Beauty Business

When Sahana Kargi HBS’23 HBS’23 started her education at the U, she didn’t foresee that by senior year she’d be making $100K a year as a beauty influencer. She initially launched her TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube accounts to teach exotic-pet owners about caring for hedgehogs, sugar gliders, and other animals. But with her knack for numbers and business, monetizing the content came naturally.

“I thought it would be a cool way to get my pets a few extra toys,” she says. “I never expected it would turn into a career.”

When followers started asking about her hair and makeup routines, she switched gears. “I saw a gap in the market,” says the Indian American, who had wished for more relatable beauty role models as a teen. “Growing up, I had so many questions like, ‘Is it normal to have darkness under my arms or hair on my upper lip?’ Talking about our insecurities can make women and girls feel so seen.”

She began sharing South Asian beauty secrets—like using grapeseed oil on hair—and makeup tips for complexions like hers. To grow her platform, she studied analytics and applied insights from her dual major in applied mathematics and quantitative analysis of markets and organizations. The U’s entrepreneurial culture was also a major influence. “I met so many people through the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute who were taking very real steps to make their business goals happen,” she notes.

Today, Kargi has 2.3 million followers across her social platforms, taking advantage of new analytical tools like TikTok’s creator search insights to keep growing. “I can make a video that people are specifically searching for,” she explains. “I know who the audience is and what need I’m fulfilling.”

What’s next? Kargi began a master’s in cybersecurity at the U this fall, and after graduating, she’ll either expand her influencer business with a product line or move on to a corporate cybersecurity career.