Former Nike execs build D2C startup Plaeto for school shoes
Former Nike executives founded D2C firm Plaeto, which offers children's shoes. The startup has tied up with over 30 schools in Bangalore and Chennai. Children should be able to stand on their own, yet the black lace-ups that are purchased every summer during back-to-school shopping receive little consideration from parents or instructors. Because kids' feet keep growing, it is typically best to buy a pair a few sizes larger, according to Ravi Kallayi, co-founder and CEO of D2C shoe firm Plaeto . But would they be content to spend six hours a day, every day, in their position? The query launched a search that resulted in Ravi founding Plaeto, a children's shoe company, in 2020 with Sara Kilgore and Pavan Kareti, two of his former coworkers and friends from Portland, Oregon, sports shoe giant Nike. Between 2012 and 2013, Ravi, who has an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania, served as the program director for Nike's African business. Together with hi...