Credit: Anisha Singh

For Anisha Singh, entrepreneurship isn’t just a passion. It’s a mission.

Singh, an MBA alumna, aims to empower other women to pursue entrepreneurship—for themselves, and for the business world at large. It’s a field that’s in need of strong female leadership, she says, so that women become the norm, not the exception.

“The glass ceiling does exist, whether people talk about it or not. Entrepreneurship is a powerful way to change this,” she says. “We need more women out there.”

She credits strong women role models for why she became an entrepreneur. Singh, who now runs mydala.com, one of the largest online and mobile marketing platforms in India, says her mentors encouraged her to believe in herself.

Julie Holdren, President and CEO of the Olympus group, was a key influencer. Singh interned for her while at Kogod, acquiring valuable real-world experience that laid the foundation for the work she does today. “It was phenomenal to see another woman entrepreneur,” Singh says. “I wanted to be just like her.”

Singh’s education in the classroom was also crucial to her success. She sees her decision to pursue her MBA at Kogod as a “turning point”—a choice that ultimately defined her future.

For Singh, it’s the professors that really made the difference. When she first arrived at Kogod, she was shy and afraid to express herself, making it difficult to participate in class discussions and group projects. “My teachers pushed me to come into my own and realize I could do better,” Singh says. “The more I did, I found myself.”

She also appreciates how, when she did speak up in class, she felt valued as an individual. “This is what I loved most about my experience there,” she says. “My professors really listened to what I had to say. My thoughts were important to them.”

Most of all, she loved the real-world experience she got. Her coursework included lectures by high-powered executives, hands-on group projects, and company site visits—all experiences she calls “game changers.” Kogod’s focus on work outside the classroom also helped her build a strong professional network that led to internship and job opportunities. “I met someone at the World Bank who offered me an internship, which I ended up passing along to a friend,” Singh says. “She took the internship and now she works in a senior position at the organization.”

Singh is all about impact. She’s quick to point out that the small number of women entrepreneurs isn’t an Indian problem—it’s global. She’s seen women hesitant to enter the field throughout Europe, Asia and the United States.

She hopes she can affect change by providing strong leadership at her company, and offering mentorship to any woman seeking professional advice. “I want to help other women entrepreneurs find their direction. It is a responsibility that I will never back away from,” she says.

Singh is working on expanding mydala.com, with the goal of launching it in four new countries this year. She’s also continuing to advocate for women entrepreneurs through speaking engagements with organizations such as TEDx, Surge and Start-Up India.

Singh is a prime example of how far one can go with a Kogod education—an inspiration to current students and alumni alike. Wherever her ambitions take her, she’ll always remember Kogod as where she got her start. “The school gave me the foundation I needed for success,” she says.

Her greatest future endeavor—in addition to expanding her already thriving company? She wants to be recognized not as a woman entrepreneur, but simply as an entrepreneur. “I don’t want to be the exception,” she says. “Hopefully my work will help make this a reality.”