Ask a teen if they’d want to work with their parents when they grow up and you are sure to get an emphatic ‘No way’ in response. But by their 20s, some realise the value of the wisdom and commitment that seniors bring to the business. So, they get together with their parents to start their dream ventures. This Mother’s Day, Neha Bhayana spoke to three mom-child teams, who have launched startups, to know how they are navigating the personal and professional space together
Drawing boundaries to bond better with mom
Sahil & Meena Jain: Co-founders of a millet-based snack brand
When Pune-based Sahil Jain and his nutritionist-mom Meena joined hands to launch a healthy snacking brand in 2018, he thought their partnership would not last. They often had clashes at work, and this took a toll on their relationship at home too — lively dinner table conversations were replaced by uncomfortable silences. But they both sat down to have an honest chat and found a solution by making a clear division of work. Today, they are perfectly in sync and clocking in an annual turnover of over Rs 60 lakh.
Sahil is glad they braved the initial rough patch. “Mom used to handle the entire production department and that was very stressful for her as she also had a busy practice. Besides, our perspective was different on certain matters, so we had a long, calm talk and discussed what we need to work on together and what we should handle separately. Things got smoother after that,” says the 32-year-old chartered accountant.
The idea for their startup, Mighty Millets, had come from their mutual love for bajri vada, a popular Gujarati snack. When Sahil was moving to Mumbai to work at a multinational after completing his chartered accountancy course, Meena wanted to pack some healthy munchies including bajri vada for him. But the vada is typically fried and lasts only two days so she started experimenting with cooking styles and created slim baked bajri crisps with a shelf life of six months. These crisps became Sahil’s staple evening snack during his long work days and proved a hit with his colleagues too. This got Sahil thinking and he approached his mom. They started brainstorming, testing new products and rolled them out among friends and family for feedback before launching the company.
Sahil says he could not have asked for a better business partner. “Partnering with mom was risky, but very rewarding. She is the best partner I could have as she knows my journey as a human being. This background helps a lot. Working together could have ruined our relationship, but we are closer than ever before.”
It’s Mentor at work and ma at home for 30-year-old mumbai entrepreneur
Arushi & Anureet Sethi : Co-founders of a mental health platform
Soon after her graduation in 2015, Arushi Sethi had gone to Kathmandu for a holiday with dreams of trekking and sampling local delicacies. But a day in, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the landlocked region, killing and injuring thousands. Arushi was rescued by a fighter jet and brought back to India, but she suffered severe anxiety and palpitations in the coming days. The Mumbai resident overcame the trauma with the help of her mother, Anureet Sethi, a clinical psychologist, but was left wondering what would have happened to others who faced post-traumatic stress disorder. She decided to work to improve access to mental health services and partnered with her mom to launch a mental wellness platform soon after.
Trijog conducts around 60,000 consultations a year, virtually and in-person. They also provide services to corporates and recently collaborated with the ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the National Union of Seafarers to launch Sagar Mein Yog, a wellness movement for maritime professionals.
Arushi believes it was ideal for a budding entrepreneur like her to team up with a parent with decades of experience. Her brother Sahej also joined them five years ago and helped with the digital transformation of their organisation. Arushi says that her mother and brother are “dream business partners” as one can trust one’s own family members more than anyone else and that removes a lot of roadblocks. The only challenge of working with loved ones is the need to define personal and professional boundaries, says Arushi, 30. “My mom is my mentor at work and ma at home. We maintain that distinction.”
Boardroom talk stays away from dinner table
Monisha, Akanksha & Tanay Sharma: Co-founders of a baby skincare brand
Even when she was studying abroad, Akanksha Sharma used to follow her mom’s nuskhas by applying haldi, gulaab jal and coconut oil on her face to tackle acne and dry skin rather than experimenting with the countless skincare products available at the stores. Around the time she returned there was news of a popular baby skin care brand facing backlash for using carcinogenic ingredients. She was disturbed and discussed the situation with her mom Monisha, who had studied cosmetic engineering. The duo decided to find a solution and launched CITTA (named after a Sanskrit word that means ‘consciousness’) a natural baby bath and skincare brand in 2021. Their products blend traditional wisdom with modern safety standards and found takers immediately. As their business grew, Akanksha’s brother Tanay also joined them.
Akanksha, 27, admits that when they started out, she was a bit concerned about how working with her mom would pan out. “Partnering with a parent isn’t like teaming up with a neutral colleague. There’s a lifetime of emotions, expectations, and unspoken dynamics involved,” she says. “We did have our share of disagreements, but we learned to separate our roles. We’re co-founders at work and mother-daughter at home. That boundary isn’t always perfect, but we’re very conscious of it.”
Monisha agrees: “We’re still learning how to maintain the boundary. We try not to carry boardroom discussions to the dinner table, although that line can get blurry during high-pressure phases.” The 54-year-old admits that parents have a “natural tendency” to lead from a place of authority, so she worked to change her mindset. “It was a conscious transition for me to start seeing Akanksha and Tanay not as my children but as equal partners with unique strengths.”
Tanay is glad he joined his mom and sister. “Mom has this calm, rooted energy that balances the fast-paced, often chaotic nature of running a startup,” he says. He points out that while he has learned to appreciate the value of slowing down and listening more, his mom has adapted to a more data- and efficiency-driven world. “Partnering with a parent means you’re blending legacy with innovation, and when done well, it’s incredibly powerful,” he adds.
Drawing boundaries to bond better with mom
Sahil & Meena Jain: Co-founders of a millet-based snack brand
When Pune-based Sahil Jain and his nutritionist-mom Meena joined hands to launch a healthy snacking brand in 2018, he thought their partnership would not last. They often had clashes at work, and this took a toll on their relationship at home too — lively dinner table conversations were replaced by uncomfortable silences. But they both sat down to have an honest chat and found a solution by making a clear division of work. Today, they are perfectly in sync and clocking in an annual turnover of over Rs 60 lakh.
Sahil is glad they braved the initial rough patch. “Mom used to handle the entire production department and that was very stressful for her as she also had a busy practice. Besides, our perspective was different on certain matters, so we had a long, calm talk and discussed what we need to work on together and what we should handle separately. Things got smoother after that,” says the 32-year-old chartered accountant.
The idea for their startup, Mighty Millets, had come from their mutual love for bajri vada, a popular Gujarati snack. When Sahil was moving to Mumbai to work at a multinational after completing his chartered accountancy course, Meena wanted to pack some healthy munchies including bajri vada for him. But the vada is typically fried and lasts only two days so she started experimenting with cooking styles and created slim baked bajri crisps with a shelf life of six months. These crisps became Sahil’s staple evening snack during his long work days and proved a hit with his colleagues too. This got Sahil thinking and he approached his mom. They started brainstorming, testing new products and rolled them out among friends and family for feedback before launching the company.
Sahil says he could not have asked for a better business partner. “Partnering with mom was risky, but very rewarding. She is the best partner I could have as she knows my journey as a human being. This background helps a lot. Working together could have ruined our relationship, but we are closer than ever before.”
It’s Mentor at work and ma at home for 30-year-old mumbai entrepreneur
Arushi & Anureet Sethi : Co-founders of a mental health platform
Soon after her graduation in 2015, Arushi Sethi had gone to Kathmandu for a holiday with dreams of trekking and sampling local delicacies. But a day in, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the landlocked region, killing and injuring thousands. Arushi was rescued by a fighter jet and brought back to India, but she suffered severe anxiety and palpitations in the coming days. The Mumbai resident overcame the trauma with the help of her mother, Anureet Sethi, a clinical psychologist, but was left wondering what would have happened to others who faced post-traumatic stress disorder. She decided to work to improve access to mental health services and partnered with her mom to launch a mental wellness platform soon after.
Trijog conducts around 60,000 consultations a year, virtually and in-person. They also provide services to corporates and recently collaborated with the ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the National Union of Seafarers to launch Sagar Mein Yog, a wellness movement for maritime professionals.
Arushi believes it was ideal for a budding entrepreneur like her to team up with a parent with decades of experience. Her brother Sahej also joined them five years ago and helped with the digital transformation of their organisation. Arushi says that her mother and brother are “dream business partners” as one can trust one’s own family members more than anyone else and that removes a lot of roadblocks. The only challenge of working with loved ones is the need to define personal and professional boundaries, says Arushi, 30. “My mom is my mentor at work and ma at home. We maintain that distinction.”
Boardroom talk stays away from dinner table
Monisha, Akanksha & Tanay Sharma: Co-founders of a baby skincare brand
Even when she was studying abroad, Akanksha Sharma used to follow her mom’s nuskhas by applying haldi, gulaab jal and coconut oil on her face to tackle acne and dry skin rather than experimenting with the countless skincare products available at the stores. Around the time she returned there was news of a popular baby skin care brand facing backlash for using carcinogenic ingredients. She was disturbed and discussed the situation with her mom Monisha, who had studied cosmetic engineering. The duo decided to find a solution and launched CITTA (named after a Sanskrit word that means ‘consciousness’) a natural baby bath and skincare brand in 2021. Their products blend traditional wisdom with modern safety standards and found takers immediately. As their business grew, Akanksha’s brother Tanay also joined them.
Akanksha, 27, admits that when they started out, she was a bit concerned about how working with her mom would pan out. “Partnering with a parent isn’t like teaming up with a neutral colleague. There’s a lifetime of emotions, expectations, and unspoken dynamics involved,” she says. “We did have our share of disagreements, but we learned to separate our roles. We’re co-founders at work and mother-daughter at home. That boundary isn’t always perfect, but we’re very conscious of it.”
Monisha agrees: “We’re still learning how to maintain the boundary. We try not to carry boardroom discussions to the dinner table, although that line can get blurry during high-pressure phases.” The 54-year-old admits that parents have a “natural tendency” to lead from a place of authority, so she worked to change her mindset. “It was a conscious transition for me to start seeing Akanksha and Tanay not as my children but as equal partners with unique strengths.”
Tanay is glad he joined his mom and sister. “Mom has this calm, rooted energy that balances the fast-paced, often chaotic nature of running a startup,” he says. He points out that while he has learned to appreciate the value of slowing down and listening more, his mom has adapted to a more data- and efficiency-driven world. “Partnering with a parent means you’re blending legacy with innovation, and when done well, it’s incredibly powerful,” he adds.
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