(Editor’s note: This is the ninth installment in a monthly series speaking with minority business owners and leaders. Each will be asked their views on minority-business conditions in the state and for ways to improve those businesses’ chances for success. See previous installments in the series here.)
When Priyadarshini Himatsingka moved to New York City from India for college, her dark skin and multisyllabic name sometimes prompted questions about her Indian upbringing.
“People would ask me, ‘Do you have electricity in India?’ ” Himatsingka recalled.
Himatsingka never felt maligned because of her race; rather, she saw the questions as a curiosity and, perhaps, a lack of awareness about other cultures.
Thirty years later, Himatsingka still finds herself discussing her Indian roots with strangers who come to peruse the eclectic assortment of jewelry, home goods and kitschy trinkets in her store, pH Factor, on Hope Street in Providence. But again, Himatsingka never views those discussions as negative; instead, she’s happy customers are interested to learn more about the origins of the textiles and Hindu god statues she sources from Indian merchants.
“People will come in and talk to me about India,” she said. “But I don’t think people come to pH Factor or buy my jewelry because I am Indian. My work speaks for itself.”
Before the pandemic, the East Side shop frequently offered free tea and cookies for shoppers, alongside a small parlor area specifically intended to foster casual conversations.
“I view my business as an extension of my home,” she said. “There’s no separation between business and personal to me.”
Indeed, it was the craving for that face-to-face connection that led Himatsingka to open the store in 2019. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, she already owned and operated her own jewelry manufacturing business. She loved the work but found the hours of solitude in her Pawtucket studio isolating.
Handcrafted jewelry, both from her company Himatsingka Inc. and other local artists, features prominently among the Hope Street wares. But to categorize its products is difficult: framed vintage prints share shelf space with whimsical greeting cards. There are hand-painted piggy banks and bejeweled cashmere gloves
“It’s my eye, things I like and appreciate,” Himatsingka said of how she chooses what to feature and sell in her store.
Much of her taste is influenced by her upbringing, not only in India but the many trips around the world she took with her family, thanks in part to the global nature of her family textile business. While she was the first in her family to attend college outside India, New York already felt somewhat familiar – her family company had an office there. And her initial academic interests – she earned a bachelor’s degree in photography and philosophy at New York University before studying jewelry design at RISD – weren’t widely available in India.
In the three decades she has lived in the U.S., she has never felt discriminated against or mistreated because of her race – a credit, in her eyes, to the open-mindedness and diversity of the communities in which she has lived.
Opening her two businesses was by no means easy, but the challenges she encountered were not based upon her race. She never had to take out a loan – an oft-cited source of discrimination among minority business owners – nor has either business ever been the target of racist comments or attacks.
Seeing the wave of hatred and violence against Asian Americans over the last year, and particularly in recent months, struck a chord with her.
She, like many, wants to use her success to address and talk about racial issues but feels at a loss for how to put that into action specifically through her business. Committing to only buying products from Asian artisans, for example, simply wasn’t practical from a business perspective.
“I am always mindful of who I am buying from and what I am introducing into the store,” she said. “But there is that aesthetic guidance, too.”
1. Do you believe racism is keeping minorities from starting businesses in the Ocean State or succeeding when they do? As a longtime resident of Providence, I personally feel that Rhode Islanders have been very fair and supportive of my store. However, launching a business is a daunting prospect, and minorities certainly face barriers that other populations do not.
2. How dependent is your business on the support of other minority groups? Is that a sustainable business model? My store generally serves the East Side. I’m proud to say that we have people from all walks of life shopping at pH Factor. In our case, we don’t specifically rely on the support of any particular group. We welcome everyone, and I appreciate that people from very diverse backgrounds have expressed that they enjoy the store and spending time there!
3. What one thing could Rhode Island do to boost the odds for minority-owned business success? Publicity for minority-owned businesses is a huge boost, and we are always grateful for coverage in the press. I feel strongly that local newspapers and magazines should be doing their part in featuring minority-owned businesses.
4. Have you had to turn somewhere other than a bank for a loan? Do you believe the state’s lending institutions generally treat minorities fairly? We have been fortunate in that we have not had to turn elsewhere for a loan. In my experience, Rhode Island seems to be rather fair and unbiased in treating minorities – or at least the establishments that I have dealt with have been. My business-owner friends in the community – specifically businesses owned by people of color and women-owned businesses – have found support, and funding, and encouragement from the local community.
5. If another minority entrepreneur asked you where they could turn to for support for their business, where would you direct them? I’d suggest leaning on the larger community for help. Before I launched pH Factor, I talked with several business leaders in the community, and each of them provided me with guidance, recommendations and advice. It was incredibly helpful in informing how I navigated my launch. The great thing about Rhode Island’s small size is that it’s easier to network and share information than other places I’ve lived. My advice would be to take advantage of that.
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Lavin@PBN.com.
