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 · Systems and Strategy · Sustainable Sourcing
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 · 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 is an independent climate, science, and technology advisor working across philanthropy, policy, and early-stage ventures. She previously spent 6.5 years at X (formerly Google X), helping pioneering deep-tech projects land in the real world—from sustainable agriculture to ocean health and wildfire mitigation. Her work bridges innovation with implementation, partnering with governments and global stakeholders to create pathways for responsible deployment.
Before X, Smita spent a decade scaling social impact companies across the US, Mexico, Senegal, Kenya, and Canada. She served as Deputy Director of the White House Presidential Innovation Fellows program under President Obama, supported minority entrepreneurs at the Clinton Foundation, and built accelerator programs for early-stage changemakers at Ashoka. She is also the founder of Alaya Tea, a regenerative loose-leaf tea company sourced directly from organic farmers in the Himalayas.