GCC Chapter

Lakshmi Venugopal is a powerhouse of transformation, bringing together over a decade of professional experience in HR and business leadership across the GCC with her entrepreneurial vision. She plays a dual role — contributing to her family-owned construction business in Dubai while also driving Virtuous Seeds, her purpose-led venture dedicated to empowering professionals, women, and youth to rise with clarity, confidence, and resilience. As a Certified Image Consultant and Soft Skills Trainer, Lakshmi has designed and delivered coaching programs and transformational workshops on mindset mastery, emotional resilience, stress management, communication, and leadership skills. Known for her engaging and practical approach, she equips individuals to overcome limiting beliefs, discover their authentic voice, and thrive both personally and professionally. Her academic foundation includes a B.Tech in Information Technology, an MBA, and a Master’s in Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Technology from the University of Strathclyde, UK. A lifelong learner, she has strengthened her expertise with global certifications from the Jay Shetty Certification School, the Blair Singer Training Academy, and advanced training in NLP and coaching. Lakshmi was also the host of The Iceberg Podcast on Spotify, where she led conversations on mindset, growth, and well-being. Her contributions have been recognized with the Silver Scottish Innovative Students Award and the Gold Strathclyde Enterprise Pathway Certificate. With her unique blend of corporate insight, family business leadership, and coaching expertise, Lakshmi continues her mission to create transformational learning experiences and inspire individuals to lead with resilience and impact.

With over 16 years of experience in education and training, Poonam is the founder of The Skill Company, a platform committed to enhancing life and career skills. She is also a Co-founder of a Media Training Institute and boasts of 50 plus successful placements in the Radio & Media industry. Her outstanding contributions to the field have been recognized by esteemed institutions such as JCI India and Incredible Goa, where she has been honored for her excellence in training. Poonam holds respected certifications from ICBI, JCI and IBPCT, and is aptly skilled in Soft Skills, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Life Coaching. Her approach to personal and professional development is both holistic and transformative. She has touched thousands of lives through her Trainings conducting programs from schools, colleges, individuals, government employees to corporate houses. She has been empanelled with several educational forums, government institutions and is also a Master Trainer with Bajaj Finserv for their PAN India CSR project. Poonam has been a speaker at Pechakucha and a participant speaker at the UN Summit,USA. Poonam loves Training, Reading, Learning and Travelling and considers these are the spices needed for our personal and professional growth.

Dr. Fatema Mehrim is a passionate educator, trainer, and lifelong learner with a diverse professional journey spanning finance, research, and education. Backed by a Ph.D. in “Islamic and Conventional Banking”, she brings analytical depth and academic rigor to her work, combined with a heartfelt commitment to personal growth and transformation. Her career began in the world of finance, where she honed her skills as a financial analyst, researcher, and educator. Over time, she discovered her true calling in Image Management and Soft Skills Training - a field that allows her to combine intellect with empathy to empower people to reach their fullest potential. As a Soft Skills Trainer and an aspiring Image Consultant, Dr. Fatema focuses on personal branding, communication, confidence building, and professional presence. Her philosophy rests on the belief that one’s image extends beyond appearance - it reflects authenticity, mindset, and self-belief. With experience mentoring learners from classrooms to corporate settings, she connects effortlessly with people from all walks of life, inspiring them to grow with clarity and confidence.  Deeply committed to lifelong learning, she continues to expand her expertise while designing meaningful learning experiences that help individuals transform from within. Known for her empathetic approach and clarity of thought, she continues her mission to help individuals show up with confidence, communicate with impact, and live with purpose.

Fathime Shams Ali is a Soft Skills Trainer and certified Image Consultant with a strong foundation in business development and corporate facilitation.

Her journey spans the UAE corporate world from sales and business strategy to empowering professionals through executive presence and personal image.

As the Founder of Image Elevate by Fathime, she specialises in confidence-building, professional image, and workplace communication, with a passion for elevating women professionals.