Chester Zygmont

Full Bio

Souls was born out of an idea Chester had while traveling overseas. After witnessing human trafficking first hand, the idea of starting a social enterprise began to take form. 

Chester, the son of a carpenter, grew up learning the trade and managing projects. Construction did not excite Chester though, so he put himself through college at Eastern University and later through graduate school at Zicklin School of Business in New York City. It was his education and experiences in New York that sparked his interest and gave him direction on what he wanted to do in life.

Before finishing graduate school, Chester landed a job with a private equity fund based out of New York. After closing a $600+ million-dollar deal to purchase a manufacturing company, Chester became a major component in restructuring operations. With this experience, Chester’s love of finance and business operations grew and solidified his commitment to being a businessman.

Over the next few years, Chester started his own investment company. He developed sales and investment strategies to facilitate growth and development and worked to secure startup financing. He worked with startups in many different industries including technology, biotechnology, basic materials, and financial services.

In 2012, Chester began working with a biotech company in San Diego. In just over three short years, Chester helped transform the company from a tiny start-up to a full blown reputable NASDAQ listed investment grade biotech.

The beginning of a life changing adventure started in 2017. Moving their family to Nepal, Chester and his wife Michelle spent 3 years working to build a social enterprise to help mitigate the risks of human trafficking. Chester successfully formed an international company, learned the idiosyncrasies of business in Nepal and navigated the nuances of logistics. A consumer product was developed for the market in the US and a brand was started - Jivanas.

With a gifted business mind, Chester tirelessly continues to pursue opportunities that give back to the world making it a better place for all people.