A Journey of Resilience & Purpose

Born in Bharatana, a small town in Uttar Pradesh, as one of five sisters in a farmer's family, I grew up experiencing the societal bias against girls. Instead of defeating me, it ignited a fire — a determination to become financially independent and share my family's responsibilities through education.

It took me 25 days to convince my father to let me attend a co-ed school for intermediate studies. I was the only girl among 63 boys in my class. I faced bullying and mockery, but I persevered and emerged with flying colors.

After learning about the prestige of the CA course from my 12th-grade teacher, the dream was set. I secretly began preparing for CPT while working at a CA firm, topping my class tests consistently. Step by step — CPT, IPCC, articleship at a top firm — I kept climbing.

I got married before my finals and moved to Mumbai. Balancing studies with family life was tough, and I failed my initial attempts. But with my husband's encouragement, I persevered and cleared my final CA examination in July 2017 at the age of 29 — becoming the first female Chartered Accountant from my hometown.

Just five months later, in December 2017, I launched "Poonam Pathak & Associates" while three months pregnant. Building a practice from scratch in a new city, without any inherited client base, I turned challenges into stepping stones — and today I lead a team serving clients across India.