Sharing Their Real Journey of Starting and Growing a Business, the Panel Brings Together Small Business Owner Indus Threads Founder Saadia Khan, Nirvana Soul Co-founder Be’Anka Ashaolu, and Moderator Sahar Arshad, CEO of OnVibe to “Discuss What It Takes to Grow a Brand From Scratch”
News Summary:
- OnVibe, an AI-powered social media marketing platform backed by LG NOVA, LG Electronics' North America Innovation Center, will host a Small Business Week panel discussion in San Francisco at 4 p.m. PT on May 7, 2026.
- The event, titled “From Vision to Venture: What It Takes to Grow a Brand from Scratch,” at the Yes SF Event Space, 220 Montgomery St., San Francisco.
- Spotlighting small business owners, Saadia Khan, founder of Indus Threads; Be’Anka Ashaolu, co-founder of Nirvana Soul, as small business owners navigating business success by leveraging technology and AI to grow their business. The panel will be moderated by Sahar Arshad, CEO of OnVibe.
- Panelists will discuss the real founder journey, from finding the original vision and building with limited resources to creating a differentiated brand, navigating the messy middle of entrepreneurship and highlighting the realities of building and scaling a modern small business with cultural relevance, community impact and staying power.
- The event is free and open to the public - registration recommended.
SAN FRANCISCO, [May 4, 2026] — OnVibe, the AI-powered social media marketing platform backed by LG NOVA, LG Electronics' North America Innovation Center, will host a panel discussion during San Francisco Small Business Week (SFSBW) centered on the realities of building and scaling a modern small business with cultural relevance, community impact and staying power. The event, titled “From Vision to Venture: What It Takes to Grow a Brand from Scratch,” will take place on May 7 from 4 - 7 p.m. PT at the Yes SF Event Space, 220 Montgomery St. in San Francisco.
WHAT
OnVibe and the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce will host an intimate founder panel featuring entrepreneurs who have built community-centered brands from the ground up. The event spotlights Saadia Khan, founder of purpose-driven fashion brand Indus Threads, and Be'Anka Ashaolu, co-founder of community-rooted coffee and hospitality brand Nirvana Soul, as they share candid lessons on vision, resourcefulness, customer trust, and brand differentiation. The panel will be moderated by Sahar Arshad, CEO of OnVibe, who will bring added perspective on how AI is reshaping the way small businesses approach marketing, content strategy and brand-building. Designed for small business owners, founders, creators and operators, the conversation will offer honest insight into the realities of building businesses with cultural relevance, community impact and lasting staying power.
WHO
Saadia Khan is a former Silicon Valley technologist-turned-entrepreneur and founder of Indus Threads, a purpose-driven accessories brand that carries handcrafted, one-of-a-kind pieces from artisans and small brands around the world. Saadia founded Indus Threads after a 2019 trip to rural Pakistan, where she was inspired by the skill, resilience and ambition of women artisans working to build better futures for their families. Through the brand, she combines fashion, storytelling and social impact, supporting global artisans, celebrating cultural craftsmanship and committing a percentage of every sale to charity partners focused on women's education, health and safety. Indus Threads has earned international recognition, with products showcased at events including Paris Fashion Week, and is built around Saadia's belief that fashion can be both beautiful and purpose-driven.
Be'Anka Ashaolu is the co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Nirvana Soul Coffee Purveyors, a community-centered coffee and hospitality brand she built alongside her sister, Jeronica, in their hometown of San Jose. A former journalist turned tech professional, Be'Anka was drawn back to the slowing-down, community-gathering spirit of coffee culture, and in 2018 the sisters joined forces to bring their shared vision to life. Through creative fundraising, an SBA loan, and a lot of persistence, they opened Nirvana Soul's first location in San Jose's SoFA District in September 2020, becoming one of the very few Black-owned businesses in the city. The brand is known for its vibrant pink storefront; its commitment to employing predominantly Black and Brown female baristas and coffee roasters; and its mission to make specialty coffee accessible and reflective of the communities it serves. Since opening, Nirvana Soul has grown to multiple locations, with a fourth set to open at San Jose State University, as the sisters work toward their goal of 20 locations nationwide.
Panel moderator Sahar Arshad, is CEO of OnVibe, a social media marketing platform backed by LG NOVA, that helps small businesses and content creators build personalized content strategies. Unlike generic AI tools, OnVibe evaluates a brand, understands its goals, and recommends what to post, when, and why; helping small teams build a meaningful social media presence without a dedicated marketing department. A repeat founder with experience building products across healthcare, marketing and enterprise technology, Sahar previously served as Director of New AI Ventures at LG NOVA, where OnVibe was incubated. She has been recognized with honors, including TiE Top 50, Cisco Global Disruptor and Data Leader of the Year, and her work has been featured in Forbes and Bloomberg.
WHEN
Thursday, May 7 from 4:00 - 7:00 pm PT
WHERE
Yes SF Office, 220 Montgomery St. Event space, San Francisco
WHY
San Francisco Small Business Week, taking place during National Small Business Week, is an annual opportunity to spotlight the challenges and opportunities facing the more than 90,000 small businesses operating in the San Francisco Bay Area. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, 99.9% of all U.S. businesses are small businesses, and economic activity from small businesses makes up 43.5% of U.S. GDP, underscoring the critical role small businesses play in the national economy.
Yet building and sustaining an effective digital presence remains one of the most persistent challenges small business owners face. According to the sixth annual State of Small Business Survey by Verizon Business and Morning Consult, more than three-quarters of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) agree that social media positively impacts their business performance, yet more than half (54%) admit struggling to keep their content fresh and stay current with social media trends.
AI-powered tools like OnVibe are reshaping how small businesses approach this challenge, enabling owners to generate strategic, on-brand content direction without the cost or capacity of a full marketing team. The application is built to help entrepreneurs and small and medium businesses help grow their business through effective social media brand marketing. Request early access for the app at onvibe.co.
Saadia Khan's story, and her direct experience integrating AI tools into the operations of Indus Threads, provides a concrete, real-world example of what this looks like in practice for Bay Area entrepreneurs and small business owners.
The panel will explore:
- The start of the journey - why did you take the leap to entrepreneurship
- How founders identify the original vision for a brand
- What it takes to build from scratch with limited time, budget and resources
- How to create a brand that feels authentic and differentiated
- The role of community in building trust and momentum
- Early lessons in marketing, storytelling and customer discovery
- What founders wish they knew before starting
- How small businesses can use modern tools, including AI, to grow more intelligently
For more information, please visit https://luma.com/jhinxvtq?lm_source=embed
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About LG NOVA
LG NOVA, the North America Innovation Center for global innovation leader LG Electronics, is a team focused on delivering new experiences powered by AI, built from collaboration with innovators across the ecosystem. LG NOVA is based in Santa Clara, Calif, with a branch office in Morgantown, WV. The center’s mission is to fuel innovation for LG and its partners by creating and launching new AI-first ventures to become the next growth engine for LG. Learn more about LG NOVA at www.lgnova.com.
About OnVibe
OnVibe is an AI-powered creative ally and the go-to platform for creating relevant, engaging content for small businesses and content creators. The platform proactively evaluates brands and their markets to surface personalized insights and strategic idea starters, driving more timely and purposeful content that helps businesses achieve meaningful results. The company is part of LG NOVA’s portfolio of business ventures. Learn more at www.onvibe.co.
Media Contacts:
LG NOVA
Linda Quach
+1 408 903 3045
linda.quach@lge.com
