Jagatjoti Khalsa
Jagatjoti is an Innovation Director at Fahrenheit 212. His career has followed the “traditional” route of a serial entrepreneur. He was the Founding Partner at Heyoka, a new multi-disciplined consultancy firm with a focus on luxury organic food and beverage and very private advisory services for CEO’s, Global Strategy teams, boards and Private Equity firms.
Prior to founding Heyoka, Jagatjoti was the Managing Director for Organic and Sustainability at The Meriwether Group. Jagatjoti’s focus was on investment and growth strategy within CPG Natural Food and Beverage along with heading all investments within this category. Jagatjoti was the Founding President of Sprout Foods, a baby food developed and launched by Max MacKenzie and Celebrity Chef Tyler Florence. Developing the branding and launch strategy, Jagatjoti grew Sprout from an idea to over 1500 stores in just 8 months, positioning it to become the first premium baby food in a pouch. Sprout is currently sold in over 22,000 stores.
Before joining Meriwether, Jagatjoti founded Tara Home, a high-end chain of furniture stores which he sourced in India, China, Tibet, Mongolia and Thailand, which he exited successfully in 2007.
Jagatjoti developed his career in the natural foods industry at KIIT, the parent company of Yogi Tea, Golden Temple, and Akal Security. At KIIT, he was part of the leadership team that led KIIT companies from $125MM to nearly $350MM at the time of his exit. Amongst his accomplishments was to write the strategy and branding manifesto to vault Yogi Tea to the number one position in the natural market, a strategy still followed to this day.
In addition to his work at Fahrenheit 212, Jagatjoti is also the Founder and Creative Director of The Other Person is You Foundation. His foundation is focused on creating experiences that show that the other person is you. I’m Down with You was their first project which was a successful book and film shorts showing and presenting the Down syndrome community in ways that forced one to be inspired to learn with what grace and lovingness they live their lives and then challenged us to rethink what is truly abled and what is dis-abled. I’m Down with You helped raise over $200,000 for the Down syndrome community. The second project, Fare Shareis a project to change the way we feed and fuel the Food Banks in America and feed the 50MM Americans who are food insecure. This project launches in 2015.
Jagatjoti is the author of two books, “Altar your Space,” a guide to a restorative home; and “I’m Down with You,” an inspired journey. This book shares through portraits and stories, the community of Down syndrome and with what grace and lovingness they live their inspired lives and challenges us to rethink what is abled and what is dis-abled.