Viji Swaminathan

Viji Swaminathan grew up in a traditional environment where work and business were often seen as a man’s domain. There was no dramatic rebellion—just an unspoken belief she gently began to question. She didn’t set out to defy expectations; she simply followed what felt right—and quietly built a path of her own.

Her entrepreneurial journey began with Woodpecker Furniture, born from a keen eye for market gaps and a desire to bring order and quality to an unorganised industry. Under her leadership, Woodpecker transformed Chennai’s furniture retail space, offering thousands of families access to well-designed, reliable products.

At 41, a new kind of transformation took shape—this time, personal. Coming from a non-athletic background, Viji went from zero running experience to becoming a full marathoner, shedding 40 kg through sheer focus and discipline. What began as a personal health goal grew into UNIS Running Group, a community movement that has inspired hundreds to take their first steps toward fitness and rediscover their inner strength.

Driven by a deeper calling, Viji co-founded Exxelo Business Consulting with Mr. Ranish Haran, choosing not the freelance route but the challenge of building a values-driven organisation. Today, as MD & CEO, she works with growing businesses to scale sustainably by aligning leadership, teams, and culture—anchoring strategy in the power of people.

Through her role as Founder and Managing Trustee of Inner Strength Trust, she has extended her mission to support children with cerebral palsy, enabling access to physiotherapy, surgeries, adapted sports, and assistive technologies. She is also the chief architect of the Inner Strength Half Marathon, a boutique annual event that blends purpose with participation, raising funds and awareness through community effort.

A certified Independent Director, Viji brings her grounded, people-first approach into boardrooms as well as community circles. She is currently on the road to publishing her first book, Sunrise Storyteller—a reflective work inspired by her morning walks—and working on her second, In the Quiet of Repetition, which explores the power of daily practice in personal transformation.

Viji’s journey is not marked by defiance, but by quiet conviction—a life led not by what was expected, but by what felt necessary, meaningful, and true.