Kari Warberg Block interview — Fem Founder™

Kari Warberg Block, an unlikely disruptor, challenged an industry that is toxic by its very nature. As the Founder & CEO of EarthKind ®, Kari discovered that 98% of pest control solutions sold were poison & kill methods — so she set out to invent a better solution: plant-based pest control powered by nature. Kari was the first to develop, manufacture, and commercialize poison-free rodent and insect repellents for farm and home use, with a mission to build a purpose-led company and create change through business. Once a mom on food stamps, Kari started EarthKind® with nothing more than a package of garden seeds and a vision and has built it into the $20 million company it is today. www.earthkind.com

Can you tell our readers about your background?

As the daughter of an entomologist and wife of a farmer, I always felt a deep connection to nature and all living creatures, with a fierce desire to protect it at all costs. These inherent traits proved integral to the values I created EarthKind with, but, before becoming a business owner, I was working part-time at a perfume counter to help my family make ends meet. Like many entrepreneurs, I started out of necessity. Despite our best efforts, my family and I were struggling to get by. I began selling produce from my farm every Saturday morning and living off our harvests throughout the year. Then, I…