Brothers @anihustles and @ayanisdreaming grew up in Massachusetts, but their connection to South Asian culture was strong — the pair visited their parents' hometown of Kolkata, India, almost every summer and devoured the street food and drinks there, especially the chai. Fast-forward 20 years, and the brothers are cofounders of @KolkataChaiCo, a New York City-based, brick-and-mortar business and e-commerce store that sells the popular beverage — originally from India — along with other regional snacks and merchandise. The Sanyal brothers launched their business in 2018 as a side hustle but didn't open their café on the Lower East Side until 2019. They raised $1 million in preseed funding this year to grow their e-commerce business, invest in customer acquisition, and open additional stores. Tap the link in our bio to see their pitch deck and more advice. Story by Shriya Bhattacharya. (Credit: Kolkata Chai)