Ahmedabad: For Monica Yadav and Rahul Kundnani, it all started at the VVP Engineering College about one and a half decades ago. “We were just students with big ideas. We worked on a few projects, but then shared a joint dream of an education-focused venture. Some time later, we took the plunge and established Respire Experiential Learning,” recounts Yadav. Today, the firm has a presence in eight states and has three offices and other facilities.As Saturday is going to be celebrated as Valentine’s Day, city-based startup incubators said that the startup ecosystem in the city has several notable ventures helmed by couples. In several cases, the venture comes first as an idea and then the founders tie the knot. In some cases, it is the other way round, when one partner leaves the established job or career to support the spouse to realize a venture dream.
“It is our shared dream, and working with your life partner has its own pros and cons — we understand each other perfectly to share responsibilities and look after both business and family fronts. On the flip side, we have all our energy and future tied to one venture, and thus a setback could have a relatively bigger impact,” adds Monica.“In such scenarios, one and one do not make two, but the proverbial 11 due to the fact that the couples play to their strengths. Every success thus becomes personal,” said an incubator mentor.
