As a young girl growing up in Coimbatore, India, Kaviya Ravi aspired to be a creative designer, but her traditional Indian upbringing pushed her into pursuing a degree in biochemistry. Today as a creative designer and entrepreneur in Louisville, Kentucky and a star contestant on the third season of the NBC reality show, “Making It,” Ravi has taken the creative world by storm, a living example, she says, of “…women taking charge of their own lives and pursuing their true passion as a path to success.”

“Making It” is a competition featuring contestants from the arts and crafts industry, and is produced and hosted by actress and self-proclaimed craft novice Amy Poehler and woodworking guru Nick Offerman. On the show, an arts and crafts version of food or fashion competitions such as “Top Chef” or “Project Runway,” craft “makers” from across the country compete to make a variety of handmade, DIY projects. They are judged by an expert panel on their imagination, craftsmanship, and ability to tie personal stories about their craftiness and creativity.  

As a contestant Ravi’s crafts showcased her Indian culture and her love for bright and bold colors, regaling judges and fellow contestants with stories, also colorful, of her upbringing, her arranged marriage and coming to America. Today, Ravi has an online shop on Etsy called Khromophilia with the motto to always stay “Unapologetically Colorful.” Her shop carries a wide range of products for people and their homes. Everything is handmade at her home studio.She works for Anthropologie as a display coordinator. During the lockdown, she transformed her entire home into a colorful happy space. We sat down with Ravi recently to talk about her journey from India and science to the United States and the world of arts and crafts.