Vishal Kumar, CEO, Waste Warriors
A visionary leader, Vishal Kumar is the CEO of Waste Warriors, a non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding the pristine Indian Himalayas from solid waste. With an unwavering passion for sustainability, Vishal defied conventional career paths and took up a career in waste management to solve this pressing problem after graduating as a Material Science engineer from the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi. He brings a holistic understanding of the waste lifecycle, having experience across the entire spectrum – from upstream generation to downstream processing and recycling. A cherry on the top is his ability to combine this expertise with community-led models and making them sustainable.
Under his leadership, Waste Warriors has experienced remarkable growth, expanding its operations to 11 locations and tripling its revenue and team size. Kumar's vision has earned Waste Warriors international recognition, including the prestigious Keeling Curve Prize, cementing its position as a pioneer in climate change mitigation.