In this episode we feature the CEO and co-founder of THINX, Miki Agrawal, who isn’t afraid of a little change. Agrawal is a serial entrepreneur and best-selling author—and is out to change both products and attitudes that have long been stuck in the past. Agrawal talked to us about what motivated her to create THINX, bringing options and new developments in period products. Agrawal discusses her path to success as an entrepreneur and shares the many different projects she is leading to help break down taboos and empower others.
Agrawal was named 2015 Social Entrepreneur of the Year at the World Technology Awards and her company THINX was named Time Magazine’s 25 Best New Inventions of 2015. Agrawal was also the recipient of the Tribeca Film Festival ’s Disruptive Innovation Award and was named one of the “Top 20 Millenials on a Mission” by Forbes.
She leads THINX, a high-tech, beautiful underwear solution for women to wear during their periods, and teamed up with AFRIpads in Uganda to fund a pack of reusable cloth pads for every underwear sold to get millions of girls back in school. To date, Agrawal and THINX have helped over 30,000 girls go back to school. THINX has gone viral five times since launching the company in 2014. Here is THINX’s 13-minute documentary breaking down the menstrual taboo.
Her next big focus is solving the light bladder leakage problem that many women face, giving them ability to feel confident again. One in three women pee a little when they laugh, jump, jog, sneeze, or cough. Agrawal and her team created a special patented underwear called Icon, designed to remind wearers that they’re powerful women first and mothers second. For every Icon sold, the company donates to the Fistula Foundation to fight the fistula crisis in Africa and other developing countries.
Her most recent side project is called TUSHY: For People Who Poop aiming to upgrade the American bathroom experience while helping fight the global sanitation crisis that is affecting 40 percent of the world.
Agrawal is also the founder of the acclaimed farm-to-table gluten-free pizza concept WILD, and her restaurants have been open for over 10 years.
Harper Collins published her book entitled Do Cool Sh*t on entrepreneurship and lifestyle design, and it rose to No. 1 on Amazon Best Sellers list in entrepreneurship. Agrawal is a former professional soccer player and graduate of Cornell University.
