Satya Scainetti is the first to admit that she’s had seasons where her life felt cloudy or uncertain—she lacked the clarity of mission or the understanding of how to take something she felt deeply and turn it into action.
If that seems relatable or comforting—after all, satya is the Sanskrit word for “truth,” and even she had moments where she was confused by life—then you may understand how Scainetti ended up a social worker instead of a jeweler at the start of her career.
But, as time and wisdom allow, Scainetti made a pivot from those first jobs into a jewelry job. That led to a vision for what she wanted her life to be, and Satya Jewelry is the result. Her jewelry company helped her to establish The Satya Foundation, which, over the past two decades, has raised more than $1 million for children and children’s causes worldwide.
How’s that for mission and clarity? Scainetti, who describes herself as a late bloomer, says it certainly felt like it took enough time to get there. But when she discovered her three loves—yoga, jewelry, and helping kids—it all came together.
“Jewelry is magic. It makes people happy. To design something that not only represents someone’s truth but brings them joy and also creates a deeper conversation around fashion was a gift,” Scainetti says. “Weaving the Satya Foundation into the brand from the start allowed me to reach my goal to help children reach theirs.”
Scainetti’s story starts in New York, where she was raised with two brothers and two sisters. Her father was an artist and an entrepreneur, and Scainetti says she wanted to follow his path. But she felt unsure of her own artistic talent, so after high school she decided to travel. She settled for a time in California, where she got her associate’s degree in early childhood education.
She moved back to New York where she got a bachelor’s in social work. Her first gig? She taught preschool, then worked for the Handicapped Scuba Association, taking people with disabilities scuba diving all over the world. “It was awesome,” Scainetti says.
However, her creative eye could not be denied. Every time Scainetti wore some new outfit or piece of jewelry, people asked her about it. Her siblings all had opened their own businesses by then, focusing on music or design. Scainetti decided she, too, wanted that life—but she wanted her focus to be on children.
“I knew I loved kids. Helping them and making them happy brought me a lot of joy,” Scainetti says.
She got a job with a friend’s jewelry business, and the creative process enthralled her. On a yoga trip, Scainetti realized she could take her talents and add her experience working with kids to create something entirely new. She founded Satya Jewelry in 2002; two years later, she launched The Satya Foundation from her business’s revenues.
Those symbolic rings, bracelets, and necklaces that her customers loved helped her raise funds for its partners, including the Manjushree Vidyapith Orphanage in northeastern India and a children’s garden in India. The foundation also has worked with the Food Bank for New York City, No Kid Hungry, and Every Mother Counts.
This purpose is what makes every day clear and mission focused, Scainetti says.
“I get to travel to India each year to see the children we help, and it warms my heart. I teach some of them how to make jewelry,” Scainetti says. “One of the boys who I have known since he was 8 is here and attended a program at Harvard this summer, after finishing his law degree in India. He is staying with me for a few weeks, and I am so proud of him. The foundation is the DNA of the brand and has been from the beginning. This keeps me going strong.”
Top: Satya Scainetti started her professional life as a preschool teacher and a social worker. But her move into jewelry helped her fulfill her dream of helping children on a greater scale: Her Satya Foundation has raised more than $1 million for causes near and dear to her heart (photos courtesy of Satya Jewelry).
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