Founder and CEO of NakhreWaali:

NakhreWaali, a D2C eco-conscious fashion accessories brand, seamlessly blends India’s rich cultural heritage with modern aesthetics. Founded in 2017, the brand has expanded to 11 countries over the last six years, achieving a 250% growth in annual revenue while cultivating a loyal community of 150,000+ customers.

With a healthy profit margin exceeding 35%, a lean marketing spend at 10% of revenue, and a balanced retail model : 40% D2C and 60% B2B2C, the brand remains EBITDA positive, demonstrating a strong founder-market fit.

By innovating through design and reviving traditional textiles, NakhreWaali introduced a new category of “fashion jewellery” , and managed to secure a 30% increase in market share within the segment. The brand’s artisan-led approach has empowered over 100 women artisans across India, reinforcing its commitment to social impact.

NakhreWaali’s distinct focus on human symbolism and life-centric design has garnered international acclaim, with features at the Academy Awards (Oscars) and coverage in prestigious publications such as Vogue Italia, The Economic Times, Elle Czech Republic, and Cosmopolitan India. Its recognition by institutions like IIM Bangalore, IIM Shillong and celebrity endorsements from Bollywood’s elite like Kareena Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan further underscore its influence.

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Gursakhi is a 2x TEDx speaker and guest faculty at Domus Academy, Milan; London College of Fashion, UAL; National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi; and a Member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council.

She has been acknowledged as one of the key sustainable fashion brand founders by Vagabomb, Grazia India, and YourStory. She was awarded the Inkpot Achiever's Award by Akhilesh Mishra and Shashi Tharoor for her contribution in promoting textiles globally.

Gursakhi is also incubated as one of the three designers for Project Aatman by the Ministry of Culture, GOI, to showcase her work at the Galleries of Red Fort, New Delhi.

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At the heart of Gursakhi’s career is a profound love for storytelling - Raised by strong, independent women, stories have been her compass, shaping her understanding of the world and fueling her passion, which turned into her purpose. Whether it was breaking free from a script written by others to discover her own narrative sovereignty, or crafting the story of NakhreWaali, Gursakhi’s life has been a reflection to the power of narrative.

With over eight years of experience across various sectors—ranging from women’s hygiene and fashion to media, cinema, beauty, SaaS, and AI—Gursakhi has developed a versatile approach to both B2B and B2C GTM strategies.

Her expertise lies in analyzing solution-market fit, building research-based hypotheses to identify promising companies, crafting psychology driven product-market fit narratives, and working with founders to validate approaches – critical for enduring companies. She specialises in branding and identity, creating IP campaigns for growth hacking, managing online/offline retail, driving PR initiatives, identifying new markets, and leading e-commerce performance-driven marketing, content-driven influencer activations and social media planning.

One of her recent projects involved leading the development of "Generative Active Video," a multimodal AI platform revolutionizing content personalization in wellness, finance, and coaching. This innovation underwent market validation with 200+ early adopters and 10,000 users, and is now preparing for a full launch and a Series A funding.

Harnessing her 50k-strong social media community, Gursakhi has successfully collaborated on high-impact campaigns with brands such as PeeSafe, HP, VIVO, Google, H&M, and Lenskart, crafting narratives that have driven significant engagement and growth.

Through her podcast, Gursakhi continues to explore the intersection of psychology, intimacy and intergenerational dynamics of relationships, highlighting the unconventional journeys of thought leaders and industry experts. Some significant guests so far: Kubbra Sait (Actor/Author), Rohan Joshi (comedian), Seema Anand (Sex Therapist), Lisa Mishra (Singer), Kareema Barry (Comedian), Soni Razdan (Actor), Nitibha Kaul (Content Creator) and more. Each episode is a testament to her belief that stories are the threads that weave together the past, present, and future, guiding us toward a more meaningful existence.

Her curiosity, creativity, and ability to navigate uncharted territories position her as a leader capable of thriving in roles without predefined job descriptions, showcasing her unique "Category of One."

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Gursakhi is also a performing artist and musician, having performed thrice at Rashtrapati Bhawan for Hon. Abdul Kalam, Sonia Gandhi, Narendra Modi, Manmohan Singh, Pranab Mukherjee. She received a full-time scholarship to study music at Trinity College, London. Gursakhi has also been honored with the prestigious Rafi Award by Padmani Kolhapure, Lata Mangeshkar, and Lakshi Kaant Pyaar Lal ji. Additionally, she was the runner-up in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Little Champs.