Month: May 2023
Some exciting upgrades to the Catapult Program!
Published May 30, 2023 by pgalums in
Would you have invested in a Zoom at $3 per share?
Perhaps, if you’d had a crystal ball to see the future and, more importantly, a mechanism to execute the investment.
For more than 80 years, investing in exciting early-stage companies was available only to accredited investors, the wealthiest 2% of Americans. This changed when Reg CF went into effect, enabling the general public to crowdfund promising innovators. This capability is now available to our network via a partnership developed by the Catapult team.
Since 2019, P&G Alumni’s Catapult team has been focused on identifying high-potential, alumni-led startups around the globe and connecting them to alum investors and advisors able to contribute to the startup’s success.
As of mid-2023, the Catapult program will be extended with a new online platform to streamline the investment process for both the startups and the investors and will provide opportunities for P&G alums to offer mentoring and industry expertise to the companies. This capability is being brought to the network through a partnership with a leading global private equity investment platform provider.
Investing in startups is risky, no doubt about it. But imagine that you’d invested $100 at $3/share in Zoom pre-IPO. What would that investment be worth today? The answer is $2,170. That is an annualized total return of 47%. Quite a bit higher than the S&Ps 9% average rate of return.
Stay tuned for details on this new program in upcoming newsletters.
About the P&G Business Catapult Program:
Business Catapult is the P&G Alumni Network’s virtual accelerator program for Alumni founders seeking investment, connections, and marketing for an existing venture.
By connecting P&G Alumni Entrepreneurs with P&G Alumni Investors and Advisors in order – we help your business to accelerate growth and make connections for potential funding.
This is an ongoing program providing mentorship and advisory to the top ventures. We guarantee at least one advisory session.
Selected semi-finalists present at an annual global pitch event – with finalists presenting at the P&G Alumni Global Conference, and the final winner recognized as the P&G Alumni Star Entrepreneur.
Shankar Viswanathan, P&G’s former Asian Head of E-Business
Published May 22, 2023 by pgalums in
Shankar Vishwanathan was P&G’s SVP E-Business leader for Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa — a 32-year veteran of the company starting in India as an Account Manager, with a career in brands and categories across India, USA, Russia, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines. For Shankar, leadership starts with people — he believes in the power of relationships to unleash the best in others. Shankar is also a practitioner of yoga and mindfulness and is a trainer instructor in both. A proud husband and father, Shankar is very involved in philanthropy, having led the Force for Good program in Singapore, started a school for orphans in Vietnam, and helped educate children through direct support and coaching. You’ll enjoy this candid, vulnerable conversation with an accomplished international leader.
Beth Nguyen, Author & Professor
Published May 14, 2023 by pgalums in
In real life, Bich Minh Nguyen now goes by the name Beth Nguyen – Beth is an award-winning writer and professor. In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, we wanted to share a conversation from the other podcast Modern Minorities – which features minority voices for all of our majority ears.
Born in Saigon, Beth is the author of books like Stealing Buddha’s Dinner, Short Girls, Pioneer Girl, and Owner of a Lonely Heart – her memoir in essays about post refugee life coming out later this year.
Beth 2021 New Yorker article – “America Ruined My Name For Me” unpacks a necessary conversation about identity, adaption and assimilation – especially for those whose name is not hard to pronounce or understand. A refugee and a mother, Beth’s moving work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The New York Times, and Literary Hub. Beth’s awards and honors include an American Book Award, a PEN/Jerard Award from the PEN American Center, a Bread Loaf fellowship, and best book of the year honors from the Chicago Tribune and Library Journal. Beth has taught at Purdue University and the University of San Francisco – she is and is currently a professor of creative writing at the University of Wisconsin. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about growing between the cultures of two worlds
Shailesh Jejurikar, P&G’s Chief Operating Officer
Published May 7, 2023 by pgalums in
Shailesh Jejurikar is P&G’s Chief Operating Officer, where he has profit/loss responsibility for P&G’s Enterprise Markets – Latin America, India, Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe – and leads Information Technology, Global Business Services, Sales, Market Operations, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Distribution and New Business for the company. Previously, Shailesh was the Chief Executive Officer of P&G’S largest business sector, Fabric & Home Care, which includes many of P&G’s most-iconic brands: Tide, Ariel, Downy, Gain, Febreze, Swiffer—and represents about one-third of total company sales and net earnings.
From 2016 to 2021, Shailesh served as executive sponsor for global sustainability, enabling P&G’s “force for growth and a force for good” vision and ensuring the company’s sustainability goals are fully integrated into the day-to-day business to enable—and to inspire—positive impact on the environment and society while creating value for the company, consumers and shareholders. Shailesh’s extensive P&G career has spanned 30+ years – across multiple businesses (Health & Beauty Care, Home Care, Fabric Care and P&G Professional) in both developed and developing regions – including North America, Europe, Asia and Africa) – getting his start in his home country in India. Shailesh is known for his unique ability to identify growth possibilities, having consistently delivered strong business results in every market and on every business. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation on curiosity, seeing around corners, and learning to learn.