Gazala and Rashed grew up in India with a brief exposure to art during their childhood. They had an affinity to art, however, they both ended up becoming engineers and pursued careers in technology which brought them to the United States. Twenty-five years later, as parents of three teenage sons, they are rediscovering their passion for art through Children’s Art Classes. They are excited to become the first studio owners in the state of New Jersey!

As parents, they actively encouraged their sons to explore a wide range of extracurricular activities, including sports, scouting, music, and enrichment programs like Kumon. Gazala feels that if Children’s Art Classes had been available, she would have enrolled her children—and perhaps even herself. She believes that engaging in the arts helps children explore new ideas, express their emotions, and build confidence, all of which contribute to improved academic performance and social development.

Rashed is an experienced IT leader with 30 years of expertise in building secure and scalable data systems. He helps companies better manage and use their data to gain valuable insights. He develops strategies that make it easier for teams to access and work with data while ensuring security, compliance, and innovation are balanced. Gazala began her career as a software engineer but took a 11-year break to be a stay at home mom for their three children during their early years. She restarted her career as a marketing executive in the rapidly growing e-commerce sector. Over the past decade, she has worked as a marketing and customer success leader, helping brands create customer experiences that reduce acquisition costs and increase lifetime value.