Namrata Sandhu, 2005
B.A., Denison University
MSc, University College London
Founder and CEO
Vaayu
Valencia, Spain
Namrata Sandhu is a pioneering climate tech entrepreneur whose work is transforming the retail industry’s approach to sustainability. As the founder and CEO of Vaayu, the world’s first automated software to track and reduce retailers’ carbon and environmental impact in real time, Namrata is leading a global movement toward measurable, data-driven climate action.
Born in Mumbai, India, Namrata’s lifelong passion for sustainability led her to earn a master’s in environment and sustainable development from University College London after completing her B.A. in economics and Spanish at Denison. Her early career included work with the United Nations Forum on Forests, and leadership roles at major retailers like Arcadia Group and Zalando, where she recognized a critical industry gap: the lack of real-time tools for environmental impact measurement.
In 2020, amid the global pandemic, Namrata founded Vaayu, a revolutionary platform now used by over 100 global brands including Klarna, New Balance, Vinted, and Veja. Under her leadership, Vaayu has raised over $13 million in funding and developed Kria, the largest and most advanced impact modeling engine in retail, leveraging more than 600,000 industry-specific data points.
Namrata’s groundbreaking work has earned widespread recognition: TIME’s Best Inventions (2022), Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies (2024), and the Reuters Sustainability Trailblazer Award (2023). She’s also been featured by CNN, Bloomberg TV, and international forums like New York Climate Week and the Business of Fashion Summit, where she continues to advocate for the integration of AI and data in decarbonizing retail.
As a board member of Nia — The Power of Choice, and a consistent voice for equity and climate responsibility, Namrata remains committed to making reduction the norm, not the exception. Her work represents the power of purpose-driven innovation, and she credits Denison as a foundational part of that journey.