Name: FoundrPwr - Building Exceptional Teams ft. Phanindra Sama (RedBus)
Start: 2026-10-08T12:15:00.000Z
End: 2026-10-08T14:00:00.000Z
Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka

FoundrPwr: Building Exceptional Teams with Phanindra Sama

Few decisions shape a startup as lastingly as its first twenty hires. Those people set the pace, the standards and the culture that everyone after them inherits. Yet most founders build their early teams through instinct and urgency rather than design. This edition of FoundrPwr, hosted by Mela Ventures, brings Phanindra (Phani) Sama, co-founder and former CEO of redBus, into conversation on how founders can build exceptional teams.

About the Speaker

Phani co-founded redBus in 2006 after he could not find a bus ticket home from Bengaluru one Diwali weekend. He led the company as CEO until its acquisition by the ibibo Group in 2013 - one of India's earliest notable startup exits. He later served as Chief Innovation Officer for the Government of Telangana. Much of his recent work focuses on preparing young people for employment: he co-founded Kakatiya Sandbox, which supports innovation, entrepreneurship and skill development in rural Telangana, and is closely involved with Deshpande Skilling, which runs residential programmes training young people for industry roles. He is currently an Advisor at WestBridge Capital and an angel investor in a number of Indian startups. Phani is an alumnus of BITS Pilani.

What the Conversation Will Cover

What distinguishes great early teams, and how founders can assemble one before they have a brand, a large budget or a proven product
How to attract strong people to an unproven company, and what keeps them there once the early excitement fades
The practices, norms and structures founders should put in place from the start
How hiring, leadership and culture need to change as a startup grows from a handful of people into a larger organisation

Who Should Attend

Founders of early-stage companies
Founders making their first key hires or preparing to scale their teams
Operators and early employees building functions within startups

Format

5:45 PM: Registration
6:00 PM: Conversation with Phanindra Sama
7:00 PM: Audience Q&A
7:15 PM: Networking over refreshments

About FoundrPwr and Mela Ventures

FoundrPwr is a founder education series by Mela Ventures. It brings experienced builders and investors into candid conversations on the realities of building a company in India. Mela Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund based in Bengaluru, investing in B2B companies across Enterprise Technology, DeepTech and ClimateTech. The fund was founded by Krishnakumar Natarajan and Parthasarathy N.S., co-founders of Mindtree.

Seating is limited. Registrations are subject to approval.

FoundrPwr - Building Exceptional Teams ft. Phanindra Sama (RedBus)

FoundrPwr - Building Exceptional Teams ft. Phanindra Sama (RedBus)

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