How Prerna Rohilla is turning financial literacy into a movement for women!
Prerna Rohilla
Founder: Mom, Money & Mindset
Industry: Financial Consulting
Startup/Business Stage: Growing
Location: New Delhi, India
Prerna is the founder of Mom, Money & Mindset and Paavni Foundation. She is a financial literacy advocate for women & children, a mentor and educator. Through her initiative 3M Design Studio, she helps professionals build authority and grow with clarity.
Some journeys begin with discomfort, and for Prerna , it was the quiet discomfort of dependence. A five-year career break, something society often normalises for women, became a space of deep reflection for her. But instead of pausing for convention, she chose to complete her education, build her knowledge, and along the way, embrace motherhood. One day, holding her daughter in her arms, she realised that financial dependence didn’t sit right with her.
And that fleeting thought slowly became her mission.
Prerna’s early career was rooted in finance. With an MBA in Finance and experience across organisations like Premarica (now DHFL), The Times of India, and freelance work in the tech space, she understood the world of money, numbers, and systems well. But it was during her time at a startup in the investment space that something deeper became evident.
Women were not making independent financial decisions. They were present, they were earning, but when it came to investments, there was hesitation, dependence, and a visible lack of confidence. Prerna saw the gap. Not just in the market, but in the mindset. “Till date, I don’t have a female friend with whom I can casually discuss: gold rates are down, let’s invest. Women don’t talk about money. We are not trained to. And over time, that silence quietly turns into a limitation.” She decided to do something about it.
The idea for Mom, Money & Mindset was born in 2019, but like many real journeys, it didn’t translate into a business overnight. It took time, clarity, and courage to bring it to life. In 2024, Prerna finally took the leap. What she built was a fintech-edtech platform focused on financial literacy, for women and young individuals. A space where finance is not intimidating, but simplified; not theoretical, but practical; not boring, but thoughtfully gamified.
She had seen up close that when women are not financially literate, they are often left depending on someone else to make decisions for them. A father, a husband, a family member. Not always out of choice, but out of conditioning. And over time, that dependence quietly starts shaping the boundaries of their lives. The risks they don’t take, the opportunities they don’t explore, the decisions they hesitate to make. It limits not just their financial choices, but their sense of independence and confidence.
Prerna wanted to change that narrative. She wanted women to not just earn, but understand. To not just save, but invest. To not just rely, but decide. Because when a woman understands money, she doesn’t have to wait for permission. She creates her own path.
Prerna came from a non-entrepreneurial background, with parents in government jobs where stability was the norm and entrepreneurship felt unfamiliar. Naturally, there was skepticism. At home, support was limited. There were no active conversations about her work, no strong validation, no loud expressions of pride.
And sometimes, that silence can feel heavier than criticism.
Managing two daughters, navigating school schedules, handling household responsibilities, and trying to build a business in the in-between hours. It was messy, exhausting, and often lonely. There were days filled with doubt, moments of emotional fatigue, and times when quitting felt like the easier option. But Prerna didn’t allow herself the option of going back.
Stepping into the financial world as a woman came with its own set of challenges. It is still a space largely dominated by men, where authority is often unconsciously linked to gender, and being heard sometimes requires proving yourself twice over. There were days when people didn’t listen, moments when they dismissed her, and spaces when they tried to overpower her presence.
In the beginning, even she doubted herself. “I had knowledge, but I lacked confidence,” she admits. But instead of stepping back, she chose to work on herself, relentlessly. In a field where knowledge evolves every day, she committed to continuous learning. From earning certifications like NISM (National Institute Of Securities Markets) to writing books on financial literacy, mentoring women, and engaging with incubation centres, she kept building. Not just her business, but her voice. “Over time, knowledge doesn’t just inform you, it strengthens you.”
Today, Prerna leads a bootstrapped, revenue-generating venture that is steadily growing. But for her, success is not defined by numbers alone. It is defined by impact. She understands the pain point at its core: when women lack financial literacy, they are often left navigating life with dependence stitched into their decisions. They earn, yet hesitate. They contribute, yet don’t control. And that gap doesn’t just affect money. It shapes confidence, choices, and the ability to take charge of one’s own life. Through her work, Prerna is addressing exactly this.
Success, for her, reflects in the number of women and children she is able to educate, the conversations she is able to initiate, and the quiet but powerful shift from hesitation to confidence. It shows up when a woman starts asking questions, making decisions, and participating in financial conversations she once stayed away from. “When a woman truly understands money, she doesn’t just change her own life. She changes the trajectory of her entire family. She moves from being dependent to being decisive, from being guided to becoming the guide.”
What stands out in Prerna’s journey is not just resilience, but clarity. A clarity that she is building something far bigger than herself, that her journey is her own responsibility, and that perfection is not the goal. Progress is. She openly acknowledges that she is still evolving, learning to be more assertive, working on letting go of control, and navigating moments of self doubt. But somewhere along the way, she has shed the need to constantly seek approval. She is no longer the woman who says yes to everything. She is a woman who understands her value, owns her voice, and most importantly, decides!
Key Takeaways from Prerna’s Journey
- Financial independence is not optional. It’s foundational.
- Confidence doesn’t come first. Action does. Confidence follows.
- Women are not “bad” with money. They are simply underexposed to it.
- Building something without support is hard but not impossible.
- Knowledge is the strongest form of empowerment. Invest in it.
- You don’t need a perfect ecosystem to begin. But the right people who accelerate your journey.
- Impact-led businesses sustain longer than trend-led ones.
- Never give up, even when no one is watching.
Prerna’s journey is a reminder that transformation doesn’t always arrive with noise. It builds quietly, through choices made in the most personal spaces. What began as a need to reclaim her own financial independence has grown into a larger purpose. One that is shaping how women think, speak, and act around money. She didn’t just step out of her cocoon to build a business; she stepped out to challenge a deeply rooted mindset and replace hesitation with confidence. And in doing so, she is not only rewriting her own story, but enabling countless others to take control of theirs. Sometimes, the most powerful revolutions begin at home, with one woman choosing to do things differently!
If you are inspired by Prerna’s story, connect with her on Linkedin
Blog By: Nidhi Vadhera
Startup Strategist | Investor | Author (Romancing Targets)
Connect with Nidhi On LinkedIn
Very inspiring story. Yes, financial independence of women is not only desirable, it is critical for improving social standards. When each lady is able to shed her dependence for financial decisions for herself and her family, we would create a stronger and more stable society and nation.
Thank you for your constant support for this blog series, Sir. I deeply resonate with your thoughts on women’s financial independence and their ability to make informed decisions for themselves and their families. And in this regard, Prerna is doing a wonderful job!