Meet Nishant Gadde

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nishant Gadde. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nishant below.

Nishant, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.

My generosity comes from being a speech-delayed student in Fishers, Indiana. Growing up, I could not speak right and have proper conversations with others. This led to me making sure that no human or objects were discarded like plastic grocery bags. In addition, it led me to create AceCycle, a nonprofit focused on increasing tennis ball recycling internationally because balls being discarded did not feel right and helped me give these used balls to pet shelters and other tennis stores that could use these tennis balls better.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

At AceCycle, we are focused on addressing one of the overlooked ecological hazards in sports: tennis ball waste. Every year, over 329 million tennis balls are produced globally, many of which end up in landfills due to their non-biodegradable components. This rapid turnover, especially in professional tournaments, contributes to significant environmental damage. At AceCycle, our mission is to raise awareness and offer sustainable alternatives by repurposing used tennis balls, keeping them out of landfills, and giving them second lives, from local tennis shops to animal shelters. We’ve already kept over 450,000 tennis balls from waste, and through our ongoing research, we aim to improve recycling efficiency across the tennis industry.

What excites us most is our growing global reach. From local efforts to a global presence, our chapters span numerous states and countries, demonstrating that sustainability can coexist with community impact. With advancements in biodegradable materials and recycling options, we are pushing the tennis industry toward a greener future. By encouraging players and tournament organizers to adopt sustainable practices, we hope to significantly reduce tennis’s environmental footprint. AceCycle isn’t just about reducing waste, it’s about leading the charge in eco-conscious sports equipment solutions.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Three qualities that have been crucial in my journey are teamwork, communication, and thinking beyond the immediate task. As someone who was speech delayed as a child, improving my speaking skills was a personal challenge, but developing an iOS app helped me build confidence in my voice. Collaborating with a team and articulating ideas clearly made me realize the importance of effective communication. My advice to others is to embrace collaboration, focus on developing clear communication, and think beyond the current problem to approach challenges creatively.

To others who plan on starting an initiative, I highly recommend to take help when you need it. With the help of my cofounders Allan Xu and Ning Yu, I was able to transform AceCycle to an international non profit aimed at helping reduce the carbon footprint of tennis.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

At AceCycle, we are always looking for innovative partners who share our passion for sustainability and community impact. We’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with various organizations, from pet stores to tennis shops, and more recently, a startup working on transforming old tennis balls into soundproof walls. These partnerships are a testament to the creativity and potential that exists when like-minded entities come together for a common cause.

We’re particularly interested in collaborating with businesses and individuals who are focused on sustainability, recycling, and reducing waste. Whether you’re involved in sports equipment, environmental advocacy, or green innovation, we’d love to explore how we can work together to create lasting, positive change. If you’re working on similar projects or are passionate about making a difference, we invite you to connect with us.

Feel free to reach out through our website or social media channels. We’re always open to new ideas and partnerships that help further our mission of reducing tennis-related waste and promoting eco-friendly solutions across the industry. Together, we can make a more sustainable future for sports and beyond.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://acecycle.org
• Other: App – https://apps.apple.com/ae/app/acecycle/id6608989018?uo=2

Image Credits

Officers of AceCycle.