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Our Founder
the woman behind it all.
Ria Kalsi
Founder & CEO of Matriarch
Ria Kalsi is the Founder and CEO of Matriarch - the business teaching you what you didn’t learn at school. From grief and identity to race and mental health, Matriarch equips people with the tools to navigate life’s toughest moments with confidence, empathy, and self-awareness - helping them face life with less fear.
Matriarch began as Ria’s personal outlet during her own journey of loss and identity. Raised in the UK by first-generation Sikh Punjabi immigrants, Ria often found herself asking where she truly belonged. At 19, in the middle of that reckoning, she started Matriarch as a blog - a space to write, reflect, and make sense of her experiences as a young British Asian woman.
What started as self-expression soon struck a collective chord. By 21, Ria had turned Matriarch into a movement and then into a celebrated business - dedicated to destigmatising the conversations so many of us were never taught how to have.
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Ria has grown Matriarch into a thriving business that has worked with leading organisations including Amazon, Verizon, and King’s College London, reaching thousands through its workshops and resources. She is an expert educator, often celebrated for her ability to connect with audiences from 12 to 60+ years old.
At the heart of everything she builds is one philosophy: Be who you needed when you were younger. It’s the guiding principle behind Matriarch’s teaching, its culture, and the safe, empowering spaces it creates for people to feel seen, supported, and ready to grow.
Alongside her work at Matriarch, Ria is a sought-after speaker, panellist, and writer, known for her honest and hopeful approach to topics like grief, education, womanhood, and entrepreneurship. See her speaker deck below.
You can find Ria sharing thoughts, stories, and reflections on LinkedIn, Instagram and Substack.
follow Ria on socials & never shy away from sending a message!
riamtrrch@gmail.com
‘Ria is the best; she engages with the pupils and challenges them, but in a supportive atmosphere. Everyone feels included in the discussions and their minds are opened to things that perhaps they have never thought about before.
Ria is well-prepared and organised for every session; she is so easy to work with and is able to adjust her material to suit the audience. I would not have anyone else as the pupils always ask for her back.’
Debbie Kratt, Head of History and Politics. Head of Sixth Form
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