Viraj Sikand
The Idea
Pay People to Protect Nature
Organization
EarthAcre
People have to make a living; it is often surprising how little they make when they despoil nature to do it.
Viraj grew up in a multi-generational environmentalist household in Nairobi, and has worked in environmental-focused startups for the past 10 years. He received an environmental studies degree from Brown University, where he also co-founded Kulisha, a startup that created sustainable protein from food waste. He later worked at Optoro, a company that has raised $300M to accelerate circular economies. Viraj enrolled in a joint program at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, but took a leave of absence to co-found and focus on EarthAcre.
