Experience a day in the life of Monica Muthappa, a business advisor at TechnoServe India who helps green startups increase their social and environmental impact.
Today, you’re invited to a behind-the-scenes look at the daily activities of a TechnoServe business advisor who links exceptional green startups with knowledge, capital, and markets to increase their impact.
Meet Monica Muthappa
Monica Muthappa is a business advisor at TechnoServe India. She works with the Greenr Sustainability Accelerator, funded by the Visa and the IKEA foundations, to help sustainable businesses in India scale their operations and increase their environmental and social impact. Before joining TechnoServe, she was an entrepreneur for seven years and worked as a research scientist after completing her education in biotechnology and clinical nutrition.
Her journey to this role is as unique as the businesses she supports. It began with her first encounter with TechnoServe during a three-month consultancy in Tanzania, where a group of women entrepreneurs shared the skills, connections, and confidence they had gained through a TechnoServe program.
When she returned home to India and saw an opening for a business advisor at Greenr, she applied for the position and hasn’t regretted the decision.
“Though I didn’t have the typical MBA background, my experience as an entrepreneur and my technical training have proven valuable in helping our clients navigate the challenges of building sustainable businesses,” she said.
Monica lives in Bengaluru, the bustling informal tech hub of the country and the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. In the past two years, she has worked with two cohorts of Greenr participants that are based in South India. Her role involves providing personalized business advice, connecting entrepreneurs with resources, and helping them overcome obstacles to growth.
Monica (seated center, wearing green) with the rest of the Greenr team at a roadshow in Bengaluru. (TechnoServe India)
So, what does a day in the life of a Greenr business advisor look like? Read on.
6:00 a.m. My day begins with yoga and meditation. I never skip this practice, even when I am on the road, as it sets me up with the right mindset for the rest of the day. As a matter of fact, yoga breathing techniques help me get through stressful situations throughout the day.
8:00 a.m. Breakfast is almost always the same: Akki roti (rice pancakes) with sesame chutney and some carrot juice. As someone who studied nutrition science, I know there is a clear connection between gut health and brain health.
8:30 a.m. I make it a point to get dressed for business, even though I work from my home. My workday begins with a deep review of my portfolio of startups. I look at what we discussed in previous meetings and consider levers for the businesses to help them scale and reach their revenue potential. These are all maintained in a shared folder for the whole Greenr team so that we can track the entire cohort on their year-long journey with our program.
10:00 a.m. My success in advising a wide range of Greenr entrepreneurs means knowing about their industries, too. Today, I dedicate time to learning more about advancements, trends, and forecasts in the feminine hygiene industry to support a startup creating reusable menstrual products. Unsurprisingly, their passion and data have made me rethink my own habits, and I am now a much more eco-conscious consumer.
11:00 a.m. I am concerned about one of our cohort businesses. The founder has missed two weekly meetings despite my efforts. Falling behind on the check-ins means they are not taking advantage of this opportunity to increase their impact. I talk to Ajay Menon, the head of the program, and Akanksha Priyadarshini, the senior business advisor, to identify new ways to motivate them. I want to see all of the entrepreneurs in my cohort succeed.
12:30 p.m. I’m taking a short flight to Chennai, the state capital of Tamil Nadu, to meet with the operations team of a startup interested in improving their profits. I grab a salad at the airport, missing my usual home-cooked lunch of rice, daal, and vegetables. I stopped eating meat five years ago.
2:30 p.m. The team and the founder of Eco Femme are ready and attentive for our session on building operational efficiency, exploring new sales channels and marketing strategies. We share a good synergy because I have built trust with this team. They see me as an extended team member. Being here in person has helped me not only improve their function but also assess interpersonal dynamics to help them increase efficiency.
Monica (far right) with the Eco Femme team. (TechnoServe India)
5:00 p.m. I check in to a local hotel and squeeze in a quick call with Harsha Puthussery, the founder of Iraaloom. She wants to share a quick update on funding and a strategy we had devised to increase revenue.
5:45 p.m. It’s a short drive to the venue of the Devi Awards 2024 by the influential New Indian Express Group to celebrate the success of women who have shaped and reshaped society.
6:00 p.m. I’m here to celebrate Archana Stalin, a former Greenr client from the first cohort. She is being recognized for her work with myHarvest Farms, which she started with her husband, Stalin Kalidoss. Their business now helps more than 300 farmers grow and sell organic produce to over 10,000 families. Just yesterday she shared that no one was able to attend the ceremony with her. Since I was going to be in Chennai, I offered to join her at this event. And now here I am, applauding her receiving the award from Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, the Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.
Archana (far right) receiving the Devi Award. (TechnoServe India)
Archana’s acceptance speech uplifts the farmers she works with and her team. One of them is sitting at the table with us—a young woman who works to package produce. She smiles from ear to ear. Archana also thanks TechnoServe from the stage, and I feel incredibly grateful to be part of this entrepreneurial success story. Our little group makes the most of the special event, networking with other honorees, business entrepreneurs, and media personalities.
8:00 p.m. I quickly transfer my handwritten notes from this busy day to the shared digital folder for the Greenr team. Then I take a moment to share a quick social media post expressing my gratitude for Archana’s success and our collaboration through Greenr.
9:30 p.m. I close my day with a deep sense of accomplishment. As a Greenr business advisor, I’m able to extend the kind of support to these entrepreneurs that I never had when I was running my own business. By helping these sustainable businesses scale, we’re not only creating economic opportunities but also tackling critical environmental and social challenges across India.
This narrative offers a glimpse into a day in the life of a TechnoServe business advisor. While each experience is real, they may have occurred on different days.
“Hands down I think it was the business advisor who made the difference.” Archana Stalin
Trishna Gurung | तृष्णा गुरुङ्ग (she/her) is the senior director of communications at TechnoServe. She is passionate about building courageous communities using communications to connect heart and mind toward action that breaks past fear, apathy, and indifference. With close to 20 years of global nonprofit experience starting in her home country Nepal, Trishna has led award-winning global campaigns, built engaged and high-performing teams, and advanced justice and equity in her professional roles. She holds a master's degree in mass communications and journalism from Bond University, Australia. She is a proud immigrant and a budding green thumb who not-so-secretly misses being a radio jockey.
