CEO Miki Agrawal, the fearless leader of Thinx, met a unique set of challenges in breaking down gender stereotypes around menstruation and female sexuality. She persevered to create a feminine protection company on the front lines of both periods and feminism.
Miki Agrawal needed more experience in the corporate world before founding Thinx underwear. Still, she made her dream come true by using her passion for “re-envisioning periods” and an aptitude for marketing to launch the company into success.
An equal rights advocate, Miki was determined to create a company that empowers women regardless of sex or gender. Miki co-founded the FEMEN movement, a French feminist protest group that gained worldwide attention for their high-profile demonstrations and “topple the patriarchy” slogan.
The LGBT community also embraced Thinx, as the brand realized there was nothing off limits regarding style and attitude to women’s underwear. The brand started to receive publicity from publications like CNN and a fan page on Facebook that has over 100,000 likes. Miki Agrawal began Thinx with her twin sister Radha in the summer of 2011. The idea behind the company came after Miki and her twin sister heard stories from college friends about their experiences with period stains and common frustrations like buying pads and tampons discretely at the drug store. The twins decided to launch a brand that was “inclusive, positive, and normalizing.”
Because of this idea of inclusion, Miki Agrawal created Thinx to give women a choice; they could wear pretty undergarments that could absorb their menstrual flow without making them feel like they were advertising their menstruation. Thinx was an instant success, and the brand is continuing to grow.
Thinx’s primary goal is to help break down stigmas around menstruation by educating the public about its products. They have launched a social media campaign on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook with the hashtag #FreeThePurse. They feature women holding purses that they would normally keep out of sight. At the same time, they use them as a “period purse” to hold feminine protection products.
