Introducing the Minds Behind Radical: A Q&A Series

As The Radical Fund takes the leap into the world of climate investing in Southeast Asia, we are thrilled to introduce the extraordinary individuals who drive our mission forward. With an unwavering commitment to powering radical climate action in Southeast Asia, we present a series of Q&A sessions with the brilliant minds of our team. We'll bring you an exclusive interview with one of our team members, sharing their background, expertise, and aspirations for the future. Join us on this exciting journey with The Radical Fund.

This edition of Minds Behind Radical features Tharani Prakash Venture Partner of The Radical Fund.

What is your favourite thing about your career?
The variety, the constant change and learning, the ability to chart my own path, and staying abreast of emerging technologies and business models across various sectors.

How did you get into VC?
Startups are instrumental in creating and mainstreaming innovative solutions for the significant sustainability challenges we face today. Startups need funding to scale their business and impact. After advising startups and corporates on sustainability for a few years, I made the intentional move to VC in order to apply my sustainability expertise to connect capital and scale the “right” impact.

Which living person do you most admire?
Greta Thunberg - for accelerating climate action and inspiring millions across the globe by daring to challenge the status quo and standing up to the highest authorities relentlessly, uncompromisingly, single-mindedly, and unconventionally, demanding her and further generations’ right to life undisturbed by climate change.

Who is your hero of fiction?
Clarice Starling (Silence of the Lambs), Rani (Bollywood movie Queen), Katniss, Mulan, Belle - women with the courage and conviction to break norms and navigate uncharted territory on their own to achieve their goals or live out their dreams.

Who are your heroes in real life?
Top of my list are Kate Raworth (the creator of Doughnut Economics) and Donella Meadows (a leading proponent of Systems Thinking), two of the most influential paradigm shift leaders of our times. I admire hidden women trailblazers like Katherine Johnson, as well as the visible and vocal activists and spokespeople like Jane Goodall, Sylvia Earle, Erin Brockovich, Vandana Shiva, Antonio Guterres, David Attenborough, and Al Gore. I also have the highest regard for the scores of disadvantaged common people who surmount challenges day in and day out to survive and succeed despite all odds.

What is your greatest fear?
Dystopian fiction becoming a reality due to climate change in my lifetime or my daughter’s, replacing life as we know it on our beautiful nurturing planet.

Where is your favourite place to visit in Southeast Asia?
Phu Quoc, Vietnam

Loved spending a few charmed days in a small holiday home on the east coast with a sea as calm as bathwater in its backyard. Paddle boating at sunrise and sunset, snorkelling every morning and evening, trekking up pristine forests and admiring the seascape below, dinner by the seaside lit up by a full moon and jazz favourites playing on Spotify - bliss pure and simple. Will go back in a heartbeat!

What does a great founder look like to you?
A visionary and well-rounded leader, who has the grit, integrity, commitment and capability to execute transformative change, while remaining humble and receptive to good advice.

In the realm of startups and investing, what are the three things that you wish would change and why?
The change I envision in the VC and PE ecosystem:

i) Moving from competitive to collaborative - to solve effectively at scale for the mammoth issues we face today climate change, loss of biodiversity and ecosystems and widening socio-economic disparities.

ii) Alternative investment models such as blended finance and public-private-nonprofit partnerships becoming the norm in VC/PE investing - to provide the catalytic capital and ecosystem support needed to establish and scale emerging regenerative, circular and distributive business models as well as capital-intensive, R&D / hardware / infrastructure centric, higher-risk and longer-time frame technology innovation solutions.

iii) Investments, valuations and returns being based on the positive or negative impacts a business has on the planet and people. Sustainability and positive impact becoming an integral part of every startup business model and investment. Why? In order for humanity and life on Earth to survive and thrive!

This blue sky vision requires a fundamental shift to an economy that rightly places the greatest value on natural, human and social capital and where financial and economic value creation is based on these fundamental building blocks. This shift from shareholder to stakeholder capitalism moves the focus from short-term, individualistic gains to long-term, holistic gains for the greater collective good of the planet and humanity.

Why Climate?
Climate change is an existential crisis for humanity and life on Earth. It is the most urgent and important issue needing investment and innovation to solve at scale. What else, but Climate?

Tharani is Venture Partner at The Radical Fund, responsible for developing and executing the fund’s impact strategy. She utilises her technical and business expertise in decarbonisation, circularity and inclusive impact to select and scale effective impact business models.

Previously Tharani was Venture Partner and the Head of Impact & ESG for the Sustainable Future Fund in Singapore. Tharani has 21 years of global leadership experience across sustainability, venture capital investments and digital transformation. Her work spans multiple industries, including agri-food, packaging, waste, energy, mobility, telecom, hospitality and financial services.

A strong B Corp advocate, Tharani has helped grow the ecosystem and movement through its infancy in Asia. She actively participates in regional and global networks for systems innovation and women in tech. Tharani is an Unreasonable APAC mentor and a founding member of the Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs’ Singapore chapter.

Article originally published on LinkedIn.