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SMPL
New Delhi [India], August 3: Iron Lady Community successfully hosted Walk to the Board 2026, one of India's largest coordinated women leadership movements, bringing together more than 1,000 women leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs and aspiring C-suite executives across Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and Delhi NCR. More than a leadership event, Walk to the Board became a powerful national movement demonstrating how capability, visibility and community can accelerate more women into executive leadership and boardroom positions. Built around the theme "Bold Steps. Big Stories. Bigger Leaders.", the initiative united six cities under one vision--to create a generation of women ready to influence businesses, boardrooms and the future of leadership. Walk to the Board also celebrated outcomes. Women from the Iron Lady Community who have reached C-suite positions and 1 crore+ annual incomes shared the stage to pass on leadership strategies, business insights and practical tactics that helped them succeed, creating a powerful cycle of women learning from women who have already reached the top. Leadership Speaks Suvarna, Co-Founder & CEO, Iron Lady, said: "Leadership is not defined by the position you hold but by the courage to take the next bold step. Every woman who joins this movement is choosing growth over comfort. This year alone, we celebrated several women from our community stepping into C-suite roles through our #IronLadySpeaks series. Walk to the Board is our commitment to ensuring many more women believe in their potential and have a powerful community that helps them rise." Rajesh Bhat, Founder & Director, Iron Lady, said: "Walk to the Board is not an event--it is a movement to redefine what's possible for women in leadership. We are proud to have enabled more than 191 women to achieve annual incomes exceeding 1 crore, while helping thousands build the capabilities, confidence and visibility needed for C-suite and boardroom roles. Our mission is to create women who don't just participate in leadership, but shape its future." More Than an Event. A Leadership Movement. Walk to the Board 2026 featured the iconic Board Member Ramp Walk, symbolising Board Ready confidence and executive presence; inspiring leadership talks by accomplished corporate leaders and entrepreneurs; interactive boardroom readiness discussions and live Q&A sessions; strategic networking connecting professionals, founders and senior executives; and recognition of women creating exceptional impact across business, entrepreneurship and leadership. The movement was further strengthened through the Walk to the Board Community Series, where accomplished leaders inspired thousands of women through authentic conversations on leadership, resilience, executive branding and career acceleration. Voices Behind the Movement Rajani Ramachandra, National Convener, said: "The success of Walk to the Board reflects the power of collective leadership. Hundreds of volunteers, city leaders and participants came together with one purpose--to create opportunities for women to lead. Seeing six cities unite simultaneously proved that collaboration is the catalyst for lasting change." Ekta Hussain, National Outreach Leader & Moderator - Walk to the Board Community Series, said: "Walk to the Board was created to ignite belief. Every conversation, every story and every connection helped women see possibilities they had never imagined. When women are inspired together, they transform not only their own futures but the future of leadership." Charu Sharma, National Board Readiness Leader, said: "Board readiness begins long before the board appointment. It starts with strategic thinking, executive presence, governance awareness and the confidence to influence. Walk to the Board is helping women build those capabilities long before opportunity knocks." Rekha Nagaraj, National 100 Board Members Champion, said: "Every leadership milestone begins with one courageous decision. Walk to the Board gives women the platform to dream bigger, prepare intentionally and move confidently towards boardroom opportunities." Bavani Sivam, National C-Suite Champion, said: "The journey to the C-suite is built on capability, visibility and meaningful networks. Walk to the Board brings all three together, enabling women to accelerate their leadership journeys with confidence and purpose." Looking Ahead Walk to the Board will continue creating opportunities through learning, mentorship, visibility and collaboration, advancing Iron Lady Community's vision of enabling one million women to reach the top while preparing many more women for leadership, entrepreneurship and boardroom roles. About Iron Lady Community Founded by Rajesh Bhat and Suvarna Hegde, Iron Lady is India's leading leadership platform for women, committed to enabling women professionals to step into C-suite and board-ready roles. The platform focuses on business perspective, strategic visibility, executive presence and leadership influence--the capabilities that help women move into positions of power. Today, 191 women from the community earn 1 crore+ annually, while thousands have accelerated their career growth. More than 78,000 professionals have been trained through flagship programmes including Leadership Essentials, 100 Board Members and the C-Suite League (Master of Business Warfare). The platform's credibility extends to the highest levels of global leadership. Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi joined Iron Lady to celebrate the milestone of 100+ women crossing the 1 crore income mark and support the launch of The Shameless Lady, co-authored by Rajesh Bhat and Suvarna Hegde. Iron Lady's mission is bold and unambiguous: to enable one million women to reach the top of their professions by building the capabilities, confidence, visibility and community needed to shape the future of leadership. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by SMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.)
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