MEET THE FOUNDERS

We, Laura and Kunal Khanna, met in Australia in 2013 and have travelled the world together since. We returned to Kunal's homeland, India, in 2018 and birthed The Odd Gumnut.

We are the fun/adrenaline/party loving type -- spending our 20's and early 30's hopping from festival to festival, camping, hiking, paragliding, bush pashing and committing general acts of hooliganism.

All the while, we have lived intentionally, lightly & naturally, caring deeply about Bhoomi Mata and all the creatures on earth. We love to ride our bicycles, travel new countries with small 10 kg backpacks and boogie to music till our legs are sore.

Now we bring our years of experience in environmental studies, food politics, permaculture & design thinking to practice here.

KUNAL'S JAM

Circular economy; open innovation; design thinking, CSR, public policy, smart cities, systems thinking, sustainable economics, waste management, ideas hacking, photography, and wood working.

LAURA'S GROOVE

food policy; community food sovereignty; education the realm of the radical homemaker: cooking; fermenting, bread baking, foraging, herbal medicine, and of course, gardening.

KUNAL KHANNA

Born into the mad hum of Mumbai, raised amongst the monkeys and mountains of Panchgani, and made independent in an adulthood in Australia, Kunal's personality is as vast and tremendous as his background.

Kunal called Melbourne home for 13 years and there he grew and expanded -- finishing an undergraduate degree in Economics and a Masters in Environment and Sustainability. Here he and best mate, Tyson, started Overdosa, a legendary Melbourne food stall with funky beats and delicious food. Our marriage has Overdosa to thank!

Kunal is an adrenaline junkie is the one responsible for most of our most extreme antics. He loves to paraglide, mountain bike, and cliff jump. Luckily he also enjoys the peaceful activities of playing ukulele, sipping chai with our older generations, and reading a book for his plentiful library.

LAURA CHRISTIE KHANNA

Raised in the jewel of America, the Pacific Northwest, Laura is a lady of the wild through and through - happiest in the mountains, jungles, seas, oceans & rivers.

She has always been passionate and focused on food, in all of its bountiful forms and complications. Splitting her time between farms and restaurants and advocacy.

At the University of Washington, Laura created the first major specifically on Food Studies -- covering everything from the anthropology of food to the depths of its politics (Big Ag, Farm Bill, world hunger, Green Revolution, GMO, et al.).

After moving to Australia in 2013, Laura dove into Permaculture, learning in Melbourne from Stuart Muir Wilson and later completing her Teacher Training with Rosemary Morrow. While in Melbourne she headed the food sovereignty organization The Community Grocer and worked on the garden team at the urban farm Ceres.

Laura is skilled teacher. She has run classes & workshops for renowned universities, festivals and community groups. She is available for speaking & teaching engagements. Enquire via email.