Mother nurture

Padmini Janaki promises to be with women on their fertility journeys, whether virtually or in person

- Nirmal Jovial

What can poverty teach someone? “A lot,” says Padmini Janaki, 33, founder and CEO of Mind & Mom, a health tech firm that has helped over three lakh women on their fertility journeys since its inception in 2021. Growing up as the daughter of a single mother who worked multiple jobs— from selling flowers on the streets to being a salesgirl in garment shops—Padmini credits Janaki with instilling in her the fundamentals of entrepreneurship.

“My mother had to figure out so much just to pay my school fees and [to meet household needs],” she recalls. “We had to find solutions for everything, which fostered an entrepreneurial mindset. For instance, during festivals, we would think about where to put our stalls to sell flowers. My mother always found ways to make things work. This taught me invaluable entrepreneurial skills. My friends in school also were not wealthy, but they were incredibly street-smart and resourceful.”

Padmini says she has always been passionate about technology  and  helping women. Through her initiative Frozen Tomato, which she founded in 2012, she has helped poor single mothers get jobs. She founded Mind & Mom after a six-year stint with PayPal. “I come from a tech background, and solving problems with technology, especially AI, fascinated me,” she says. “Helping women in their careers—particularly those transitioning back after a career break—became a personal mission. I was doing it constantly. So, I took a step back and analysed my passions. I realised that two things came naturally to me: being part of women’s journeys and working with technology. Combining these passions led to the creation of Mind & Mom.”