Our Team
Surabhi Rabha - Head of Weaving
Surabhi, along with Kashmiri and Moni, has been at the centre of the organisation since the very beginning. They are at the core of what 7Weaves stands for, in themselves, for their communities and from a female artisan-led co-operative.
Surabhi heads up weaving production, dealing with scheduling, design and managing the other weavers to ensure that orders run smoothly and dynamics within the group are harmonious. She is also a striker in her Village Football team and an avid dancer!
Moni Rabha - Head of Spinning
Moni comes from a spinning family and learned to spin from her mother using the traditional drop spindle technique. As with many artisans in the community, sericulture has been of central importance to her family’s livelihood for generations.
Today, Moni deals with 12 different villages managing yarn production, working with families who cultivate, harvest and spin cocoons. She supports the spinners in developing new kinds of yarns while also maintaining their traditional knowledge of all stages from cocoon to thread.
Kashmiri Rabha - Head of Dyeing
Kashmiri has an outstanding knowledge and understanding of natural dye processes and local plants. Her eye for colour perfectly suits her role as Head of Dyeing.
Kashmiri leads the other artisans in developing new colours using the 17 natural dye materials that are available from the surrounding forest land. She is also responsible for managing the dye schedule and record-keeping for all the dyestuffs. She works closely with Surabhi and Moni as the three of them manage all aspects of production.
Nayan Rabha - Community Implementation
Nayan is a graduate of Gauhati University and is the highly respected Village Head for a cluster of 5 villages in the Loharghat Forest. He is also a farmer. Nayan works within the communities to implement indigenous farming and forestry practices with a focus on regenerative methods, in order to sustain the region’s ecological balance. He draws on his own extensive knowledge of traditional farming and forestry and is responsible for organizing and managing the growing of indigo plants, castor plants for Eri production, dye plants and food crops for 7Weaves.
Sneha Chaudhary - Lead Design & Innovation
With a BA in Design/Textiles from the prestigious National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Sneha was awarded The Best Graduation Project in 2019 for her work conducted in collaboration with WomenWeave in Maheshwar.
Her expertise lies in the research, innovation, design and development of handwoven textiles, and her unique and striking designs mirror her exploration into the unconventional and her thoughtful observations of beauty in its simplest of forms.
Having worked with a range of weaving techniques from craft communities across India, Sneha’s understanding of the relationships between indigenous peoples and their surroundings has influenced her design process, creating textiles that connect indigenous knowledge and biodiversity with the global design industry.
Dhritimoni Goswami - Ecologist
With a B.Sc Hons in Zoology from Gauhati University, and a M.Sc Zoology focusing on Animal Ecology and Wildlife Biology from Assam Don Bosco University, Dhriti co-heads the field team in the Centre for Ecology and Economics. Her experience in a wide range of specialisations, including entomology, bird and reptilian behavioural patterns allows her to record and analyse invaluable data on the correlation between sericulture and the biodiversity of the area. A holistic approach to ecological research, including soil health, plant life and wildlife, allows for measuring and assessment of any bio-cultural intervention impacts and ensures that the pristine biodiversity of the area is preserved.
Rachel MacHenry - Director of Design
Leading in design direction & innovation, documentation & research for 7Weaves, as well as the re-introduction of traditional craft practices in the communities, Rachel has over 25 years of experience as a designer, educator, consultant, and advisor with artisan-based enterprises around the world, including communities in Nepal, India, Pakistan, Chile, Peru and Haiti. She is co-founder of Handwork Studio, a design-led consultancy that operates at the intersection of craft, commerce, research and design, mobilizing high levels of skill and tradition to sustain local communities, while re-contextualizing traditional techniques within a contemporary aesthetic.
Taniya Talwar - Ecologist
Taniya Talwar, who holds a B.Sc in Zoology from Gauhati University and an M.Sc in Zoology under specialisation Animal Ecology and Wildlife Biology from Assam Don Bosco University, works for the ecology department's field team. She has a keen interest in wild cats and birds.
She never gets tired of going on expending surveys and exploring the vast expanse of diverse environments in Chandubi. She has also been actively communicating with locals in order to gain a better understanding of their connection to nature and how the region has changed over the years.
Professor Yves Hausser - Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services
Responsible for designing sustainable development strategies and implementing community conservation & biodiversity at 7Weaves, Yves is a nature conservation practitioner and researcher.
He is currently a professor in natural resource management at the University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland where he teaches various courses related to the nature - society interface.
Seema Talukdar - Ecologist
Having pursued Master's in Ecology, Environment and Sustainable Development from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences: Guwahati Campus, Seema has always been interested in the field of research, and co-heads the field team in the Centre for Ecology and Economics. Previously she has had the opportunities to understand and work on this line with a few local communities of Central and Northeast India like the Kumhars from Potters Colony Delhi, the Bishnois of Jodhpur, Karbis from Dongkamukam & Langminso, and the Traditional fisherfolk of Deepor Beel Assam. She works on the linkages between socio-economic structures and functions, as well as explores the intricacies of the natural world based on the interaction of social & environmental factors.
Caroline Poiner - Strategic Development for International Relations
A strategic, creative thinker passionate about the potential for business to transform lives, Caroline brings extensive experience to leading strategic development and relationships for 7Weaves. After 20 years working as creative director for her Sydney based branding agency, Caroline founded Artisans of Fashion (AOF) in 2011 - a social enterprise to promote cultural sustainability & positive social impact working with artisan communities in India. Her mission is to create truly sustainable partnerships by bridging the gap between culturally significant craft traditions and the global market.
Rituraj Dewan - Co-Founder
Leading business development, eco-system restoration, community connections and synergies with all stakeholders, Rituraj is one of the co-founders of 7Weaves. He has earlier worked with the pharmacology industry and designed market entry strategies for innovative health care products across various regions, with over 17 years of experience in working with Social Health Care companies across the world.
Mandakini Gogoi - Co-Founder & Director of Operations
Mandakini actively works to revive traditional Indigo dyeing techniques using Assam Indigo, regarded as one of the 30 most rare traditional craft techniques in India. She also provides leadership in all aspects of operations at 7Weaves, with a special interest in bio-regional natural dyeing.
She was earlier operation head at PT Pharmacon Pvt Ltd, a research-based women’s health care company, and she was also a certified lead auditor for QMS.
Mr. Mathew John - Director of Finance
Responsible for financial management at 7Weaves, Mathew is currently the Managing Partner at Invictus Capital Advisory, which runs an equity advisory practice in Mumbai.
He has over 30 years of banking / investment banking experience and is MD & CEO of Central Bank of India’s investment banking subsidiary, and Chief General Manager & Country Head - Corporate Banking, Exim Bank of India.