Women Entrepreneurship

Let’s Get #VocalForLocal: Women Entrepreneurs You Should Support!

. 5 min read . Written by Team Kool Kanya
Let’s Get #VocalForLocal: Women Entrepreneurs You Should Support!

Here is a list of five women-led businesses that deserve your support now (and always!).

At Kool Kanya, we believe in keeping it homegrown and woman-directed.

The #vocalforlocal hashtag might have just taken off, but we have been shining the spotlight on women entrepreneurs for a while.

Now that this pandemic has brought our incredible, rich local-led economy to a near standstill, it is time we support the women entrepreneurs who have built their businesses from the ground up.

Here are five businesses you ought to patronise, both now and when the lockdown ends!

adivaani

Who’s behind it?

Ruby Hembrom

Image Credits: The Hindu

What do they do?

They archive and publish the lives, stories, and history of the indigenous peoples of India (adivasis).

What do we love about them?

Of and by indigenous peoples, who number upwards of 104 million in our country, adivaani means ‘the first voices’. 

They record and distribute the history and present of the indegenous peoples; both archiving and developing their voices through authentic storytelling.

Self-described as “an ongoing inter-generational knowledge, heritage, memory and legacy project”, adivaani firmly keeps the mic in the hands and the stage under the feet of the ‘first peoples’ of this land.

They work to keep one foot in the past, and the other in the present, ensuring that the thread of their ancestors is woven through the present, as well as the future generations.

Support adivaani here.

Adah by Leesha

Who’s behind it?

Lesha Agarwal

Image Credits: @adahbyleesha / Instgram

What do they do?

They make clothes using traditional handloom fabric.

What do we love about them?

Adah makes beautiful, comfortable clothes which boast easy fits and conscious style. They are also environment-, labour-, and culture-conscious.

Their obvious love for Indian handicraft, particularly fabrics, translates into one of the most incredible brand strategies.

They source their material ethically (no middlemen!), and pay their workers fair wages. Adah does not scrimp out on giving their tailors credit for the work they put in.

Another cool thing about them is that they employ young women at the CHAIIM Foundation to make earrings for their business. They have also supported Monica, a former househelp, who was able to earn enough on a regular basis from her work with Adah to be able to quit working for households and spend more time with her children.

To top it all off, they are zero-waste. They don’t bin anything; all chindi (leftover scraps of fabric) are reused and upcycled to ensure that they are environmentally friendly.

Support Adah by Leesha here.

Giggling Monkey Studio

Who’s behind it?

Mehek Malhotra

Image Credits: Mehek Malhotra / workingnotworking.com

What do they do?

They make strategic brand design.

What do we love about them?

Giggling Monkey is a bright spark in the repetitive, unoriginal world of design and branding.

As a creative agency, they have conceptualised and produced some of the most stunning digital and non-digital brand material. They make films too!

Their work is always fresh and eye-catching, or as they like to put it “instantly recognisable and totally unforgettable”. Just a glimpse at their Instagram will see you making a beeline for the ‘follow’ button!

For honest, articulate brand heroes – whether it be art direction, print, packaging, or moving image – this is the agency you are looking for!

Support Giggling Monkey Studios here.

Disguise Cosmetics

Who’s behind it?

Shivangi Jhaveri, Desiree Pereira Lakshay Mohindroo

Image Credits: WODROB.com

What do they do?

They make vegan, cruelty-free makeup.

What do we love about them?

We’ve already mentioned that they are vegan and cruelty-free, but Disguise is more than that.

Dreamed up, formulated and produced by scientists, their ever-growing range of products have been getting rave reviews across the board.

All the founders have worked in the cosmetic industry for a number of years, and bring the best of the business to the table.

As a small business, they’ve put not only science but the consumer first as well. Their products – be it kajal or glow oil or their hero product, the lipsticks – are comfortable, skin-friendly, and good-looking.

Their products are also pregnancy-friendly, because Jhaveri was pregnant during the formulation process; so they made their products accessible to expecting mothers too!

Support Disguise Cosmetics here.

Suta

Who’s behind it?

Sujata and Taniya

Image Credts: suta.com

What do they do?

They make sarees and apparel.

What do we love about them?

Inspired by the incredible process of saree-building, from weaving the cloth to creating the garment, Suta makes the staple less intimidating for the modern Indian woman.

With calming colours spanning soft mul, silk, linen and more, their apparel is inviting and charming. Their sarees, blouses and jackets can be worn casually, formally, and anywhere in between!

They also delve into the world of Indian design by creating products which use batik, hand painting, and block printing. Suta truly embodies #vocalforlocal with their dreamy sarees!

Support Suta here.

So there you have it: five women-led local businesses that you can lend your support to (and frankly, be swept off your feet by)! Do you know any women entrepreneurs? Are you one? Share with us in the comment section!

You’re invited! Join the Kool Kanya women-only career Community where you can network, ask questions, share your opinions, collaborate on projects, and discover new opportunities. Join now.