Meet Kamini Mamdani | Founder, CHAI.COM

My grandparents moved from Gujarat, India to Johannesburg South Africa, where I was born. We moved to Dallas in 1979 because of the Apartheid system of social discrimination in South Africa. My roots and my heritage define who I am, how I live my life and what I hold dear. As immigrants, my family’s story is about taking risks, working hard, taking care of each other and building community where we go. Those foundational principles still define how I am raising my family.

I started CHAI.COM in 1997 as a response to the type of chai that was just being introduced in the US. Chai is an essential part of our daily ritual, of welcoming people into our home and finding a few moments of respite. I wanted people to taste real, authentic chai; not the “chai tea lattes” served here. So my mom and I started in her kitchen, grinding spices and creating chai making kits for people to enjoy at home. In November 2021, I relaunched CHAI.COM still using our family’s masala chai recipe, but creating a product that is easy to make at home. I left my career as an occupational therapist to pursue my business full-time last year and I love the autonomy I have of my time and creativity. Starting a business however, is not for the faint of heart. It requires sweat equity and financial resources and an abundance of tenacity, but I love our mission of sharing our family’s traditions with others.

To me, Dallas is all about food! So we’d start off with a stroll through Bishop Arts and eat our way through some bbq, the original Gloria’s, and we’d visit Klyde Warren Park and the DMA who is bringing such diverse artists and making Dallas a true international city. We’d definitely go to Korea town for some great food and Loro for that perfect mix of Asian and bbq.

My shoutout goes to my supportive husband who shares my zeal for entrepreneurship and never settles for status quo. He pursues his life and work with passion and a steady hand and I am so grateful to partner with him.