"Sometimes inspiration comes from the most unlikely of places."
Inventor
Designer
Entrepreneur
Kavita is the Founder & CEO of The FRESHGLOW Co. and the inventor of FRESHPAPER, a simple innovation taking on the massive global challenge of food waste. Her story of simple beginnings, belief, and empowerment was the subject of a short film by Hollywood director Bryce Dallas Howard.
She holds four patents and is a receipient of the biennial INDEX Design to Improve Life Award – the world’s largest prize for design. Today, FRESHPAPER is used by farmers and families across the globe, and The FRESHGLOW Co. has partnered with some of the largest retailers in the world. Her work has been featured by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vogue, Oprah Magazine, Glamour, The Today Show, and CNN.
Kavita has been honored at Variety's Power of Women and featured as one of Fast Company's “7 Entrepreneurs Changing the World.” She has also been named to the Forbes “30 under 30” list and TIME Magazine's "5 Most Innovative Women in Food."
Kavita serves on the Board of Directors of the International Housewares Association, and was appointed Commissioner on the CSIS Trade Commission on Affirming American Leadership. She holds a BA from Harvard University.
INVITED TALKS
ENTREPRENEURSHIP JOURNEY: From Farmer's Market to Global Brand
United States Congress, Washington, DC
Nobel Prize Dialogues, Stockholm
World Trade Organization Public Forum, Geneva
The White House Startup Design Workshop, Washington, DC
The Brookings Institute, Washington, DC
Global Entrepreneurship Congress (panel with Sir Richard Branson), Liverpool
United States Patent Office Invention Convention Keynote, Washington, DC
THE FUTURE OF FOOD: Changing the Food System from Farm to Fork
Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit, Philadelphia
Harvard Social Enterprise Conference Keynote, Cambridge
Expo Milano, Milan
The Economist Innovation Forum, Berkeley
The World Bank, Washington, DC
CULTIVATING INNOVATION & CREATIVITY: Finding Inspiration in Unlikely Places
Cartier-McKinsey Women's Initiative, Tokyo
Nexus Global Youth Summit, United Nations, New York
Chicago Ideas Week, Chicago
SXSW, Austin
WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP: Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs
Women in the World Summit, Lincoln Center, New York
Life Is Beautiful Festival, Las Vegas
Cartier Women's Initiative, French Embassy, Washington, DC
SAIS Global Women in Leadership Conference, Washington, DC
Women's Forum, Deauville
Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Washington, DC
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN PRINCIPLES: The Power of Simple
Industrial Designers Society of America International Conference Keynote, Seattle
International Creative Business Cup, Copenhagen
INDEX Designers Talk, Copenhagen
Lemelson-MIT, Cambridge
FEATURES
TIME MAGAZINE
INC. MAGAZINE
COVER ARTICLE
OPRAH MAGAZINE
THE WASHINGTON POST
Saving Food, One Sheet of Paper at a Time
"The Miracle Paper"
"Its power is in its simplicity - and its price."
"Smarter than even the smartest technology."
GLAMOUR MAGAZINE
How Kavita Shukla Is Changing the Way We Eat
"So how did she do it all at such a young age?
There are key lessons to be learned from Shukla's success."
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
INDEX DESIGN TO IMPROVE LIFE AWARD
TIME MAGAZINE '5 MOST INNOVATIVE WOMEN IN FOOD'
VARIETY’S POWER OF WOMEN
FORBES 30 UNDER 30: Social Entrepreneurs
NEWSWEEK'S 125 WOMEN OF IMPACT
INDUCTED INTO NATIONAL GALLERY FOR AMERICA'S YOUNG INVENTORS
FEATURED IN SMITHSONIAN'S ‘PICTURING WOMEN INVENTORS’ EXHIBITION
INTEL INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIR FIRST PLACE AWARD