Kavita Shukla: The Food Preservation Pioneer & FreshPaper’s Inventor

Kavita Shukla is a renowned social entrepreneur and the CEO of The FreshGlow Co. She is also the inventor of FreshPaper, the flagship product of The FreshGlow Co. that has garnered international recognition for its ability to prolong the life of organic food.

The FreshGlow founder started developing her product, FreshPaper, at 12. FreshPaper is a unique wrapping sheet infused with botanicals that helps extend organic food’s shelf life. Unfortunately, food decay accounts for 25% of global food production, making FreshPaper an essential tool in the fight against food waste. Kavita has taken up this global issue. Through her invention of FreshPaper, she has provided an intelligent and inventive solution recognized by reputable media outlets such as CNN, The New York Times, and The Economist. FreshPaper’s intelligent and inventive approach to food preservation has been embraced by farmers and families worldwide.

I think food waste is a challenge that can feel really overwhelming, but what’s also inspiring is that there are really small and simple interventions we can all make to start to reduce food waste.

Kavita Shukla, FreshGlow Co. Founder

KAVITA SHUKLA EARLY LIFE

Kavita was born in Keil, Germany, but her parents had to relocate to the U.S. when she was young. She was then raised in Elliot City, Howard County, where she demonstrated her entrepreneurial spirit at a young age.

Despite showing much promise at an early age, Kavita Shukla- Education was always a non-negotiable aspect. She completed her education in Elliot city before pursuing her Bachelor of Arts degree at Harvard University.

KAVITA SHUKLA: PLANTING THE SEED OF A DREAM

Kavita’s interest in organic food preservation started at the age of 12. While on vacation in India at her grandmother’s house, she mistakenly drank tap water supposedly contaminated with harmful substances. Her grandmother instantly handed her a glass of a strange beverage called a ‘Herbal Potion’, effectively preventing her from getting sick. Upon returning to the U.S., Kavita looked up the potion’s ingredients and discovered the antimicrobial properties of Fenugreek seeds mixed in the water her grandmother made her drink.

This revelation inspired her to explore the potential applications of these spices, leading to her inventing a wrapping paper infused with Fenugreek seeds to preserve food products against harmful microbes effectively. The idea later became the foundation of her invention and development of FreshPaper.

Alongside, at just 13 years old, she curated a laboratory equipment protective kit for flasks and tubes containing toxic chemicals, which she trademarked and named ‘Smart Lid’. This marked the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey, during which she obtained 4 patents in her name.

ACHIEVEMENTS OF KAVITA SHUKLA

With her tireless efforts to tap into a global problem, the young and bright Kavita has achieved remarkably over the years to become a food security and preservation pioneer.

Her noteworthy achievements started with Kavita being awarded as the youngest woman to win the prestigious INDEX Design to Improve Life Award – the highest honor for design in the world – presented by the Crown Princess of Denmark.

She has also received many other international accolades for FreshPaper from humanitarian organizations and has been featured in major business magazines such as Forbes’ ‘30 under 30: Social Entrepreneurs’, Time Magazine’s ‘5 Most Innovative Women in Food’, Variety’s ‘Power of Women’ and Newsweek’s ‘125 Women of Impact’, which have successfully branded her as an iconic and inspirational figure for women in business. She has also been featured in Smithsonian’s ‘Picturing Women Inventors exhibition.

Kavita was inducted into the National Gallery of America’s Young Inventors, a museum of young American inventors whose ideas promise to impact our society positively. In addition, she has worked with global stores like Walmart and Whole Foods and generated a worldwide outreach for FreshPaper. As of February 2023, Kavita Shukla’s net worth stands at approximately USD 25.5 million, a considerable achievement for a young entrepreneur of 30.

KAVITA AND A PIECE OF PAPER

Kavita’s success with FreshPaper has demonstrated that a good idea doesn’t need to be trendy to be successful. Her problem-solving approach has made FreshPaper a household item in millions of homes and farms.

Kavita’s journey has inspired many, including women, entrepreneurs, humanitarians, and young people, motivated by her example of using innovative thinking to impact the world positively. At FreshGlow, Kavita works tirelessly towards her vision to reduce food wastage and bring change to the world, one piece of paper at a time.