At 24, She Moved to the U.S., Worked at Walmart, Then Built a $1M Side Hustle From Savings

A Journey from Retail to Wellness-Focused Snacks

Mehek Khera, a 35-year-old entrepreneur based in New York City, is the founder and CEO of Niramaya Foods. This snack brand is rooted in wellness and inspired by Indian heritage. Khera's journey began when she left New Delhi, India, at the age of 24 and moved to the U.S., where she started working at Walmart in an e-commerce role. She managed the category and supply chain for beauty and apparel, which was fast-paced and high-pressure. However, over time, the long hours, lack of real food, and stress began to take a toll on her body and mind.

The Inspiration Behind Niramaya

Niramaya was born during a period of burnout and health struggles in 2020. Khera was dealing with chronic, undiagnosed autoimmune conditions and couldn't find answers. This led her to pursue nutrition school, where she rediscovered the healing power of traditional Indian foods. She realized that these recipes, passed down through generations, were medicine in themselves. However, she couldn't find them in a way that felt clean, convenient, or modern. This gap between culture and convenience became the foundation for Niramaya.

Launching the Side Hustle

Khera started Niramaya in her kitchen, experimenting with recipes and taking feedback seriously. She tested early versions at local markets and saved up about $50,000 over two years to afford the minimum order quantities for her first co-manufacturer. She researched extensively, made hundreds of phone calls, and eventually found a partner that aligned with their mission. They developed early packaging, launched a small website, and put real products into people's hands. That's when the magic started.

Resources and Tools

Founder networks like Startup CPG, Naturally Network, and SKU Accelerator made a significant difference. Slack groups for CPG founders provided fast, brutally honest, and incredibly supportive communities. On the tools side, Notion for tracking everything, Canva for design, and QuickBooks for finances were essential. However, the most valuable resource by far was talking to consumers face-to-face during demos. No software can replace that.

Lessons Learned

If Khera could go back and change one process or approach, she would better prepare for the sheer resource drain. She advises budgeting twice the money and giving oneself twice the time. Everything takes longer and costs more than expected, but it's just the nature of the game.

Challenges and Surprises

One of the biggest challenges was understanding how capital-intensive retail really is. Getting onto shelves is just the start — then comes the real work of driving velocity, educating the shopper, and staying top-of-mind. Another challenge was re-educating people about Indian food. Many assume it's just "heavy curry," but Khera emphasizes that their cuisine is vibrant, clean, gut-friendly, and plant-forward.

Overcoming Setbacks

At one of their early retail partners, Khera's dips were priced too high and placed on the very top shelf — almost invisible to the consumer. Rather than panic, she calmly reached out to the buyer with sales data and shelf psychology insights and offered to support with demos and social posts if they would consider revisiting price and placement. They agreed, and this moment reminded her that being proactive, respectful, and solutions-oriented goes a long way in retail.

Consistent Revenue and Growth

It took around nine months to see steady traction. They started with smaller independents, a few regional stores, and a lot of in-person events. It was grassroots, but it taught Khera how to listen, adapt, and scale responsibly.

Current Success

Today, Niramaya is available in over 1,200 retail doors across the country, including Sprouts, Albertsons, and a strong base of New York City independents. This will be their first year in seven figures. They're launching new SKUs and doubling down on retailers who believe in what they're building.

Passion and Purpose

Khera enjoys the deep creative satisfaction of building something that feels true and seeing it touch people. When someone says, "I've never tasted anything so clean and bold at once," she knows they're doing something meaningful. They're not just selling food: They're shifting the perception of Indian flavors and bringing more people into the fold.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Khera's best piece of specific, actionable business advice is to start before you feel "ready." But don't build in a bubble. Get feedback constantly, especially from your customers. Stay lean. Build trust with your partners. Don't be afraid to ask dumb questions. And remember — relationships will carry you farther than any marketing campaign. Be generous, be honest, and follow through.