Ani and Ayan Sanyal, Founders of Kolkata Chai Co.

Brothers Ani and Ayan Sanyal, Co-founders of Kolkata Chai Co., join Host Simi Shah ahead of National Chai Day for a conversation around building one of the most iconic South Asian brands in America. WATCH IT ON YOUTUBE.What started as a side hustle in 2018 is now an 8-figure empire spanning viral NYC cafés, a booming e-commerce arm, and a cult following. The Bengali-American brothers have build a fast-growing food & beverage brand bringing authentic masala chai to the Western world, winning checks from investors like CPG Guru — and our previous guest — Nik Sharma and Celebrity Investor Hasan Minhaj, who went from loyal customer to the company’s second-largest stakeholder. Before Kolkata Chai, the brothers co-founded a creative agency called Green Room Creative, inspired by their roots in an immigrant household in Massachusetts. In this episode, we dive into:☕How a trip to India sparked the idea for KCC☕The realities of being co-founders and brothers (including therapy!)☕Bootstrapping through COVID before raising a $1M pre-seed☕How to sell without selling out (your culture)☕Their organic partnership with celebrity investor Hasan Minhaj☕Overcoming impostor syndromeFrom pushing chai to have its $15B global “matcha moment” to intersecting community and commerce, this is the story of two brothers redefining South Asian culture in America — one cup at a time.South Asian Trailblazers is an award-winning media platform, community, and agency dedicated to elevating leading South Asians. Join our community at SouthAsianTrailblazers.com. Subscribe to our newsletter to get new episodes and updates on our latest events in your inbox. Follow us @southasiantrailblazers on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify.

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This episode was published on September 9, 2025.

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