The Spark Behind the Mission
Every successful startup has its “why.” For Mausham Banerjee, the “why” wasn’t born in a boardroom pitch deck or a Silicon Valley accelerator—it was born in the eyes of professionals who silently struggled in meetings, interviews, and everyday workplace conversations.
“I saw that a huge number of professionals were struggling in their careers simply because they couldn’t communicate effectively in English,” Mausham recalls. “They were missing job opportunities, settling for lower salaries, and becoming invisible at work.”
With over a decade of hands-on experience in corporate training spanning top MNCs in the IT, logistics, and manufacturing sectors, —Mausham saw a recurring problem. It wasn’t about qualifications or intelligence. It was about confidence in communication. This insight became the seed for Speakopedia, a skill-building platform focused on helping working adults and job seekers unlock their potential through English fluency, public speaking, and career-readinesstraining.
The Journey: From Trainer to Founder
Mausham’s early career began in the ITeS sector, but his heart always gravitated toward training and human interaction. “I realized I love communicating with people. That’s when I made a conscious career shift,” he says.
After six years of developing skills in the vocational training sector, training job seekers to become more employable, he transitioned into corporate training roles where he taught onboarding, product knowledge, and process policies to employees in logistics and manufacturing companies. Along the way, he began noticing a pattern: even highly skilled professionals were hitting invisible ceilings due to communication barriers.
That observation led to action. With a degree in MBA (HR) and BSc IT, Mausham combined industry insight with academic rigor to launch Speakopedia—an online-first platform designed to help adults speak fluently, present confidently, and succeed professionally.
A Fresh Take on Fluency Training
At a glance, Speakopedia might look like yet another English training platform. But delve deeper, and you’ll find an outcome-based approach that blends live coaching, behavioral science, and even AI-powered tools.
Their core offerings include:
1. English Fluency Blueprint – A flagship program that blends live classes, group discussions, and AI-driven support to build real-world communication skills for the workplace.
2. Power Speak – An advanced public speaking course teaching powerful oratory techniques like Aristotle’s Rhetoric Triangle and rhetorical questioning, aimed at helping professionals influence, inspire, and lead.
3. Career Accelerator Mastermind – A results-oriented program covering resume writing, LinkedIn optimization, interview mastery, and salary negotiation—designed for professionals ready to double their career growth.
“We’re not just teaching grammar or vocabulary. That’s where most traditional institutes go wrong. Our focus is on building confidence, fluency, and the ability to express ideas clearly,” Mausham explains.
The Roadblocks and How They Overcame Them
Building Speakopedia wasn’t without hurdles.
“One of the major challenges was trust,” Mausham says. “Why would someone choose us over the hundreds of other players in the market?”
To answer this, Speakopedia launched a 3-day Bootcamp for prospective learners. “It’s a low-investment, high-value trial. People see real results in just three days—and that’s when they trust us enough to commit.”
Another challenge was reaching the right audience. Speakopedia uses a hybrid marketing strategy combining Google and Meta ads with organic content on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Perhaps the most significant challenge, however, came from the rise of AI tutors. But instead of resisting the trend, Mausham leaned into it. “We partnered with an AI company to enhance our student experience. Now our students benefit from both live human coaching and AI-assisted practice.”
The Milestones That Mattered
Every startup has that one moment when everything shifts. For Speakopedia, there were two.
The first was the Morning Club. A 6:15 AM daily session where learners start their day with a focused 45-minute English immersion. “The impact was immediate. Attendance improved, dropouts decreased, and the community became stronger.”
The second was SPOTLIGHT, a quarterly competition where students showcase their speaking and presentation skills, competing for prizes. “Every quarter, the enthusiasm is off the charts. It gives our students a platform to shine and builds healthy momentum for the community.”
Results That Speak Volumes
Speakopedia isn’t just a passion project—it’s a movement. “Thousands of our students have landed better job offers, earned promotions, and found their voice in meetings,” Maushamproudly shares.
Take the case of a mid-level marketing executive who had been rejected in three interviews due to nervousness and hesitation. After joining Speakopedia’s Fluency Blueprint program, he not only cracked his next interview but was promoted within six months of joining his new company. “That’s the kind of transformation we’re aiming for,” Mausham says.
Vision for the Future
What’s next for Speakopedia?
Offline expansion.
“We’re working toward setting up physical centers,” Mausham reveals. “While the online model is powerful and scalable, there’s a huge demand for in-person training. Especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where access to quality spoken English coaching is limited.”
Over the next five years, the goal is to become the go-to communication training brand for working professionals across India—both online and offline.
