From Gymnastics to Entrepreneurship: The Journey of Gunjali Kothari, a Bold Leader

New Delhi: At just 16, Gunjali Kothari co-founded Riverdale Convent, a school aimed at making education accessible. Growing up in a tier-2 city surrounded by strong, empowering women, Gunjali was inspired from an early age to create change. Her drive to solve real-world problems took root when, at 13, she won a gold medal as a state-level gymnast. But it was her close friendship with her house help’s daughter—who, despite being the same age, could not afford education, that ignited her passion. Sharing books with her friend made her realize the challenges of affording education, and she wanted to change that. With no funds to start, Gunjali began teaching children from her own home. Slowly, her efforts grew into something much larger.

Lessons from Building Riverdale Convent

The experience of growing Riverdale Convent shaped her journey as an entrepreneur. She learned that having a clear purpose and sticking to it is key. When you’re persistent in delivering value, customers will come, it’s just a matter of time. This lesson carried over to her later ventures, such as Pink Parlour and Flashaid, where belief in her mission drove success. She emphasized that staying committed to creating value is what ultimately fuels growth.

Her background as a gymnast also shaped her approach to business. She recounted her experience at a state-level competition where she had only trained on the floor, unlike the other girls who had access to proper equipment. Despite feeling unprepared, her coach’s advice to “just go for it” led her to take a bold leap, and she ended up winning. That moment taught her to trust her instincts and take risks, a philosophy she’s applied to her entrepreneurial career. For her, it’s not about waiting for the perfect setup but about having the hunger to make things happen.

The Rise of Pink Parlour

In just three years, Pink Parlour became a notable success in the beauty industry, serving over 25,000 customers. With an initial investment of just ₹1 lakh, the business started from her own drawing room. The idea came from her mother’s long-held dream of becoming an entrepreneur, which had been set aside to raise a family. After enrolling her mother in a beauty course, they worked together to launch Pink Parlour, a salon that filled a local gap for clean, high-quality services. From recruiting the first employee to designing the logo and running customer campaigns, every step was done with passion. This hands-on approach, combined with word-of-mouth recommendations, helped the business grow sustainably.

Strategic Alliances at KredX

During her time at KredX, she built over 100 strategic partnerships by deeply understanding the needs of both partners and customers. Her strategy was simple: focus on delivering value that makes the product indispensable to the partner’s business. By becoming a critical part of their ecosystem, KredX ensured long-term loyalty and valuable referrals. Building strong relationships, based on trust and mutual benefit, was the foundation of her success in this role.

Flashaid

Flashaid, her latest venture, aims to disrupt the healthcare sector with affordable, easy-to-use products. The inspiration came from observing how people often approach health insurance reactively, only thinking about it when something bad happens. She wanted to change that mindset by making health coverage as natural as maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Given that only 7% of India’s population is insured and healthcare costs are rising, Flashaid focuses on providing affordable, accessible health coverage. The company’s mission is to make healthcare products simple, transparent, and easy to understand.
As the co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Flashaid, she focuses on making healthcare solutions accessible to everyone. She realized early on that customers find the jargon of health policies overwhelming, so the company uses infographics and videos in multiple languages to break down complex terms into simple, digestible information. For her, transparency and clarity are key to building trust with customers.

Overcoming Challenges in Healthcare

One of the biggest challenges in building Flashaid has been earning customers’ trust. Due to negative past experiences with insurance claims, many people were skeptical. To overcome this, the team integrated with healthcare and insurance partners and built a user-friendly tech platform to simplify the claims process. By focusing on delivering what customers actually need, solid, reliable service, they earned credibility in a competitive market.

Future Vision for Flashaid

Looking ahead, the vision for Flashaid in the next 3-5 years is to be known for fast, reliable claims settlements. The company aims to set a new standard in the industry, particularly for international students seeking health coverage while studying abroad. While continuing to expand, the company remains dedicated to its core focus: improving healthcare access and affordability.

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