Becoming a CEO can be a daunting task at any age, but Rhea Arsul is proving that age isn’t a barrier, and all it takes is a good idea. At eight years old, Rhea might just be one of the youngest CEOs and founders the world has ever seen with RentPlay, a one-of-a-kind website that allows you to rent toys and games for your kids’ ever-changing fancies.
Speaking to Rhea makes you question your capabilities as a fully-functioning adult. She tells us, “We had a debate in school about what we want to be when we grow up. Some said they wanted to be doctors, some said scientists. I thought, why wait to grow up; why can’t we do something now? We had several programmes like the book exchange programme, which made me think of RentPlay.”
Dorothy Thomas, Rhea’s mother, adds, “When she came to me and asked me how much money we had for her, I was a little apprehensive. I thought she wanted to give away toys, which was really sweet, but then she told me she wanted to give away toys but also take them back! After she kept asking me for a few days, I researched and found out that it was a great model to rent out toys. All the smartmoms in my office also thought it was a brilliant idea.”
The extremely well-thought-out website lets you rent popular, and otherwise expensive toys, for as little as Rs 250. “We have a board of advisors of children aged five to 12, who tell her what’s popular and what new toys we should acquire. We have an international advisor as well. We’ve had great support for the brand, the tagline for which is ‘Pay Less, Play More’.”
Rhea also has plans to initiate personal touch with her customers, and donate toys to orphanages once the website kicks in. Isn’t she intimidated, being so young? Pat comes her reply, “No.” Her mother says, “I’m the one who’s nervous,” she laughs. Having talked to the most articulate child under 10, we’re sure there’s nothing to worry about!
