From IT career to running a Chennai fine arts academy

Who built it, and what they built

Meenakshi is a former IT professional who has run Art Splash Academy of Fine Arts in Chennai since September 2015. The academy trains students in a wide range of disciplines, from keyboard, guitar and violin to Rock & Pop and Carnatic vocals, Bharatnatyam, jazz, arts, yoga and tabla, with several courses tied to Trinity College London grades.

Her customers span students, working professionals, homemakers and business owners, with no age limit on enrolment. She frames the academy around the idea that interest and passion matter more than prior skills or experience.

Where the idea came from

Her paternal grandfather taught her Carnatic vocals when she was 4 years old, and her maternal grandfather ran businesses including hotels, lodges and mills. School gave her exposure to dance and vocals, and she performed in cultural competitions and events, including an international sports festival inauguration dance during grade 12.

She decided around 2006 that she wanted to be an entrepreneur in education, while juggling office work, travel across Asia and India, and rolling out about 5 applications at once. After her second child was born in 2012, she left to start her own business, wanting to balance work and family life.

She credits her ERP job experience with helping her understand requirements and manage customers, describing the relationship with customers as an extended family. She also keeps long associations with her team of teachers, noting that many talented artists struggle to get loans or start their own academies.