PBN Business Women Awards 2026
WOMAN TO WATCH | CREATIVE SERVICES:
Rachel Ajaj, Air & Anchor co-founder
RACHEL AJAJ has spent 19 years proving that intentional design and American manufacturing are not relics of the past – they are the foundation of a thriving future.
As co-founder of Air & Anchor, a Cranston-based brand and design studio, Ajaj has built a company that crafts jewelry and everyday goods rooted in multigenerational craftsmanship. Every product is designed and manufactured locally in a deliberate choice that sustains skilled labor in the area and keeps Rhode Island’s historic jewelry-making tradition – and the technical knowledge that entails – alive.
“Rather than outsourcing production, she chose to design and manufacture products in the company’s own family-run facility,” Adrianna Moreno, head of Air & Anchor’s public relations and social media, said in Ajaj’s award application. That decision demonstrates that small-batch American production can remain competitive in a global market.
Under Ajaj’s direction over the past six years, and with her nearly two decades of creative and entrepreneurial experience, Air & Anchor has launched multiple jewelry collections and lifestyle products that blend modern aesthetics with mindful design that encourages reflection and gratitude, Moreno wrote.
She has also reimagined what retail can be, developing immersive customer experiences built around storytelling and connection, inviting shoppers to engage with the meaning behind a product, not simply its price tag.
Her business model reflects a growing movement in the design industry toward mindful consumption and positions her as a model for emerging entrepreneurs to emulate.
“She shaped a business culture that values purpose, community and intentional moments,” Moreno said in the nomination.
In doing so, Ajaj demonstrates that purpose and profitability are not mutually exclusive and can coexist.
Beyond the studio, Ajaj serves on the board of the Children’s Glaucoma Foundation. She also channels her creative work into philanthropy through Air & Anchor’s Give a Cuff program, through which 20% of sales from select products are donated directly to the foundation.
(Editor’s note: This profile was written using an artificial intelligence program and supported by honoree nominations and applications. The material was reviewed, fact-checked and edited for style and accuracy by Providence Business News editorial staff.)
