How this Dubai Teenager Transformed His Love for Art & Sustainability Into a Cross-Border Social Impact Project

Ruhaan’s project didn’t begin as a career move, it began with a family conversation.

His grandmother and mother were the first people to suggest turning his love for sketching and pop art into something tangible. Around the same time, Dubai was entering its Year of Sustainability, banning plastic bags and rolling out city-wide awareness campaigns ahead of COP28. Everywhere he looked, companies were shifting toward greener practices.

The idea clicked:
“Tote bags are something people use unanimously—they're everywhere. How can I make a change with something I love doing?”

Because his grandmother lived in Delhi and had local NGO connections, she helped him source recycled materials and supervise production: ensuring quality, transparency, and that donations reached the right people.

What began as a personal hobby became a sustainability project rooted in both Dubai and India.

#1: What was high school like for you, and how did it shape your interests?

Ruhaan: High school in Dubai was incredibly fast-paced, competitive, and full of opportunity. Being at Dubai International Academy meant I was surrounded by students from everywhere in the world, all pushing themselves in different directions: academics, athletics, social good, competitions, and personal projects.

That environment mattered.

I always say you become a mosaic of the people around you, and my peers were extremely driven. Being around so many hardworking students pushed me to work harder to: not because I had to, but because I genuinely wanted to.

Dubai as a city also shaped me. It’s multicultural, full of ambition, and constantly developing. Everyone around you is doing something. No one is just “chilling.” That energy rubs off on you.

#2: What inspired you to create Artisacs? How did the idea first form?

Ruhaan: It started simply: with my grandmother and mother. I’ve always been deeply into sketching and pop-art illustrations, and they suggested early on that I try to do something with my art.

At the same time, Dubai was transitioning into its Year of Sustainability. There was a plastic bag ban, COP28 was approaching, and sustainability initiatives were happening everywhere. It felt like the entire city was shifting toward environmental responsibility.

Everything lined up:

• my love for art

• Dubai’s sustainability push

• an opportunity to create something people actually use

• family support in Delhi

• access to NGOs who needed the funds

Tote bags felt like the perfect intersection: widely used, practical, sustainable, and a blank canvas for art.

#3: How did you transform that idea into a fully functioning social impact project?

Ruhaan: It wasn’t quick. It wasn’t easy. And it definitely wasn’t glamorous.

Dubai has a very structured system for anything that involves public interaction or fundraising, even something non-profit like selling sustainable tote bags. So I had to rely heavily on grass-roots outreach: word-of-mouth, Instagram posts, and sharing my sketches.

The design process alone took over a year:

• sketching at my desk

• scanning drawings

• tracing again on my sister’s iPad

• cleaning and re-working the designs

My school network helped tremendously too. Teachers bought bags, family friends supported the cause, and my peers shared the project organically. Eventually, I made a website to scale it further.

Artisacs grew slowly, but authentically. Every part of it was a learning curve, from manufacturing to marketing to building trust.

#4: What were the biggest lessons you learned from the entire experience?

Ruhaan: The first lesson was patience: real, long-term patience. For a year and a half, all I was doing was designing, adjusting, and preparing. I had nothing to post, nothing to sell, nothing “successful” to show. Social impact projects don’t give quick dopamine hits; you have to trust the process long before the results appear.

The second lesson was credibility matters more than anything.
When you're asking people to spend money and trust you with donations, they have every right to question where the money is going. Some were skeptical, which is fair. So I had to:

• show proof

• explain the process

• document the NGO partnership

• ensure transparency at every step

Another one was “I made my Etsy startup and got my first sale!”

My grandmother in Delhi played a key role here. She supervised production, handled quality control, and physically delivered funds to the NGO. That level of transparency built trust.

If you don’t genuinely enjoy what you’re doing, the sketches, the fairs, the messaging, you won’t last long enough to make it meaningful.

#5: Was there a specific moment or memory that stands out as the most meaningful to you?

Ruhaan: Visiting textile factories in Delhi with my grandmother is the memory that sticks with me vividly. Watching recycled materials being used, seeing the craftsmanship behind every bag, and learning how the process worked was fascinating.

It made the project feel deeply personal.
It wasn’t just my project.
It was ours.

Those trips, the conversations, the challenges, the shared purpose, made everything feel meaningful.

#6: Now that you’re at Vanderbilt, what inspires you to continue making an impact?

Ruhaan: Being at Vanderbilt is a privilege. It’s an environment where ideas aren’t dismissed; they’re nurtured. Students are motivated, curious, and eager to build things. That energy keeps you moving.

My friends in high school were some of the most ambitious people I’ve ever met — athletes, artists, researchers, activists. My family is extremely driven too. When the people around you are constantly striving to improve, you naturally want to push yourself as well.

Even outside social impact, I’ve found community at Vanderbilt — like the run club, which is filled with former high school athletes who didn’t get recruited. Training with them has been an “arduous experience,” as Ruhaan puts it, but it’s also motivating. Being around people who challenge themselves inspires me to keep growing.

#7: What advice would you give to high schoolers in Dubai who want to build their own social impact projects?

Ruhaan: My perspective is recent as I’m only two months into college but I’ll share what I’ve learned.

Stay Connected

Connect with Ruhaan: Linked-In