MAHA AWAISI
My Entrepreneurship Journey
Growing up as a Punjabi girl, doodh pati chai (or “milk leaf tea”) has always been a special part of my upbringing. I have watched my father make this drink countless times, always mesmerized by how the dark color of the tea shifted into a beautiful golden color while it bubbled deliciously with milk. Whether served at a colorful and vibrant celebration or a family late night talk, doodh pati chai has always been a comforting accompaniment in my life.
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Friday night chai stands
During my sophomore year of college, I decided to take my family's signature Punjabi chai recipe and started a Friday night chai stand in my dormitory. A friend of mine encouraged me to submit the business to the Draper Competition at Smith which is an intercollegiate competition for women in business. This is was my first real hands on experience with entrepreneurship and when I created Machai as a business that aimed to introduce an authentic version of chai to the American market.
Draper Competition
For the Draper Competition the Machai team and I created a business model canvas, executive summary, pitches, and displays for the business. It was a very unique experience for all of us and one of the best memories I have from being at Smith. I learned so much during the competition and the experience made me fall in love with entrepreneurship. I had an amazing team as well and I am so grateful to them for all of their support and help.
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We also won the product fan favorite award!
Future Machai Plans
I'm currently in the process of reinventing the Machai brand and seeing where my passion takes me.
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For me, Machai is much more than just making chai, it is about reclaiming a cultural staple in a market where chai is misrepresented and watered down. It is really about the breaking down the history of British colonialism and reclaiming the South Asian tradition of making chai. I want people to feel empowered and represented in their identity and culture through chai.