Today we’d like to introduce you to Nishidha Kumaresan.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in India into a family filled with legacy. On my paternal side, they built schools, hospitals and provided various other infrastructure for the development of rural areas. My maternal grandfather came from humble beginnings with no education but a very successful businessman. I grew up spending vacations with my parents while my uncle and aunt raised me. From my uncle I learnt discipline, people skills and the quest for knowledge. My dad taught me compassion, patience, humility and to stay grounded. As for mom and aunt, each of them strong in their unique way did not fail to inspire me as well. Amongst such inspiring individuals, I always grew up dreaming to be an achiever.
Though I was born with the proverbial “silver spoon” I guess the rebel and the dreamer in me spat the spoon out when I decided to pursue my Master’s degree in the United States. Those days, girls were married off early and there were just a few of us girls chasing our dreams on our own, in a foreign land. So, there I was with “Two suitcases and a dream in the land of opportunities!”
From having every material aspect fulfilled since childhood to have obstacles thrown my way at every step was a struggle in itself and just the beginning of my American dream. As a student, my cousin and his wife helped me when needed but somehow I couldn’t ask for more. I worked various jobs as a cashier to cleaning restrooms to support myself through school. I labored on with a fighter spirit, believing that I was walking this path towards my ultimate goal of being “somebody, someday.”
I graduated with an MBA from Pittsburg State University and landed my first “real” job until 2010 when things were shaken up. I had a financial responsibility, my mom was sick, times were difficult and in that time of adversity was when the dreamer in me was pushed into being an achiever. I always knew I had to make it big on my own and wasn’t sure when, where or what but that was my moment. Finally, I took the plunge and started Pioneer Technologies in 2010.
The twists and turns in my journey has been tough but exhilarating at the same time for which I am very grateful. Having the propensity to learn from experiences, I learnt quickly from every experience to be more self-aware, stronger as a person and to adapt and overcome any situation. I have met many wonderful people so far both personal and professional, each as a miracle sprinkled into my life and have been my pillars of strength in many ways unimaginable. And I appreciate those that mocked my choices and for giving me the opportunity to prove “them” wrong.
To top all that, I have family and friends raising kids, especially girls, with me as a role model which has been a huge responsibility as well as a motivating factor in my life! I’m very humbled and grateful for my life!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The answer is a definitive “NO” it has by no means a smooth road at all.
When I started I did have some knowledge and understanding about the business to an extent based on my consulting background but when I got into it, reality struck harder than ever. I worked a job for few months alongside the business to raise funds. The economy was on the way to recovery and I worked 17 hour days for months to get the ship sailing. There were then the external threats and doubts, where many were skeptical of my choice and some even went to great lengths in attempts to tear me down.
The fact that a woman could own and run a business in this line of work was hard for most to fathom. This being the reason, I definitely had more obstacles thrown my way in comparison to someone from the opposite gender starting the same business.
Once I had the business going, we grew faster than any other and then came the cash flow issues. I was told “it was a good problem to have”, I believed it, kept going and the rest as they say is history!
I cannot take all of the credit for this wonderful journey. My team has been more of a family to me and am truly thankful for each of them and their contributions towards the growth and success of the company. And I am most grateful for Naveen, my mentor, my rock and my best friend who supported and helped achieve my dreams!
With Pioneer Technologies, we are still growing as a company, learning along the way and there is a lot more I want to do. As Frost famously put it “…And I have miles to go before I sleep.”
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Pioneer Technologies – what should we know?
At Pioneer Technologies, we are dedicated to providing quality IT development services to various clients across the United States.
We started with specializing in Business and System Analysis and slowly branched out into development and system administration as well. It is a highly competitive market and there is a constant need to innovate and do things differently both in terms of technology as well as retaining the workforce. So that’s what we strive for “Efficiency and Innovation.”
We started as a two woman company, a female employee and myself but today we have grown considerably and we take pride in saying that we have made careers for over 300 people and serviced over a 100 clients across the United States. In the initial years, it so happened that about 98% of my workforce were all women and for me that has by itself been the icing on the cake. Also, not many women own and run the business at the same time in this line of work but it happens here at Pioneer!
We as a company strongly believe in work life balance and we value our employees and support them both professionally and personally. The goal is not just profits but we want our employees to be well rounded individuals as well. And our approach is to stay grounded and stay human whilst dealing with any individual be it a client or an employee. We pride in providing quality services to both our clients as well as our employees.
We are very straight forward with every business deal which makes people wonder how we sustain. It works and we still exist!
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
There is a standard list of qualities that are always spoken about in terms of achieving success. Apart from those to me it has been self-awareness. It is understanding who we are, what we do and what we want. When we get ourselves, it’s a lot easier to define where we are headed and how we can be impactful.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1212 Corporate Drive Suite 270
Irving Texas 75038 - Website: www.pioneertechinc.com
- Phone: 972.746.2545
- Email: nk@pioneertechinc.com
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