Zac Ziebarth with his team will be launching Smart Roots Global on Sept 30, 2014. He is a Cronkite graduate and the idea sprung from a study abroad trip in South Africa. (Photo by Tynin Fries)ASU alumnus Zac Ziebarth had an idea nearly a year ago when he was studying abroad in South Africa.
Ziebarth made a promise to make sustainability recognized across the world. This was a promise that he would end up keeping by creating SmartRoots Global.
The company focuses on sustainability and developed a class kit that will be taught in other countries like South Africa. The class is a three-week program that dives into sustainability concepts like food and energy. He said the class would be taught annually.
“Our goal is to not train the students about these ideas, but to train a way of thought and a way of thinking that creates a solutions-based way of thinking,” he said. “That’s our goal with this project.”
Ziebarth grew up on a small farm in Wisconsin and raised small beef cattle. He moved to Arizona in 2010 and majored in both journalism and political science. Ziebarth said he was not sure what the journalism job market would be like after he graduated.
“The journalism market out there for a job come May isn’t necessarily great,” Ziebarth said. “I needed to start making something for myself and skills I’ve learned from journalism school have really helped me start this (company).”
Ziebarth said he puts in about 60 hours a week to the company, but he also has a team around him to help with the workload.
One of those team members is sustainability graduate student Laurel Kruke. She met Ziebarth at a conference. She would later become the Director of Development at SmartRoots Global.
“(Ziebarth) is really passionate about it,” Kruke said. “I’m really impressed by the passion he has for it.”
Kruke said she is studying sustainability to get her master's degree and found her passion for it studying green buildings. She joined SmartRoots Global in April.
“The mission of SmartRoots Global is something I’m passionate about,” Kruke said. “I think that says a lot about Zac and the company.”
The company comprises other members as well. ASU alumna Alexis Roeckner is the Director of Curriculum Development at SmartRoots Global. Roeckner said her title is a fancy way of saying she worked with people to write the class kit.
“It’s really awesome,” Roeckner said. “Being able to reach out to children and educate them about (the world's) problems.”
Roeckner said she and Ziebarth disagreed on some issues when they first met, but the project ultimately came together.
“Sustainability brought us toward the middle,” Roeckner said.
SmartRoots Global is launching Tuesday, and an event will be held Tuesday night at the Phoenix Public Market from 6 to 8 p.m.
CORRECTION: Due to a reporting error, a previous version of this article incorrectly stated where Ziebarth is from, the proper spelling of the company name and an incorrect spelling of a source's name. This version has been updated to reflect the changes.
Reach the reporter at jwilli62@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @JonWilliams_23
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