Getting to Know: Nayani Rajmohan

Founder Saakshi Innovations

Nayani Rajamohan is a social innovator who uses art and culture for change. Through her organization Saakshi Innovations (the word saakshi meaning ‘witness’ in Sanskrit), Nayani’s goal is to “create performances that not only provide a unique form of entertainment, but can also have positive benefits on my audience’s cognitive behavior and emotional/physical well-being.”

“When I was 16, I raised $12,000 for an orphanage in Sri Lanka. I loved the experience of doing all the choreography on my own, and raising the money for a good cause. However, this wasn’t sustainable and I wanted to create a way to make it sustainable. After a few years, I finally came up with Saakshi and its unique business model,” she says about her organization. “I’ve been dancing all my life, and I always wanted to make a difference. This is a great way to combine both experimentation with the arts but also to do more with giving back,” Nayani continues.

By supporting the South East Asian classical performing arts, specifically Bharathanatyam dance, Nayani has created workshops for young artists to experiment with, and create within, the arts world. However, the stigma attached to the arts as a ‘hobby job’ is still strong. “Sometimes your family or friends won’t fully comprehend what you’re doing. It can be very disheartening when they think you’re doing one thing, but you’ve been constantly telling them about something else,” Nayani says. “You just have to power through and surround yourself with the right people despite that. One day your family or other friends will understand. No matter what they are still there for you.”

In an ideal world, an investment to Saakshi Innovations would do more than put together performance groups, but would also allow for research groups studying the benefits of arts therapy for patients of both mental and physical illnesses, such as Alzheimer's. So far this summer, Nayani has already secured her first three clients and secured additional funding to pilot her concept.

Nayani closes out by saying, “There are numerous opportunities to get involved and host performances for institutions with under-served audiences (like seniors, patients with Alzheimer’s, children/adults with autism, children going through Sick Kids etc). If you are involved with or know of an institution that works with these kinds of individuals that would be receptive to having a performance as a form of entertainment but also therapy, let me know!”

Although Saakshi Innovations is currently not on social media (yet!), you can reach Nayani via email” nayani.saakshi@gmail.com.

Story Written by Erin Ashley

Nayani is a participant in the Hook It Up program delivered by Socent7. Hook It Up is a support program for young social entrepreneurs in Ontario. Learn more at www.hookitup.ca.

**END OF PROGRAM UPDATE** Nayani has successfully secured her initial clients in the Waterloo region and has begun delivering her unique participatory performance workshops. Her message to other young social entrepreneurs: “I would recommend new entrepreneurs to really build a support group to help them accomplish their goals or just to support them when they need it.”