Sushmita Poddar is a henna artist, designer, choreographer and a business owner in Oregon and her ancestry is from Rajasthan and West Bengal in India. Sushmita believes her own creative energy came from the women in her family who are all creatives and entrepreneurs pushing against the norms of a patriarchal society. She owns Oregon’s first and only non-food cultural boutique - Shop Amrapali, a henna and threading salon - Salon Amrapali and a dance studio - Bollywood Movez. She runs a dance company based in Hillsboro, where she teaches folk dance forms from all over India as well as Bollywood dance. Sushmita is also a Cultural Healing Mehendi (henna) Artist. Sushmita values the close connection she creates with people by doing their henna; she explains that she has even cried & laughed together with her clients because of the intense connection that comes from holding someone’s hand and making it her canvas. It is a bond which is inexplicable and she values each of the people she has ever painted. Sushmita grew up surrounded by silks, fabric, textiles, embroidery and the hum of machines. She learned how to use the sewing machine at the age of 4 and started making accessories and clothing for her dolls by 5. She also learned hand embroidery very young and has created multiple pieces over the years all taught by her grandmother. (Her hands would never be still, Sushmita reminisces). Everyone in the family loved natural handwoven textiles so her love for cultural clothing stemmed from watching her family drape themselves in saris, kurtas, dupattas that all held a story. Sushmita prefers to only wear ethnic clothing herself, connecting her presence here to her ancestry in lands afar, and says it's her only form of “peaceful/silent protest”. Shop Amrapali (Amra means Mango, Pali is branch - meaning branch of a mangotree) is a heritage boutique and a reflection of her love for her heritage arts and crafters. It houses over 5500 artisans Sushmita has personally met across India and the sellers for over 18 years. She has curated each piece lovingly and with intention to share the beauty of South Asian heritage arts with us here in Oregon. Sushmita has herself designed over 10000 cultural outfits and fabric accessories. Sushmita is a tireless and fearless civic leader, with a passion for Racial Justice, for serving Humanity with Equity and Dignity and is also an active member of the South Asian community in Oregon. She is also a cultural event coordinator and has organized several events over the years, including The Festival of Colors - Holi, Festival of Lights - Diwali and other multicultural markets like Melange across the Portland Metro region. She has participated in hundreds of events and markets across the state and west coast, sharing her love for cultural arts with communities across the spectrum. She is a vocal advocate for cultural arts and visible representation and intentional inclusion of cultural artists who add to the story and fabric of Oregon.