Meet Trailblazer Sandrine Vohra

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandrine Vohra.

Sandrine, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Who I am today is really the combination of my multicultural upbringing, my passions, and my learnings – be it through formal education or life experiences.

I was born in France to Indian parents, which meant that from a very young age, I had to juggle two cultures: Indian at home and French everywhere else. This background of living and loving a blend of cultures, my passion for languages (proud to say I speak 5 fluently) and travel have naturally pointed towards a career in International Business. I attended ESSEC, a top business school in France, and then worked in marketing in different countries–France, India, and Germany.

I did my MBA at the University of Colorado and I have been here ever since.

Being seen as an ethnic woman wherever I have lived, has always made me reflect and focus on inclusion, diversity, and human behavior.

All that led to starting MIKADO – a respectful and ethical agency, that would make its contribution towards making different communities feel more included.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It would not have been fun had it been a smooth road!!

The challenges have come from different angles–being a woman, especially working in the ethnic world, you don’t always feel heard; but you have to rise above prejudices, stay confident, and believe in what you are doing. As women, we tend to think that we need to behave, work, lead in a certain manner to be successful; just stick to who you are, and don’t doubt your strengths.

Confidence is key, all across–know that you can do it and take things one step at a time. I learned this the hard way when I was trying to manage launching a new business and look after my two young children as a single parent. A positive attitude, a network of amazing people you can lean on, and a focused plan can help you go through anything smoothly.

Other challenges were and are more specific to owning a business–trying to learn things on the fly and handling new obstacles every day is always a challenge and quite draining; but, you learn so much!! Every challenge or mistake is an opportunity to learn –   ‘ancora imparo’!

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about MIKADO International – what should we know?
Almost 10 years ago, my background and my aspirations had led me to start MIKADO International – a multicultural marketing agency that specializes in helping businesses form meaningful relationships with diverse audiences, ensuring that communication is global and inclusive.

Corporations, regardless of industry or size, need to recognize that their current marketing communication might not be reaching their entire target audiences; for instance, they could be missing out on the 70 million Americans who do not speak English at home, and most of whom are highly educated and high-income earners.

In today’s world, people tend to focus more on differences than on similarities, and that’s where, I believe, our work is slightly different–we look at developing marketing campaigns that are based on insights that are common across age, ethnicity, and gender, and bring people together. We have successfully worked with local companies as well as Fortune 100 brands to cater to their audiences in a meaningful manner, and have been recognized for the same through several prestigious awards.

Our work through MIKADO has also brought us recognition as one of the top 100 women-owned companies in Colorado, as well as one of the 100 fastest-growing Asian American businesses in the country.

But what I am most proud of, is the culture that we have, which is the result of every person who has touched MIKADO. Our team is multi-generational, multi-cultural, and I do believe that this diversity has been the foundation of our success.

Contact Info:

• Address: MIKADO International
  1580 N Lincoln Street, Suite 960, Denver, CO 80203
• Website: www.mikadointl.com
• Phone: 720.583.4347
• Email: sandrine@mikadointl.com
• Instagram: @sandrine.vohra
• Facebook: @MIKADOIntl

Image Credit:
MIKADO International

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