it requires action from women and male allies. And these changes benefit men, too. According to 15 years of International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) data, men who live and believe in gender equality are healthier and happier than men with restrictive gender attitudes.

As the month comes to a close, it’s important to consider how often technology, business, and climate factors intersect with gender equality. In this issue, I’ll be highlighting sustainable events, how changemakers like Francois Servranckx are positively influencing consumer behavior, and how to lead with AI. I delve into a new risk lesson, on being an outsider, something many women in the corporate world will understand.

This is a great round-up to send the leaders you admire, including friends, colleagues, and mentors.

Upcoming Events

Fintech/AI Startups Pitch Competition (April 20)

We’re almost there! I will be hosting the Fintech/AI Startups Pitch Competition and Investors/Experts Panel Discussion at the New York Fintech Week on April 20th. Together with the Wallet Max team, we have finalized the judges and startups.

Attendees will have a chance to meet with key judges, speakers, and contestants (and pick their brains). Our amazing lineup of experts includes:

• ​Jessie Lam - AiiM Partners

• ​Sherrise Pond - Anthemis

• ​Haroon Chohan - ARC Capital

• ​Heather Blake - Encompass Corporation

• ​Tiffany Pek - Reframe Partners

• ​Bhuva Shakti - Wallet Max

Sign up today and save your seat! Attendees can learn from the competing founders, too, such as:

• Artemis - Arthur Silva Maciel Tonaco

• ​Finori - Alex Voronovich

• ​Inncivio - Ghassen Benhadjsalah

• ​Merble - Shivam Goyal

• ​PlayMind Labs - Shay Bouchles

• ​Quantuma - Adnan Haider

Tickets will go fast, buy yours now ➡️ luma.com/FintechPitchWM26

Fundraising Mastermind: Join the Next Cohort (May 20)

The next cohort of my Fundraising Mastermind begins on May 20th. Hosted by Wallet Max and Funding Breakthrough Lab, these cohorts are a comprehensive, execution-focused 12-week sprint to help founders capture more funds.

Each sprint provides:​

• ​A clear weekly fundraising plan so you always know exactly what to work on

• ​Live group coaching to troubleshoot challenges and refine your approach

• ​Weekly Q&A time for real-time feedback on outreach, pitches, and investor conversations

• ​A mastermind of like-minded peers who hold each other accountable and share progress week to week

This mastermind takes about 6-8 hours a week, most of it spent on key activities to improve your outreach. Two hours are allotted for mastermind meetings, and 4-6 hours are recommended for preparing fundraising materials and investor outreach. Bonus: You get 2 coaches for the 12-week duration.

If you’re ready to optimize your fundraising efforts for the 2026 market, get more details on the Wallet Max website and sign up today! You can also email the Wallet Max team at [email protected] for more information.

Past Event Highlights

Dive into key learnings from the past few weeks of in-person and virtual events.

A Smarter Sip: Women-led Stories, Wine & Community

Last month, I had the pleasure of supporting a small business, Tipsy Rose Wines winemaker and learning not just about wine, but about founder Maria Chiancola. In 2012, Maria decided to “retire” from teaching college English Literature and focus on her hobby: Retail wine. Named after her grandmother, Tipsy Rose Wines, Maria went full-in on exploring the complex industry of wine-making, learning from her relationships with experienced vintners.

Maria shared her journey with myself and other attendees during the interactive wine-tasting experience. There were so many lessons from her experiences in building the business from scratch. Risks can be opportunities, mistakes can create success, and our passions can build sustainable businesses.

Heels on the Ground: a Look at Fashion and Sustainability's Future

In February, I attended a sustainable fashion event at The New School and participated in deep conversions about sustainability in the fashion industry. The program’s key speakers discussed an array of topics such as actionable steps towards sustainability and leveraging in AI. Moderated by Tiffany Pek, Parsons faculty member, and Devon Rufo, co-founder of Reframe Partners, the panel of speakers included:

• Christina Castle of Dôen

• Claire Sullivan of Miss Claire Sullivan

• Whitney McGuire of Parsons

• Kate Carlucci of Ned Graphics

Wallet Max’s Fundraising Mastermind Launch

The first cohort of Fundraising Mastermind kicked off on February 25th. As of writing, they have already covered whether they are ready to raise funds, nonverbal communication, deck building, and resilience. Now they will begin focusing on what investor expectations and designing a systemic approach to investor outreach. But it’s not just on-demand tutorials. It’s an execution-based program where founders can leverage peer and mentor support.

You can learn more about the program here.

Crowdfunding Strategies to Raise Capital, Validate Demand, and Convert Early Customers

I gave a virtual talk for NJ Small Business Development Center (NJSBDC) in February. While I often focus on fundraising, I took a broader view and included actionable tips on customer acquisition, product validation, and organic revenue generation.

Virtual events are always a delight, and they tap into something I already do on a one-on-one level with entrepreneurs. I offer consulting and coaching sessions on overall business finances and operations.

Learn more about these sessions here.

In short: These events are never just coffee or friendly mingling. It’s an act of moving forward.

Startup Growth Playbook: LIVE Interviews

Profitable and Responsible Small Business Communities with Francois Servranckx

On February 18th, I had the pleasure of interviewing Francois Servranckx, Founder of Green Gooding, New York City's first circular economy on-demand small appliances system, on my Startup Growth Playbook Series.

Francois works at the intersection of sustainability strategy and enterprise transformation. Before founding Green Gooding, he has shown leadership in several critical roles, such as spearheading Guardian Life’s ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) initiatives, worked as the Head of Communications for the Global Business Coalition for Education, and overseeing UNICEF campaigns as its Strategic Communication & Public Advocacy Director.

In this interview, Francois brings a product, operations, and fundraising lens to unpacking what investors actually look for when evaluating climate and ESG-driven companies.

“We have a unique challenge. We must explain the benefits of renting appliances over buying to shift behavior without spending on marketing,” notes Francois. “We run a lean business model…And when it comes to fundraising and attracting investors, especially if you don’t have an AI product, it’s important to show traction.”

Increased competition for funding is an opportunity for founders to stand out. But venture or angel capital aren’t the only options when creating high-impact, sustainable businesses.

✅ Customer loyalty and acquisition can stem from a strong network, too.
✅ Community and building a network are also just as important for success.

Don’t miss this engaging interview with real-world tips from Francois. You can see the full Playbook episode below 👇

In Case You Missed It – The BIG News Highlights

Risk is everywhere, but in understanding potential threats, we can mitigate them. Below is one BIG story that shows the connections between technology, science, and business.

Leading Through AI And Digital Transformation

Innovation in technology has outpaced governance capacity, placing leaders in a bind. CFOs, CTOs, and other c-suite roles aim to deliver strategic pivots in a rapidly shifting industry landscape and artificial intelligence (AI) seems like a winner. But resistance is mounting between both employees and customers.

A McKinsey study states that 88% of companies claim they use AI. But another survey from Section found that less than 3% of the workforce functionally use AI. Furthermore, 48% of CFOs claimed that a significant challenge to AI adoption is employee resistance.

At the same time, half of consumers stated in a Gartner report that they don’t want brands to use Generative AI.

What does this mean for leadership that wants to leverage AI technology?

One solution is strictly human: Communication. Improved and empathic discussions with employees can reduce friction.

Most workers are concerned about job security, not the technology itself. Leadership and governance around AI initiatives includes strategies such as including employees in operational changes, providing AI training, and explaining the benefits of AI. Incorporating AI into high-level, c-suite workflows and modeling successful tool use can also improve morale and confidence.

The most important thing: Listen to your workforce and directly answer their concerns. Listening to contrary voices may offer insight on reducing risk during implementation and discovering new innovative ways to apply AI without sacrificing worker autonomy. Clear communication and transparency is the best way forward to build long-term trust and loyalty with your workforce, whether it’s about AI or not.

The BIG Blog Digest

Still time for some reading? Here are some articles of interest this month.

11 ways to get fintech funding

Securing the right type of funding is not just a checkbox for immediate growth: It’s the cornerstone of scalability and long-term success. While many founders will often self-fund early developments, founders can also look to angel investors, venture capital, government grants, and more. In this article, I cover 11 different funding sources and offer top tips to boost successful pitching. Read this full blog here.

How to fund your AI business

As AI is an emerging technology, someone branding themselves as an AI business may find themselves limited when it comes to funding sources. Individual investors are skeptical and banks can consider these startups too high risk. For many, it comes to incubators, accelerators, government funding, and venture capital. Here’s what you need to know about AI-funding. Read this full blog here.

50 weeks of AI risk analysis: The key is governance

For fifty weeks, I have written about AI, risk, leadership, and governance from a systems perspective. In this article, I review 5 key learnings about AI and risk, such as the importance of structure and trust in a murky information market. Furthermore, I detail my 30-minute AI Governance Alignment Review to help investors, founders, and experts improve their AI use. Read this full blog here.

Risk Lesson: Policies Are Not Protection

On paper, I was protected. There were corporate policies for diversity. Governance protocols. Risk checklists. Inclusion pledges. But when I raised actual issues, such as a flaw in the way credit data was being migrated in a new system, I was told to “be careful.” No one wanted to be associated with dissent.

I didn’t silence myself. But I learned that while policies are structure, safety is culture. Policies without real enforcement or inclusion are performance, not protection.

Ultimately, policies are a floor, not a ceiling. It’s important to build your own safeguards: Document issues, cultivate allies, and know escalation paths. Your voice and evidence may be the only shield you have when a policy fails in practice.

In my book, Everyday Risk Wisdom: Your Risk Management Guide to Thrive in a Complex World as an Overlooked Business Leader, I delve into action steps to protect yourself when policy fails in practice.

Explore my book website below and get notified when this lesson is available for free!

The BIG Reflection Quiz

Many in my network are outsiders, high-achieving professionals that must balance voice with participation to avoid being penalized. But what does it look like to be proactive in safeguarding your voice?

That’s what this reflection quiz is about. Consider the following strategies. Which one do you believe is most useful in your experience for protecting your voice?

• I always watch patterns. Politics are a baseline. Culture reveals the effectiveness of policy. I focus on whether actions align with stated rules and document every interaction meticulously.

• I lean on my network. It helps to have another person to affirm your experiences. I build trust with colleagues that put a premium on integrity.

• I don’t confuse optics with ownership. People who follow through, especially when stakes are high, reveal organizational values. People who take responsibility show me who I can trust.

• I pick my battles. My voice matters, but I don’t feel that I can protect every cause. I try to support my allies and ensure I have significant evidence and stakes to present before using my voice.

All of these strategies work, and are even better when combined. Documentation, policy-awareness, allies, and identifying ownership all help safeguard “outsider” voices in the company.

Read the lesson for my “Policies Are Not Protection” action steps. Explore my book website below and get notified when this framework is available for free!

Keep Moving Forward

As we move into April, one of the best things you can do for your business is act. Whether that’s using your voice to create change within a system, attending a community-building event, or joining a mastermind, one simple step can propel you towards success.

We rarely get to the top quickly or alone. In the journey, we meet mentors, colleagues, and allies to help us develop new strategies around road blocks. Failure to raise capital can mean discovering a newer, more cost-effective solution.

Thank you for reading so far, and we look forward to having you on the journey.

Onward and upward,

Bhuva Shakti, Founder of Wallet Max and Bhuva’s Impact Global.

Let’s collaborate, send me your ideas! www.bhuvas-impact.global/bhuva