410: From Office Space Mushrooms to a Gardening Revolution with the Cofounders of Back to the Roots
Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez started Back to the Roots by asking the same question in their business class–how can you grow mushrooms from used coffee grounds? So instead of taking their jobs in investment baking, the 2 friends began their journey of building an organic gardening brand for the next generation.
Back to the Roots is America’s #1 organic gardening company and doubled its business 4 years in a row. They offer a wide range of grow kits, seeds, soil, and more to empower people to experience the magic of growing their food from inside their homes.
Listen to Nathan chat with Nikhil and Alejandro about:
Walking into a Whole Foods and pitching their first product
Growing their first mushrooms in a rented office space
Hitting their first million in revenue off sources of waste
Why going to a farmer’s market is the best lesson for business
Transitioning from selling products to empowering growers
Navigating the accelerated growth of the industry during COVID-19
Their relationship as cofounders over the past decade
Working with retailers like Home Depot, Target, and Walmart
Their “Grow One, Give One” initiative
And much more business scaling advice…
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410: From Office Space Mushrooms to a Gardening Revolution with the Cofounders of Back to the Roots