Vasant Narayan - The power of connecting people, from an entrepreneurial view

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Steve Jobs famously said: "Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have faith in people, that they’re basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they’ll do wonderful things with them."

This is another way of saying that technology should serve as a great enabler for people to be more efficient and effective in the things that they already do.? Entrepreneurs that stay true to this philosophy while building their companies have a great chance to create real value for their customers and communities.?

That is what we will be discussing in today's insights with Vasant Narayan – how the simple actions of connecting with people can generate huge returns.

The power of a strong network

Vasant has diverse professional experience in everything from finance to management to M&A at corporations like Morgan Stanley, KPMG and RR Donnelley. ?He later found his sweet spot in sales and business development, both domestic and international. ?His jack-of-many-trades background has come in handy in his entrepreneurial career.

Anyone who has worked in sales knows that networking is key. ?Networking played a huge role for Vasant in building his current startup, GATO (Get All Things Outdoor):

"I always say ‘yes’ to warm introductions and I am willing to speak with just about anyone, because you never know where the conversation might lead, or who else that person might know.? I also lead with a mentality of ‘how can I help you?’ which seems to come back around in positive karma.”?

It was this philosophy that led Vasant to meet Kenneth “Hap” Klopp, founder of The North Face, and have him join GATO as an advisor.

"Considering Hap’s passion for promoting sustainability in the outdoor sector, GATO was a great fit for him."

Needless to say, Hap's extensive experience in building The North Face into the premier outdoor clothing and equipment brand makes him an invaluable resource for Vasant and the GATO team, while also lending additional credibility to the company/mission.

Striving to be THE brand synonymous with secondhand outdoor gear

For anyone who has ever tried to enter or level up in an outdoor sport like fishing or camping, you have most likely noticed that equipment can be quite costly. So costly in fact that it might even prevent you from pursuing your new interest. ?Believing in the power of connectivity and community, Vasant has built an online platform that connects like-minded outdoor folks for social re-commerce.? GATO helps outdoor enthusiasts buy and sell secondhand gear and equipment with greater speed and confidence. Vasant explains: ?

“The fundamental idea with GATO is to make outdoor recreation more affordable and accessible for everyone. The platform is all about connecting people in a better, faster, and easier way, while removing the common hassles consumers experience in ‘generalist’ marketplaces”.

GATO connects discount gear seekers with surplus inventory from within the outdoor expert community (individuals or suppliers). Not only is GATO helping to promote the repurposing of equipment for increased sustainability; they are also encouraging more people to pursue outdoor activities and strengthening our communities.

Increasing the opportunities for entrepreneurship in all communities

Besides operating as the CEO of GATO, Vasant is engaged with several non-profit organizations dedicated to embracing entrepreneurship among youth and underserved communities. ?Vasant’s passion and involvement originates from a drive to support and encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs, and enable them to pursue their business ideas at an early age – something Vasant did not do (and regrets to this day). ?In addition to mentoring, coaching, and judging for multiple pitch contests and events, Vasant sits on the board of two non-profits that promote entrepreneurship –Social Capital Inc. (SCI) and Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE).

SCI is a Boston-based organization dedicated to enhancing communities by fostering connections among individuals and organizations through initiatives focused on civic engagement. The organization equips people with the necessary skills and tools to make a positive impact in their communities.? SCI also supports youth teams in creating social impact project/business ideas, raising funding, and implementing their ideas in their local municipalities.

NFTE is a national organization that helps foster youth entrepreneurs by giving them a startup toolkit and the skills for future success. ?NFTE’s impact starts early, as they integrate an independent entrepreneurial curriculum into middle schools and high schools across underserved communities.

Vasant firmly believes these nonprofits are vital in providing entrepreneurial mindset and resources to anyone anywhere, while instilling an ethos of helping others:

“It is all about paying it forward and helping amazing entrepreneurs gain the confidence and know-how to bring their vision to life.”

Setting the course for growing an entire market

Bringing the conversation back to what GATO is doing, Vasant feels the company is still in the “starting blocks.” ?Their intention is not only to grow their marketplace into the dominant player, but also to expand the overall size and scope of the secondhand market for outdoor gear. Vasant believes GATO is on trend with the overall movement toward a more environmental friendly approach in society:

"With better awareness of the vast amount of surplus outdoor gear sitting idle in garages and basements across America, GATO believes we can grow the market of people that are willing to buy and sell secondhand.”

GATO’s long-term vision is to evolve into a white-labeled, digital trade-in/trade-up solution for suppliers in addition to serving as a peer-to-peer secondhand marketplace. ?With customers’ awareness about sustainability on the rise, companies need to adopt a more ESG-friendly approach – this will soon become table stakes. ?GATO has the potential to play a vital role as an integrator in this movement.

Curious to get in contact with the team on GATO? Find their contacts below!

LinkedIn: https://www.dhirubhai.net/company/gatomarketplace/about/

Website: https://gatomarketplace.com