It all started with a jewelry making class that I took on a whim , during a family visit to India.  I loved it so much that I haven't stopped since. My other passion is women's issues.  Once, when I was volunteering at a local refugee resettlement center, I met a group of refugee women trying to sell their jewelry without much success. This led to the creation of “Beaded Treasures” – a non-profit that I founded to empower underserved women in our community, by providing training in home-based skills such as jewelry making and financial literacy to build self-confidence and become productive members of the community.  Within 4 years I had trained over 350 women and put them on the path to self-sufficiency. 

This was way beyond my wildest expectations.  I realized that it was time to scale the concept and remove myself from the picture.  In 2019 the program was acquired by Volunteers of America and Beaded Treasures opened its brick-and-mortar location in downtown Louisville.  I continue to make jewelry for the shop and train the women they serve.  Then COVID happened and put a real damper on retail sales. 

When a pop-up opportunity at Norton Commons became available, I decided to jump in and “Empowering Beads” was born!  I can now keep making jewelry while creating awareness and support for  our small and deserving local nonprofits. 

In 2023, I moved to our new location at 8917 Stone Green Way.  The studio is much larger and there is a separate room for classes and events.  

Browse handcrafted jewelry by me and the artisans I support.  Everything is custom made so no two items will be identical.  All profits are donated to support local women and families.  So every piece of jewelry you buy starts a journey of empowerment for a woman in Kentucky.  

Sign up for a jewelry making class on Saturdays; Or gather a few friends and host a jewelry making party.   Call me to host a fundraiser for your favorite charity - all profits will be donated to the charity of your choice.  Fun stuff like that. 

                              Shop online or stop by and say hello!  

    We are open by appointment, so just email or call me if you want to stop by. 

                     surekha@empoweringbeads.com    (502)345-2669

                          8917 Stone Green Way, Louisville KY 40220

                                       Purchase With Purpose!