Galaxy Home Recreation
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Co-owner and chief information officer
Co-owner and chief operations officer
Neal and Nimisha Patel are a husband-and-wife team helping lead Galaxy Home Recreation, a business that blends wellness and recreation for customers across Oklahoma and Arkansas.
In 1975, Nimisha’s father, Mukesh Shah, founded Galaxy Home Recreation. Though she grew up around the business, Nimisha wanted to carve her own path. After college, she began her career in Chicago, working at Ernst & Young in asset management tax. After enduring several seasons of long hours and monotony, she realized she was craving something more fulfilling.
In 2010, set to go on a family trip to Egypt, Nimisha made plans to discuss returning to the family business with her father, but sadly, he passed away just before the departure. Despite the heartbreaking loss, Nimisha returned home to continue his legacy. Working alongside her brother and sister-in-law, Ronak and Zena Shah, she helped rebuild and expand the business, eventually becoming chief information officer.
Neal, her then-partner, had started his career as a CPA at Deloitte Tax in Chicago but followed Nimisha to Galaxy to help grow the business. In 2012, he established ZA Massage Chairs, specializing in full-body massage chair lines tailored for hot tub retailers. Over time, his role expanded; now as chief operations officer, he oversees fulfillment, customer service and pool construction in addition to managing the massage chair business.
“I’m most proud of achieving this alongside my family and honoring my dad’s legacy,” Nimisha says. “He always believed in me and would say, ‘I told you so.’ ”
The Patels’ belief in their products is a driving force behind their success.
“I believe we’ve only begun to uncover the extensive health benefits that regular hot tub use can provide,” Neal says. “We’re not just selling products; we’re delivering endless joy to families while enhancing their quality of life through therapeutic benefits.”
With this belief, Neal and Nimisha, along with the Shahs who are also co-owners, are dedicated to fostering innovation in the industry.
“I hope Galaxy is remembered as a group of companies that prioritized pushing boundaries to bring joy and wellness to our customers,” Neal says. “I aspire for our customers to see us as a business genuinely committed to their satisfaction and experience with our products.”
As a second-generation Indian American woman leading a hot tub retail company, Nimisha has navigated her share of challenges, but her journey has helped shape Galaxy’s culture.
“We prioritize placing individuals in roles where their talents shine, resulting in a highly diverse team,” she says. “I envision our company making a lasting impact by showcasing that the hot tub industry can be inclusive and offers rewarding career paths for younger generations.”
Neal and Nimisha have ambitious plans, but at the heart of it all is the legacy they hope to carry forward.
“My goal is to uphold my father’s legacy and further expand Galaxy, making it even stronger and more successful,” Nimisha says. “I take great pride in the team we’ve built and am eager to witness the achievements we will accomplish together moving forward.”