Collection: Riya J. Shah, CEO and Founder

Riya Jain Shah is a student researcher, entrepreneur, and advocate for community art. She founded the Youth Art Center with a vision to support youth and women artisans in their careers. 
She views art as a form of self-expression and mental well-being, but also as an enterprise capable of generating social and economic impact. She encourages young people to embrace creativity and to view art not as a hobby, but as an enterprise that can spark social change. 
Her own journey began during a visit to her homeland, where the Taj Mahal sparked questions about how rulers use art to shape culture and power. She has published multiple articles about art and its relationship to history, consumer psychology, journalism, and equity. She has been recognized as a Bank of America Student Leader, chosen for her leadership and service as one of only 300 students nationwide out of a pool of nearly 12,000 applicants.
Through the Youth Art Center, Riya combines her passions for research, creativity, and entrepreneurship to create opportunities for young and women artisans to share their work with the world. Her mission is to inspire the next generation of artists to believe in the value of their work, embrace art as a source of healing, and pursue it as a meaningful and sustainable career.
At the heart of her vision is a simple but powerful belief that art changes lives and that everyone deserves an opportunity to pursue it.