Anaya Jain, A Young Illustrator Turns Entrepreneur To Launch A Social Impact Venture Of Branded Merchandise And Personalised Shoes To Pursue Her Quest For Inclusion

Teen socio-entrepreneur Anaya Jain promoting branded merchandise based on her book “The Unlikely Friendship” as a social impact tool to sensitize about down syndrome

However, times have changed and new-age entrepreneurs understand that entrepreneurial success cannot be solely measured by its financial performance but rather by the extent of the impact made and the number of lives changed as a result of the business. This category of entrepreneurs is not shying away from taking a stand for social causes, solving issues relating to culture, and striving actively to effect changes through their enterprises.

One of them is Mumbai-based Anaya Jain, a 16-year-old illustrator and socio entrepreneur who's changing the narrative surrounding Down Syndrome through her book "The Unlikely Friendship". Conceptualized and designed by Anaya Jain, the book was released by Tara Sharma Saluja in May, 2022 which not only raises awareness around the condition but also sensitizes readers to be more accepting, empathetic, and unbiased towards people with down syndrome.

As someone who believes in expressing emotions through creativity, the teen illustrator has leveraged this approach for curating "The Unlikely Friendship" by incorporating communicative illustrations, each with an underlying message. In fact, as a part of her goal and a strong desire to contribute to social betterment, Anaya committed to donating proceeds from the sale of her book, as well as merchandise including t-shirts and mugs with illustrations from the book, to Jai Vakeel Foundation, one of the oldest and largest not-for-profit institutes in the country empowering the lives of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Other than being an accomplished illustrator, Anaya Jain's drive for creativity and entrepreneurship is reflected in her custom shoe design venture, "Step Up". By means of her footwear brand, Anaya intends to encourage people to stand out with their fashion choices and express their personality through footwear. In addition to providing customization with respect to colors and sizes, "Step Up" also offers the facility to choose footwear fabrics and embellishments as per personal preferences. The brand also features a curated range of ready-to-wear shoe designs for those seeking a stylish and unique pair of shoes off the shelf.

While speaking on her ventures and what evoked the idea of entrepreneurship at such a young age, Anaya Jain said, "Growing up, I always had a vision about how I want to grow, how I want to make a sustainable and impactful difference in the society, and how collectively everyone's dream can lead to something fruitful. Having witnessed the struggles of specially-abled children in my preliminary years and society's lack of consideration for them propelled me to take action, which translated to designing my first book - The Unlikely Friendship. Likewise, the commencement of my entrepreneurial journey through my footwear brand stemmed from the need to enable people to have unique fashion choices that represent their tastes, preferences, and overall personality. From bold statement shoes to subtle personalized pairs, I have ensured there is something for everyone. Both of these initiatives serve a common purpose: to normalize inclusion and extend acceptance towards everyone."

Currently, along with running Step Up and selling copies of her book across different platforms, Jain is pursuing a high school education in Mumbai. In times to come, it will be interesting to witness this teen entrepreneur solving some other real-world problems and transforming lives in the process.