In today’s fast-changing world where tradition and innovation tend to collide, there are few whose lives serve as bridges, connecting the past and the future with hope, grit, and authenticity. One such pioneer is Tejashree Shah, whose rich and varied life is a textbook case of responsible leadership, grass-root level impact, and a personal commitment to empowering others—particularly women—to rise and succeed.

Early Foundations: The Genesis of a Connector

Tejashree’s professional journey started more than two decades ago with communication skills training. Her early years were spent with a passion to empower people to find their voice, and to give them the confidence and clarity that enabled them to traverse complicated personal and professional worlds. This early experience was not one of knowledge transfer; it was one of enabling empowerment at the very basic level.

Her experience as a trainer for the Government of Gujarat’s V Governance Karmayogi Maha Abhiyan also reinforced her conviction that progress at the grassroots is where it truly begins. From these early experiences, Tejashree developed the skill of connecting people, ideas, and opportunities, the foundation on which her entire career would be built.

Entrepreneurship: Creating TANS from Scratch

A turning point in Tejashree’s life was 2019, after suffering a major health setback. Being compelled to halt and rethink, she found a new passion: pure nutrition. This inner quest resulted in the co-founding of TANS—Naturessence Foods Pvt. Ltd.—along with her son, an endeavor based on simplicity, purity, and wellness.

TANS stands out as a pioneering brand in the clean nutrition space, offering India’s first vegan smoothies made exclusively from fruits, vegetables, and leaves, with no preservatives or added sugar. The brand is a testament to Tejashree’s belief that good health begins at home, and that ancient nutritional wisdom can be harmoniously blended with modern technology to create honest, sustainable health solutions.

Establishing TANS was not so much about starting a business as it was about refocusing the benchmarks of wellness in an industry habitually tainted by compromise. Tejashree was meticulous and uncompromising in her approach, and every product was a reflection of the values of integrity, transparency, and long-term well-being.

Leadership on the Global Stage: The Startup20 and G20 Experience

2022 ushered in a rare privilege—an invitation to be part of the core group of Startup20, a work engagement team initiated by India during its G20 Presidency. This position put Tejashree in the center of policy making globally, with the mission to craft frameworks that would empower startups not only in India, but worldwide.

It was no easy task balancing the needs of developing TANS against the duties of Startup20. On the one hand, Tejashree was building a nascent business committed to clean nutrition; on the other, she was assisting in the development of a masterplan for the world’s startup ecosystem. Allowing TANS to be a backburner initiative as she pursued Startup20 was both painful and pivotal—a demonstration of her trust that true leadership sometimes involves subordinating individual ambition to collective impact.

At Startup20, Tejashree’s work extended far beyond the spotlight. She toiled in the background relentlessly to ensure that India’s presidency had a lasting, impactful legacy. Her work wasn’t for prestige, but for purpose—about building platforms for responsible entrepreneurship, nurturing scalable but socially relevant startups, and closing the gap between innovation and grassroots effects.

Recognition and Responsibility: The Honorary Doctorate

Tejashree’s tireless commitment and leadership transformation were officially acknowledged when she was awarded an honorary doctorate in Leadership and Transformational Leadership. For her, this award represented more than an individual achievement; it was an affirmation of her calling and a call to remember the weight of responsibility that follows acknowledgment.

Being honored in such a manner as a woman from Ahmedabad—a city she refers to as her Karmabhoomi—was especially meaningful. Gujarat, with its entrepreneurial culture and forward-looking mindset, has never been more than a home for Tejashree; it has been a state of mind that makes her resilient, innovative, and unapologetically ambitious. The awarding of the honorary doctorate was, as she said, a pat on the back by the very soil that groomed her, and an invitation to mentor more, question more, and give back more.

Championing Women: Redefining Leadership and Tradition

One of the most characteristic features of Tejashree’s path has been her unshakeable mission to empower women founders to confidently enter the world of innovation. Working in traditionally patriarchal industries—technology, policymaking, manufacturing—she has frequently seen her ideas dismissed, only to be confirmed when re-expressed by male peers. Instead of giving way to frustration, however, Tejashree turned these experiences into catalysts for growth.

Being underestimated turned into her superpower. She mastered being more prepared, more noticed, and more outspoken, using each failure as a chance to serve more than expected. She is now passionately devoted to making sure that no young woman she mentors ever has to shrink herself to fit into a room.

Tejashree’s philosophy is unambiguous: advancement isn’t about forsaking tradition, but about developing it to suit the times. She is a firm believer in empowering women with tools, pedestals, and self-assurance to chart their paths themselves. Through forums such as AIM, MSME forums, Nirma University, and iCreate, she guides the future generation of women leaders to sit at the table with confidence and conviction.

iCreate: Harnessing Innovation with Integrity

Working as a stakeholder engagement consultant at iCreate—International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology—Tejashree has a key role in connecting innovation with grassroots influence. Her efforts at iCreate are guided by a vision of creating platforms rather than podiums, enabling startups that are not only scalable but also technologically and socially relevant.

Tejashree’s strategy at iCreate is integrated. She is passionately committed to establishing structures for ethical entrepreneurship, guiding founders, and making sure innovation does not happen at the cost of values. Her reach goes beyond the organization, impacting the larger story of Gujarat as a state where economic progress marches alongside social justice and ecological stewardship.

Navigating Challenges: Resilience in the Face of Adversity

Tejashree’s path has not been without its own challenges. The health decline she experienced in 2019 was the turning point, compelling her to re-evaluate her own constraints and re prioritize her goals. It was a moment that challenged not only her bodily resilience, but her mental focus and professional determination.

But it was in this adversity that Tejashree found new direction and meaning. The genesis of TANS was not a business move, but a personal vow of wellness and simplicity. Her capacity to spin personal adversity into a vehicle for greater good is characteristic of her resilience and versatility.

Likewise, prioritizing Startup20 during India’s Presidency of G20 over slowing down her own enterprise was a reflection of Tejashree’s vision and sense of responsibility. She believed that the ground effect was more important than recognition for herself—a mindset which still influences her actions and choices.

The Gujarat Ethos: Innovation Rooted in Values

Tejashree’s account goes hand in hand with the ethos of Gujarat—a state famous for its entrepreneurship, resilience, and innovative thinking. She views Gujarat not just as a business land, but as the place of balanced innovation, where tradition and innovation meet to form sustainable and inclusive growth.

Her own professional life is a testament to this philosophy. Whether it is taking the “farsan to the pitch deck” or blending the ancient wisdom of diet with contemporary technology, Tejashree lives the spirit of pioneering without compromise. She is fervent in believing that economic progress must be paired with social justice, environmental responsibility, and access to opportunities for all.

Mentorship and Legacy: Paying It Forward

Mentorship has been a common refrain in Tejashree’s life. She attributes learning resilience to her mother, reinvention to her son, and the leaders at iCreate as the source of the lesson in strategic silence. Each interaction, professional or otherwise, has added to her development and worldview.

Now, Tejashree is committed to paying it forward. In her activities across different platforms and forums, she guides budding entrepreneurs, especially women and the youth, through the nuances of leadership and innovation. Success for her is not about personal glory, but about creating opportunities for others and establishing strong networks that facilitate collective success.

Going forward, Tejashree’s ambition is broad and inclusive. She remains dedicated to ongoing work on policy contributions, industry sustainability solutions, and grassroots entrepreneurship development. Her experience as a member of the core team of Startup20 during India’s G20 Presidency has provided her with a special vantage point on the world opportunities for Gujarat and India in general.

Tejashree dreams of bridging clean food and people-powered innovation, since both need long-term vision, fearless experimentation, and moral courage. She wishes for a world where progress is clean, equitable, and deeply sustainable—a world where a village woman with a great idea stands as good a chance as a city incubator founder.

The Legacy of Tejashree

Tejashree’s story is a testament to the strength of purpose-driven leadership, perseverance in the midst of challenges, and the life changing power of mentorship. She is a beacon for change agents who are determined to reconcile tradition with innovation, personal goal with collective impact, and personal achievement with societal development.

Her tale is not merely about breaking walls; it is about creating bridges—across individuals, thoughts, and possibilities. As she continues to craft stories and create legacies, Tejashree holds fast to her fundamental values of honesty, integrity, and plurality. In so doing, she not only reshapes what it is to lead, but challenges others to rise, flourish, and take others up along the way.