The Indian professional networking space witnessed a major shift this October when Leap.club, a women-focused community startup, officially shut down operations. At the same time, Ragini Das, the company’s cofounder, joined Google as the new Head of Google for Startups India. Her move marks both an ending and a new beginning in India’s fast-evolving startup ecosystem.
The Beginning of Leap.club
Leap.club began in 2020 with a bold vision — to create a community-driven network for professional women. Founders Ragini Das and Anand Sinha launched the platform with a simple goal: help women grow faster in their careers by connecting them with mentors, peers, and growth opportunities.
The startup attracted attention for its mission. It wanted to fix a clear problem — the lack of strong professional networks for women. Unlike LinkedIn, Leap.club focused on quality over quantity. It offered curated connections, intimate community circles, expert sessions, and offline meetups in major Indian cities.
Ragini and Anand both came from strong professional backgrounds, having previously worked at Zomato. Their experience in building teams and managing operations helped Leap.club gain early traction.
The Rise of a Community-Led Platform
Leap.club grew quickly in its first two years. Thousands of women professionals joined its community. The startup offered tiered memberships, events, workshops, and curated connections.
The team avoided chasing vanity metrics. Instead, they built an engaged network. Members described Leap.club as “LinkedIn meets Soho House” — a mix of networking, mentorship, and lifestyle events.
By 2022, the startup raised over $2 million from investors such as Enzia Ventures, Kunal Shah, and Whiteboard Capital. The team expanded operations to multiple cities, and events became a signature part of its model.
The company positioned itself as a “women-first club,” not a social media network. Ragini said in earlier interviews that Leap.club wanted to “create a safe and powerful space for women to rise together.” The mission resonated with working professionals in corporate, entrepreneurship, and creative industries.
The Challenge of Sustaining Community Startups
However, the startup landscape changed rapidly between 2023 and 2025. Funding winters hit community-based startups particularly hard. Investors preferred business models with faster revenue cycles or clear tech scalability.
Leap.club depended heavily on membership subscriptions and brand partnerships. The model needed constant engagement to justify value. Building such engagement required heavy investment in events, content, and operations.
As user expectations grew, sustaining the community without continuous funding became difficult. Many similar startups worldwide faced the same issue — monetizing community engagement at scale proved challenging.
Unlike traditional SaaS or AI companies, community platforms needed long-term nurturing and emotional investment. The return cycles stretched longer, making investors cautious.
Ragini and Anand kept operations lean and transparent, but the slowdown in startup funding during 2024–2025 created enormous pressure. Reports indicate that the team tried various pivots, including digital-first memberships, hybrid events, and brand collaborations, but none provided long-term financial sustainability.
The Announcement of Shutdown
In early October 2025, Leap.club officially shut down. The announcement came through LinkedIn, where both founders shared heartfelt posts thanking the community and team.
Ragini Das wrote about the journey with pride and gratitude. She said the company helped thousands of women connect, grow, and achieve professional milestones. She called it “a chapter full of learning, friendship, and purpose.”
The shutdown marked the end of a five-year run. While the startup did not disclose specific reasons publicly, insiders noted that operational sustainability and funding challenges played a major role.
Despite its closure, Leap.club left behind a loyal community and a strong cultural legacy. Its events, mentorship programs, and leadership circles inspired similar networks in India’s corporate world.
Ragini Das Joins Google for Startups India
Shortly after Leap.club’s closure, Google announced Ragini Das as the new Head of Google for Startups India. The move received wide attention in India’s tech ecosystem.
In her new role, Ragini will lead initiatives to empower Indian founders through Google’s startup programs, accelerators, and ecosystem partnerships. Her experience in building a women-first community aligns with Google’s growing focus on inclusive entrepreneurship.
Ragini shared her excitement on LinkedIn, saying she feels “deeply motivated to help the next generation of founders build bold, inclusive, and impactful companies.” She emphasized that her new role allows her to scale the impact she sought at Leap.club — empowering ambitious founders and changemakers.
What Google for Startups Does
Google for Startups operates in over 50 countries, helping early-stage companies access technology, mentorship, and growth capital. In India, it runs several accelerator programs focused on AI, sustainability, and inclusion.
Under Ragini’s leadership, the program aims to expand its reach, particularly among women founders, regional entrepreneurs, and deep-tech innovators. The move signals Google’s intent to build stronger local partnerships with incubators, VCs, and government-backed programs like Startup India.
Ragini’s network in the Indian startup space will play a key role. She plans to engage directly with founders and create spaces where diverse startups can thrive. Her appointment also highlights Google’s belief in leaders with community-building experience, not just corporate expertise.
Industry Reactions to Leap.club’s Closure
The closure sparked mixed emotions in India’s startup ecosystem. Founders, investors, and members expressed sadness but also respect. Many appreciated Leap.club’s honesty in acknowledging its challenges rather than stretching unsustainable operations.
Members shared stories about how the community helped them find mentors, jobs, cofounders, and confidence. Several prominent women entrepreneurs called Leap.club “a movement, not just a startup.”
Investors also praised Ragini’s leadership. They said her transparent communication set an example in an ecosystem where startups often hide struggles until too late.
Industry experts believe Leap.club’s story reflects the realities of community-driven business models. These models deliver immense social value but require long-term financial patience, which current VC structures rarely support.
Lessons from Leap.club’s Journey
Leap.club’s journey offers powerful lessons for founders and investors. It shows that mission-driven startups can create deep impact even without billion-dollar valuations.
The company built a loyal network of professionals who felt seen, heard, and empowered. It also proved that women-led communities can drive real business and leadership growth.
At the same time, the journey highlights the importance of sustainable monetization models. Founders must balance purpose with business fundamentals early. Community-based startups, especially, must diversify revenue — through partnerships, corporate programs, or digital products — to ensure stability.
Ragini and Anand’s open communication also underscores the importance of founder integrity. They handled the closure with transparency, empathy, and dignity — values that often get lost in startup hype.
A New Chapter for India’s Startup Ecosystem
Ragini’s move to Google represents the ecosystem’s maturity. It shows that experience from failed or sunset startups does not end careers — it strengthens them.
Google gains a leader who understands grassroots challenges, community dynamics, and startup realities in India. Ragini gains a platform with global reach to amplify her mission of inclusion and empowerment.
Leap.club may have ended, but its influence continues. It helped shape how India views professional networking for women. It inspired conversations about diversity, leadership, and collaboration.
The closure, therefore, feels less like a failure and more like a transition — from building one community to enabling thousands through Google’s global network.
Conclusion
Leap.club’s story mirrors the journey of many purpose-led startups — brave, impactful, and human. It started with a dream to connect women professionals, grew into a powerful community, and ended with integrity.
As Ragini Das steps into her new role at Google for Startups India, she carries forward the same mission: building spaces where people grow together.
The startup may have closed, but its values — inclusivity, collaboration, and authenticity — continue to influence India’s entrepreneurial culture. In the fast-changing world of startups, few stories show such heart and humility.
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