Tribecan Anam Sadarangani spent her childhood dinners in India gathered around a table bustling with family and friends every day — her and her brother’s friends were always welcome — and that image still resonates with her. So it made sense that when she decided to launch her own design firm, tableware and the glasses were the first thing she imagined.

She first worked in finance and accounting, following her MBA from Columbia, then added a master’s in art and business from the Sotheby’s Institute of Art. That was followed with work on the launch of Christie’s in India and two years promoting Indian artists in the west. It was then that she decided to bring her worlds together and launch something of her own.

Her company, called Sprezz — an abbreviated version of the Italian expression “sprezzatura,” meaning studied nonchalance or effortlessness — formed in 2020, and she brought her training in finance into play immediately. She researched consumer trends and patterns, even using the data to determine the best height for a water glass. Not seeing a lot of tableware on the market, she then was able to raise a pre-seed round to start the company. The products launched this spring, direct to consumer.

“It’s so exciting because you work with incredible artists and every day is so varied,” Anam says. “My favorite part is working with people who are smarter than me and more specialized than me in everything they do.”

She currently has two collections of glassware, manufactured by Ichendorf in Milan. The plan is to launch a dinnerware collection, made in Portugal, each season, and eventually design custom tableware with hospitality partners. (There’s also a lovely little oil dispenser in two colors.)

Her love of Italy started early — her family travelled there often when she was growing up — and that stylish ease, or easy style, is what she is trying to capture.

“I want to build this company that represents the old India of my grandparents in the ’70s, embodying that time and that elegance,” she says. “Sprezz should be like the flowers you just can’t help but smile at. We just want our products to be things that bring people joy.”