CHAYA is a novel space-sharing marketplace in Bangladesh, launched by Farhia Tabassum and Mehraab Anwar. Unoccupied and unused spaces can be listed by their owners on CHAYA's website, for users to browse and find what they need. Farhia is one of the entrepreneurs in the Dhaka Hub Global Shapers 2021 Cohort. The Global Shapers are a community of young leaders and change makers, aged between 20 and 30, curated by the World Economic Forum. The Dhaka Hub was founded in 2014. In an interview with The Daily Star, Farhia talks about the vision behind CHAYA, and more.

What was the first step to starting CHAYA?

In early 2019, while searching for a place to arrange a photoshoot for a friend's company, we noticed a gap in the market. Locations and customers existed, but there was no middle man to connect them with each other.

Mehraab and I came up with the idea that we could use other people's homes the same way we use our friends' houses for shoots.

In October 2019, we opened an Instagram page and reached out to friends, parents, and restaurant owners in the hope that they will open up their spaces. In a month, we expanded our business to a multi-purpose space-sharing platform.

What were some challenges you faced in the early stages of the business?

It was the typical 'chicken and egg' problem – do we get people to list their properties first or do we ensure we have some customers? Eventually, we decided to focus on the supply side first, although it was difficult as we had no traction or customers. Fortunately, after we got the initial four to five spaces, we found customers with appropriate demands.

What is CHAYA currently focused on?

We are concentrating on housing for bachelors as they are immensely underserved. Single women, in particular, struggle to find proper housing in this country. We aim to access a network of housing that fulfills the needs of people who are struggling to find reliable housing in safe areas.

As a woman building a business, what has your experience been like?

Sometimes in meetings, people are quick to assume that I am an intern. Even when they know that I am one of the co-founders of CHAYA, they don't consider me as their equal. However, thankfully, there are mentorship programmes connecting us to other female entrepreneurs. In our culture, there is a pre-existing notion that women are inferior, so I always feel the need to work harder than my male counterparts. 

The author is a student of BRAC University, and a freelance journalist. Email: shanzaychowdhury@gmail.com.