Meet Akansha Kasera, Strategic Marketing Lead at the Catalyst Fund

At the Catalyst Fund, we believe in the power of innovation and entrepreneurship to tackle some of the world's greatest challenges. That's why we support bold thinkers taking on the most critical issue of our time, climate change, with pioneering technologies and business models. Behind the success of our partnerships with exceptional founders are our incredible team members, like Akansha Kasera, our Strategic Marketing Lead. 

Akansha brings over 10 years of experience driving growth for startups and social enterprises across India. She first joined our team 6 years ago, drawn by the chance to combine her passion for entrepreneurship with making a real social impact. 

"I can say with confidence that even after 6 years, the excitement of working with a new entrepreneur or a product is the same, and I’m grateful to work alongside a team that equally cares about the success of our founders and together, we make the magic happen," she shares.

What drives Akansha's passion for our work today? The urgent need for climate resilience solutions that can sustain both current and future generations. 

Akansha has witnessed firsthand the effects of population growth, urbanization, and pollution in her home city New Delhi, one of the largest and fastest-growing megacities in the world. "If we're to continue our economic development, then we need to also consider how we're going to manage urban heating in our growing cities, how we will reshape our urban structures and ultimately create systems that can sustain our own generation and others to come," she explains.

"Innovative climate resilience solutions can address these pain points and fill critical gaps in our existing ecosystems. Working and helping scale these solutions drives my passion for climate resilience."

Some of Akansha's favorite memories with the Catalyst Fund team so far have come from working closely with our startup portfolio companies, helping them grow through strategic marketing. One recent highlight was supporting Farm to Feed, a startup tackling food waste in Kenya. "We worked with them for over 10 months on rebranding and positioning, and recently launched their new website and e-commerce portal, which deeply reflects the team’s commitment to preventing food loss and educating customers about odd-shaped vegetables," she shares. 

When it comes to climate tech startups, Akansha emphasizes that marketing plays a pivotal role in sharing their impact stories and scaling their solutions. She offers three key tips:

1. ‍Uncomplicate the complex. "On average, it’s quite likely I spend most time breaking down complex models in simple, easy-to-understand narratives," she notes. ‍
2. Highlight commercial value. "While funders and investors care about climate impact, the bitter truth is, most customers and consumers of these models don’t (care enough)! A good commercial offer still beats all other value propositions, and we’ve tested this across solutions and verticals."‍
3. Tailor your messaging. "It’s necessary to customize your messaging every time you are engaging a new investor, or business prospect. Each stakeholder cares about different things."

Guiding climate tech entrepreneurs in crafting compelling stories and marketing strategies that resonate is Akansha's passion. She loves collaborating with fellow optimists and changemakers to drive innovation for climate resilience. 

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