The Art of the Pitch: How BāKIT Box Founder Shelley Gupta Crafts a Winning Pitch

Welcome to B The Way Forward Interludes – a series of conversations that don’t necessarily fit in our regular season, but are just too good to not share. 

Today, we’re bringing you a conversation with one of our favorite kinds of people; A BFF. No, not a “best friend forever,” a Badass Female Founder. 

Shelley Gupta took her own culinary and cultural curiosity and channeled it into BāKIT Box, a unique subscription service delivering STEM-based baking activity kits that bring the world’s flavors and traditions to your kitchen. On the menu for our conversation? The art of pitching – your product, your company, and even yourself. 

And Shelley knows what she’s talking about. Not only has she successfully pitched her company to investors, she’s a two-time pitch competition winner, including taking top prize at the 2024 PitcHer competition at Grace Hopper Celebration.

Shelley talks with Brenda about how BĀKIT Box evolved from pitch to product, the realities of being a female founder when VCs are still underinvesting in women-led companies, and of course, what she’s learned about crafting a winning pitch – and how she’s still refining it, even today, 50 versions later.

For more check out Shelley and BāKIT BOX…

Instagram – @bakitbox

Facebook – /therealbakitbox

X – @bakitbox

TikTok – @bakitbox

YouTube – @bakitbox

LinkedIn – /bakitbox

Pinterest – /bkitbox

—

At our heart, AnitaB.org is a connector: we connect women in tech to the organizations, opportunities, and tools they need to advance, thrive, and transform the future of technology. We convene transformative events, lead essential discussions, produce groundbreaking research and white papers, and support the tech ecosystem to shape the future for women in tech. 

—

Connect with AnitaB.org

Instagram – @anitab_org

Facebook – /anitab.0rg

LinkedIn – /anitab-org

On the web – anitab.org 

—

Our guests contribute to this podcast in their personal capacity. The views expressed in this interview are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology or its employees (“AnitaB.org”). AnitaB.org is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the information provided in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute legal or other professional advice or services.

—

B The Way Forward Is…

Hosted and Executive Produced by Brenda Darden Wilkerson.

Produced by Avi Glijansky

Associate Produced by Kelli Kyle

Sound design and editing by Ryan Hammond 

Mixing and mastering by Julian Kwasneski 

Additional Producing help from Faith Krogulecki

Operations Coordination for AnitaB.org by Quinton Sprull.

Creative Director for AnitaB.org is Deandra Coleman

Executive Produced by Dominique Ferrari, Stacey Book, and Avi Glijansky for Frequency Machine 

Podcast Marketing from Lauren Passell with Tink Media in partnership with Coley Bouschet at AnitaB.org

Photo of Brenda Darden Wilkerson by Mandisa Media Productions

For more ways to be the way forward, visit AnitaB.org