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Photography by Maria del Rio
Mother Stories

Meet Surya Kishi Grover, Founder Of Tosan and Mama of Three Boys

Written by Erin Feher

Photography by Photography by Maria del Rio

We love today’s mama, Surya Kishi Grover, for so many reasons. For starters, we have been long-time fans of her company, Tosan, which offers up thoughtful, ethical, and beautifully designed items for members of the second-coolest club on the planet: dads. Then there’s her incredible home—a century-old beach shack that she and her husband redesigned from the ground up, moving in with just weeks to spare before she birthed her second son there (right in the pretty playroom, we might add). But what really gets us is the raw-yet-insightful way she talks about motherhood. With three handsome sons, a gorgeous house on the beach, and well, that hair, she could very easily be one of those Insta mothers who makes it all look easy—who insists that her kids really do just want to play with those handcrafted wooden toys. Instead, she never backs down from the chance to take a hard look at herself, her kids, and her life, and express the joys and challenges in ways that makes the Internet stand up and shout “YESSSSS! THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT.” So today, we asked her about all of it—the surprise third kid, the postpartum anxiety, the pressure to do it all right, and the grace in getting it wrong sometimes. Plus, we check out her house and bananas new backyard oasis. Click through for the full tour, and to get to know one hell of a woman.

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  1. I love this woman!!!! What an absolute breath of fresh air. My dear friend sent me a text that said she liked this profile- that Surya is cool. She rarely texts me things like that, so I was curious. I just had my second baby at 40, and truly reading this was like therapy. Surya, if you read this, know you are making a difference in this world! Thank you for keeping it real.

  2. Kelley says...

    Thank you for this profile! I had my third earlier this year too and feel so, so many of the things that she expressed! I will definitely be rereading when I find myself being too hard on myself for flailing or when my kids (like hers) veer wildly between loving each other intensely and hitting each other just as intensely. For as many ‘this motherhood gig is hard’ quotes I’ve read, I really identified with the struggle and beauty of really being open and honest and real with our kids, because we’re all just figuring it out and we’re all just human.

  3. Miyoko says...

    I loved seeing another half-Japanese mom featured on this blog! Thank you for sharing your life with us. I can relate to so much of what you’re going through right now, I haven’t cut my hair in a year and a half either! Love your style, your kiddos style and your home!

  4. Pamela says...

    This is the single best interview I’ve read all year! I love Surya’s honesty and wit about real life and motherhood. What a fabulous mom, woman and human. Every mom needs to read this asap — sharing now!

  5. Very good article. I certainly appreciate this site. Keep it up!

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