ABOUT ZIKHARA
WE’RE IN BUSINESS
TO HELP YOU THRIVE.
Zikhara was founded to help ambitious companies unlock the kind of growth that doesn’t just beat the plan, it redefines what is possible. “Zikhara” comes from Sanskrit for “summit.” The path up isn’t straight. Our job is to help you choose the line, avoid the traps and keep moving.
Our team has led growth and transformation from both sides of the table, inside mid-sized businesses and alongside global enterprises. We understand high stakes decisions, real constraints and the need for results. We don’t push generic playbooks. We work with leaders who want facts, make a few high-consequence choices (where to play, how to win, what to stop), then install roles, rhythms, tools and coaching so progress compounds after we leave.
We work with leaders who are already asking the right questions. Our job is to help them uncover what’s in the way and move from smart intent to meaningful impact, faster and with greater confidence.
WHY ZIKHARA?
Most firms start with frameworks and playbooks.
We start by helping leadership teams clear the gridlock, challenge assumptions and focus where it matters – in the market, across the business and at the moments that drive value.
Operator DNA
We’ve been in your seat bringing deep, practical know-how, not theory.
End to End Execution
Strategy is only half the battle. We help you build the muscle to make it real.
Adaptive Engagement
We adapt to your reality – structure where needed, speed where it matters.
Unfiltered Insight
We challenge assumptions and surface blind spots traditional research misses.
Outcome Obsessed
Every engagement ties directly to growth, margin or speed, no vanity projects.
Starting from Square Two
We respect what’s been built and help accelerate what’s next.
HOW WE’RE DIFFERENT
Built for companies where growth has gotten complicated, we work with $50M–$5B industrial, manufacturing, food & beverage, consumer and healthcare businesses at inflection points, when old playbooks stop working.
Zikhara was built for exactly this type of challenge. We don’t offer off-the-shelf strategy. We work directly with senior leaders and their teams to uncover what’s holding them back, and build the traction they need to move forward with clarity and confidence.
If that sounds familiar, we should talk. We’re easy to work with. No bloated teams. Just experienced partners and practitioners who come in curious, ask hard questions and get things moving.
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO
WHY WE DO
WHAT WE DO
We’re not in the business of generic advice. What sets Zikhara apart is how precisely we identify what’s holding your business back and how pragmatically we help you move past it.
- We specialize in Growth Traps
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We don’t just name what’s off. We quantify what it’s costing and prioritize where to act, fast.
- We make value visible
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From go-to-market disconnects to capability drag, we show where growth is leaking, and how to reclaim it.
- We bridge thinking and doing
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We help leaders clarify intent, then work side by side to make it real – through structure, process and behavior.
- We focus where others don’t
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We take on the murky stuff – misalignment, organizational friction, unclear value – and help you move through it.
- We help you navigate turbulence and what comes next
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We don’t just respond to uncertainty. We help you build the clarity and systems to grow through it.
THE ZIKHARA TEAM
ADITYA (A.D.) VENKATESH
A.D. brings 20+ years of consulting and industry experience helping companies unlock growth through strategy, innovation and commercial execution. He’s advised global brands at Accenture, EY and Prophet Brand Strategy, and led enterprise transformation in industrial and consumer sectors serving clients such as Ingersoll Rand, PepsiCo, OI, Owens Corning and various Marmon Group Companies, and served as Global Strategy Lead at Libbey Inc.
His experience spans manufacturing and consumer products. A.D. is also an active mentor in the venture ecosystem through Plug and Play and the Arizona Commerce Authority.
He holds a master’s in economics, an MBA in marketing and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt.
RAMYA MOOTHATHU
Brand Strategy & Experience Design
Ramya is a seasoned brand strategist with 20 years of experience driving business growth through brand, marketing and experience design. She brings a rare blend of analytical rigor and creative insight to help clients achieve relevance and sustained performance.
Her work spans global brands and growth-stage companies across healthcare, consumer goods, and industrials, including PepsiCo, Sodexo, Mayo Clinic, and GE Healthcare. She previously served as a Principal at Prophet Brand Strategy and held marketing roles at Clorox, L’Oréal and GlaxoSmithKline.
Ramya holds degrees from Brown, the London School of Economics and Duke University.
SCOTT D. JOHNSON
Strategy & Operations
Scott is a strategist and entrepreneur with over 16 years of experience helping companies turn bold ideas into operational results. At Accenture, he led large-scale transformations across industries, from aerospace to retail, driving innovation, speed-to-market and cost reduction.
His work includes launching new business units, standing up innovation centers and managing digital initiatives that delivered $100M+ in value. He’s also the co-founder of a digital media company, Slightly Smarter, which reached 50,000 subscribers in its first year.
Scott holds an engineering degree and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt.
JIM NORDMEYER
Sustainability & Global Operations
Jim brings over 40 years of executive leadership in global manufacturing, sustainability strategy and supply chain operations. As former VP of Global Sustainability at O-I Glass, he led enterprise-wide initiatives across international markets, integrating sustainability into core business strategy.
His background spans chemicals, polymers and glass, with experience managing global business integrations and regulatory complexity. Jim now advises clients seeking to elevate their sustainability game and serves as a founding board member of the Glass Recycling Foundation.
He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
Kristen Esposite
Brand Strategy & Execution
Kristen is a brand strategist with over 15 years of experience shaping how companies grow, connect and compete. She brings a uniquely entrepreneurial and consumer-driven lens to her work, honed through leadership roles in hospitality, food & beverage and franchise environments. Kristen has led the creation of high-growth brands, engineered compelling customer experiences and built campaigns that move both culture and the bottom line.
She previously drove marketing strategy at Kahala Brands, the parent company of over 20 QSR brands including Cold Stone Creamery and Pinkberry, and for Wildflower, a regional restaurant brand recognized as one of Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers and Shakers.
She holds a BBA from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.