We had the good fortune of connecting with Radhika Kotwal and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Radhika, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I have been juggling 2 careers for the past two decades, that of a performing artist and a technologist. Going through some of the challenges myself as a dance company owner, I knew I could solve these through technology.

An entrepreneur at heart, I’m keen to empower artists with technology in their hands for rapid revenue realization.
This drive inspired me to found Courtyardly, a first-of-its-kind platform for the performing arts industry.

Taking the leap from the corporate world was the toughest part, but the inner calling made me do it

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My dance journey started at age 8. Ever since I have set my foot on the dance floor, I have loved every bit of it. I completed my undergrad in Electrical Engineering the same year as I got my graduate degree in dance. Up until that point, I had been touring quite a bit with my teacher’s dance company as a senior performing artist & competing at various levels and realized soon enough in my life that dance was my passion. I also got trained in classical vocal music for 6 years and till date, music has been an inseparable part of my life.
The new millennium gave me a new opportunity of doing my Master’s in Electrical engineering in the US and I grabbed it. By then, juggling multiple tasks had become a norm and I decided to pursue teaching dance as a way to keep in touch with my beloved art form while I earned my Master’s amidst two freezing cold winters of Michigan.
After 2 brief stints in a software engineering role, my third job finally landed me in the semiconductor technology industry in Arizona.
That year marked many milestones for me and a significant one was the self-appointed brand of an entrepreneur of a self-founded dance company.
Who knew I would eventually grow my company to train several hundreds of students over 2 decades, and serve as creative producer/director/choreographer for multiple touring productions & fundraisers? In parallel, I had explored different roles within engineering, business analysis, program management with a few successful meandering turns into marketing and eventually sales – my most favorite of them all – making new connections, traveling the world, learning about new cultures and all this while closing multi-million $ business deals.

I got the privilege of working with some very talented artists and people through these years. Excellent musicians, event managers, stage set up crew, makeup artists, costume designers, mentors, music directors, photographers, videographers, light and sound technicians, recording studio teams, choreographers, technical leaders, senior execs, engineers, marketing specialists, sales professionals, the list is endless.

An Aha moment for me came when I realized what got me so excited to wake up each day – my 2 worlds of technology and art were converging! My left and right brains were becoming thick pals wanting to constantly exchange ideas and burst with creativity. Soon, I grew more observant of how each skillset could be interchangeably applied to add value in any given context.

Artists, on one hand, would talk to me about their need and reliance on technology while techies would share their want to bring out their inner artists and their true longing to be guitarists, musicians if time permitted, they would even pat me on my shoulder for my contribution to the arts along with handling a high profile job. And my artsy friends would laugh at how I didn’t have to worry about getting paid for my concerts the way they had to struggle since it was their bread and butter …. And that’s where it struck me, why?

Why should they be struggling? Why isn’t the art industry flourishing the way other industries are? Why aren’t the artists getting their well-deserved compensation the way the techies are? What would it take for artists to thrive? What would it take for the broad market to consume what art has to offer? What does it take for us to revive some of the disappearing art forms and discovering some of the hidden talent? How do we pass along our traditional art knowledge in a way that’s captivating for the next gen?
Moreover, as a small sized dance company owner, I was facing challenges too – the management overhead hassle, having to promote my own brand, worry about ticket sales, I would rather be focusing on my skills as a dancer and choreographer.

More importantly, rather than analyzing it, how can I contribute? And that probing question finally led me to start coining my business concept of Courtyardly.

A goal to build an ecosystem for the performing/visual art industry where –
Artists no longer struggle, rather thrive
Hidden talent and disappearing art forms are exposed.
The arts are easily accessible and consumable
A health supply chain of artists and creative businesses is strengthened

I will say that going through this journey of experiencing the pain points personally, and executing on the planned mission has not been easy by any means, but most fulfilling!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love entertaining my guests, and being foodie myself has made me explore a lot. As far as local itineraries – Scottsdale Old Town is one of my favs – lots of good shopping and eating! We usually take our guests to Fountain Hills, Tempe Town Lake, downtown Chandler, and some outdoor malls too. Fine dining at the Phoenician or Montelucia resort for a spa evening is always welcome. For week long trips, Sedona is a must with dining in Tlaquepaque. We have also done some festivals and meditation retreats there.
And of course, cultural experiences, galleries and shows at the local performing art centers makes the trip complete.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have always been a believer in the power of mentorship. In my case, I feel I am truly blessed to have a supportive family, an amazing circle of friends and well-wishers, and several mentors that have influenced me throughout my journey. Through my parents, I have learned discipline and moral values. I am thankful to all the wonderful teachers, especially my dance guru, in my formative stages of life. I am grateful to my husband to constantly remind me of how much of a responsibility I have as an instructor and leader of my company, how it goes beyond the sharing of the skill or the role itself to influence many lives in impactful ways.
Some of my mentors in the technical industry have been instrumental in giving me the confidence at crucial junctures in my career when I needed it most. I learned the principles of good leadership through them.

Most of all, through all these mentorships over the years, I have realized the importance of people, teams, culture and relationships. No matter where your venture or job leads you, its the people that count the most.

Website: www.courtyardly.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtyardly/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/radhika-kotwal/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/courtyardly

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kalaakendraperformingarts9358

Other: https://www.facebook.com/kalaakendra

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