Today’s world is all about equal opportunities for all. To this end, efforts to reverse the injustices women have had to endure for centuries are evident all around the globe. Whatever anyone is doing to promote equality is a welcome gesture, as it’s the little things that count, no?
For Shilpa Yarlagadda, her contribution is, to say the least, heartwarming. The 21-year-old started a jewelry company, Shiffon Co., right from her dorm room at Harvard. How does this help, you ask?
A ring with a pledge
Yarlagadda’s rings come with a pledge that her customers have to support and promote women in business. Leading by example, the company donates half of its profits to Startup Girl Foundation, its own charity wing that provides seed money to women wishing to venture into business.
The 21-year-old founded the company in 2017, and best believe that it has really picked up. In addition to selling a considerable number of rings, Yarlagadda is surely having her message heard across the country, and with articles of her ingeniousness surfacing online, she definitely has a global audience.
If you don’t already watch the show, you must have heard of Big Little Lies, right? The HBO drama series is currently in its second season, and it’s definitely worth a watch.
Along with a host of other great talents, Nicole Kidman stars on BLL as Celeste Wright. This particular role earned her an Emmy, and in her acceptance speech, the actress said that she hoped her daughters would grow up looking at the statue and being reminded that there were no limits as to what women could achieve.
But guess what? The Award wasn’t the only symbol on that stage. On her right pinky was one of Yarlagadda’s ring, cementing the fact that Kidman is all about empowering women. The 21-year-old’s message is indeed gaining traction!
It’s catching on!
And the actress isn’t the only celebrity to have been spotted rocking Shiffon’s merchandise. Michelle Obama, Serena Williams, and Emma Watson have also donned the pinky promise ring, much to the delight of Yarlagadda.
The young lady also reveals that neither she nor anyone on her team contacted any of these celebrities to purchase her rings.
According to her, word of mouth must have been how they got to know about her company, and knowing these ladies, they naturally felt drawn to support her cause.
Speaking to MONEY, Yarlagadda says that her company has been making positive strides, and they have been introduced to like-minded celebrities using their status to support and empower women.
She went on to reveal that it is the company’s objective to always offer their support to those who need it, saying that this would help either party.
Incidentally, Shiffon Co. isn’t Yarlagadda’s first business idea. While in high school, she started a tutoring company that would help students struggling with their studies.
The company was a non-profit organization, and despite being a success, she felt that sourcing for funds was time-consuming, and it robbed her of precious time to make a real impact.
With Shiffon being a business with its own non-profit arm, she found an ingenious way to tackle her problem.