Background
The Overstory Co. was born from a pattern we couldn’t ignore: visionary founders launching ambitious brands without the systems to hold them. After years inside test kitchens, production labs, sourcing networks, and founder-led studios, we saw the same cracks repeating—burnout disguised as momentum, messy backends stalling growth, and teams scaling fast without the structure to sustain it.
We spent those years working from cramped apartments, clashing time zones, and inside creative ventures across the US, UK, and Australia—building from the ground up, often with limited resources but deep vision. That’s where we learned what actually makes a brand endure: not hype, but clarity. Not chaos, but rhythm. The Overstory Co. was created to bring that structure, strategy, and long-view thinking to independent brands ready to grow with integrity.
TEAM & collaborators
CRISHA ARI
Business Operations · Operational Design · Product Operations
Crisha Ari brings over a decade of experience working alongside founders, artists, and high-growth teams across the US, UK, and Australia. She’s led product development, partnerships, and cross-functional programs for start-ups and established companies, guiding ideas from concept to shelf. Her work spans CPG, personal care, hospitality, and experience design—supporting mission-led independents and global corporations in building brands, systems, and products with depth and integrity.
ADJOA KITTOE
Strategic Communications · GTM Program Design · Market Research
Adjoa Kittoe is a strategic communications and program design specialist with deep experience across food, sustainability, and culture-focused organizations. She’s led storytelling, research, and cross-functional initiatives for founders, nonprofits, and emerging brands, translating complex ideas into programs, campaigns, and community experiences. Her work blends market insight, narrative strategy, and operational execution to help teams move from concept to implementation with clarity and intention.
SMITA SATIANI
Concept to Launch · CPG Product Dev · Climate Policy
Smita Satiani is a former CPG entrepreneur and climate strategist who has spent nearly two decades at the intersection of food, sustainability, social impact, and emerging technology. She co-founded Alaya Tea (2018–2025), a loose-leaf tea company built in partnership with regenerative organic Indian farmers and artisans, scaling a self-funded idea into a five-fold growth business with over 100 U.S. stockists, a fully compostable packaging supply chain, and features in Vogue India, Food & Wine, Martha Stewart Living, Bon Appétit, New York Magazine, and the BBC, among others. Her career spans GoogleX, The White House, and Ashoka — where she has helped launch and scale breakthrough climate and social impact businesses into the world. She’s energized by building what doesn’t exist yet, and turning visionary products into grounded, lasting change.