Kavita Basi swapped her highflying corporate fashion career for life as an ‘ethical’ entrepreneur and tells LBN how backing from Gateway Angels is contributing to her venture’s rapid growth. Tony McDonough reports

 

Kavita Basi is looking to show there is no conflict between business being both profitable and ethical – and she is prepared to take a hit on margins to emphasise the point.

And Kavita, whose business Jardin Living has the backing of angel investors via Liverpool-based Gateway Angels, is also flying the flag for angel investors, not just because of the money but also for the invaluable mentoring it offers.

Founded during the COVID pandemic in 2020, Jardin Living has three elements – Ration.L, which produces and sells vegan-friendly trainers and accessories; Reflexone, which sells activewear made from recycled plastic; and Kavita also works as a consultant advising on ethical practices.

Ration.L sells trainers and accessories direct to consumers via its website and has also secured a partnership with retail giant John Lewis. Kavita has persistently aimed to ensure footwear is priced below that of its competitors – and she has been prepared to take a hit on margin to achieve that.

She explained: “We have contracts with various organisations and we kit out all the staff with our shoes. They are a comfortable, organic trainer and it is very challenging to produce gender-neutral ethical footwear.

“We are at a price point that is very accessible. Typically, organic trainers might cost you £120 to £150. We sell ours at £70.

“It was important because I didn’t want to bring out products that would not be accessible to young people like my son and daughter and my mum, who is very price-conscious. I wanted to show that sustainable products can be accessible.”

On the consultancy, she added: “We help clients improve the sustainability of their products. They might have t-shirts or hoodies made organically and want it done properly. We help them to achieve that.

“It is definitely more the production side that we focus on, rather than internal business processes. Everything we do in that regard is entirely ethical. It is B Corp (an ESG certification which is very difficult to get and marks business out as highly sustainable).”

 

 

Kavita’s journey from highflying fashion executive to entrepreneur has been a rocky one. In 2015 she was rushed into A&E with a subarachnoid brain haemorrhage – a condition with a 50/50 survival rate.

Four operations later Kavita battled her way back to health. But instead of returning to the boardroom, she decided her health was now a priority, and she instead found a better work-life balance through her own business.

It is not unusual for people to make life-changing pivots following a serious illness but, Kavita says that in truth, she was already re-evaluating her life and work priorities long before that.

“Even when I was a corporate vice-president I always had the intention to create change and make a difference. I was head of sustainability for 10 years, so I was already on that trajectory to bring about change in the industry.

“I was seeing firsthand the impact the fashion industry has on people and planet. So, I was always pushing sustainable products and processes.

“After the illness my priorities changed, and I decided I didn’t want to work in the same way anymore. It has left me with multiple side-effects. I am neurodiverse and I often get exhausted. Working in a high-powered corporate role just wasn’t sustainable for me.”

Jardin Living was already established and generating good revenue when Kavita had a chance encounter with Katie Nicholson, director of Liverpool-based Gateway Angels. Part of the MSIF group, Gateway Angels brings angel investors face-to-face with entrepreneurs seeking guidance and investment.

Angel investors are typically wealthy individuals who provide capital for early-stage businesses or start-ups, usually in exchange for convertible debt or ownership equity.

Kavita, who has been nominated for multiple awards, met Katie at a dinner in Liverpool. She said: “We got talking and the relationship just grew from there.

“Katie had a cancellation at a pitch event she had set up for angel investors. So, I went along by chance and came away with my first investment.

“I didn’t find the pitching a problem, I’d pitched to clients so many times in my corporate career. It is in my DNA. But I do think if you are starting up in business and you need that guidance and support, those pitch events are really valuable.”

Securing cash from an investor is obviously important to any entrepreneur but Kavita added that the help and guidance she has had from individuals going down the angels route has been as important, if not more so, than the money.

“I’m more of a designer and a creator than I am a finance person,” she explained. “I can do maths and work costings out, but what has really helped is having an investor on board that understands things such as cashflow and forecasting.

“From when I was 17, I was working in organisations where I had managers and people to answer to. Becoming my own boss and making those decisions I’m suddenly like ‘what if this is the wrong decision?’

“That can be hard so that guidance has been super important.”

Kavita avoided some of the more severe possible outcomes from her illness but it has still left its mark with some significant side-effects. Due to the exhaustion her working day usually starts around 8am and ends at 2pm.

Despite this Kavita has still found time and energy to become an author, publishing three books so far, as well as becoming an active blogger and an ambassador for the Brain & Spine Foundation, The Bee Foundation & Same You org.

Although there has been progress in persuading businesses to embrace the ESG (environmental, social, and governance) approach, Kavita says too many organisations still treat it like a tick-box exercise.

“We had a meeting with a big retailer and pitched to them,” she said. “We already have John Lewis on our roster of clients. But this other company said that if we don’t have at least 50,000 followers on social media then we are not a credible brand.

“I find the idea that having more social media followers matters more than brand values hard to understand.”

 

 

Kavita is optimistic for the future of Jardin Living with big plans for the growth of both Ration.L and her consultancy, where she says there is a little less risk.

She and her team also work with universities to offer opportunities to students who want to take on project work. They can learn more about ethical, sustainable fashion, or about other areas of the business. It is a project Kavita is passionate about.

And, despite the health challenges, she has no regrets about becoming an entrepreneur. She added: “Starting the business was absolutely the right decision – 100%.

“I may have less money in my pocket but I am happier and I have a purpose and a business that I truly believe in. It has made me realise how your values really do matter.”

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Katie Nicholson said: “Kavita is one of the most inspiring people I have met through Gateway Angels. Given what she has been through with her health, her energy and drive is incredible.

“It is that kind of enthusiasm that really captures the attention of angel investors and her success so far is testament to the idea that you can launch and grow a successful business while remaining true to your ethical and sustainable values.”

Kavita also promotes her products on Instagram – click here.