Arian Agrawal

Arian Agrawal is a co-founder of Riya Collective, a mobile shopping app that connects consumers in the U.S. with boutique clothing designers, particularly focusing on South Asian designers. Founded in January 2019 and backed by Y Combinator (YC W'20), Riya Collective aims to reinvent retail by creating a unique shopping experience that utilizes video to showcase designers' stories and products, fostering community and style inspiration among buyers. The company has raised approximately $2.2 million to date and has been recognized in notable publications like Vogue.123

Background and Experience

Arian graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2010. Before co-founding Riya Collective, she worked in product management at Fin AI and in business operations at Homejoy. Her entrepreneurial journey began with Riya Collective, which she started with her college classmate Sarina Siddhanti. They initially launched the company from their living room and have since grown it significantly, navigating challenges posed by the pandemic.234

In addition to her role at Riya Collective, Arian is also a partner at South Park Commons, where she supports founders and helps foster a community of builders in New York City.13