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Nikhil Arora
Co-Founder/Co-CEO, Back to the Roots, a Fast Company World's Most Innovative Company | INC & Forbes 30U30 Entrepreneur | EY Entrepreneur of Year Finalist | President Obama's Champions of Change
Nikhil Arora is a prominent entrepreneur and co-founder of Back to the Roots, an organic gardening company based in Oakland, California. He has been instrumental in transforming the company from a small urban mushroom farm into a nationally recognized brand that promotes sustainable gardening practices. Back to the Roots offers a variety of gardening kits, seeds, and soil products, aiming to reconnect families and children with the origins of their food.1
In addition to his role at Back to the Roots, Nikhil serves as a Board Member for KidsGardening.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting gardening as an educational tool for children. He has held this position since May 2021.1
Nikhil's achievements have earned him numerous accolades, including being named in Fast Company's "Most Innovative Companies," as well as receiving recognition from Forbes and Inc. magazine's "30 Under 30" lists. He is also a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award and was honored as one of President Obama's Champions of Change.1
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, where he also shares his expertise as a guest lecturer on entrepreneurship and sustainability.1
Highlights
Thanks Forbes & Esha Chhabra for spotlighting our growing movement — and Ben Peterson / Walmart for sharing your thoughts on how to move the Lawn & Garden category towards a more regenerative and organic future! We're grateful for the partnership. 🙏 🌱
"Retailers are really doubling on Back to the Roots as the next-gen brand that can compete against and offer an alternative to legacy players...Today, their gardening brand is sold in Walmart, Target, Lowes, The Home Depot, and on Amazon. They’ve 10x their growth, says Arora, with consumers spending approximately $100 million on Back to the Roots products. And while it’s not been a smooth ride all along, facing the bumps that any business is bound to hit, they have remained true to their desire for an eco-friendly gardening company."
https://lnkd.in/ggwymTgS
cc/ Alejandro Vélez Ramírez & Back to the Roots, Inc.
there are endless business school books & classes about the power of compounding money — but true value lies in the power of Compounding Relationships, something not talked about enough.
I am eternally grateful for the partnership Alejandro Vélez Ramírez & I have — one built off such deep respect, trust, and love that it allows us to debate ideas ferociously & move quickly — all the while NEVER doubting for an instant the INTENT of the other person. It is that secret sauce — the intersection of deep trust and deep respect that creates magic in business (and life).
If I could give one piece of advice to a new entrepreneur it would be to obsess over that relationship first and foremost — make sure you have that feeling with your partner, as that translates to your team, and the entire culture over time of your org — and nothing is more important. If you have respect without deep trust of intent, things will fall apart. If you have deep trust, but a lack of respect, things will fall apart.
Trust (of intent) & Respect (of perspective) = magic.
it was fun diving deeper into our partnership with Chuck Templeton & S2G Ventures on the #s2gpodcast — thanks for having us on to share our mission & journey. And thank you Chuck for being part of that circle of trust + respect over the years on our Board - we appreciate you.
listen more at links below or on Apple Podcasts / Spotfy.
https://lnkd.in/dJv9NybY
https://lnkd.in/dazY_cwj
