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In April, Anki Cowen and her husband Jon bought the house in Rockport, MA, where Aruna Designs’ wholesale inventory has been stored for the last 10 years. The minute she saw the vibrant handcrafts made at Premalaya by widows in Tiruvannamalai, India, Anki fell in love with the project.
An experienced entrepreneur, Anki is currently exploring the feasibility of taking over the wholesale business and ordering handcrafts directly from Premalaya. In the meantime, she volunteers with Marian to fulfill orders that support the work of Aruna Partnership.
“Everything looked so happy, such happy colors!”
“Somehow, I felt I want to be part of this!!!”
“Just for fun”, in February a neighbor brought Anki Cowen to see the house next door to Marian that would soon be listed for sale. Anki liked the house, but when she walked down the basement stairs, her face suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree! “I love this! I love this so much!!!” she exclaimed.
Anki’s granddaughter is also an enthusiastic supporter of Aruna Designs!
Marian: Why did you love the handcrafts so much?
Anki: “Everything looked so happy, such happy colors! And somehow, I just felt I want to be part of this!!! I grew up on a farm in Sweden and learned to work hard. My grandparents on both sides were farmers, and my grandmother was a weaver. She lived to be 101 and kept weaving even when she had to go into a nursing home, so the handwoven products appealed to me immediately!”
Anki and her husband had always planned to move to Rockport later when Jon retires, but they decided to try to buy the house and move up right away. Incredibly they sold their house in Wayland within 2 weeks. They moved into the Rockport house in April, 2025.
Marian: What motivated you to leap into the unknown like that?
Anki: “It just felt right somehow. I really liked the house and the neighborhood, and I felt intuitively that I wanted to be part of this handcraft project. I’m very entrepreneurial and really enjoy running a business. Years ago, I had a business importing Swedish cotton clothing for children and later had an import business from Bali. I also had a travel business for 25 years for au pairs from all over the world. I loved learning about all the different cultures of the people who participated! I worked with Mass Bay Community College to create a curriculum that included educational tours to Philadelphia, Washington DC, Amish country, Niagara Falls, Montreal, Quebec City, etc. I organized a trip every month, with up to 150 people in 3 full buses. Unfortunately, we had to close the business during the Covid pandemic. Now there are now very few au pairs in MA, so I’m eager to try taking on a new business!”
Anki with Karen from Common Crow, a store in Gloucester, MA, that has carried Aruna Designs products for many years.
“Sometimes, it’s a little overwhelming, and I always feel like there’s a lot to learn. It’s so helpful to work with Marian. I’m learning all the time and am glad we can work together to keep the business open until I have a chance to figure out whether it will be possible to run the business myself. It’s hard to know, but I’m encouraged. Our products are selling very well in our current stores, and I’m sure there are many more stores that would love to carry the handcrafts. There’s a lot of potential for this project!”
Marian: What appeals to you about this particular handcraft business?
Anki: “I’m super interested in other cultures and love hearing about how people live in other parts of the world. I haven’t had much experience with India, so it would be really interesting to learn about the culture of the artisans, what their lives are like, what their struggles are, what brings them joy.”
“Also, the products are so beautiful! Everyone who sees these handcrafts responds enthusiastically. Even when friends come to visit, they often can’t help wanting to buy something when I show them the basement where the crafts are stored!”
Marian: Now that you’ve been here for a few months, how do you feel about moving toward taking over the business?
Anki: “There are a lot of unknowns, a lot of uncertainties. I love meeting people and feel it would be fun to expand the wholesale business to more stores, but we’ll need to see how the new tariffs will affect us. That’s a big question.”
In August, Marian and Anki placed an air shipment order from India to replenish some of the popular items that had sold out. Kalai, the production manager at Premalaya, and Phillips, the office manager, worked with their team to fulfill the order quickly and professionally and managed to have it delivered before the tariffs took effect. Everyone was joyful about this: the artisans and staff at Premalaya, Anki and Marian, stores here in the States, and customers who love the products!
We don’t know what the future holds but are grateful for this wonderful chance to let everything unfold in a natural way. It’s quite a journey, and as always, full of grace!
100% of your gifts to Aruna Partnership go to the people and programs in India you want to support.
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