Fritha is the creative entrepreneur behind the Secret Pillow Project, the business which became Secret Projects Community Benefit Society. During her 13-year career in the voluntary and not for profit sector she has worked in organisations in the UK and abroad, including Save the Children. Following her time there, she was CEO of Adventure Ashram, a small, charity raising funds and giving them away to grass roots projects in India, for 7 years. From her experience in the charity sector, she knew the challenges that mothers face not having the confidence or the resources to enable their children to thrive. She created Secret Pillow in order to work with women as partners in business rather than beneficiaries.

The journey of taking Secret Pillow Project from its pilot project in 2013 to where it is today has been exciting and transformational. Discovering that she could use the skills she learnt as a fundraiser to be run crowdfunding campaigns was huge, and Secret Projects would not be where it is today without the crowd created through numerous crowdfunding campaigns. She believes, with the leadership team in place, Secret Projects has a bright future, one which she is dedicated to for many years to come.

Banke joined Secret Projects in 2017 after a career that has spanned retail logistics, insurance and manufacturing, working in the 'for profit' and 'not for profit' sectors. She has held responsibility for setting targets for national companies with over 350 branches with a combined annual turnover of circa £500 million and been CEO of a social sector organisation that brought together agencies to work together in the interest of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

She has a BSc degree in Accountancy and qualified as a chartered management accountant (ACMA) from London School of Accountancy in 1984. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountant UK (CIMA) and a member of the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA).

Secret Projects Co-Founder and Global Director of Finance and Operations, Banke Ajayi has been recognised as one of the most influential businesswomen of 2023 by NatWest WISE 100. We are absolutely delighted that Banke made the NatWest WISE 100 list and are beyond proud.

Sumathi Thyagarajan

Sumathi leads Social Power India Private Ltd as the General Manager and Director. She is responsible for production in India, shipments of products, generating new business within in India, marketing for Social Power India, and building and supporting our community of Makers. 

Ailsa has been part of Secret Projects from the beginning and is focussed on business development. She has offered constant support, advice and encouragement drawing on her own experience as a Headmistress, in charge of the growth of pupil numbers in schools, and through setting up a retail brand from scratch in the UK and Europe.

Our customers and Shareholders

SPCBS Shareholders and customers are a key strength to our business. Not only do they passionately share our vision, many of them play an active role in narrating the story behind Secret Projects, thus inspiring sales of Secret Products and shares. Simply put, they are a tribe who feel connected to our Makers and wider Secret Projects community.

Training for Empowerment and our Maker Community

Our Virtual Training for Empowerment Programme (VTFEP) plays a central and important role at Secret Projects and forms the basis of our vision of a world where all women have the confidence and resources to make choices, thrive and contribute to the strengthening of their communities.

Working closely with established and reputable Indian based charities and NGO’s, we are able to link with communities of women with good sewing skills, who want to be able to earn their own living from their expertise, but need support to find relevant and authentic opportunities. These women become part of our Maker Community, forming local Maker Groups and, with our guidance, learn how to make Secret Products. Each one becomes part of our 4 stage Training for Empowerment Programme (see below), that not only provides a route to both the domestic and international sales markets, but also gives each member the tools to be able to form their own micro-enterprises if this is something they want to pursue.

Each one becomes part of our 4 stage VTFEP  (see below) that not only provides a route to both the domestic and international sales markets, but also gives each member the tools to be able to form their own micro-enterprises, if this is something they want to pursue.

Stage 1: Training - Makers learn how to make foldable Secret Products, e.g. Secret Pillows

Stage 2: Professionalism - Makers are supported to produce products of the highest export standards

Stage 3: Enterprise Development - Makers are coached to uncover local opportunities to generate an income

Stage 4: Leadership - Emerging leaders are encouraged to develop their leadership skills and grow their confidence

Our programme currently spans 5 Indian states, and has trained over 500 Makers since we began in 2014.

Our Values and Training for Empowerment: Our values act as a foundation for our VTFEP, with each of our Maker Groups learning about exactly what they are, and mean to us as an organisation from the on-set. The women tell us that they admire our values and are proud to be part of a business that has such an ethical, caring and professional bedrock. Learn about our values here.

If you have any questions about our Training for Empowerment Programme, or would like to know more, please email our CEO, Fritha: fritha@secretprojects.org

Our awards and grants

We are so proud to be able to share details here about the various awards and grants we have been given in past years. 

Prix-Clarins Award 2018

Secret Projects was delighted to be announced on 4 July 2018 as the winner of the prestigious Prix-Clarins Award. The prize was granted by Clarins in association with Stylist magazine ‘to recognise one inspirational woman who is improving the lives of the next generation and beyond through an innovation charity or initiative she has founded’. Fritha told the panel about her vision to generate jobs for women in West Bengal, an area in which girls and young women are extremely vulnerable to human trafficking owing to the lack of income-generating opportunities. The prize money of £30,000 has enabled Secret Projects to make Fritha’s vision a reality.

Royal Society of Arts Catalyst Awards 2015/2016

The Royal Society of Arts (RSA) is a charity that encourages the release of human potential to address the challenges that society faces. We received 2 grants from the society totalling £7,000 to fund our start-up activities, and the success of our first 'Kickstarter' campaign was as a result of their support. Thank you to RSA Catalyst Award Scheme for helping us to move Secret Projects forward in our early days.