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On a limited budget, Zhenni built a global team by recruiting top talent from local universities and partnering with nonprofits aiding talented immigrants. In two years, she trained 30 interns, with 18 landing roles at startups, VCs, and corporations like Pale Blue Dot, Accelerace, Sony, Lynk & Co, and Volvo Group. Additionally, she secured funding for 3 full-time positions. Sharing these stories aims to spotlight global talent's potential and encourage their broader support in the industry.

In Autumn 2011, Zhenni recruited  Punit Thorat via Jobbsprånget platform to join Skåne Startups to work in marketing and communication. Punit consistently demonstrates unwavering diligence and a commitment to delivering exceptional results. Her dedication to her craft is unparalleled, as she consistently go above and beyond to meet project objectives and exceed expectations. Regardless of the challenges faced, she embraces change with grace and resilience, showcasing her ability to thrive in both their professional and personal life.

I am known as a person who takes the phrase 'hand-holding' to the next level by bringing value to the discussion board. I gain lot of positivity while working with self-motivated, passionate professionals. I believe I am forever in the process of learning and adapting.

What's your overall background?

I belong to this fascinating world of public relations with a proven career graph of 9 years of marketing and communications experience. My previous professional engagements ensured that I get ample of exposure in working with multiple aspects of public relations viz. media planning and monitoring, brand reputation management, crisis handling, marketing strategy and research, etc. Over the years, I have predominantly worked in B2B vertical along with corporate and finance, healthcare, telecommunications, media and entertainment, etc.

After getting a bachelor's degree in mass media with a concentration in journalism, I went on to get a master's degree in communications and journalism and a master's degree in English literature from the University of Mumbai, India. Thus began my decade-long journey in public relations and brand communications, working for several leading advertising agencies, including the globally recognized Lowe Lintas Group. Public relations offers so many opportunities and challenges that I enjoyed every second of my career - until Life 2.0 came along.

Not only did I embrace and adopt a new chapter in my life, but I went all guns blazing with an open mindset to accept any work that came my way. In the first few years after moving to Sweden, I worked in a second-hand shop in Helsingborg and in a non-profit organization that helps underprivileged women and children in Asia and Africa.

What was your role at Skåne Startups?

During employment of Skåne Startups, I was involved in a variety of roles. First and foremost, however, I was a Marketing and Community Manager responsible for all marketing communications and community engagement. Later, I dabbled in Community Outreach with the primary objective to fill any communication gaps for startups and ecosystem partners in southern Sweden. If you ask me, I would like to describe my role as an extended marketing arm for the startup community in the region.

In addition to the constant events on the sidelines, one of the highlights of my time was the opportunity to be one of the co-organizers of Startup Live! 2022 a Skåne Startups legacy that everyone in southern Sweden swears by.

Punit was getting ready for Startup Live! 2022

What did you enjoy the most at Skåne Startups?

I am a people person and the first thing I would attribute to my time is the opportunity to engage and interact with the community through various channels. Even though I could only play a small role in this dynamic pool of talent, it gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in the changing business scenarios of today.

It allowed me to connect with passionate people who believe in new ideas and work tirelessly to make their ideas a reality. Believe me when I say that I was overcome with excitement whenever I heard young dreamers speak passionately about their groundbreaking ideas.

Second, is the collaborative team that I worked with. Here is a place that welcomed international talent with open arms and gave everyone the opportunity to be heard.

Can you tell us about your current work?

I work for a young e-commerce startup and manage the marketing communications portfolio. In addition to communications, I am actively involved in the growth of the company, taking on numerous other tasks. On a freelance basis, I help in content creation and social media marketing for small-scale brands. I strongly believe in open-mindedness and diversity and am open to working with professionals who choose to work with international talent.

What is your advice for other talents?

Never say, never! Be open, show willingness to learn, have faith in your ideas, love what you do, stay true to yourself, follow the rules, and never stop dreaming!

Punit Thorat (2nd from the left) joined her 1st event with the team 2022

Something you are unreasonably passionate about?

I love telling stories - be it my own or others. I am passionate about writing, be it anything - professionally or personally. I think it is therapeutic in more ways than one. On a personal level, I am passionate about exploring new places and right now Europe seems to be my playground! I love hosting/moderating at parties and events, it gives me a different high to meet and get to know people from diverse backgrounds.

The story above is updated on November 2022. You can learn more and reach out via LinkedIn.
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