Rena Parikh: Winner – Women Leader in Human-Centric Interior Design & Workplace Innovation | International Women Awards 2026
- Great Companies
- Jul 9
- 4 min read
The 8th International Women Awards 2026 by Great Companies celebrates visionary women leaders who are transforming industries through innovation, leadership, and purpose-driven entrepreneurship.
Among this year's distinguished winners is Rena Parikh, Founder of Encore Design Studio, honored as the Winner – Women Leader in Human-Centric Interior Design & Workplace Innovation.
Based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, Rena has built a design practice that goes far beyond creating visually beautiful interiors. Through thoughtful, human-centric design, she is shaping workplaces, healthcare facilities, hospitality spaces, retail environments, and residences that positively influence human behaviour, organizational culture, well-being, and business performance. Her work demonstrates how design can become a strategic tool for creating better experiences and a better society.
Company Overview
Founder: Rena Parikh
Business: Encore Design Studio
Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Founded: 2022
Category: Human-Centric Interior Design & Workplace Innovation
Industry: Interior Design & Architecture
Website: N/A
Designing Spaces That Shape People
Encore Design Studio was established with a powerful vision:
To create environments that improve the way people work, live, interact, heal, and grow.
While workspace design remains one of the firm's core strengths, Encore's expertise extends across multiple sectors, including:
Workplace & Corporate Interiors
Retail Spaces
Hospitality Design
Healthcare Environments
Residential Interiors
Commercial Space Planning
Rather than treating design as decoration, Rena approaches every project as an opportunity to shape behaviour, strengthen culture, improve wellbeing, and enhance business performance.
Every environment is carefully crafted to create meaningful experiences while reflecting the client's identity, aspirations, and long-term vision.
Where Design Meets Human Behaviour
What distinguishes Encore Design Studio is its integrated approach to design thinking.
Rena believes spaces should never be viewed simply as physical environments.
Instead, they should function as strategic assets that influence:
Human Behaviour
Workplace Productivity
Customer Experience
Emotional Wellbeing
Organizational Culture
Brand Identity
Community Connection
By combining design thinking, psychology, operational understanding, sustainability, and execution expertise, Encore creates spaces that are not only visually refined but also highly functional and emotionally engaging.
This thoughtful balance between creativity and practicality enables clients to achieve long-term value rather than short-term aesthetic appeal.
A Journey Built on Curiosity and Creativity
Rena's passion for design began long before she entered the profession.
As a child, she enjoyed building miniature environments with clay and construction toys, fascinated by the relationship between people and the spaces they inhabit.
Her curiosity eventually led her to CEPT University, where she developed a strong architectural foundation under renowned educators.
A defining moment came during her internship at Eisenman Architects in New York City, where she gained a broader understanding of architecture as a discipline that influences ideas, culture, and society.
Over the following years, she worked on diverse projects ranging from hospitals and restaurants to golf clubs, commercial developments, offices, and residences.
The global pandemic further reinforced one important realization:
Spaces profoundly influence the way people feel, think, and live.
Inspired by this insight, she founded Encore Design Studio in 2022 with a renewed commitment to designing environments that genuinely support human wellbeing.
Leadership Beyond Design
For Rena, entrepreneurship extends beyond building a successful business.
She believes leadership is about creating meaningful impact across society.
Alongside her professional work, she actively contributes to several awareness and community initiatives.
As a Child Safety Awareness (CSA) Trainer, she helps create safer environments for children through education and dialogue.
She is also deeply passionate about:
Sustainable Design
Climate Consciousness
Emotional Intelligence
Community Development
Nation Building
These values naturally influence the philosophy behind Encore Design Studio, where every project seeks to create positive social as well as commercial impact.
Staying True to Purpose
One of the greatest challenges Rena encountered was educating clients about the deeper value of human-centric design.
In an industry often driven by price comparisons and visual aesthetics, Encore Design Studio advocates a much broader perspective—one that considers culture, business functionality, user behaviour, emotional wellbeing, and long-term performance.
Helping clients appreciate this strategic approach required patience, resilience, and unwavering commitment to her vision.
Rather than compromising her philosophy to compete on superficial factors, Rena remained focused on delivering meaningful value.
Over time, this authenticity attracted clients who shared her belief that exceptional design should improve lives, not simply decorate spaces.
Creating Lasting Impact Through Thoughtful Design
Every project undertaken by Encore Design Studio reflects a commitment to creating environments that inspire people and strengthen organizations.
Whether designing collaborative workplaces, healing healthcare facilities, engaging retail environments, or welcoming homes, the firm's objective remains consistent:
Creating spaces that foster connection, wellbeing, creativity, and lasting positive experiences.
This purpose-driven philosophy has become the foundation of Encore's growing reputation within the design industry.
Advice for Women Entrepreneurs
Rena shares thoughtful advice for aspiring women entrepreneurs:
Trust your journey and your instincts.
Recognize your own strength without waiting for external validation.
Embrace resilience as a leadership quality.
Stay authentic even when faced with challenges.
Continue showing up with courage and consistency.
Never underestimate the power of empathy and intuition.
She believes:
Success is not only about recognition or scale. It is about remaining authentic while continuing to create meaningful impact through your work.
Her journey reminds women that true leadership is built through purpose, persistence, and authenticity.
The Future
Encore Design Studio continues to expand its vision of creating environments that improve lives through thoughtful design.
Future goals include:
Designing more human-centric workplaces.
Expanding sustainable design practices.
Integrating behavioural science into design solutions.
Creating healthier, more inclusive environments.
Inspiring the next generation of purpose-driven designers.
The vision is simple yet transformative:
To make the world a better place by creating spaces that help people live, work, and connect more meaningfully.
Official Recognition
Rena Parikh has been honored as the Winner – Women Leader in Human-Centric Interior Design & Workplace Innovation at the 8th International Women Awards 2026 by Great Companies, recognizing her outstanding contribution to human-centered design, workplace innovation, sustainable thinking, and purposeful leadership.
About the Awards
The International Women Awards by Great Companies celebrates women entrepreneurs, founders, executives, and innovators who are creating meaningful impact through leadership, innovation, and purpose-driven businesses. The awards recognize inspiring women whose work is transforming industries, empowering communities, and shaping a better future across the globe.