In an age where organizations are transforming at extraordinary speed, one entrepreneur is placing culture firmly at the center of how companies grow and scale.
Aarati Kumar, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CultureLab 360, leads a full-spectrum culture intervention lab that equips organizations with tools, programs, and rituals to intentionally curate culture as a strategic asset – powering both business performance and human growth.
With over three decades of experience across the services ecosystem, her journey is one of resilience and reinvention, grounded in a deeply held belief: culture is the true operating system of every organization.
A Journey Shaped by Leadership, Learning and Reinvention
“My journey as a woman entrepreneur has been deeply personal, instinctive and transformative.”
Aarati Kumar’s professional path began in the mid-1990s, a period when India itself was discovering its modern identity. Her career moved through the refined world of the Oberoi Hotels to the high-energy ecosystem of Microsoft. She witnessed the dot-com boom and bust before moving into the rapidly expanding BPO sector. Across established brands and emerging start-ups, each chapter sharpened her understanding of people, leadership and performance.
Her first entrepreneurial leap came with the co-founding of MattsenKumar LLC. What began as a Gurgaon-based idea scaled into a high-performing organization of more than 2,000 people across three cities. Early in that journey, Aarati recognized that the true differentiator was not capability alone, but culture. It was this lived experience of scaling organizations that shaped her next chapter.
“How we showed up for each other became the engine behind our growth,” she recalls.
As a woman leader, she leans into traits of resilience, empathy, agility and intentionality – traits shaped by her upbringing in Indian Air Force camps where she relocated every two years. Those formative years taught her that culture drives results by building emotional bonds, where teams show up not because they are asked to, but because they belong.
Building and scaling MattsenKumar became the crucible that clarified Aarati’s leadership philosophy. That hard-earned insight led her to found CultureLab 360, her second act, where she now applies decades of operating experience to help organizations scale without losing their human core, especially in today’s high-pressure climate.
“Building a strong culture became my north star and foundation,” she says.
CultureLab 360: Designing Culture as a Strategic Advantage
As Aarati began this journey, she found a natural partner in Shilpi Singh, a digital nomad, leadership coach and strong advocate for women’s mentorship. Together, they built an organization that treats culture not as an HR initiative, but as a strategic business discipline.
Key offerings include:
- Amplify: a two-day immersion that transforms managers into culture carriers
- Culture Sprints: rapid interventions designed to address specific culture challenges
- Digital tools and frameworks: that embed culture into daily work rhythms
The firm’s methodology is rooted in deep listening, design thinking and co-creation. By engaging the executive core, HR engine and managerial middle – the three pillars of organizational culture – CultureLab 360 transforms culture from a concept into a measurable, scalable business advantage.
A Sector Transforming at High Speed
Culture-building has evolved far beyond an HR function. As hybrid work stabilizes and talent markets intensify, leaders increasingly view culture as central to retention, innovation and performance.
The global culture market, valued at USD 10 billion in 2024, is projected to double by 2033. CultureLab 360 sits at the center of this shift, offering programs and toolkits that embed culture into daily operating rhythms rather than annual initiatives.
The Woman Entrepreneur’s Journey: Powered by a Tribe
Aarati’s entrepreneurial journey carries the added dimension familiar to many women – balancing work, home, children and life’s many curve balls. She attributes her achievements to the support system around her.
“It’s never a single person’s journey,”she says. “Your tribe – friends, parents, at-home staff and your partner – they are all your champions and partners in crime.”
She acknowledges that urban women today benefit from greater opportunity and support than previous generations, crediting her mother’s path for opening doors and raising the ceiling. Allowing the next gen to balance entrepreneurial intensity, with other passions: hers being soul-recharging solo travel – something she plans with passion and intention – most recently attending a Bruce Springsteen concert in Prague.
Aarati insists that everyone should take a solo trip at least once to really step outside their comfort zone and to find their own rhythm, your pace. “Especially us gals!” She has created the #MySoloMiles community to demystify solo travel.
Clients Who Build with Purpose
CultureLab 360 partners with scaling, service-heavy enterprises, SME GCCs and global teams – particularly founders building sustainable teams in India across sectors such as ed-tech, fintech, e-commerce and other services-led industries.
As conversations around culture, performance and multigenerational work deepen across the ecosystem, the firm has seen early traction and growing momentum.
“We’re encouraged to be part of culture conversations across boardrooms, conferences and academic institutions,” Aarati shares.
Staying Ahead Through Listening and Insight, and R&D
While research anchors the firm, real intelligence emerges from conversations – founder meetups, leadership circles and our signature #ListeningLab sessions. These culture-focused conversation cafés surface insights from founders, HR leaders, business heads and family-owned enterprises.
A recent Listening Lab explored millennial and Gen Z perspectives – what energizes them, the values they deeply cherish and those that have outlived their relevance and what they wish leaders better understood.
Every CultureLab 360 engagement blends research, rituals and storytelling.
Culture is never one-size-fits-all. This commitment to experimentation is why the word “Lab” sits at the heart of the company’s identity.
Women in Today’s Competitive Landscape
More women today compete on merit, lead with capability and shape industries. Aarati observes women founders and CXOs excelling through a blend of sharp thinking and emotional intelligence, often while still carrying a disproportionate share of home responsibilities.
Forward-thinking organizations, she notes, are learning to harness this as a cultural advantage.
The Road Ahead
CultureLab 360 is scaling with purpose. Its flagship offerings – Amplify and Culture Sprints – are gaining strong traction, while the Culture Quotient (CQ) diagnostic is under refinement.
By Q3 2026, the firm plans to launch digital products, including Culture Simulator, Culture Mirror, among others. Discussions are also underway with universities to introduce cultural literacy through the Culture to Campus initiative.
Giving Back to Society
Through the MK Foundation, Aarati supports education initiatives for children of ragpickers and an orphanage in Manipur. CultureLab 360 also conducts pro bono #ListeningLabs focused on workplace mental well-being.
Message to Readers
“Culture isn’t a vibe or values on a poster – it’s the leadership charter, the behavior, the daily rhythm and the emotional climate that turn teams into highperforming engines. It’s what you celebrate and also what you tolerate! So, build it intentionally. Empower your managers. Scale with soul.”
