Fierce AND Fearless

A trio using pet yoga to boost adoptions. A mechanical engineer who put together a smart wheelchair. A dynamic duo that creates beautiful living spaces with shipping containers. An artist who upcycles precious garments into memory quilts. A canine behaviourist dedicated to ensuring every dog gets the freedom it deserves. Our special issue celebrates women such as these who have shattered glass ceilings to create businesses that are as diverse as they are inspiring

- Sharon D'Silva, Monteiro-D'Souza, Kayal Arivalan, Ravina M Sachdev

"PROBLEMS END WHEN YOU START LISTENING"

DIVYA SANBHWANI

Canine Training & Communication Expert, Co-Founder - All Ears for Animals

She's happy to call herself a girl who scratches dog butts for a living! This, Divya Sanbhwani says, helps her stay humble. Working with animals, she's learned that it's all about the work done at ground level and working from the heart that truly matters. While she's always had a passion for animals, she didn't quite realise her purpose until after graduating and getting a job she thought she wanted in the field of design. Tiny figurines and pictures of dogs adorned her new desk, but her head had yet to listen to her heart, which wanted to do more and have her efforts create a domino effect to change things for the better. Finally, nearing a quarter-life crisis, she researched career options with animals, and stumbled upon the opportunity to become a canine behaviourist. She then started her training journey, while working with animals at an NGO. Finally, at the age of 23, she went on to establish All Ears for Animals, creating India's first-ever play school for dogs in Mumbai. At All Ears for Animals, pet parents are trained to train their fur babies.

They specialise in behavioural rectification without treats or punishments, but with communication and body language, just like how one dog trains another dog. Here, socialising is considered to be the key. The goal is to ensure every dog gets the freedom it deserves, which comes about once the dog is happy and experiences liberation from behavioural concerns through training, creating a domino effect, where the pet parent sees their dog happy.

DIVYA'S ADVICE TO ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS

Be best friends with your heart, and find yourself before you find your dream. Don't wait for the world to tell you who you can be.