More likely than not, Emory University students own one of Anisa Telwar’s items.
Telwar, a leading entrepreneur and founder and CEO of Anisa International, Inc., spoke at Goizueta on Wednesday, April 15.
[highlight]Anisa International is one of the beauty industry’s leading global cosmetic accessory and brush design manufacturing company.[/highlight] The company produces brushes and accessories for brands such as Sephora, L’Oreal, and Estee Lauder.
The event was hosted by the Emory Entrepreneurship & Venture Management Club (EEVM), a student-run organization aimed at promoting entrepreneurship at Emory University. Telwar was the Club’s first female speaker in the Innovation Series, a speaker series in which prominent entrepreneurs come in to share success stories.
Telwar was the Club’s sixth speaker for their series. Like other EEVM speakers, Telwar’s story is unique.
A college dropout, Telwar founded the company in 1992 when she was in her mid-20s. In the last 23 years, she has built the company into a $35 million business. Anisa International currently employs more than 600 employees between the company’s Atlanta office, New York office and showroom and manufacturing plant in Tianjin, China.
Telwar began her talk by emphasizing the importance of the help she got when creating the business.
“I had so many people help guide me along the way,” she says. “I cannot stand here and tell you I did this alone. If I can impart [this] to you, that means a lot to me. The thing that makes me happy now is seeing people grow.”
While Telwar shares her personal story so people can grow from her challenges, she tries to show her audiences the success a person can have by sticking to what he or she loves.
She also explains the necessary factors to be a successful entrepreneur.
“We have always believed, ‘what’s next?’” Telwar says. “That’s the drive of an entrepreneur. If you start your organization, or you begin working for an entrepreneur, you have to make sure you’re the one — or they’re the one — creating the vision. They are going to see ahead, they are going to be able to see trends that are coming. That is what an entrepreneur is about.”
As an entrepreneur, Telwar looks for what’s next in the beauty industry.
“Cosmetic products are becoming very savvy,” Telwar explains. “They have a lot of efficacy to them. They make us look younger and they can support anti-aging — these are real things that are happening, and we want to be a part of this trend that’s occurring.”
Telwar doesn’t simply want to be a part of the trend, though.
“We [women] want to be the leaders of this world that we live in. I would hope, if you’re here, that’s what you’re about,” she says.
The majority of Telwar’s audience was, in fact, women, and her sentiment resonated with many.
After the event, Telwar had a line of females waiting to speak with her.
Emory College junior Ci Ci Li was particularly impressed with Telwar’s vision and success.
“[Telwar’s] success was built upon an idea and a lot of ambition,” she said. “She didn’t receive a formal education in business, rather, she let her experiences along her journey guide her to be the savvy businesswoman she is today.”
