Digital Version In a rapidly shifting global landscape where inclusion, equity, and innovation are no longer optional but essential for progress, certain leaders stand out—not for the loudness of their voice, but for the depth of their conviction. Among them is Hema Vallabh, Founding Partner of Five35 Ventures & Co-founder at WomHub, a visionary ecosystem builder whose journey reflects resilience, purpose, and an unwavering belief in the power of women to transform societies. Her path from a young girl in South Africa to an engineer, social entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and mother is not simply a story of professional evolution, but a testament to inner strength and the profound possibility of systemic change. This edition of The Most Impactful Leaders to Watch in 2026 delves into her remarkable trajectory, her leadership philosophy, and her mission to reshape the future of African innovation through intentional, gender-lens investing. A Journey Shaped by Purpose, Pain, and Possibility Hema’s story begins in a post-apartheid South Africa, in a culturally rich but disadvantaged community where humility was woven deeply into society, often overshadowing ambition. Raised by loving parents who instilled service, integrity, and sound values, she grew up excelling academically but with little confidence in her own voice—far removed from the global stages she would one day speak on. Her first turning point came through a scholarship to study Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town, a transformative opportunity that revealed how access can reshape entire life trajectories. While pursuing engineering, she became acutely aware of the gender imbalance across the STEM pipeline. The scarcity of women inspired her to co-found WomEng, a volunteer initiative that evolved into a global nonprofit supporting girls and women in engineering. Her work as an engineer, both locally and internationally, reinforced the same truth: women’s absence was not only a social concern, but also a business opportunity waiting to be unlocked. This realization paved the way for WomHub, the commercial spin-out of WomEng, which has grown into the continent’s most comprehensive gender-lens ecosystem builder and home to Africa’s first female-focused co-working tech space and innovation hub. Yet, while building platforms for women across STEM and entrepreneurship, Hema navigated a deeply personal and painful chapter. Shortly after taking the plunge and leaving the corporate world to focus on WomEng, she married. Not long into the marriage, her husband left. The reason was painfully simple—she did not fit the traditional idea of what a wife should be. The work she fought for, believed in, and was celebrated for—empowering women and advocating for equality—became the very thing she was punished for. The divorce ignited years of shame, guilt, and intense imposter syndrome. She questioned her identity and capacity: How could she advocate for women while struggling to stand up for herself? How could she be strong publicly yet feel so diminished privately? For nearly half a decade, she shut down emotionally and socially. Professionally, however, she continued to perform at high levels, wearing the brave face many women are forced to adopt while quietly breaking inside. This period marked one of the darkest seasons of her life. She grappled with mental health challenges—depression, isolation, and a slow erosion of confidence she had spent so many years building up. But in this darkness also emerged the clarity that would shape her future. When everything else felt uncertain, the only constant she could hold on to was her work. The certainty that her mission mattered above all else sustained her. It was within this vulnerable period that WomHub came to life. The heartbreak and trauma sharpened her conviction and reminded her why her work was not just professional; it was deeply personal. It gave her a resilience she did not know she possessed. Rebuilding her personal life while building WomHub became intertwined acts of courage. Each step reinforced her belief that women can rise, rebuild, and lead despite profound personal upheavals. Then in 2021, after nearly two decades in STEM and entrepreneurial ecosystems, Hema co-founded Five35 Ventures, an early-stage, female-focused venture capital fund. Five35 was the culmination of years spent witnessing a glaring inequity: despite immense talent and potential, women founders in Africa continued to be chronically underfunded, receiving less than 5% of venture capital on the continent. Five35 became the final piece of an ecosystem she had long been constructing—starting with talent (WomEng), moving to venture building (WomHub), and culminating in capital (Five35). It marked a shift from advocacy to action, enabling her to directly invest in closing the gender funding gap rather than merely spotlighting it. At the age of 40, Hema entered another transformative chapter: the journey to motherhood through IVF using a donor. Self-admittedly, motherhood had not always been a calling for her, but the pandemic years brought introspection. After reflecting on what she had built and achieved, she asked herself a profound question: What am I building all of this for? She realized she was ready to start her own family, independently of a partner or conventional expectations. After a number of failed attempts over almost 3 years, taking an immense mental, physical and emotional toll, she birthed a “miracle” baby boy in 2024. Becoming a mother to her son deepened her sense of purpose in powerful ways. Her lifelong work of creating a more equitable world for women was now intertwined with raising a boy who would grow into a man shaped by those values. The responsibility of nurturing the “men of the future” added a new layer of meaning to her mission. It reinforced her belief that systemic transformation is not just about today’s founders, but also about tomorrow’s leaders. Across all these chapters—engineering, social entrepreneurship, divorce, venture creation, and motherhood—Hema’s leadership philosophy crystallized around three principles: Purpose over position: Leadership is meaningful only when it widens access and opportunity.Courage over perfection: The most transformative decisions are often made long before one feels ready.Ecosystem thinking: Sustainable change requires holistic interventions, not fragmented fixes. Her journey is nonlinear, deeply human, and profoundly intertwined with the ecosystems she is building. Five35 Ventures: A