About Beyond Cubicles
📢 #BeyondCubicles is a weekly LinkedIn series created by Carolina D’Souza, born out of her own experience transitioning from a corporate career to independent consulting. Since its launch in June 2024, the series has evolved into a platform that showcases the inspiring journeys of several founders who have redefined the traditional 9-to-5.
Through authentic narratives, #BeyondCubicles highlights themes of courage, resilience, and purpose. The stories feature individuals from diverse industries—ranging from tech and education to wellness and adventure—who share their experiences of stepping away from conventional roles to pursue passion-driven careers.Â
✨ Note: All features in this series are unpaid and shared as a way to honor and amplify real stories of transformation.
“Just go for it, don't think too much.”
Growing up in New Delhi, Aastha Kapoor watched her father build a business from scratch, planting a seed early on.
“His calling: he wanted to give his kids a better life,” she says.
Aastha’s career began in pharmaceuticals marketing, later expanding to growth roles across the GCC. She moved to Dubai for her MBA at #Hult Business School, opening her mind to the region’s business landscape.
In 2021, she joined her family’s tea business, working with Vedic Teas in the UAE, laying the groundwork for her own venture.
And in 2023, she launched sy’a (syateas.com), a lifestyle tea brand born in the UAE.
“sy’a means abundance,” she says, adding, “Our vision is to transform tea from a commodity to an experience. We curate the finest teas and tea-based beverages for patrons who expect nothing short of luxury, grandeur, and magnificence.”
Delivering on that vision, however, came with its challenges.
The shift to entrepreneurship stretched her limits.
There were days, she says, “when I cried myself to sleep.”
The uncertainty was overwhelming.
But closing the biggest invoice of her career changed everything. “It felt unbelievable.”
While always confident as a student and employee, she says, “It takes courage to pitch yourself and your business to unknown people in a room full of industry veterans.”
Her family’s support was unshakeable. “They say it takes a village to raise a kid; I say it takes 10 villages to build a brand.”
Whether it was her husband stepping in for their toddler, calls to her dad after missteps, or long cries with her mum, she says, “Whatever I have achieved, I owe it to them.”
The journey has been personal. “I respect the way I have grown, not only as an individual but also as an entrepreneur. I have seen the hardest days, but I have survived all of that and still glowing and growing.”
Today, freedom means “quality time with my family without caring what day of the week it is.”
And her personal brand? “It is not just sy’a, it is ‘sy’a by Aastha Kapoor’.”
Her advice for those considering the leap: “Just go for it, don’t think too much. It won’t come easy. If it did, anybody could have done it.”