Rajshree Upadhyaya | Business Remedies | March 02, 2025 | Kavita Shukla is the founder and CEO of The FRESHGLOW Co. and the inventor of FreshPaper, a biodegradable sheet that helps keep fruits and vegetables fresh for a longer time. This simple but powerful idea is changing the way people store food. Every year, a large amount of food is wasted worldwide. FreshPaper helps reduce food waste by slowing spoilage, making fresh food last longer.
When she was 12 years old, she had the idea for FreshPaper. During a visit to her grandmother in India, she accidentally drank unsafe tap water. Her grandmother gave her a homemade remedy using spices, and she did not get sick. This experience made her curious about the power of spices. When she returned to the United States, she started experimenting and discovered that certain spices could stop the growth of bacteria and fungi. This discovery led to the creation of FreshPaper.
Although Kavita had patents for her invention, she faced many challenges in making FreshPaper available to people. She first tried to start a nonprofit organization to distribute the product, but she struggled to get funding. She did not give up and instead started selling FreshPaper at local farmers’ markets in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2010. People loved the product, and word spread quickly. Soon, big stores like Whole Foods started selling FreshPaper. Over time, the product reached more than 35 countries, helping millions of people keep their food fresh for longer.
Since starting The FRESHGLOW Co., Kavita has achieved great success. When she first started selling FreshPaper in 2010, she made only about $10,000. By 2011, her sales grew to around $100,000 as more people discovered her product. In 2012, she partnered with Whole Foods, and her sales increased to $500,000. By 2015, FreshPaper was being sold in 35 countries, and her company made around $5 million in revenue. As of 2023, her company has made over $50 million in revenue, and Kavita’s net worth is estimated to be about $25.5 million.
Kavita’s work has been recognized all over the world. She won the INDEX: Design to Improve Life Award, which is the biggest prize for design in the world. She was also named in Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list of social entrepreneurs. TIME Magazine called her one of the “5 Most Innovative Women in Food.” Fast Company included her in their list of “7 Entrepreneurs Changing the World.” Variety honored her at their “Power of Women” event. Newsweek listed her among the “125 Women of Impact.” Her story was also made into a short film by Hollywood director Bryce Dallas Howard, bringing more attention to her work.
Kavita is not stopping with FreshPaper. She continues to work on new ideas to help people reduce food waste. She has also created products that keep bread and cheese fresh for longer. Through her company, she is making a huge difference in the world. Her journey shows that a simple idea can create a big impact. She is proof that hard work, determination, and innovation can help solve some of the biggest problems in the world.
