How do we rise? By lifting others.

Meet Priya Ravindra Kalyanimath, whose journey to help women rise started at a young age when she saw how the world around her conflicted so fundamentally with the way she was raised. 

Her loving, nurturing and inclusive upbringing has been the foundation for Priya’s advocacy work in gender diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity for women, as well as the inception of her impact driven company, Punar, that creates sustainable, ethically handcrafted corporate gifts. The name Punar, which means ‘Again’ in Sanskrit, seeks to honour the female artisans of Punar, many of whom are taking bold, brave steps to making a new, independent start in life, in spite of personal hardships and their socioeconomic background.

Priya is an accredited Company Director, GAICD – Graduate of Australian Institute of Company Directors, and runs a project management consultancy, which delivers projects for a Victorian based NFP client group.

Read on and be uplifted by Priya’s focus, commitment and passion for helping women rise.

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You’ve said your purpose is to help women rise. Where does this purpose come from and what does women rising look like in different cultural settings? 

My purpose has always been to help women rise but it doesn’t stop there because I believe a world committed to diversity and equality is the only world in which everybody can thrive. If equal opportunity is not provided, it is the world that will miss out on the innate abilities, skills and unique voices that we all have to offer. 

I was born and raised in India and I was a very lucky and blessed girl child. Gender was never an issue in my family; I was always pushed to speak up and use my voice, as a human being first and foremost. Outside of my home however, I observed this was not the way other girls in India were experiencing life. 

I had a safe space at home to ask questions and challenge what felt at odds to me. While my mum was busy working, my father and my grandmothers would hear me and assure me that challenging gender inequality, no matter how deeply embedded, was a worthy pursuit; and that’s what I’ve set out to do because to this day, women have to rise everywhere, irrespective of the cultural setting. 

Yes, some cultures are moving at a faster pace by way of gender inclusion and representation but nowhere are women free from judgement – they are still having to adjust to cultural and societal expectations – their voice, their tone, how quickly or slowly they speak, the way they dress, the way they breathe! 

Women rising means every woman being able to be her true self, embracing her true purpose and living her life in her own way. 

Was there a particular moment, story, encounter or event that brought about the creation of Punar to help realise this purpose?

Punar has been a long time in the making, with a number of moments culminating in its creation.

Obviously I’d observed gender equality issues in India but when I moved to Adelaide as a teenager to study Engineering, ta-dah, no gender diversity! The lack of representation not only amongst the students but the professors and lecturers didn’t look right to me, so I sought to address it by getting involved in the university’s community engagement program to expand the reach and interest of STEM roles as career options for women. 

Since then, I have made it my mission to work with HR or People & Culture departments wherever I’ve been employed, to run  graduate experience and internship programs where women are encouraged to experience being a part of IT projects and programs as a means of extending representation within these professions. 

So, you see, the journey’s always been on; I was just waiting for the right moment to catalyse everything I felt so passionately for. 

That moment came just before COVID. I met female social entrepreneurs back in India who were using recycled yarn from landfill textile waste to make saris and were also experimenting with fabric making, and I knew the world of sustainability was something that I needed to learn more about. 

Whilst in my research phase, I did have moments where I was half-wondering what this was for, whether I needed one more thing to focus on; after all I already had my consultancy and I ran projects for a not-for-profit group. Then in June 2021, I had one of my most heartbreaking days, when I lost my dear uncle to COVID. He was one of those people in my life who always knew what I would be because he believed in me so much; it was his passing that stopped me from leaning into fear and limiting myself and pushed me to persist with Punar. 

What I’m building right now with Punar, is a tribute to him and my grandmothers; to the people who taught me to be human first.

What does community mean to you and how do you seek out community?

For me, a true community is a place where everyone is accepted for who they are, everyone has a space for their skills and everyone is contributing through the unique skills they bring. There is space for everybody in this world and as much as most of us love a bit of competitive spirit, I believe that we are only going to rise if we lift others. 

With that, although it veers away from the question a little, it is important for me to say that the artisans that work for Punar are women who have bravely walked away from challenging situations in their lives. Our women are professionals, who have up-skilled and who are working for their livelihoods. So when I say we must lift others in order for us all to rise, I mean that equality should be the goal within communities, starting with an acknowledgement that recognition and remuneration is a right for one and all. 

I’ve read that you’re quite the adrenaline-seeker! Bungee jumping (gasp!) or zip lining aside, what gets your adrenaline flowing on an everyday basis?

I actually don’t seek adrenaline everyday. Rather, I do not get out of bed without expressing my gratitude for three things in my life. It’s not the adrenaline that keeps my everyday going, it’s my gratitude practice. With gratitude comes my hope and excitement for the day. Adrenaline happens as a means of facing my fear and trying new things. It gives me that boost when I need it.

What is your big, audacious goal for Punar in 2024?

Punar is changing the landscape of the gifting industry. Sustainability is becoming a trust-building factor between gift givers and receivers, as it denotes a consciousness and awareness of the state of the world. Punar is infusing the industry with impact by providing a product that is authentically good for people and planet, and we can provide the measurable impact to back that up. 

We started last year in Australia and my goal is global expansion, starting with the US where people are already referring and referencing us.

In India, the company is registered, this may seem like mere administration but it means that  more can be done directly from India as an Indian company and more women can be up-skilled and employed. My goal for the end of this year is to be able to raise our employment number from 9 to 25 women.

My ambitions for Punar are helped by having my story told by organisations like ASAC and Seema in the US, which is something I didn’t anticipate when I started last year. I’ve since come to understand and appreciate that ours is a global village of sisterhood and the future is ours. I’m not accepting any other answer.