The Hub Lead who walks in like a professional.
“First thing I tell new Bees: you are a professional, walk in like one.”
Lakshmi started domestic work in 2004, working across Anekal and suburban Bengaluru. Over twenty years, she saw the good, bad, and ugly of informal home labour.
As the Hub Lead for the Koramangala Hive Hub, Lakshmi is responsible for the safety, ongoing training, and well-being of 25 Bees. When a new Bee joins, Lakshmi conducts their physical address verification and accompanies them on their first two shadow visits.
'The first lesson I teach is posture and presence,' says Lakshmi. 'In India, domestic workers have been conditioned to stay invisible, to enter through separate service doors, to sit on floors. At TidyBee, we walk through the front door, share a digital four-digit code, and do our work with head held high.'
Lakshmi was also instrumental in designing the physical amenities at the hub. 'I insisted that every hub must have a private, spotless washroom for Bees with sanitary napkin dispensers, clean drinking water, and quiet armchairs. When workers are rested and respected, their craft reflects it.'