I Am My Own Laxmi

Aarti Gupta is an investor, writer and advocate for women’s financial empowerment. Over a decade and a half, she has worked across public markets, start-up investing, boardrooms
and policy platforms, becoming a prominent voice shaping conversations around money and investing in India.

She serves as the chief investment officer of her family office and as managing partner at Anikarth Ventures, where she invests in and mentors early-stage start-ups. She also serves
as an independent director on corporate boards and works at the intersection of finance, governance, entrepreneurship and policy through leadership roles at Harvard GlobalWE and FICCI FLO.

But beyond boardrooms and balance sheets, one question has driven everything she does: Why are women expected to manage everything except money? That question became the foundation of I Am My Own
Laxmi, a financial literacy programme that has grown into a movement. Through workshops, writing, public speaking and her column in Dainik Jagran, one of the world’s most
widely read newspapers, she has worked to simplify money conversations for women across generations and geographies.

Financial literacy is not just about wealth creation. It is about having a voice, dignity and independence and, most importantly, the power to choose. Educated at IIT Kanpur, Harvard University and Northeastern University, she brings a global yet deeply grounded perspective to her work.

This book is an invitation to every woman who has been told not to worry about money: Stop standing on the margins of the conversation. Walk in. Take a seat. It was always your table.