Akanksha Rais

Akanksha Rais is the Founder & CEO of Capitawise, building connected risk, capital and investment intelligence for insurance entities. With 20+ years in insurance technology, she is solving critical decisioning for C-suite executives — empowering CFOs, CROs and investment leaders to manage risk with confidence. An advocate for women in tech, Akanksha is redefining insurance finance.

What makes you a Risky Woman?

Akanksha embodies risk, she lives it. Building an entirely new category of insurance intelligence from scratch, she makes the bold decisions daily that she helps her clients navigate. She engages with senior leaders helping them mitigate AI-related risk in their decisioning, while guiding them to harness its full potential, without compromising compliance or regulation.

Name your top 3 achievements

1. Innovate UK Smart Grant Winner
   Selected from over 2,000 applicants, Akanksha secured Innovate UK Smart Grant funding to build Capitawise — an entirely new category of connected risk, capital and investment intelligence for insurers, validating both her vision and the scale of the industry problem she is solving.
2. Champion for Women Returning to Work
   A longstanding advocate for women rebuilding careers after a break, Akanksha actively creates opportunities through Capitawise by onboarding returning women with new skill sets in technology, data and insurance. Turning personal conviction into real, meaningful impact.
3. Leading with Passion and Purpose
   Akanksha believes the best leaders bring their whole selves to everything they do. From solving one of insurance’s most critical decisioning challenges to pursuing her love of dancing and chess, she leads with curiosity, courage and an unshakeable belief that passion and purpose are the same thing.

What is the biggest risk you’ve taken in your career?

Walking away from a six-figure salary and the security of an established career to build something entirely new took conviction. Akanksha backed herself, challenged the status quo and today leads a company building a genuinely innovative product that is changing how insurers manage risk, capital and investment decisions.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

I am an passionate gardener with a quietly ambitious dream, to one day own a farm, growing my own fruits and vegetables and living entirely self-sufficiently.

What is the best quality for successful leaders in Risk?

The best leaders in risk are those who lead with kindness and empathy. Understanding the human impact behind every decision, whether it affects policyholders, communities or colleagues. Empathy is not a soft skill. In risk, it is a superpower.