Why This Non-profit Started Accepting Bitcoin | Dr Sheela Sharma #219

About this episode

Dr. Sheela Sharma discusses how her nonprofit, Portobello Business Centre, began accepting Bitcoin donations to support entrepreneurs.

A nonprofit in West London is accepting Bitcoin donations to fund the next generation of entrepreneurs — and it all started with one conversation at a judging panel. Sheela Sharma is CEO of Portobello Business Centre, a 30-year-old nonprofit that helps underserved entrepreneurs — 70% of them women — start and grow their own businesses. Before that, she spent 14 years in investment banking, including as an equity analyst at Merrill Lynch covering medical devices and pharma. She came in knowing nothing about finance. She left as a COO. 🇬🇧 Portobello Business Centre are members of BBN. Join the UK Bitcoin Business Network here: https://bitcoincollective.co/bbn/ Contact Sheela: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-sheela-sharma/ Website: https://www.pbc.co.uk/ 00:00 Opening clip — Bitcoin donations for entrepreneurs 00:40 Introduction and welcome 01:30 From Oxford DPhil to Merrill Lynch — the unlikely pivot 03:30 Learning to value medical technology companies 05:30 "What is a share price?" — the interview moment 06:30 14 years in investment banking: analyst to COO 07:30 Why she left — and what pushed her out 08:30 Joining Portobello Business Centre as chair, then CEO…

People in this episode

Host: Jordan Walker

Guest: Dr Sheela Sharma

Topics covered

• Bitcoin donations
• nonprofit organizations
• entrepreneurship
• investment banking
• women entrepreneurs
• financial technology

Keywords

• Bitcoin
• nonprofit
• entrepreneurs
• investment banking
• women in business
• Portobello Business Centre
• financial technology

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Portobello Business Centre, Merrill Lynch, BBN, Innocent Drinks, Charlie Bigham's, Karen Millen, Sustainable Society Trust

Products: Bitcoin, Strike, Coin Corner

Places: West London, UK

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