Moneda Moves (163): Meet the Veteran-Built Biz Supporting Afghan Farmers | James Keith Alaniz, CEO and Co-Founder of Rumi Spice
¿Que tal, mi gente? Today we have a new episode drop in our Moneda Moves season covering the future of food. So far in this chapter, we’ve spoken with funders and founders in the food tech and consumer packaged goods space from the likes of VC firm Supply Change Capital’s Shayna Harris to founder of SOMOS Foods Miguel Leal.
Today, we speak with Keith Alaniz, who is in the business of doing good and doing well. He is one of the founders and CEO of Rumi Spice, a social enterprise that promotes peace in Afghanistan by connecting farmers with markets and empowering Afghan women.
Keith’s military service in Afghanistan inspired him to start Rumi Spice in 2014, which has since become an award-winning company known for its high quality spices and its commitment to fostering peace through business. The company has been featured since in the likes of The New York Times to NPR.
In addition to his military service, Keith has an impressive educational background. He received his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from the Missouri University of Science and Technology. He later attended the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he earned his MBA and was recognized as the top entrepreneur for the 2018 class. Keith also worked for three years at Google as a program manager for the technical infrastructure supply chain team (and where I had the fortuitous opportunity of working with him).
We speak with Keith about how his time in Afghanistan led to the creation of Rumi Spice, how storytelling has played a big role since its bootstrapping days when packaging spices was done in house, and how it actively works to benefit Afghan farmers while running a profitable business.
You can listen to that full episode here. No te lo quieres perder.
Con poder,
Lyanne
Thank you for joining us! Until next time, catch us here on Moneda Moves.