In 2018, serial entrepreneur Anu Bhardwaj launched a project inspired by a simple, brilliant insight from her 7-year-old daughter, Arya: if you want adults to understand cryptocurrency, teach their kids first. And so, Krypto 4 Kids (K4K) was born.
What began as a two-day event quickly evolved into a financial literacy app - focused on crypto - designed in collaboration with the K4K cohort and presentations by the kids themselves to world leaders at the United Nations. But then, overnight, it vanished. The app disappeared from the App Store, the partner company went silent, and a project that came together in months fell apart just as quickly.
For two years, it seemed like the story was over - a discontinued app and a broken promise to a group of kids who’d worked so hard. But the project's next chapter was sparked, once again, by Arya. After learning how school closures were affecting girls in the developing world, she asked, "We've got tokens in the Krypto for Kids wallet. Can we send it to them?"
That single question led Anu to found Sheqonomi, a global audio platform built to advance learning and opportunity through podcasts for women and girls - even those without access to a smartphone.In the final episode of Season Two, Anu joins Brenda to share this incredible story of failure, resilience, and reinvention. They discuss how to navigate professional disappointments, the power of a child's perspective in innovation, and why your "why" must be big enough to survive your biggest setbacks.
What happens when your dream project falls apart? You listen to your daughter and build an even bigger one.
A note to listeners: this episode features a brief discussion of the financial troubles and alleged questionable practices of a particular company. Although this company is now largely non-operational, its name and the names of some of its staff have been obscured to protect the anonymity of individuals who were not involved in those issues.
For more check out Anu...
On LinkedIn - /anubhardwaj/
On Facebook - /anu.bhardwaj
On the web - sheqonomi.com
Instagram - @sheqonomi
Facebook - /sheqonomi
LinkedIn - /sheqonomi
And explore the work of The State of Women...
On the Web - thestateofwomen.org
At AnitaB.org, our mission is to enable and equip women technologists with the tools, resources, and knowledge they need to thrive. Through innovative programs and initiatives, we empower women to chart new paths, better prepared to lead, advance, and achieve equitable compensation. Because when women succeed, they uplift their communities and redefine success on their terms, both professionally and personally.
Our guests contribute to this podcast in their personal capacity. The views expressed in this interview are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology or its employees (“AnitaB.org”). AnitaB.org is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the information provided in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute legal or other professional advice or services.
Hosted and Executive Produced by Brenda Darden Wilkerson.
Produced by Avi Glijansky
Associate Produced by Kelli Kyle
Sound design and editing by Ryan Hammond
Mixing and mastering by Julian Kwasneski
Additional Producing help from Faith Krogulecki
Operations Coordination for AnitaB.org by Quinton Sprull.
Creative Director for AnitaB.org is Deandra Coleman
Executive Produced by Dominique Ferrari, Stacey Book, and Avi Glijansky for Frequency Machine
Photo of Brenda Darden Wilkerson by Mandisa Media Productions
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