We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ope Dina. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ope below.

Ope, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Kathari is a space fragrance brand looking to elevate scents in all the places we inhabit. The ethos of the brand is founded around clean and simple design and ingredients. Scent is integral to my life and setting the mood of my space with beautiful fragrances is a core part of my daily routine.

The nature of my job after college involved frequent travel, and one practice that evoked the familiarity of home was diffusing scents in my hotel room. The practice of starting my days with scent has been ingrained in my lifestyle and is one I find beneficial to share with the world. I enjoy hosting family and friends in a space that is welcoming and distinguished by great scents, a signature of my home. Through research to automate scenting, I discovered cold-air nebulizers that offer cleaner, more consistent results. I also enjoy leaning on technology to ease daily tasks and nebulizer offered the automation but also a pure way to scent homes. It was the perfect fit. After a few years of using this technology, the idea of Kathari was born. I founded Kathari to share safe and aromatic scents for spaces that had been cherished through the years by those closest to me.  Wellness is another integral facet of my life and as a yoga instructor I began infusing scents in my studios to enhance student practice. This sparked the second arm of the business, creating custom scents to enhance the sensory experience of training or movement practice. Through the power of scent, students subconsciously key into the mindset for the movement they are about to engage. With elevated deodorizing scents, patrons of boutique gyms will share a deeper bond with the services they receive. With Kathari, my aim is helping people have pockets of luxury in their daily lives through scents that are comforting, familiar, and elevated – enhancing memories with loved ones. According to research, 65% of people recall smells accurately after a year (visuals drop to 50% recall in only three months). 

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Kathari Co. is for every space you inhabit. Our cold-air nebulizer uses smart, innovative, heat-free, and waterless technology to diffuse our signature, clean blend of essentials throughout your space. Together, the Kathari Co. Nebulizer and fragrances allow you to design your space down to the very last scent, offering the opportunity to experience it in a new way. At Kathari, the goal is to influence how people experience the spaces they interact with daily through smell. A business is as good as their values which impact their community. We use fragrance nebulizers to offer customers and businesses an energy-efficient upgrade with purer outcomes for scenting a space. We strive to educate our customers and community about the importance of using sustainable and environmentally friendly products. By creating awareness and education, we can help create a more sustainable future for our community with their approach to space scenting.

As a Finance Tech consultant, I spent a lot of time traveling — walking through hotel lobbies and crowded airport lounges — yearning for the comforts of home.

I became intrigued by the art of hotel scenting – how a luxe hotel lobby fragrance could enhance my stay, remind me of a special moment, or energize me before the next meeting or trip. It led me to discover that all of my favorite places and every good memory has a signature scent.

I wanted to bring the powerful art of signature fragrance to you.

Scent brought a sense of familiarity to me while traveling and it’s become an integral part of my life and daily wellness; whether I’m setting the mood for a day of relaxation or preparing to host friends and family and wanting them to feel welcomed into my space.

In creating Kathari, I want everyone to enjoy the experience of coming home – to places they belong, no matter how near or far – and enhance everyday moments through the art of scent. However, I also want your experience to be safe and easy. Our cold-air nebulizer uses innovative, smart technology to disperse our signature, clean blends of essential oils throughout your space without heat or water making it safe for use around pets or kids.

Kathari Co. is for every space you inhabit. It’s for every space you live, work, play, and relax and most importantly, for every space that makes you feel at home.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The most recent global pandemic caused many shifts in my life but most notable was having to leave the country for an extended period of time due to immigration backlogs. Although devastating at the time, it became the incubator for the idea for Kathari as my lingering love for smell was made evident. In preparing for the short notice move, one of the first things I packed were my essential oil scents for the space that was to be my home for a few months away.

This period had become pivotal as I was able to dive deep into the creation of scents, birthing Kathari.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Starting a brand without prior knowledge in the fragrance manufacturing industry was daunting to say the least but I always believed in finding the right people. One thing I have done on this journey is to speak about the brand to whoever will listen especially in the early stages working to find a fragrance manufacturer.

I sent cold emails, LinkedIn messages and tried natural connections but to no avail. Unwavered, I continued the discussion with whoever will listen and one day during a session with my trainer, I mentioned the frustration of the fragrance partner search. Unbeknownst to me, she had another client in the industry. She was able to make the connection which has led to my small business partnering with one of the foremost fragrance houses in the US. The lesson I learnt here is to keep going, you never know where the break you need will come from.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://katharico.com
• Instagram: Kathari.home
• Facebook: Kathari Co.
• Linkedin: Kathari Co.