Known for their “Easy-to-Grow Mushroom Garden” kits, Cal Berkeley grads, Alex and Nikhil, of Back to the Roots are hosting their 1st annual community gathering. Located at their new West Oakland workshop, expect food, music, drinks and good times. Planned or not, this event happens to fall on Bike to Work day, so I want to see some bicycles! The mission is 100% sustainability.

Back to the Roots 1st Community Gathering
2935 Adeline St., Oakland, CA 94608 (near MacArthur BART)
6:00PM May 12, 2011

From a recent visit, T.K. Iwata of Apogii, summarizes Back to the Roots:

A sustainable business is defined as “an enterprise that has no negative impact on the global or local environment, community, society, or economy—a business that strives to meet the triple bottom line or people, planet, profit”.

Back to the Roots BTTR is a sustainable business leading by example as a next generation enterprise. What does this business sell? Organic homegrown mushroom kits. The essential ingredients are “spent” coffee grounds, typically thrown away by coffee shop barristas, but for BTTR, are an opportune revenue stream! Mushroom growth turns the twice spent coffee grounds into a garden soil fertilizer, yet another revenue stream. BTTR has managed a win-win-win business model: revenue from raw materials, revenue from selling product, revenue from by-products. And all the while, being sustainable, ecologically sensitive, and bringing smiles to children and families alike.