Kim Sentovich’s career has taken her across a variety of disciplines, from large corporations to small, scrappy teams.
She began her career at Behr Paint, before being recruited to Home Depot to run similar departments, where she developed the nickname of “paint lady.”
Looking to diversify her experience, Sentovich spent the next two decades years in various high-ranking positions in retail, including as senior vice president of the Pacific division at Walmart and an executive vice president position at Gymboree.
Now, she’s leaning on those past experiences as she takes the helm of growing Denver smart sprinkler startup Rachio.
Sentovich was first introduced to the Denver startup through some consulting work she was commissioned to do on the company’s supply chain.
While developing that relationship, she was approached to take a more permanent position and lead Rachio as the company’s CEO. She laughs at the interaction, referencing CBS' "Undercover Boss" TV show as a comparison for how she stepped into the role.
“I was in there helping them, and I never intended to leave the things I was doing,” she said.
With a unique opportunity to help shape the growth arc of a promising young company, Sentovich couldn’t pass up the chance and was publicly named the new CEO of Rachio in June.
Since releasing its smart sprinkler controller in 2014, Rachio says it has saved homeowners and their communities over 127 billion gallons of water.
The product creates smart watering schedules based on the needs of a customer’s lawn, taking into account plant and soil type, sun exposure and more. For example, if it rains or the soil is already moist, Rachio will skip watering for that cycle.
In taking over the CEO role, Sentovich replaces co-founder Chris Klein, who will remain with the company and shift to the chief product officer role.
Given the increased focus on at-home and lawn projects during the pandemic, Rachio is coming off a strong year, reporting record growth and sales numbers in 2020.
Sentovich said she hopes to continue that momentum while also further setting up the company’s infrastructure for the next stage of its growth.
“I’m focused on what does that next product look like and how do we support that infrastructure,” she said.
The 30-person company got out of its downtown Denver lease in January, citing an uncertain remote work future. As offices reopen, Sentovich said Rachio is looking for a new smaller space to accommodate in-person meetings.
And, after raising a $9.8 million funding round in 2018 that brought its total capital raised to nearly $20 million, the company didn’t share definitive plans on if it will need to raise again. Sentovich said it remains an option, but that Rachio is well-capitalized at this point.
With a wealth of diverse career experiences to build off of, Rachio presents a new opportunity for Sentovich to spread her entrepreneurial wings. She points to the uncomfortable decisions to try new things as a key to her own personal and professional growth.
“Take those risks to step outside of your comfort zone, because when you do, you’ll become more valuable to the organization,” she said. “You’re going to have that ability to look cross-functionally when you move up.”
