Tell us about yourself, your background and what you do currently
At present, I am the Chief of Talent at Babajob, India’s largest livelihood marketplace, facilitating jobs for the next billion. Babajob has about six million job seekers and 325,000 employers. I came onboard five years ago to drive strategic partnerships.
Over the past five years, I’ve driven activities across the spectrum of product, marketing, fund raising and of course, key partnerships.
Prior to Babajob, I worked with the Treasury and Finance department of Janalakshmi, currently India’s largest MFI, and before that I was with the private equity and M&A advisory. My career till date has clearly shifted from financial services to the social enterprise sector – a conscious decision I took many years ago to associate with causes that have more impact.
Tell us about any current projects or initiatives you wish to promote
The philosophy behind Babajob’s foundation is to democratize access to information for the society, and offer them a chance to upgrade their lives. This is an initiative that continues to inspire and drive me, even after five years into the journey.
What has been your biggest challenge in achieving your success
My biggest challenge has been, and continues to be finding a good balance between home and work. I have two children below the age of five years and while I’m passionate about doing a good job, I’m equally passionate about spending time with them. This is a tough juggling act (something that all working mothers are familiar with) and every day I need to prioritise.
What has been your greatest achievement personally
Since I was a teenager, an achievement I am always proud of is having published my writing.
If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you be doing
I would be a fiction writer.
Who has been your biggest inspiration
Clichéd as it sounds; my parents are my biggest inspiration. My mother is a special educator for children with learning disabilities and my father is a corporate advisor and my mentor. Individually, they are both extremely successful in their chosen fields and they’ve always exhibited the importance of hard work, professional courtesy, attention to detail and focus on excellence.
What does the future hold for you
Honestly, I have no idea. I am an English Literature major, who loves writing, worked in financial services and made my way into the technology aspect of social enterprise. I enjoy learning about radically new things and tackling new roles.
About Maya:
I grew up in East Africa (Dar Es Salaam) and India (Bangalore). I have an undergraduate degree in English Literature from Grinnell College (IA), and a JD in Media Management from Syracuse University. I began my career in the Media industry with Times Group, and moved soon after to the Corporate Planning group within Infosys Technology. Post that I worked in M&A advisory for PwC and then joined Capvent AG, India. At this point, I decided that I want to work in a sector which has a clearer and a stronger social impact. Hence, I moved to Janalakshmi Financial Services, where I worked on Treasury and funding. Post this stint, I joined Babajob, at that point a start-up that was exploring an idea which focused on technology that can enable better access to job information, and therefore better job opportunities. Better job opportunities is synonymous with better lives, and this is what inspired me then and now. It’s been 5 exciting and fulfilling years at Babajob.
You can contact Maya through her LinkedIn here.
