VCWoman Achieve 2025 Mentor Spotlight – Srividya Venkatasubramanya

Name: Srividya Venkatasubramanya | Business/Profession: Founder & Executive Director, Ra-Ve Cultural Foundation; Director, Kumon Math and Reading Center of Rogers; Founder & Mentor, One Step 2Forward
Please share a little about your background, personally and/or professionally.
I am a very energetic problem solver who strongly believes in learning and education. I am a teacher first and then everything else. I have two children who are almost all grown up! I run three businesses that keep me busy and challenged. I love working with people who thirst for more. I am from India but have now lived longer here in the US than back home.
Please share more about your current position and place of work. How have you grown professionally/personally in this role?
I currently run three businesses. Each one is a reflection of my passion to learn more, do better and sustain a happy and healthy life. I am celebrating 15 years of Kumon in 2025. I started Ra-Ve Cultural Foundation in 2018 to find space in this community for people who share my cultural background. I formally started my mentoring program in 2021 to continue the work I do with women who want to find the confidence to move forward in their lives.
What drew you to being a mentor for an entrepreneurial group curated for non-men? How has being a woman or non-binary individual impacted your professional journey?
I come from a conservative household with liberal views on education and growth. I have a strong sense of identity about who I am and that has helped me in both private and public relationships. It has helped me take risks and grow as an individual. I have shared those values with women I have worked with over the years before starting my own Mentoring business formally.
What are three things you enjoy doing outside of work?
What is your go-to piece of advice for professionals, entrepreneurs, or anyone looking to you for guidance?
What is a professional achievement that you are most proud of, and why are you proud of it?
I handle my own finances now. As recently as 5 years ago, I didn’t anything about my finances. Now, I plan it on my own.