Striwicessa Maringka Suhali

Busy bee

HOW ABOUT ENJOYING a five-star spa experience at home or even in your office? This is a service Striwicessa Maringka Suhali decided to provide when she launched Spalosophy in 2014. Her mobile spa and beauty service caters to today’s fast-paced urban lifestyle. As Striwicessa puts it, Spalosophy is “for the busy bees, modern professionals and active parents. Without having to find a taxi or drive a car, customers can pamper themselves with a relaxing massage or dress up their nails in the latest design trend, wherever and whenever they want it.”

The 30-year-old entrepreneur is a graduate of Raffles Design Institute in Singapore and The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in San Francisco. Striwicessa came up with her business idea when she was Managing Director of ( X)S.M.L, a fashion label founded by Biyan and her mother. “I was so busy I was never able to find the time to go to a salon or a spa,” she recalls. “I thought, there must be many more like me!”

Spalosophy is not just a money-making venture. Explains Striwicessa: “Working in the fashion business was challenging and exhilarating. I owe a lot of who I am and how I think to those years. But in my heart, I knew that I wanted to use my energy to build an organisation focused on helping marginalised women.

“For me, success is when I can create a sustainable impact. I measure my success by how much change I make in the lives of individuals. When I hear that, through their earnings from Spalosophy, some of our employees are putting their children through school or buying a house, or are able to support their parents, then I feel that we’re making a difference.”