From an unlikely start as a Bachelor of Optometry graduate, Simran Kaur now hosts one of the world’s most popular finance and investment podcasts.
The 26-year-old founder of Girls That Invest, a media company she launched during lockdown in March 2020, started the podcast with her best friend Sonya Gupthan and has one clear mission: to make investing education accessible for women.
It has grown into one of the world’s largest financial education media companies, boasting five million podcast downloads and millions of online impressions across several multimedia channels.
In 2021, it was ranked the number one business podcast in the United States, Canada and New Zealand and number two in the UK.
You’ll find her bestselling book Girls That Invest on the shelves of bookstores worldwide, or you might see her featured in Vogue, Forbes 30 under 30, Business Insider, or on the BBC.
“I don’t think many people, myself included, expected an optometry student to be running a financial media company,” says Simran, who graduated only four years ago.
"So my career has gone in a different direction, to say the least, but it's all about being open and ready to take on new opportunities as they come forth."
As a proud Southeast Asian woman, Simran already had a strong online following before she started Girls That Invest. Under her social media handle 'the Indian feminist' she advocated for women to be savvy and independent.
But, as her online following grew, she found this was undermined by a lack of financial literacy among her peers.
“I realised that minorities and women were being excluded from the investing world. Girls That Invest was founded on the principle that investing should be for everyone.”
Along the way, Simran has transformed her own woeful financial literacy and gained wisdom she can pass on to other female entrepreneurs.
“One of my earliest challenges was balancing how much we listened to external input versus going with our gut. The quickness and independence that come with going it alone can be appealing, but to truly expand an idea's reach, the input, expertise and support of others are invaluable.
“As a business owner, I have been greatly influenced by a number of individuals, but Michelle Obama in particular. She inspires me to be a better entrepreneur and always remain a responsible and compassionate member of society.
“I've learned that success isn't simply a matter of personal gain but also the positive impact we make on the lives of others.”
Simran says not holding a degree in finance has been an advantage in her particular niche.
“Not having a business degree means I don’t overcomplicate things. We are able to demystify the jargon that can prevent women from entering the daunting world of shares and stocks.”
Although her multimedia enterprise reaches millions worldwide, the professional goal she has set for herself is to keep doing what she is doing on a larger scale.
“Some may feel that we’re already there, but I have big goals for Girls That Invest. I know I can help many more women with their financial literacy. It would be an honour to continue doing what we do and helping more women along the way.”
