Vishaka, a botanist and microbiologist, co-founded Tea People with her husband Neeraj after they came across a school in their hometown of Darjeeling that was in urgent need of some repairs and assistance. The school was located amidst the tea gardens and so served the children of tea garden workers and other impoverished villagers in the area. Initially raising funds for the school, they soon discovered the deeper challenges and poverty faced by tea pickers and their families. This led to the creation of Tea People, a social enterprise driven by a vision to eliminate poverty in tea growing regions by supporting education and social projects worldwide via the sale of tea.