Senior Shaila Tandon craved a creative outlet — one that challenged her to think critically and build something impactful but didn’t fit into the conventional molds of art or humanities. She wanted a space where innovation met real-world application, where ideas weren’t just imagined but executed. Shaila found that space in business.

In frosh year, Shaila worked on an innovation project creating a prototype of a safety app which taught her the power of innovation and developing something tangible. Since then, she has been an active member of the Harker Business and Entrepreneurship program, starting her own initiative through the Incubator course.

What draws Shaila to business is its mix of teamwork, presentation and critical thinking. Similarly, she is interested in economics, which provides a blend of analysis and out of the box thinking. Through debating divisive issues during class seminars, Shaila learned the importance of staying open to different perspectives.

“Sometimes we pigeonhole ourselves into only listening to one perspective,” Shaila said. “Through discussions centered around economic policy, you’re able to open your eyes to all thoughts. Economics has really changed my mindset because we’re in an echo chamber at Harker, so being able to peacefully debate and argue with people is a great skill that we all need to have.”

In class, Shaila is known for asking sharp questions and pushing projects beyond the expected. She brings a sense of purpose to every discussion, often thinking about how ideas can extend beyond the classroom. Business and Entrepreneurship teacher Michael Acheatel attests to Shalia’s leadership skills, highlighting her willingness to lend a helping hand to others.

“Mr. Glass and I were talking about Shaila the other day and we said that it feels like she’s been a 7th colleague in the business and entrepreneurship department,” Acheatel said. “She’s been so integral to the success of B&E and over the past four years, not just in terms of her own accomplishments, but the opportunities she’s brought to her peers.”

Alongside business and economics, Shaila has an innate love for psychology. From a young age, she has been a very observant person who enjoys watching and analyzing people’s reactions. In ninth grade she joined Psychology Club, which allowed her to better understand the community around her and why people behave the way they do. Shaila approaches psychology from a business perspective, working at the intersection of her various interests. She finds value in understanding consumer behavior — how people make decisions, what influences their choices and how companies can tailor products to meet their needs. This blend of psychology and marketing fascinates her because it involves both analysis and real-world application.

“The balance is really between consumer behavior and how we can market stuff in a way that will engage the customer,” Shaila said. “That intersection to me is the most interesting because you’re understanding human behavior and then figuring out how to use that to help yourself and help your own company. I love watching commercials and figuring out what tactic they are using to get me to buy this product.”

In her junior year of high school, Shaila combined her love for business, economics and psychology in her start-up, Curlosphy. Together with co-founder senior Norah Mehanna, they devised the idea based on their own struggles. When they were on the hunt for products to suit their curly hair, they found inconclusive recommendations scattered across social media. In addition, they noticed that there were limited options for people who wanted to buy sample sizes. Now, Curlosophy sells travel-sized curly hair products and starter kits for people to be able to try a routine before making the investment for the full size.

Running a business in high school has its challenges, including competing with other products. By recognizing the need for constant improvement, Shaila and Norah were able to take their own path and excel in their niche. For Shaila, all the effort becomes worth it when she sees people benefiting from her product.

“I’ll tell people their curls look great today and they’ll be like, ‘I used Curlosophy,’” Shaila said. “That brings me so much satisfaction and makes it so worth it because even if it’s just a school-affiliated business, you’re still helping somebody in some way and seeing them. I’ve seen people totally flaunting their curls when maybe they would have straightened it otherwise.”

Close friend senior Sidak Sanghari has seen Shaila’s transformation in high school from a frosh unsure of her goals to a driven senior running her own business. Sidak and Shaila first became friends in middle school, and they’ve since watched each other grow.

“She’s extremely hard working,” Sidak said. “I’ve seen her put so much time and care into Curlosophy, from packaging the boxes to making TikToks, doing the marketing and hosting booths at all these different business events that Harker holds.”

Despite all her responsibilities, Shaila always makes time for her friends and the people closest to her. Senior Ariana Gauba, who became close with Shaila when they worked on their DECA project together, underscores her helpful and supportive nature.

“The way that Shaila responds to me, I’ve never seen that in anyone else before,” Ariana said. “She is so honest, but she’s also so kind to you and that’s something that’s really hard to come by. A lot of people may say things because they’re easy to say and it’s what you want to hear. With Shaila, that’s not the case: she’ll tell you the truth but she’ll also tell you that we can figure it out together.”

Throughout the trials and tribulations of being a high school entrepreneur, Shaila has prioritized maintaining an optimistic outlook. Whether it be her startup or B&E, she strives to put in her best effort and help uplift others. 

“My biggest achievement throughout all of high school has been being able to keep a positive mindset,” Shaila said. “We can all get so down on ourselves, and especially in such a competitive environment, it’s really easy to fall into that hole of going ‘I’m not good enough.’ I’m able to push through that and know what’s meant to be is meant to be. What happens in the end is going to be what’s right for you even if, superficially, it may not seem that way.”