Learning made easy and fun by this mom who carries 2 decades of experience

By Archana K | September 23, 2021 |

Surbhi has always been passionate about designing effective and engaging learning experiences. Armed with over 21 years of experience, she has worked with business owners across geographies to provide learning solutions that meet their business needs. She has worked as a Learning & Development professional for organizations like Accenture, Oracle, Hewlett Packard, ANZ, Akamai etc., helping them to develop effective learning programs for their audiences. With a strong background in Instructional Design, she firmly believes in making the learning experience learner-centric. She is now taking her zeal and rich experience forward with her own venture.

A little more about Surbhi and her venture in her own words.

Describe about yourself?

Possessing a vast experience of more than two decades in the Learning field, I am a passionate Learning and Development professional. I started my career 21 years back in the Instructional Design field. Over time, I realized that my interest in the learning field kept growing day by day. Having worked with large MNCs, I got an extensive experience of designing learning solutions that focus on the learner. In my last organization, I was spearheading a large team of instructional designers, graphics designers and LMS (Learning Management System) specialists. I expanded my horizon to the kids’ education space with my venture. I have always loved being around kids and now, as a mompreneur, I am leveraging my experience to make a difference in the way kids learn – it’s like getting the best of both the worlds.

Surbhi’s achievements?

Surbhi’s biggest achievement has been to add value to the different roles that she takes up. Right from the start of her career, she realised what a strong interest she had in the learning and development field. It was something that made her feel fulfilled. Having designed several learning courses, winning a medal in Brandon Hall Group Excellence Learning Awards, being a member of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) to being awarded the best people manager – all these memories are cherished by Surbhi who has thoroughly enjoyed her various roles in the corporate world. Surbhi took on a new challenge when she turned to entrepreneurship and co-founded LearnBuddy in 2018. Transitioning to an unfamiliar area, she shifted focus from adult learning to kids’ education space. She is completely enjoying her new experience now. Surbhi is also the National President for the WICCI Homepreneurs council and is leading a team of 20+ strong members to empower women to be successful homepreneurs.

More about surbhi’s business!

Children are always curious and have an endless thirst for knowledge. They want to learn, explore and discover the world around them. LearnBuddy offers children interest-based learning programs designed with an interactive approach. These programs not only make the learning experience fun but also nurture curiosity. They encourage eagerness towards exploring new areas. LearnBuddy.in is a revolutionary learning platform for children in the age range of 6-14 years old, where they can discover their interests and learn new things while having fun! Surbhi has been leading their flagship programs to build general knowledge in kids, enhance their English language skills and help them prepare for various Spell Bee and other competitive exams – and all of that in an interesting and engaging way.

How has your journey been so far?

After years of working in the corporate world, starting an education company has made me explore a completely new and unknown territory. Though it hasn’t been easy getting everything off the ground, there is no doubt that this has been a rewarding journey so far! Seeing how our programs transform children’s lives makes me grateful for every day at work – knowing we are helping kids learn more effectively than ever before! When parents come back and say that the programs are unique and they haven’t seen such programs earlier, it gives an immense sense of satisfaction. When they tell you that you have got some magic that makes kids look forward to learning, you know you have made a difference somewhere. Parents are pleasantly surprised to see their children so eager to do their homework. The smiling faces of kids and their curious questions leave me amazed and high on energy every day.

What was the driving factor for you to become an entrepreneur?

I thought I had it all figured out. The corporate world is what we were taught to aim for, right? The seeds of my venture were sown when my child showed interest in Spell Bee and other competitions. As parents helping our child explore further, my husband and I experienced gaps in how the preparation material is designed. I had never ever thought of leaving the corporate world, but one thing led to another and things just started falling in place. It was as if it was destined to be this way. Our conversations with other parents proved that they also felt the need for fun, age appropriate and engaging learning programs – something that provides a holistic learning experience. When we started with our learning platform LearnBuddy.in, I thought I’ll give myself a couple of months to explore this idea and then move back to a corporate job. But, LearnBuddy changed my life forever. Now entrepreneurship has become a fulfilling experience that drives me in different ways than before!

What are the challenges you faced during this journey? How did you deal with challenges?

There are definitely a lot of challenges when you shift gears, especially when you don’t know what to expect as an entrepreneur. It took me a lot of time to adapt to the transition from the corporate world to being an entrepreneur. I struggled with the mindset shift. It was difficult for me because entrepreneurship is a different ball game altogether. Getting accustomed to wearing many hats, taking risks, adapting quickly to frequent changes – all these things take a lot of effort, patience and learning but they are necessary skills as you start your new life!

I joined the IIMB NSRCEL Women Startup Program, Startup India course and some other courses. Reading a lot of articles and getting to know the journey of other entrepreneurs helped me upskill myself to manage my own venture. I learned about areas such as legal compliance requirements, digital marketing etc. and spoke with others who had a similar venture or experience. You get to learn about so many diverse things when you are an entrepreneur and each day brings in a new learning.

Such an inspiring journey, right? Surbhi has tremendous experience in Learning and Development in corporate arena backed with several accolades. Not minding the huge earning potential in her corporate arsenal, Surbhi wanted to use her skills to develop something beautiful for kids. Surbhi aimed to bring change in the way kids learn. She wanted to foster creativity and love for learning in our children. She always believes that it is important to nurture their inquisitive minds.

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