SAKSHI TALWAR, RUGS & BEYOND

“I am an evangelist of women empowerment.” I love how Sakshi Talwar, Co-founder of Rugs & Beyond, candidly described herself to me. When I started writing this feature, I struggled to keep it short and at the same time provide justice to Sakshi’s plethora of admirable achievements.

She has a background in Finance and Interior Design (Parsons, NY), is an artist (modern contemporary art), a writer at The Huffington Post (especially on women-centric topics), has been written about (in Business World and New York Times), is a method actor (with a stint in Hollywood), is a regular motivational speaker and I am not done yet…is the Co-founder of Rugs & Beyond, an E-commerce venture for home décor. Amazed, I asked her, “What drives you to do so much?” To which she replied, “It’s the fear of having regrets when I am old. I want to do as much as I can as life is really short.”

Knowing Sakshi’s penchant for empowering people, it came as no surprise to me when she shared that Rugs & Beyond, via its unique, “One of a kind”, handmade rugs and carpets, showcases the art of weaving to the world while empowering local weavers and craftsmen. Her company is an aggregator between local weavers and end-customers and has been lauded and recognized as one of the most Creative Disruptor in the E-commerce space.

Sakshi, calls her life a roller-coaster ride, but she says the best part is that there are new challenges every day and her quest for being the best helps her face them with confidence.  She was recently felicitated with an award for being an “Iconic Woman creating a better world for all” by WEF. I wanted to know the reason behind Sakshi’s passion for empowering people, especially women and why her articles or talks are mostly centered around women and she related an incident to me.

When she started out, as a woman entrepreneur in a male dominated industry, there were a lot of “raised eye-brows” and she was not taken seriously. There was one time at a technology conference where Sakshi was the only woman. Apart from finding it shocking, it was frustrating to Sakshi to find that every time she wanted to voice an opinion or thought she was mansplained (interrupted by a man). “This really shook me and got me thinking about how there is so much gender disparity and gap between men and women, not only at the professional front but also on a personal level as well.” Now, a seasoned entrepreneur and ambassador for women empowerment, Sakshi never loses an opportunity to tell young women out there to “Never let anyone treat you in a way that makes you feel less about yourself. Break the glass ceilings that try to limit you and never take no for an answer!”.