Innovation arises from the willingness to accept change and the ability to envision new possibilities beyond current limits. In a time marked by rapid shifts in technology and business, strong leadership is crucial to guide organizations through uncertainty and open doors to fresh opportunities. It is in such times that true leaders emerge, those who combine thoughtful strategy, creativity, and empathy to shape the future of technology and business.
Nisha Shoukath stands out as a leader who embodies these qualities with distinction. As Co-Founder, President and Chief Operating Officer of People10 Technologies, she brings extensive experience and a clear vision to her role. It is a great place to work for women under Nisha’s leadership. Her leadership is marked by a thoughtful blend of strategic insight, operational discipline, and a commitment to fostering a collaborative environment. Her approach emphasizes empowering teams, driving innovation through practical solutions, and maintaining high standards of quality and integrity. Under her guidance, People10 has grown into a respected name in digital transformation and software product engineering, helping clients worldwide navigate change and achieve their business goals.
Crafting a Company with Heart and Agility
Around 16 years ago, Ms Nisha was in a senior leadership role at a global bank, where she and her business partner often envisioned starting their own venture. Coming from non-business families and with no formal entrepreneurial background, they nonetheless accumulated valuable experience managing business units, which nurtured an entrepreneurial spirit even within the corporate environment. Observing that vendors and suppliers offered only basic, standard services, they saw an opportunity to provide more innovative solutions to the industry. Motivated by a desire to create something of their own rather than financial gain, they invested personal funds, started from scratch with no customers, and founded People10 Technologies in 2011.
Ms Nisha Shoukath’s career in banking and technology had shown her that innovation faltered when rigid processes took precedence over people. She co-founded People10 with a vision to build a company where agility, craftsmanship, and human-centred values define technology delivery. As COO, her focus has been on creating systems that enable teams to thrive rather than simply execute. This approach has guided People10’s growth and continues to shape her next chapter: “helping women believe in themselves, claim leadership, and design careers they love.”
Specialized Tech Expertise Driving Global Impact
People10 Technologies is a highly specialized, expert-driven technology company that stands out by combining deep expertise with agility. Unlike large global IT service providers, People10 operates on a smaller scale but offers unmatched quality through rigorous talent selection and a focus on high-value, niche projects. Every technical team member is handpicked by the CEO after multiple coding evaluations, resulting in developers whose productivity often surpasses that of larger teams elsewhere.
With Silicon Valley-grade talent based in India and the US, People10 delivers sophisticated products for both enterprises and startups, staying at the forefront of emerging technologies. The company emphasizes not just building software but creating the right outcomes through lean product thinking, DevOps excellence, and a culture of continuous learning.
This unique blend of specialized skills, strict talent standards, and innovative practices enables People10 to deliver agile, high-quality solutions that meet evolving market demands. Clients value the company’s ability to deliver speed without sacrificing craftsmanship, making People10 a trusted partner in the North America, Europe and APAC markets.
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People 10 Technologies at a Glance
- Global Presence: Worldwide customers, Head office in New York, Global delivery centre in India.
- Core Services:
- Emerging Technologies
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Automation and Internet of Things (IoT)
- Enterprise Modernization
- Product Engineering
- Cloud Computing
- DevOps & Information Security
- Dedicated Remote Teams
- Team Growth: Steady expansion into a global, cross-functional workforce exceeding 500+ engineers
Navigating Entrepreneurial Challenges
When Ms Nisha Shoukath and her co-founder started People10 Technologies, they faced numerous challenges. Moving from senior leadership roles in large enterprises where they managed thousands and delegated tasks to handling every aspect of a new business themselves was both humbling and demanding. It took almost a year to adjust mentally and embrace the entrepreneurial mindset and lifestyle.
Another significant challenge was mastering sales and marketing. Despite their strong background in technology and operations, they had to learn how to understand the market, build client relationships, and promote their services, often through trial and error. With no backup plan or external support, they invested their savings and reputation completely, determined to succeed.
Milestones of Growth and Excellence
Through perseverance and dedication to quality, People10 earned a reputation for excellence and client’s trust. Key milestones include establishing operations in both the US and India in 2011, building a strong portfolio across enterprise IT services and IT product engineering to becoming a trusted partner in global digital transformation. More recently, the company has integrated applied AI and automation into its solutions, helping clients accelerate innovation.
“For me personally, the milestone has been mentoring women within People10 into leadership roles, proving that diversity is not a checkbox, but a growth engine,” Ms Nisha says.
Strengthening Partnerships and Regional Expansion
People10 is actively strengthening its partnerships within the Cloud and AI ecosystems while expanding its presence across the APAC and GCC regions; areas experiencing rapid growth in digital modernization and increasing recognition of women-led leadership.
Ms Nisha Shoukath’s leadership journey and insights have been featured in prominent media outlets, including the Khaleej Times. She has also shared her perspectives through articles on the People10 website and LinkedIn, focusing on leadership and digital transformation. In addition, she frequently participates in speaking engagements across the APAC and Middle East regions, inspiring audiences on technology, innovation, and inclusive leadership.
Her remarkable contributions to the technology industry and her advocacy for women in leadership have earned her several recognitions, including the UAE’s Next MasterMind Award 2025 and the IMPACT Award for Woman Leader in Technology. Through these achievements, Ms. Nisha continues to exemplify the spirit of innovation, resilience, and empowerment. Her visionary leadership is also celebrated across various media features and platforms such as
UAE Stories, Women Entrepreneurs Review, and through inspirational moments shared on Instagram (Reel 1, Reel 2, Post, Reel 3).
Driving Innovation with Clarity and Agility
Ms Nisha Shoukath believes that building high-performing, innovative teams starts with leadership by example. In today’s fast-changing technology landscape, with rapid advances in AI, IoT, and automation, success requires more than technical skills. It demands the ability to integrate various tools, stay updated on industry trends, and creatively apply knowledge to improve productivity.
Continuous learning is essential for innovation. Leaders must inspire their teams to read, research, experiment, and explore new ideas, preventing duplication of existing solutions. At People10, innovation is nurtured through dedicated Centers of Excellence (CoEs) focused on AI, IoT, Automation, Agility, Information Security and Cloud. These CoEs work proactively on projects beyond client demands, creating industry-specific solutions for sectors like Aviation, Healthcare, Insurance, Hospitality, Logistics and Manufacturing, fostering a culture of creativity.
For Ms Nisha Shoukath, clarity, not chaos, is the key to innovation. High-performing teams are small, empowered, and built on trust, accountability, and freedom to experiment. People10 embraces an agile-first approach, with short feedback cycles and a culture that rewards experimentation. Ms Nisha extends this philosophy beyond business, encouraging women to see agility as a life skill, the ability to adapt, pivot, and reinvent themselves to become unstoppable.
Empowering Women through Resilience and Confidence
Ms Nisha Shoukath acknowledges that, like many women in leadership, she has faced challenges such as being underestimated, advised to “tone down,” or tested more than her peers. However, she never allowed these experiences to define her or limit her potential. For her, leadership has always been about mindset, believing in one’s capabilities and focusing on results rather than perceptions.
She overcame early challenges by staying outcome-driven, building strong teams, and consistently delivering excellence. Ms Nisha believes that women do not just belong in leadership roles, rather they have the power to redefine them through their unique perspectives and strengths.
At People10, she has fostered an inclusive and supportive culture, where more than 40% of employees are women. The company offers flexible work arrangements, six months of maternity leave, and extended support for mothers with young children. Ms Nisha Shoukath strongly believes that every woman deserves the opportunity to build a fulfilling career and that confidence and self-belief are key to achieving it. As she often shares with younger women, “Your difference is your power, not your limitation.”
Leadership Rooted in Integrity and Empathy
Throughout her leadership journey, Ms Nisha has been guided by a strong set of values and principles that define her approach to building and leading People10 Technologies. Integrity remains her foremost value, as she believes in conducting business ethically and never compromising principles for quick gains. This commitment has built a strong foundation for the company, ensuring trust and clarity even during challenging times.
At People10, customers are treated as true partners rather than mere clients. Ms Nisha emphasizes taking full ownership of outcomes: both successes and failures, and instils this sense of accountability across the organization. Delivering genuine value for every client investment is a core belief that has helped People10 maintain long-standing relationships, some lasting nearly 15 years.
For Ms Nisha, leadership is anchored in three key principles: excellence with empathy, where high standards are balanced with humanity; the courage to say no, which ensures growth through clarity and discipline; and lifting while leading, which means helping others rise along the way. These values have shaped her leadership at People10 and continue to guide her current mission of inspiring women to embrace their individuality with confidence.
Strategic Goals for Sustainable Growth
Looking ahead to the next two to three years, People10 aims to double in size while expanding its geographic presence. The leadership team is focused on strengthening sales, marketing, and solutions functions and continuing to develop its Centres of Excellence in AI, IoT and Automation to create new industry solutions. Growth will include deeper expertise in key sectors like Airlines, Manufacturing, Insurance, and Healthcare through specialized services.
In November, People10 will hold its annual leadership offsite in Bangalore, where leaders from various regions will collaborate to finalize strategies focused on growth and talent development. While the company is exploring potential partnerships, acquisitions, and global expansion, its current priority remains building a robust foundation for sustainable growth and innovation.
The top three goals for the next few years are to integrate applied AI into every transformation initiative, expand its footprint across Europe, GCC and APAC regions with strong women leaders at the forefront, and establish People10 as a recognized home for women in technology leadership.
A Legacy of Resilience and Empowerment
Ms Nisha’s legacy is deeply personal and rooted in her journey of resilience. In her twenties, she faced significant hardships, nearly losing everything, including her job. As a single mother without financial support, her only assets were her education and employment. Starting from scratch, she rebuilt her career, advancing from a developer to a Senior Vice President at a global bank within seven years.
Having experienced rock bottom, Ms. Nisha believes that when there is nowhere else to go, the only way is up. Even without external support, conviction and resilience can help one rise, build a career, and create a better life. She firmly believes there are no limits for women and that the sky is the limit.
“I want to be remembered as a woman who overcame struggles, never gave up, and empowered others,” Ms. Nisha says. Beyond her achievements in technology, she hopes her legacy inspires women facing challenges in their careers or lives to find strength and move forward. She finds great fulfilment in mentoring women who feel stuck, many of whom credit her guidance with changing their lives.
Uplifting women remains especially close to her heart, supporting young girls seeking education, women pursuing careers or entrepreneurship, and those overcoming trauma. “My legacy is to be an example of resilience and empowerment, inspiring women to believe in their power and potential to achieve great things.”
She would like to be remembered as someone who built technology with integrity, scaled a company with empathy, and transformed that platform into a movement helping women believe they are enough, step into leadership, and create lives that reflect their true worth.
Open Letter for Aspiring Leaders
Dear Aspiring Leaders,
One piece of advice I would offer is to always look forward and never look back.
Technology is evolving at an exponential pace, and building solutions for today’s needs risks becoming outdated by the time they are completed. As leaders, it is essential to be visionary and anticipate market demands five to ten years ahead. Autonomous cars, robots in healthcare, and advanced automation are no longer science fiction; they are emerging realities. Without a forward-looking mindset, businesses will struggle to grow and stay relevant.
To young women and new leaders, I say: Don’t wait for permission to lead. Invest in yourself: your skills, your presence, and your voice. Power dressing, financial literacy, and confidence are just as important as technical knowledge. When you walk into a room, let your presence speak before your words do.
With determination and vision, you can shape your own path and create a meaningful impact.
Sincerely,
Nisha Shoukath, Co-Founder, President and Chief Operating Officer
People10 Technologies
5 Key Takeaways from Nisha Shoukath’s Impact and Leadership
- Innovation is Driven by People and Agility: Nisha Shoukath co-founded People10 Technologies with a vision to prioritize human-centred values, agility, and craftsmanship over rigid processes, allowing teams to innovate and thrive in technology delivery.
- Specialized Expertise Ensures High Quality: People10 stands out by focusing on highly specialized, niche technology projects with a rigorous talent selection process, ensuring Silicon Valley-grade talent and high-quality outcomes for global clients in areas like Product Engineering and Cloud.
- Entrepreneurship Demands Resilience and Learning: Starting People10 required full commitment and personal investment, as Ms Nisha and her partner had to quickly master every aspect of the business, including sales and marketing, highlighting the need for resilience and adaptability in entrepreneurship.
- Leadership is Rooted in Integrity and Empathy: Her leadership is guided by core values, emphasizing integrity, treating customers as true partners, and “excellence with empathy” balancing high standards with a human-centred approach.
- Empowerment and Diversity are Key to Growth: A major personal goal is mentoring women into leadership roles and fostering an inclusive culture at People10 (with more than 40% women employees) to prove that diversity is a growth engine and to inspire women to believe in their own power.
