Aparna Subbaraya

Aparna Subbaraya's journey from software engineering to beauty entrepreneurship began with motherhood and a renewed connection to her Indian heritage.

After earning her Master's in Electrical Engineering from USC and establishing a career at Meta, Cisco and Intel, Aparna found herself reconsidering what she wanted her work to mean. When her infant son developed a dry, flaky scalp, she returned to the Ayurvedic hair-oiling rituals she had grown up with in India. Combining those traditions with her engineering background, she began developing a formulation that eventually became Scalp Kalpa, one of Om Mamah's products.

What began as a personal solution evolved into Om Mamah, a California-based skincare and haircare brand focused on multifunctional, plant-based products and simple beauty rituals. The company has grown entirely organically, achieving profitability in its first year, 200% year-over-year growth and a 65% customer repurchase rate.

Aparna's entrepreneurial journey has also transformed her understanding of leadership and success. Leaving a successful technology career meant stepping away from financial security and a professional identity built around recognizable companies and titles. As she developed her business, she confronted perfectionism, burnout and the pressure to measure her worth through productivity.

Today, she emphasizes sustainable growth, customer trust and leadership grounded in personal values. Through Om Mamah, Aparna hopes to help women build meaningful relationships with self-care while preserving and sharing traditional beauty practices across cultures and generations.