Mithu Bhargava, an MIT graduate and Boston local, has spent nearly two decades in finance and tech. But Bhargava’s trajectory in business changed after she became an alumna of the C-Ahead program in 2017.
C200, a global organization focused on connecting women business leaders and seasoned executives, hosts the C-Ahead incubator program in an effort to change the statistic that says just under 8% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women.
The program allowed Bhargava, a senior vice president of global professional services at NCR Corporation, a software and financial services company, to “interact with established women, one on one and learn from their experiences. I was able to figure out the world of possibilities that lie ahead for me,” she said.
The annual program is in its fourth year running and has an alumni network of 122 women in business, four of whom have been based in Boston.
This year, C200 is offering two cohorts.
“It seems like more than ever, it's very valuable to have that trusted advisor group to help you figure out what's going on in the world around us these days, especially for women,” CEO Carolyn Dolezal said.
After graduating from the program, Bhargava joined C200s as a board member.
Bhargava believes there is no program that can be compared to C-Ahead.
“To me Boston offers the best of the best, with the best universities and executive programing. What’s different is C200’s elevation. It inspires, educates, celebrates and advances future entrepreneurs and the next generation of leaders,” Bhargava said.
Upon acceptance, there is a contribution that's made upfront to join the cohort. Through that funding and donations, C200 holds courses catered to each cohort’s needs.
“We take three dozen potential topics from members and pick which ones seem to be most salient right now. Then we use that to build a series of six different sessions. As the world changes a lot we'll ask the cohort, are there emerging issues they’d like to cover,” Dolezal said.
To Bhargava, it's more about drawing from people's real world experiences. Previous cohorts have discussed how their leadership capability as women is perceived, balancing likability and building an influential network.
“Since the pandemic, we've had more women leave the workforce, and the female participation is the lowest it’s been in decades. Now more than ever, it's important for organizations and women to invest in themselves with an opportunity like this,” Bhargava said.
Applications for the C-Ahead program are open until June 17.
