Nancy Daniel still remembers the first time she tried a chai latte in the U.S. It was too sweet, lacked flavor, and felt unfamiliar. “It tasted nothing like the chai I grew up with,” she says. “Back home, chai was bold. It had heat from ginger, depth from whole spices, and meaning behind every cup.”
Raised in South India, Nancy grew up watching chai bring people together, from family kitchens to busy street corners. It was comfort, hospitality, and care. When she could not find that same experience here, she decided to create it herself.
“To me, innovation is taking something deeply traditional and reimagining it for the modern world without losing its soul.”
Nancy launched Madhrasi Chai, crafting chai concentrates made with fresh ginger and whole spices. The idea was simple. Make it easy for cafés and home cooks to serve real chai by just adding milk, without losing what made it special. Today, Madhrasi Chai is served in more than 70 cafés across New England and sold online, at farmers markets, pop-ups, and through corporate partners.
Turning Craft Into a Scalable Business
Scaling a deeply traditional product came with real challenges. Chai has eight ingredients and little room for error. “Getting it wrong is easy,” Nancy says. “Getting it consistent, at café scale, while still tasting homemade took months of testing.”
Another hurdle was changing expectations. Many customers were used to sugary, bland versions of chai. Madhrasi met that challenge face-to-face, hosting chai parties at café launches. “We let people taste the difference,” Nancy explains.
That approach paid off. Madhrasi now has full café retention and a loyal community built one cup at a time.
“Cultivate forced me to slow down and really understand my numbers. The financial modeling helped me see what was possible and what we needed to tighten.”
Strengthening the Foundation with ICIC and Santander
The network proved just as meaningful. “Being surrounded by other founders who were wrestling with the same questions changed everything,” Nancy shares. “I didn’t feel like I was figuring this out alone anymore.”
After graduating, Nancy returned to participate in Santander’s first-ever Next Course pitch competition, designed to support and celebrate alumni. She won the grand prize: a $50,000 grant. “It reminded me that our vision resonates far beyond our own community,” she says.
When Culture Meets Creativity
That vision came to life at Boston’s Snowport Winter Market. In its second year at the market, Madhrasi introduced house-made chai-inspired whipped creams paired with traditional Indian snacks, which more than doubled sales to 30,000 cups in just 50 days.
Looking ahead, Nancy plans to expand across the East Coast, with future Madhrasi Tea Shops designed as gathering spaces. “We are scaling culture and connection,” she says.