Ep. 5 How to Become a Successful Entrepreneur, While Giving back to the Community with Deepti Sharma

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A lifelong entrepreneur, Deepti Sharma is the CEO and Founder of FoodtoEat, a community-minded catering concierge service. She started FoodtoEat in 2011 to connect immigrant, women and minority-owned food vendors to opportunities for growth – ultimately helping them strengthen their own business skills. FoodtoEat helps businesses feed employees great food and build stronger & more diverse work cultures. She is also a Co-Founder of Bikky, a platform solving customer engagement for restaurants.

As a mother and small business owner, Deepti is a vocal advocate for policies that benefit these communities. She served on the Board for the Business Center for New Americans, a non-profit that encourages immigrant entrepreneurship by providing micro-loans and financial education. She also writes about how companies can modernize motherhood in the workplace, and mentors female entrepreneurs as part of the NYC Mayor’s WE NYC initiative.

Deepti is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, a Forbes 30 Under 30 alumnae, and an avid runner. She lives in Queens with her husband and two children.

On today’s show Deepti shares the key of successfully working with your husband, balancing being a mother with being a boss and giving back to the immigrant community. Deepti also discusses the lack of diversity in the media and workplace and its importance in shaping the minds of the future generations. Without further ado, here is Deepti Sharma.Â

In Today’s Episode We Discuss:Â

Growing up with an immigrant family in NYC
Not being able to fully relate to any country
The difficulties of finding your place as an immigrant teenager
What is the purpose of FoodtoEat?Â
Assisting immigrant-led businesses and spreading awareness
Educating immigrant business owners on how to scale their business
How COVID-19 affected food-based business
Feeding frontline workers and families in need during the pandemic
Collaborating with Chefs for America and World Central KitchenÂ
The domestic violence number growth during the pandemic
How was Deepti’s second business, Bikky born?Â
On growing a business with your husband
The importance of good communication skills in a relationshipÂ
Separating work life from personal life
Balancing being a boss with being a mom
Favorite part of being a mom
The convenience culture of America
Advice for women on how to balance a career with raising a familyÂ
On being unapologetically yourselfÂ
How your women of color seeing themselves represented on TV in main roles will change their views of themselves growing up
The lack of diversity on TV
Advice for women who want to make a difference but are unsure of what direction to take in their lives
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
The joy of withing your children grow and learnÂ
Deepti’s experience studying abroad in PolandÂ
The generational trauma