#FathersDay2025 #DadTaughtMeThat #HerFirstMentor #DadsAndDaughters #BuiltByDad
Father’s Day, falling on Sunday, June 15, 2025, is actually more than just connections and ‘thank-you’ notes. It’s a moment to honour the quiet resilience, bold encouragement & sometimes hilarious wisdom of the men, who helped raise the next generation of changemakers – including women entrepreneurs, who are making waves across industries today.
For the Dads who raised women entrepreneurs: This is a Father’s Day tribute
Behind every bold businesswoman, there’s often a father who believed in her before the pitch decks and press features. And how was the relationship she shared with him? It would have been a situation of wearing many hats. He might have been her first investor – not just with money, but with confidence, courage & the kind of advice that sticks. The long journey – from teaching her to ride a bike to teaching her to navigate risk, his continuous guidance often becomes part of her entrepreneurial DNA. Or sometimes is the other way round?
As women entrepreneurs hustle, pivot & lead, many find themselves echoing their fathers’ mantras – maybe about resilience, maybe about integrity, or maybe just the value of showing up! So, whether he’s the Chief Wisdom Officer, the spreadsheet king, or the emotional anchor, the father’s influence is unmistakable.
From Piggy Banks to Pitch Decks: How fathers funded dreams
This Father’s Day, we celebrate those men – the special dads – who stood on the sidelines cheering, challenged their daughters to think bigger & quietly (or loudly!) championed their dreams. After all, who better to thank for the fierce, fearless women leading today’s entrepreneurial charge? So, we checked out with some inspiring women entrepreneurs and what did they have to say? Just read on…
Q. “What would your father say about the entrepreneur you’ve become today?”
SEHBA AZHAR, Founder – An Eye On: “If my father were here today, I don’t think he would say much and just give me that quiet smile with a familiar spark in his eyes.
He was a man of few words, but with a vision far ahead of his time. He raised his daughters to be fiercely independent, not just in thought, but in action.
He often told us, ‘Whatever life brings, always know how to support yourself with financial independence, grace, and your own mind.’ At that time, they felt like simple words of advice. But now I understand they were life truths and I carry them with me every day as I build An Eye On, step by step.
His birthday falls on September 5th, Teachers’ Day – which says it all. He was our first and most powerful teacher. If he could see me today as an entrepreneur, a founder, someone known to take bold steps, I believe he would be proud. And I hope, in all that I do, I continue to make him proud. I believe he would have simply said, ‘You’ve done exactly what I hoped you would.”
Q. “What’s the one lesson from your father that became part of your business DNA?”
Farheen Bushra Rahman, Founder, Toile Eco Designers: “My father taught me to never fear starting small. He’d often say, ‘Build brick by brick, and one day it’ll be a fortress.’ That mindset shaped the way I’ve approached every venture – patiently, purposefully, and with a deep respect for the process.”
Avtar Madan
Himanshu
Shree Lahiri
