Women Thrive Magazine March

Empowering Women and Girls by Paying it ForwardNeetu Jhaj

When we met Neetu Jhaj, we were drawn to her passion to pay it forward to women and girls. Neetu is the founder of Rehna Raiya, an empowering and uplifting clothing line for young girls with a unique charitable component.

Neetu worked for years to develop and launch a clothing line to fill gaps in the girls’ clothing industry. She wanted to help young girls and teenagers feel confident, independent and empowered.

Aside from launching a first-ofits-kind concept that provides girls with independence when wearing a convertible jumpsuit, every dress in the collection also comes with matching shorts so a girl can play like any boy without limitation. A significant percentage of net proceeds from the clothing line benefit the Rehna Raiya Foundation’s mission to empower and educate youth.

With her husband Rick anddaughters Rehna and Raiya, Neetufinds many occasions throughoutthe year to donate time andresources to youth educationalcauses, school supplies, resourcesand meals to those inunderprivileged communities. “Myhusband and I work every day toteach our daughters that the truemeasure of success is how you wereable to make life better for others.”

As a young girl, Neetu didn’t viewherself as the confident andcapable person she sees in themirror today. Rarely seeing anycoverage of the accomplishmentsof brown girls, it was hard for Neetuto relate to the idea that this worldheld opportunity for girls like her.

“My husband and I work every day toteach our daughters that the truemeasure of success is how you wereable to make life better for others.”

Today, Neetu runs a successful business alongside her husband and his family. Countryside Corporation is a construction, real estate development and quick-service restaurant company which employs over 500 people in Kern County, California. Neetu credits her business acumen to her family and her Punjabi roots. She gives credit to decades of family members and women before her who made incredible sacrifices to allow her to be in the position she is today. “I am forever grateful for my village, my family and the women who came before me and helped me realize a girl from an immigrant family can fulfil her dreams. It is an honour to be able to pay it forward and positively impact someone who was just like me once –a timid brown girl who didn’t believe she had potential.”

Years ago, an employee shared her dream with Neetu to be the first in her family to go to medical school. Neetu encouraged her to go for it.

“Every woman is capable ofher dreams. She just needs tobelieve it and then work hardto achieve it.” says Neetu.

This past summer, Neetu and her husband got a call from this same employee sharing good news on her medical school acceptance but bad news that educational loans fell short to cover tuition for the first year. Neetu and her husband weren’t going to let this roadblock keep her from fulfilling her dreams and gave her a loan to cover the remainder. Neetu and her family feel blessed for this greater purpose to pay it forward to the next generation.

Leadership has been a natural evolution of Neetu’s desire to level the playing field for women and girls. When she observed lack of representation of brown women at a social non-profit club, Neetu asked to be put on a committee. Initially met with silence and then told there was no room on a committee, Neetu took the issue to

the top of the chain. Not only did Neetu receive a seat on a committee, but within five years, she became the first woman president in the 30-year-old history of the club. As president, she worked to create a policy to allow a fair and equitable opportunity for women to serve on the board. There are now women serving on this board who were previously told they did not qualify. Neetu considers it important to lead by example and leave a lasting imprint for the generations that will follow. “It’s important to show the next generation of girls what they are capable of and encourage them to push the envelope even farther.”

“There is power in actions and words. My daughters and I begin and end each day with the same powerful words: I love myself I believe in myself I am unstoppable!”

Neetu is the Founder & CEO of Rehna Raiya, an empowerment clothing line for girls that donates 5% to 100% of net proceeds to youth charitable causes. Neetu founded the Rehna Raiya Foundation, a private foundation dedicated to the educational advancement and empowerment of youth.

Along with her husband and his family, Neetu is an owner of Countryside Corporation, a three-prong construction, real estate acquisition and retail development company that owns and operates multinational brands (Shell, Subway, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut).

Visit www.rehnaraiya.com. Or follow Neetu on her Instagram @rehnaraiya @neetujhaj

http://www.rehnaraiya.com