IEEE Returning Mothers Conference (RMC) 2026 · Pre-Conference Webinar Series · Session 3
Balancing Motherhood, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship
Lessons from a Woman Founder
About the webinar
Motherhood, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship
As part of the IEEE Returning Mothers Conference (RMC) 2026 Pre-Conference Webinar Series, the third session brought together participants interested in women's professional development and entrepreneurship. Organized by the RMC 2026 Outreach Committee, the webinar featured Ms. Surbhi Singh, Co-Founder of Jawabwala.
Drawing on her experience in teaching, motherhood, and entrepreneurship, Ms. Singh discussed navigating family responsibilities alongside professional ambitions, moving from employment into entrepreneurship, and finding support while pursuing meaningful work.
Topics explored
From Career Transitions to Shared Responsibilities
- Managing motherhood-related guilt and challenging expectations that place caregiving primarily on women.
- Building support systems and sharing household and caregiving responsibilities.
- Moving from a decade-long teaching career into entrepreneurship by recognizing unmet needs in education.
- Using professional experience to identify real-world problems and develop new opportunities.
- Rethinking work-life balance and making the most of fragmented work time.
- Recognizing the value of previous experience when returning to work or changing career direction.
The speaker's journey
From Teaching to Jawabwala
Ms. Singh shared how her decade in classroom teaching helped her recognize gaps in student learning and the limits of the individual attention available in existing settings. Those observations led her to connect with co-founders working on a similar idea and bring her teaching experience into a new venture.
As Co-Founder of Jawabwala, she spoke about drawing on professional expertise to address practical challenges in education. Her story showed how experience gained in one career can provide a strong foundation for entrepreneurship and new professional directions.
Key takeaways
Pursuing Ambition Without Expecting Perfection
- Motherhood and professional ambitions need not be mutually exclusive.
- There is no perfect formula for work-life balance; priorities can change with circumstances.
- Productivity is better understood through focus, decisions, and outcomes than hours at a desk.
- Seeking help and sharing caregiving responsibilities can support both family and professional goals.
- A career break does not erase professional skills, and continuous learning can open new opportunities.
- Identifying meaningful problems can turn existing knowledge and experience into entrepreneurial opportunities.
Final thoughts
Confidence, Support, and New Possibilities
The session encouraged women to pursue their ambitions without allowing guilt or societal expectations to define their choices. It highlighted the value of support systems, shared responsibilities, financial independence, and continuous learning in navigating motherhood, leadership, and entrepreneurship.
The webinar concluded with a vote of thanks to Ms. Singh for sharing her experiences and an e-memento in appreciation of her contribution.
Moments from the webinar
Event Gallery
