Meet Antoine Desjonqueres | Co-Founder & CEO of Nutu

We had the good fortune of connecting with Antoine Desjonqueres and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Antoine, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Nutu didn’t start as a business but as a reforestation project. Back in 2011 our goal was to plant trees with the Forest & Life movement. We were working with a broad constellation of actors (NGOs, firms, scientists, institutions, schools, experts, local entrepreneurs…) to make the most out of every tree planted. We became very familiar with the Moringa tree and realized how great of an ally it can be. This little tree amazed us with its incredible versatility, it was at once helping us regenerate the land, fight malnutrition, improve farmers livelihood, foster local entrepreneurship, prevent soil erosion and protect biodiversity. Nutu as a business was born to build an ethical value chain around Moringa Oleifera. Nutu was founded to fulfill a vision of business as a virtuous cycle -one that fosters health and respects earth.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Nutu (no͞otou/) is a phoneticization of the French phrase nous tous, meaning “all of us”. We are working with women-led cooperatives in West Africa to bring the world’s best moringa to everyone. Our mission is to share the bounty of this wondrous tree. We have at heart the regenerative principles of permaculture, fair trade and sustainable agro-ecology. What sets us apart is that we envision our business as a little tree that grows steadily, with deep roots and plenty fruits to share. Nutu was built on the principle of interdependence—of peoples, ecologies, and economies.
We are most proud of our commitment to quality and ethics, our will to learn and improve, and our pledge to foster health and respect earth.
We are most excited about the potential of this incredibly versatile little tree who never ceases to amaze us.
Business-wise we got where we are by focusing on incremental steps, moving one foot at a time, and most importantly by trying to use obstacles as springboards.
It wasn’t and isn’t easy, but nothing worth your time ever is.
One big challenge we have is that both the tree we are working with and the problems we are trying to answer are so complex and multifaceted by nature that they tend to confuse our audience. So we keep learning, we stay open to feedback and we do our best to distill information in order to make it digestible and to keep moving forward.
One important thing I learned along the way is that plants have a lot to give us, and even more to teach us. They inhabit time differently, they make food and medicine from light and water and they never waste anything.
One thing I want everyone to consider is that we are all pupils of the cosmos and stewards of the world.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m based in Brooklyn, New York. I would take my visiting friends on a long and random walk or a nice bike ride to explore and discover places I don’t already know while we catch up. I would bring them to the farmers markets and we would mostly eat delicious home cooked meals.
I would probably bring them to my favourite ramen place Nakamura or to Teranga for some fufu, egussi and jollof rice if we eat out. We might stop for a Levain cookie at some point, and would definitely pass by my favourite teahouse 29B. A visit of the Rubin museum could be nice or maybe a beer and a ping pong game at fat cat.
This is a very difficult question, there is so much to do in and around New York and there is never two days that look the same. We would most likely not have an itinerary.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Big shoutout to Nicolas Métro, founder and CEO of Kinomé, whom I consider a mentor. He inspired me to learn from & work with the vegetal world to answer human fundamental needs. Huge thank you to my co-founders Deeva Green, Lee Reitelman and Adeline Desjonqueres who breathed life into this beautiful project.
Much love and respect to all the farmers, scientists and local entrepreneurs who are Nutu’s roots and sap.
Massive thank you to all our clients who understand and support our vision and help us multiply our impact.
Special mention to my partner Isabella Montoya, founder and CEO of Paz Lifestyle, for her unconditional love and support at every step.

Website: https://www.nutu.net/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nutumoringa/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoine-desjonqu%C3%A8res-01b41848/

Image Credits
Nathan Legiehn & Elena Mari for Nutu