For countless Indian women, a career break for marriage, motherhood, or relocation often becomes a full stop rather than a pause – talent quietly set aside, waiting for an opportunity that fits real life rather than a rigid nine-to-six. TalentGum’s She Teaches initiative was built to challenge that assumption. By turning a woman’s existing expertise, whether in music, art, chess, or public speaking, into a flexible, work-from-home teaching career, the platform is helping hundreds of women rewrite their professional stories on their own terms. In this conversation, Saunak Ghosh, Co-Founder and CEO of TalentGum, speaks about what inspired She Teaches, how it’s reshaping the path back to work for women, and why he believes flexible, skill-led opportunities are central to the future of work.
1. What inspired TalentGum to launch She Teaches, and what gap did you aim to address?
While building TalentGum, we consistently met highly skilled women who had stepped back from their careers for marriage, motherhood, or relocation. Many were eager to return to their professional lives, but conventional jobs required a rigid 10 to 12-hour daily commitment that proved difficult to balance alongside family responsibilities. At the same time, many possessed deep expertise in creative or technical fields like music, art, chess, or public speaking: skills they had cultivated personally, but never had the opportunity to explore professionally in their previous roles.
We realised that having talent and drive is only half the battle: finding structured, flexible pathways that value non-linear career journeys is much harder. We launched She Teaches to bridge this exact gap. Our goal was to create a flexible, work-from-home opportunity that provides women with the training and support needed to convert those untapped skills into meaningful teaching careers, helping them step back into the workforce on terms that actually fit their lives.
2. How can initiatives like She Teaches help women turn their existing skills into income opportunities?
The women who join the She Teaches program bring something valuable with them: expertise they have built over years of learning, practice, and personal experience. The challenge is often finding a way to bring those skills back into the workplace while balancing the realities of life after a career break. No prior teaching experience is required, because we provide full, structured training to bridge the gap between having a skill and teaching it to young minds. At the same time, flexibility does not mean compromising on quality. Every mentor goes through a structured selection and training process to ensure they are equipped to deliver the standard of learning we expect at TalentGum. We provide the curriculum frameworks, the digital classroom tools, and practical guidance on engaging young learners, helping selected mentors translate their knowledge into effective online teaching. In turn, they get an opportunity to put their skills back to work, earn a steady income, and build a flexible schedule that fits their lives.
3. How can skill-based teaching opportunities help women return to work after a career break and rebuild their confidence?
Returning to work after a career break can come with its own set of uncertainties, from wondering where to begin to finding an opportunity that fits into a changed routine. For women who have a skill and would enjoy sharing it, teaching offers a deeply fulfilling way to reconnect with their professional identity from home.
Confidence often grows from seeing the tangible impact of each session: a student mastering a new concept, a child becoming more curious about a subject, or a parent sharing positive feedback. One of our art facilitators, who got hired through the “She Teaches” initiative, describes her journey with TalentGum as wonderful and enriching, and particularly values the flexibility that helps her balance her professional and personal life. She also speaks about looking forward to continuing to learn and creating happy and creative learning experiences for her students.
For many women, it is not simply about earning an income. It is about having the opportunity to use their skills, connect with students, continue learning, and build something professionally in a way that fits their daily lives.
4. What has TalentGum observed about the response from women looking to teach, earn, and work flexibly?
The response showed us that this need was far more widespread than we initially assumed. We are now working with 500-plus women mentors across the community. What stands out most is their willingness to make a genuine commitment.
While flexibility is essential, so is structure. Our mentors commit to a minimum of 24 hours a week, scheduled in blocks of at least four continuous hours, helping us maintain consistency for students. The fact that so many women are willing to make this commitment shows that they value having a structured and meaningful opportunity to apply their expertise while maintaining control over their personal schedules.
5. Do you see flexible, skill-led opportunities becoming an important part of the future of work for women?
Absolutely. We believe the future of work will offer women more ways to use their skills and stay professionally engaged, without having to choose between work and the realities of their lives. Flexible, skill-led opportunities can give women the freedom to contribute on terms that work for them.
Through She Teaches, we see that women deeply value utilizing their skills, working with children, and earning a stable income with greater control over their schedules. As learning and professional engagement continue to shift online, opportunities built around people’s skills, interests, and individual circumstances will only become more relevant.
For us, the future is not about replacing traditional employment. It is about expanding the ways women can participate in the workforce, giving them opportunities that fit seamlessly around the lives they already lead.
