Eugene, Oregon, United States

Raj’s work is fueled by a deep belief that vibrant rural communities are essential to building regenerative food systems. He founded Young Mountain Tea to unlock the potential of tea, the world’s most consumed beverage after water, to serve as a catalyst for sustainable livelihoods for Himalayan villages. Since then, the company has worked to rethink tea’s entire value chain, from launching a processing facility in partnership with a village of tea farmers, 90% of whom are women; to introducing transparency into tea’s supply chains; to building an American market for organic specialty tea. He holds an MS in Environmental Studies from University of Oregon and a BS in Electrical Engineering from University of Michigan.