I met Eric Ryan years ago, right before I started working at Yelp, when I helped open a pop-up store for the home products brand, method, in San Francisco’s Union Square. We’ve kept in touch and now find ourselves living about 10 minutes from each other. Small world.
What do you do?
I’m a serial entrepreneur and father of three. I have founded several brands, including method, OLLY, and more recently WILL with Serena Williams, and Cast, which is a fine jewelry brand. But more importantly, I have three startups at home, with a 17-year-old daughter and 14- and 12-year-old boys.
Where do you live?
Kentfield.
How long have you lived in Marin?
Since 2005 when our first was born.
Where can we find you when you’re not at work?
Hopefully on the water, both wet and frozen. We love to ski, sail, kitesurf and generally any water board sport. I know that you’d like me to say playing pickleball.
If you had to convince someone how awesome Marin was, where would you take them?
A little surf and turf at the Mountain Home Inn with a hike on the Dipsea Trail, closing out with a drink on the water at The Bungalow Kitchen in Tiburon.
What is one thing Marin is missing?
A hockey rink. I grew up in Detroit and would love to be able to play pick-up ice hockey again.
What’s one bit of advice you’d share with your fellow Marinites?
We all have to support our local restaurants and retail, which bring so much character to our community. Marin’s downtowns are real gems, from Mill Valley to Larkspur. I’m especially proud that we opened Cast’s first boutique in Corte Madera.
If you could invite anyone to a special dinner, who would they be?
All of the grandparents that I have lost. I only knew them as a kid, and there is so much more wisdom they could share with me as an adult.
What is something that in 20 years from now will seem cringeworthy?
Letting kids be on social media, and how it amplifies anxiety.
Big question. What is one thing you’d do to change the world?
Create a tax for single use plastic to encourage better healthier alternatives.
Nish Nadaraja was on the founding team at Yelp, serves on the San Anselmo Arts Commission and attempts to play pickleball at Fairfax’s Cañon Club.
