Sydney’s Gagan Sodhi’s entrepreneurial journey is one of cultural shifts, personal growth, and disruption. Born into a traditional Indian household, where societal norms dictate a woman’s primary role as mother and wife, looking after the household, Gagan’s life was mapped out.
This all changed when she moved to Australia with her husband in 2006. “Growing up in India, I had the comforts of a home with servants, and there was no expectation for me to get a job. Moving to Australia was a profound cultural shock, Gagan said. The move gave Gagan a different insight into the roles of women and what they could accomplish.
“My mother made sure I had the best education, and moving to Australia meant I could use the knowledge I had spent years learning,” she said. “My mother sacrificed a lot for my education. She wanted me to break tradition and do things that I would never have done if we had stayed in India.”
Breaking away from the expected roles for women in her cultural context, Gagan embraced the unexpected opportunities Australia offered. “But first we had to learn a different way of living. The cultural shock extended to financial aspects, where terms like house rent, mortgage, and the need to pay for basic necessities became new challenges,” she said.
“As we faced different financial constraints, my sense of responsibility evolved. I got my first job and found that the challenges of working and studying alongside my household duties created overwhelming situations. Life in Australia is very different to India,” she said. “The challenges were not only financial, but also cultural and personal. I found myself considering drastic measures, such as parting with a cherished bracelet from my mother, to make ends meet. It was at that moment that I knew that if we were going to make it in our new home, we had to think differently.”
Educationally equipped with a Bachelor’s in Computer Science, a Masters in IT, and a second Master’s degree specialising in Business and SAP from Victoria University in Melbourne, Gagan wore various managerial hats in the Australian education sector for over a decade. However, the trading industry beckoned, revealing a lack of learning tools, especially in MT5.
Eighteen years after arriving in Australia, Gagan’s observation became the catalyst for her journey into the trading industry. “My greatest wish is to help people create financial independence and security, especially women. So I created learning and risk management tools – MT5 Simulator and g MT5 Trade Ready, to help reduce trading losses, provide live historical data so people can practise trading, and access valuable risk management tools,” she said.
Readers also enjoyed our story about the Innovation Summit
