Shubham Issar and Amanat Anand (SoaPen)

Shubham Issar is an industrial designer and the co-founder of SoaPen, a business that promotes hand-washing and overall hygiene with a pen that allows kids to draw on their hands using soap.

the creation of soapen

Originally from New Delhi, India, Shubham met SoaPen’s other co-founder, Amanat Anand, at the Parsons School of Design in New York—where together they developed and created the pen’s first design.

“We designed SoaPen to address the fact that hand-washing with soap can prevent one out of three children from infectious illnesses that lead to high infant mortality rates,” said Shubham. “With SoaPen, kids can draw all over their hands with colorful, berry-scented soap sticks that rinse away to leave their hands clean.”

Though the SoaPen was first designed in 2015, Shubham is excited about new iterations of the product. “I don't think there will ever be a time when we will stop making changes to SoaPen,” she said. “We want to introduce a rainbow of colors and different sizes.”

Shubham noted, “For every three pens sold in the US, SoaPen donates one to a school in a low-income community in India.” This social giving model is one aspect of SoaPen that Shubham is excited to continually evolve to become more effective.

Shubham and Amanat appear on Shark Tank in 2021

soapen in the because accelerator cohort

In the Because Accelerator, Shubham hopes to focus on creating a plan for SoaPen’s growth. Within five years, she, “would like to have increased SoaPen's product basket by at least five products and be in two to three big box retail stores.” Shubham also wants to conduct “a study to show the effectiveness of SoaPen in rural situations.”

Following her completion of the Because Accelerator, Shubham and Amanat took part in Shark Tank and received funding for the business.

The Because Accelerator is a completely free online training and mentorship program for entrepreneurs who have product-focused ideas and businesses in areas impacted by poverty.

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