Priya Kumar: Building a consulting firm from one laptop to lasting impact.

The company started with me, my laptop and a desire to go above and beyond for clients. I wanted to provide sustainable, executable improvements that were easy to implement. A lot of consultants will hand you a deck and say ‘Good Luck!’ I pride myself in walking hand in hand with the client and ensuring they realize the savings I have identified. I’m happy to say we’re still doing that today! Over the years, I made the decision to grow Sustainable, hire several consultants, a marketing analyst and others to help me offer services to more clients. I am extremely choosy about who gets to join the team - I’m looking for those who are humble, because they’ll take seconds to get the vision and they’ll elevate it. We also now use AI heavily to help us get our clients help faster, with more insights.

The idea that I get to make someone’s life easier and better is really rewarding. I have never believed that the hours you spend working = how effective you are. I have always quantified worth by value. The work we do at Sustainable does exactly that - we improve process efficiency so you can get the same results in half the time - leaving you more time to focus on other things - including living your best life :) I love when I am able to show a client and easier way to do something and they have the ‘aha’ moment in front of me - it’s very exciting!

By helping them to focus on other aspects of their operations in addition to tariff impact. It’s time to do all of the improvements that have been needing to get done for a long time. The advice we provide specifically in regards to tariffs is different for every client we work with. For some, we have gone as far as suggesting moving their manufacturing locations and for others it’s as simple as properly classifying their products.

Every decision we make, whether it’s about sourcing, logistics, or demand planning, has ripple effects on people: the factory worker earning a steady wage, the community that depends on reliable jobs, the consumer who places trust in a brand to deliver safely and ethically. That’s why our approach blends data and technology with empathy and responsibility. We design solutions that don’t just optimize costs, but also create resilience, protect communities, and strengthen consumer confidence. For us, the ‘human supply chain’ is at the center of every transformation.”

AI is changing the way we think about supply chains. I’ve seen first-hand how it can take forecasting accuracy from a painful guessing game to a disciplined, data-driven practice. Or even how it can flag hidden risks in supplier contracts in seconds, something that used to take weeks of manual review. What excites me most is that we’re not stopping at using off-the-shelf tools. Sustainable Inc. is creating our own AI product that focuses on the individual workflows of supply chain professionals. Too often, technology stays at the process or enterprise level, but the real breakthroughs come when you empower a planner, a buyer, or a logistics manager with AI in the flow of their daily work. That’s how we’re embracing AI: not as a shiny tool, but as a way to make supply chain teams faster, smarter, and more human-centered

I see AI as both an amplifier and a disruptor to consulting. On the amplification side, it’s already making us sharper and faster—especially in research, analysis, and insight-building. Where we used to spend days sifting through data or documents, AI now does that heavy lifting in minutes, freeing us to focus on the strategic thinking and change management that truly move the needle for clients.

At the same time, it’s also a real disruptor. AI is reshaping how knowledge is created, packaged, and delivered. The traditional consulting model, where insights are delivered in PowerPoints after months of work, doesn’t fully match the pace of today’s business environment. Clients increasingly expect intelligence in real time, embedded in their workflows, not just handed to them after the fact.

Future-proofing a supply chain isn’t about trying to predict the next pandemic or tariff, it’s about being ready for whatever comes. I don’t event think we could predict what that will be! That means spreading risk across suppliers, using data to see problems earlier, and building flexibility so companies can pivot quickly. At the end of the day, it’s about making sure products reach communities when they need them most. I think the best way to do that is to have resources dedicated to this future-proofing. A ‘supply chain disruption response team’ would be a great idea. Once you commit to dedicating the resources, the ‘how’ figures itself out.

AI is moving supply chain automation from rigid, rules-based systems to adaptive, learning systems. Instead of just automating repetitive tasks, AI is now enabling self-correcting forecasts, intelligent contract management, and dynamic logistics routing that can adjust in real time. What excites me most is that we’re entering an era where automation isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about agility and resilience.

For entrepreneurs, I’d pay attention to two big trends. First, AI at the workflow level—tools built to empower individual planners, buyers, and operators in their day-to-day decisions. That’s where adoption will stick and value will be created fastest. Second, AI-powered visibility and risk sensing—being able to see disruptions in supply chains earlier and respond proactively. Together, these trends will redefine what it means to run a supply chain, moving from reactive firefighting to proactive, intelligent execution.

What starts here changes the world’ is what you see written across the wall at Rowling Hall on the UT campus. This is where change happened for me. My four years at UT, over twenty years ago, were some of the most formative of my life, and Austin played a huge role in shaping the way I see business and community.

But Austin is more than just my personal story—it’s become one of the best places in the country to build a supply chain consultancy. The city sits at the intersection of innovation, entrepreneurship, and global connectivity. You have the academic powerhouse of UT producing world-class talent, a thriving ecosystem of tech and CPG companies, and a community that embraces bold ideas and collaboration. For Sustainable Inc., it means we can tap into incredible talent, partner with innovative businesses, and stay connected to both the startup energy and the corporate scale that defines modern supply chain challenges.

In many ways, Austin reflects the spirit of the supply chain itself—dynamic, fast-growing, and constantly evolving. It’s the perfect place to push the boundaries of what supply chain strategy and execution can look like.

Stay calm, have faith and look within - the answer will come to you.