Miki Agrawal is the Founder and CEO of Thinx, a company that creates period-proof underwear. She obtained her MBA from Cornell’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management. Since then, she has consulted for top brands, including PepsiCo and Virgin America.
Miki Agrawal discusses her entrepreneurial journey and how she came up with the idea to make this product. At the same time, she struggled to find discrete ways to deal with periods while traveling overseas.
After graduating, Miki Agrawal worked at a consulting company where she learned how to identify and solve problems. She then began working for PepsiCo in the research and development department. Her job was looking for what consumers wanted and ensuring their needs were met.
At this time, she became an expert in marketing and advertising. After working at PepsiCo for three years, she realized that her college friends struggled with their periods while traveling abroad (mainly in countries other than the United States).
Since they did not have access to pads or tampons, they resorted to using excessive amounts of toilet paper or socks as improvised sanitary napkins. Miki Agrawal then had the idea to create a pair of underwear that would absorb blood during the menstrual cycle. This product was originally supposed to be just for her friends, but soon it began selling in retail stores.
The company is called “Thinx,” It sells period briefs, activewear, and bralettes. The products are made with a patented material that absorbs ten times more than the normal amount of cotton. Thinx also offers sustainable alternatives by using organic and eco-friendly materials. The startup has also launched a successful campaign on Indiegogo which raised over $85,000 in capital in less than 45 days (Miki Agrawal 2015).
Miki has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal and Fox Business News and interviewed on NPR’s “This American Life.” She has also appeared in articles and editorials for The New York Times, Time Magazine, and Fortune Magazine.