In the corridors of Jaipur’s most prestigious educational institutions, the name Richa Jain commands quiet respect. But her story is not one of overnight success or sudden ambition. Rather, it is a testament to the slow, steady accumulation of wisdom, the deliberate cultivation of purpose, and the belief that education is not merely a profession but a calling that shapes generations.

Born into a home where ideas flowed as freely as conversation, Richa Jain’s foundation was built on intellectual curiosity. Her father led the Press Trust of India, bringing home stories that shaped national discourse. Her mother’s voice resonated through Akashvani Radio, while her personal passion for reading and writing created an atmosphere where learning was as natural as breathing. In such an environment, young Richa absorbed a truth that would define her life: knowledge is the most enduring form of empowerment.

For years, she embraced the role of homemaker while her husband built his career with a multinational corporation in Gurgaon. But even in those years devoted to raising two daughters, education remained central to her world. She consciously created a home where learning was celebrated, not enforced, where curiosity was nurtured, not stifled.

Armed with a Master’s in Science, a B.Ed., and later an MBA, Mrs. Jain gradually stepped into formal education leadership. Her career progression tells the story of someone who understood the field from every angle: teacher, academic coordinator, administrator. In 2013, she joined Delhi Public School, Jaipur, eventually leading Admissions and Marketing, where her ability to connect institutional values with family aspirations became her signature strength.

Since April 2023, as Director of Marketing and Admissions at Mayoor School, Jaipur, operating in collaboration with the esteemed Mayo College, Ajmer, she has continued to shape how families and institutions come together in the shared pursuit of excellence.

Yet her vision extends beyond school gates. As Vice President of We The Women Foundation, overseeing a community of over 350 women, and as President of The Roots Chapter, a platform dedicated to women’s business empowerment, Mrs. Jain has become an architect of networks that uplift, connect, and amplify women’s voices.

Richa Jain’s journey proves that leadership is not always loud. Sometimes, it is quiet, consistent, and rooted in the unwavering belief that education and empowerment can change everything.

There are individuals who encounter the world’s suffering and look away, and there are those who step forward and refuse to let it remain unchanged. Yashika Shaikh belongs, unequivocally, to the latter. A social activist, a certified nutritionist, and the founding force behind the SURAJ Welfare and Charitable Society, she has spent the better part of two decades weaving together threads of healthcare, education, cultural preservation, and women’s empowerment into a tapestry of real, lasting transformation. Her story is not one of sudden illumination or a single defining moment; it is, instead, a quiet and resolute accumulation of choices made in service of others, stretching from the foothills of Uttarakhand to the corridors of New Delhi and far beyond.

Roots of Resolve

The seeds of Yashika’s life mission were planted long before she had the vocabulary to name what she was doing. Born into a family that placed extraordinary value on service and kindness, she was shaped, from her earliest years, by parents whose teachings on compassion and responsibility toward others left an indelible impression. By 2008, the year she enrolled at Graphic Era University in Dehradun to pursue her bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Marketing, that impression had already crystallised into intent. It is worth pausing on this detail, for it reveals much about the woman Yashika was becoming. While most students of her age were focused exclusively on carving out personal futures, Yashika was simultaneously laying the groundwork for something far greater than herself. The same year she began her undergraduate studies, she co-founded SURAJ Welfare and Charitable Society, an organisation that would grow, over the next decade and a half, into one of the most quietly impactful NGOs operating across India today.

A Life Lived in Parallel

What distinguishes Yashika Shaikh from many of her contemporaries in the social sector is the remarkable duality with which she has lived her professional life. For over nine years, from 2015 through 2024, she served as an Assistant Manager at AAMOGH TRADEX Pvt. Ltd. in New Delhi, navigating the demands of the corporate world with the same discipline and commitment she brought to her humanitarian work. Far from being in contradiction, these two spheres informed and strengthened each other. The organisational acumen she honed in the boardroom enriched her ability to lead and scale SURAJ, while her experiences on the ground gave her a moral grounding that few in the corporate world possess.

As a nutritionist, she has brought an additional dimension to her work. In communities where malnutrition and its effects of poverty persist, Yashika’s ability to integrate health and nutrition education into SURAJ’s programmes has meant that the organisation’s interventions address not just the symptoms of deprivation, but some of its most stubborn underlying causes. Her approach is holistic in the truest sense of the word: she does not see a child in need of food as separate from a woman in need of dignity, or a young artist in need of economic stability as separate from a community in need of cultural continuity.

The SURAJ Story: Light in the Margins

The name SURAJ, meaning “sun” in Hindi, was chosen with intention, for the organisation was conceived as a source of light for those living in the margins of society. Formally registered and operational since 2008, the SURAJ Welfare and Charitable Society has grown into a pan-India organisation with its roots firmly planted in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, and its reach extending across states and communities that rarely feature in the conversations of privilege.

At the heart of SURAJ’s philosophy is a conviction that health and hygiene form the bedrock of any meaningful social upliftment. The organisation’s mission, articulated with striking clarity, is to construct a self-sustaining social infrastructure that addresses multiple, interconnected challenges. In practice, this translates into an expansive web of programmes that span four interconnected domains: women’s empowerment, child welfare and education, cultural sustainability, and health and hygiene outreach.

SURAJ’s work in women’s empowerment is perhaps its most far-reaching contribution. Less privileged women are supported through carefully designed programmes in health awareness, personal hygiene, and skill development, with the explicit goal of equipping them not merely to survive, but to achieve genuine self-reliance.

These are not short-term interventions; they are sustained engagements that walk alongside women as they move toward economic and personal independence. The organisation’s child welfare model is equally ambitious. SURAJ has developed what its beneficiaries refer to as a holistic support structure, one that accompanies children from their earliest years through to a point of self-sufficiency. This is a profound commitment, one that requires consistency, resources, and an unwavering belief in the potential of every child, regardless of the circumstances of their birth.

Through educational outreach, donation drives, and partnerships with other welfare bodies, SURAJ ensures that children facing poverty, abuse, or neglect are not simply given temporary relief, but are provided with the foundations for a different future.

“SURAJ does not offer charity. It offers the architecture of a different life.”

Culture as a Livelihood

One of the most distinctive and visionary aspects of SURAJ’s work lies in its approach to cultural sustainability. Through a significant partnership with VEVA ART, Yashika has championed the cause of Madhubani art, an ancient and intricate folk tradition whose practitioners are, in many cases, among the most economically vulnerable artisans in India.

Rather than treating culture as an afterthought to material welfare, SURAJ has positioned it as an economic resource and a source of pride, helping local artists find markets and recognition for their craft. This dimension of SURAJ’s work reflects Yashika’s understanding that human dignity is not reducible to food, shelter, and healthcare alone. A community that loses its cultural heritage loses something irreplaceable, and Yashika, through her advocacy and partnerships, has worked to ensure that tradition and livelihood are not in competition, but are mutually reinforcing.

The New Wave Art Initiative has recognised SURAJ’s contributions in this domain, lending further credibility to an approach that has quietly transformed the lives of artists who might otherwise have been compelled to abandon their craft.

Recognition Hard-Earned and Well-Deserved

In October 2024, Yashika Shaikh and SURAJ received recognition of a particularly meaningful kind. Mr. Kailash Gahlot, Cabinet Minister for the Government of Delhi, formally acknowledged the organisation’s continuous and impactful efforts in empowering women and supporting vulnerable communities.

For an NGO that has operated largely away from the spotlight, preferring results over recognition, this governmental acknowledgement represented a significant and well-earned validation of years of devoted work. Around the same time, prominent media personality Viral Bhayani chose to spotlight Yashika’s work in women’s healthcare and community empowerment, bringing the story of SURAJ to an audience that extended well beyond the communities the organisation serves.

These twin moments of recognition—one institutional and one public—offered a rare convergence: the work had reached a scale where it could no longer remain invisible. Yet, it is worth noting that Yashika has never appeared to measure her success in awards or accolades. Her secretary role at SURAJ, held with quiet dedication since March 2010, speaks to a person far more invested in the slow, unglamorous work of institution building than in the theatre of public recognition.

A Light That Keeps Spreading

To understand Yashika Shaikh is to understand that genuine change requires a particular kind of tenacity: the kind that does not depend on applause, that does not diminish in the face of setbacks, and that finds its sustenance not in outcomes alone, but in the act of showing up, day after day, for those who have not been shown up for.

She has built, over the course of more than fifteen years, an organisation that aligns itself with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, working toward better health, expanded education, reduced inequality, environmental awareness, and inclusive economic growth. SURAJ does not ask for gratitude from the communities it serves. It asks only for the chance to be useful, and to keep going.

In this, it mirrors the woman at its helm: purposeful, consistent, and quietly extraordinary.

As this edition’s cover personality, Yashika Shaikh is not merely a story worth telling. She is a reminder of what becomes possible when a single person refuses to mistake comfort for contentment, and chooses, instead, the far more demanding and far more rewarding path of service.

In a momentous recognition of creativity, cultural influence, and commercial brilliance, Tycoon Magazine has named Glory Agbonita Ehizuenlen, the visionary Creative Director behind Agbons GL, as its Fashion Designer of the Year Special Honour. This prestigious distinction shines a spotlight on elite fashion figures whose work transcends aesthetics, capturing both artistic mastery and global commercial impact across Asia and beyond.

For years, Glory Agbonita Ehizuenlen has been a dynamic force in contemporary fashion. Her brand, Agbons GL, has become synonymous with bold innovation, impeccable craftsmanship, and a unique ability to merge cultural heritage with modern sophistication. Tycoon Magazine’s recognition underscores not only her exceptional design talent but also her growing international presence in a competitive and evolving industry.

A Designer Redefining Cross-Cultural Fashion

In an era where fashion serves as a bridge between cultures, Glory’s work stands out for its deep fusion of influences. Her collections reflect a rare balance honoring African roots while seamlessly integrating cosmopolitan elements that resonate with global audiences. This cross-cultural approach is one of the major reasons her designs have achieved wide acclaim throughout Asia, where the appetite for culturally enriching, meaningful fashion is increasingly strong.

Tycoon Magazine’s special honour celebrates designers whose creativity is rooted in global values those who use fashion as a language that surpasses borders. Glory’s ability to craft garments that speak to people across continents positions her at the forefront of this movement.

A Combination of Artistic Excellence and Commercial Success

Beyond accolades and runway moments, Agbons GL has built a reputation for commercial distinction. Glory’s designs have achieved impressive market traction, attracting celebrities, international fashion buyers, and cultural tastemakers. This synergy of artistry and business prowess is a key quality Tycoon Magazine seeks in its honorees.

Her brand’s innovative storytelling, ethical craftsmanship, and customer-centric vision have opened doors to new markets while cementing long-term loyalty from fashion lovers worldwide. It is this dual mastery creative and commercial that has elevated her above her peers.

Shaping a New Generation of Fashion Leaders

What makes this recognition particularly meaningful is the message it sends to emerging designers around the world: that authenticity, cultural pride, and boundary-pushing design can thrive on the global stage. Glory’s journey embodies the possibilities available to those who dare to merge tradition with innovation.

Her work continues to inspire young creatives, especially those from underrepresented communities, reminding them that their stories and artistic voices have a place in the international spotlight.

A Milestone for Agbons GL and a Vision for the Future

As Tycoon Magazine honours Glory Agbonita Ehizuenlen as Fashion Designer of the Year, the world takes note of a creative powerhouse whose influence is only just beginning to unfold. This milestone marks a new chapter for Agbons -GL one filled with greater visibility, expanding collaborations, and a continued mission to weave cultural narratives into contemporary luxury.

Glory’s recognition is a celebration of excellence beyond fashion; it is a testament to global unity through art, culture, and visionary design.