In the Media: A&S alumni Nuha Siddiqui and Kritika Tyagi make Forbes 30 Under 30 list

December 6, 2022 by David Goldberg - A&S News

Two Arts & Science alumni have earned spots on this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 list for their innovative and sustainable work with a company they founded while at U of T.

Nuha Siddiqui and Kritika Tyagi launched erthos (formerly EcoPackers) in 2018, via support from the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) at the Rotman School of Management, and the social impact club, Enactus.

“I'm most excited about the fact that it's under the Social Impact category,” says Siddiqui, who earned her honours bachelor of commerce in accounting and environment economics from Rotman Commerce as a member of University College in 2018. “Because that's always been our drive since day one, and it ties back to the origins of where erthos began.”

It began with a simple solution to create plant-based packing peanuts. Since then, erthos has expanded to a multi-platform solution, developing compatible and sustainable resins for the existing single or limited use plastics value chain.

These plant-based plastic alternatives are FDA-compliant, bio-based certified and now commercially available across 4 major industries. Since its inception, erthos has raised more than $7-million in funding and generates six-figure revenues annually.

“We had some of the best professors in the world and we had some of the greatest resources available to students in Canada,” says erthos co-founder Tyagi, who earned her honours bachelor of science in plant biology as a member of Victoria College in 2018.

“Being able to say that you're a U of T student, that you're connected with U of T Entrepreneurship and CDL — it all lends a lot of credibility to students looking to start their own organization.”

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