Impact Hustlers - Entrepreneurs with Social Impact: Recent Episodes

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Sançar's Sahin, Co-founder at Oliva, a B2B2C startup that provides on-demand therapy, coaching, and classes. It has previously worked with employees of companies like HubSpot and Sifted. Oliva focuses on effective process matching to build a value-based platform.

In today’s episode, Sançar shares his personal story of experiencing burnout while working in a fast-growing startup and the importance of addressing mental health in the workplace.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [01:26] Sançar's personal story and getting to work on Oliva.
• [06:19] Maiko's Mental health journey.
• [07:39] Getting Mental health support, Online Therapy.
• [12:50] How Oliva Works.
• [19:08] Sançar's Perspective.
• [24:57] Oliva's differentiation factor.
• [30:09] Achieving wide adoption within a company.
• [35:27] Onboarding solution.
• [36:59] Insight into acquiring the first 10 customers.
• [38:50] Hardest lesson Sancar had to learn.
• [41:09] The future of Oliva.

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “There are many bad things about the pandemic, but one of the good things is that it accelerated reducing stigma around talking about mental health and accessing help.” [10:09]
• “Mental health is one of the most important things affecting a business.” [23:05]
• “To make a meaningful impact on your mental well-being, you can't just focus on preventative and content-based care.” [25:12]
• “Bad matches in online therapy cause people to opt out completely because they believe it isn't them." [26:17]

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In today's episode, I speak to Rodney Williams, who's the co-founder, chairman, and president of SoLo Funds, which is a B-Corp-certified community finance platform that's now used by more than 1 million users. Members can borrow and lend money between themselves rather than go to traditional lenders, loan sharks, or banks.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
[01:16] Rodney's personal background
[03:18] What other alternatives exist
[04:50] How does SoLo work?
[07:25] When and how do your customers use SoLo
[08:56] Difference between Credit score vs SoLo score
[11:50] Fighting the step crisis
[14:27] SoLo's plan for the future
[16:15] SoLo’s expansion to Nigeria
[18:22] SoLo's approach to fundraising & growing revenue
[19:53] Investors' feedback on the business
[24:36] How did SoLo approach investors
[27:53] How did Solo get to become
[33:04] Undeniable product market fit
[37:32] 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

" You can't build wealth without growing it. " [12:12]
"Subprime product, underserved communities, helping people that usually doesn't sound like a big business you’d want to invest in." [19:44]
"Our goal to market strategy is done right and do good because if you can't buy users, you need users to really like what you do.” [21:46]
“A challenge that has made this extremely difficult is that the same financial system
that has created the market that we live in today has created so much discrimination.” [20:30]
“The majority of the group who use this predatory product, tend to be women. Women are taking advantage of these products significantly more.” [26:30]
“All of the impact investors who have turned down Solo, I think they're a joke.” [24:57]
“As we made the consumer experience better, our growth rate accelerated and that's when I knew it was an undeniable product market fit.” (35:01)

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Mark Horoszowski, the CEO and co-founder of Moving Worlds, a platform that's supporting social enterprises by connecting them to corporate content and pro-bono professionals that can really help them get ahead.

In today’s episode, we discuss how their platform can help social entrepreneurs or if you're in a corporation, how you can actually work with social entrepreneurs all over the world.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [00:54] Mark's personal background & journey
• [09:56] Moving World's impact in transforming business
• [16:12] How does Moving Worlds work?
• [22:08] How do corporate partners measure success working with social enterprises?
• [26:16] Mark's advice on social enterprises understanding how corporates work
• [31:01] Mark's advice for social founders on when to scale up
• [36:17] Common mistakes social entrepreneurs make working with corporates
• [38:53] How can social entrepreneurs join Moving Worlds?
• [40:11] Mark's (Moving Worlds) 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “You don't need to wait for all of your partnership, create a series of assumptions of who is my target buyer, and do some customer discovery then validate whether that is a repeat business model” [28:59]
• “As the pilot is starting, what does success look like for you? And if you hit it, what happens next? So you're actually designing for the pilot to be successful and designing for your next sales activation model in place because as soon as you have a data point, not that you've achieved it, but that you're tracking to achieve it.” [32:28]
• “Often entrepreneurs will get into the room with someone, they will speak so clearly about their mission, passionately about their product or service, eloquently about their organization and they'll walk out not understanding the actual needs of the person that they were just talking to.” [36:57]

Moving World’s Program- Website

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In today's episode, I speak to Krish Himmatramka, the founder of Do Amore, a direct-to-consumer startup that sells engagement rings with conflict-free diamonds. Each ring also funds water projects, which can be traced using GPS coordinates and photos that prove there's an actual impact.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
[01:05] Krish's Journey
[03:47] How the Water Project Happened
[07:50] Approaching Do Amore with Traceability
[11:56] Verifying source and responsibility of Diamonds/Gold
[15:01] Outsourcing Lab Created Diamonds
[16:14] Future for mined Diamonds
[17:26] The Journey of a Diamond
[22:07] Blockchain Tracking
[25:17] Hardest lesson building the company
[29:49] Acquiring first customers
[32:15] Current playbook
[34:52] Marketing and growth channels on Organic SEO
[36:16] The Future of Do Amore
[38:20] Way to change big companies
[29:49] Acquiring first customers
[32:15] Current playbook
[34:52] Marketing and growth channels on Organic SEO

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

"The hardest thing I learned is that social impact can only take you so far. To really succeed, you have to go beyond it." [25:23]
"When you have so much passion for something, It's very easy to only care about that. But the thing is most of your consumers might not." [26:41]
“We got our very first customers by doing things that we didn’t expect to scale” [30:49]
“My biggest lesson from starting as a company that had to be profitable was knowing that to really make the mission work, the economics of scale had to work.” [34:09]

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Eleanor Kaye, Executive Director of the Newton Venture Program. Program helping people from underestimated and overlooked backgrounds break into the venture capital industry and also advance their careers once they are in the venture capital industry.

In today’s episode, we discuss her journey in the venture capital industry and talk about some of the challenges in the industry and how the Newton Venture Program is curbing them.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [00:41] Eleanor's personal background & journey
• [06:17] What is the Newton Venture Program?
• [11:43] Who is the Newton Venture Program for?
• [15:35] Root problems of the diversity challenge in the industry?
• [19:02] Barriers into the VC industry blocking people from underestimated backgrounds
• [23:35] Are VC roles advertised or relationship-based?
• [26:55] Work experience’s impact on role growth in the VC industry
• [29:42] Structural barriers within the VC industry preventing role-growth
• [33:02] Advice for founders fundraising from underestimated backgrounds
• [35:12] Eleanor's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “I think there are misconceptions around venture capital. It's not a get-rich fast, side of a career.” [22:03]
• “Venture capitalists need to bring in specialist partners to be able to identify good products in these new trends” [30:4]
• “A massive step is understanding if you want more diverse candidates, then you're gonna have to go to the places that collect the diverse candidates, and that's very cool” [27:29]
• “It's not even about finding the roles, but it's how you stand out and I think that's quite difficult if you haven't got the background as an investment banker or, potentially, any experience in venture capital.” [27:56]

Newton Venture Program -Website

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Rene Haas, the co-founder, and CEO of NeoCarbon. A company that has created a product that removes CO2 from the atmosphere by retrofitting industrial cooling towers with direct air capture devices. Direct air capture has been promoted as one of the most promising solutions to climate change.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [0:47] Rene Haas’s background.
• [4:33] Do entrepreneurs have to start from bigger companies before committing to start-ups?
• [7:45] Intentionality of building a company around your life
• [11:07] How does NeoCarbon work?
• [14:49] How far along is the technology?
• [15:50] NeoCarbon business model
• [18:16] Business benefits for cooling tower manufacturers
• [19:06] Clients benefits from using NeoCarbon
• [20:24] Next steps to achieve target cooling tower solutions
• [22:16] Inflation reduction act client's impact
• [23:44] Lessons learned along the journey
• [29:57] Co-founders therapy, how does that work?
• [31:31] Is a business start-up exciting or not?
• [32:58] Rene’s 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

“Hardware is different to scale than software for manufacturing companies” [16:05]

“Big companies and manufacturers have crazy high margins on their products hence easier for them to do service maintenance on their equipment” [18:29]

”Our next step, is going from lab to the real environment as fast as possible, because we started, prototyping super early, before we had proper models” [20:44]

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In today's episode, I speak to Max Stossel—an award-winning poet and filmmaker, as well as the founder and CEO of Social Awakening. Max has spent the last year speaking in front of more than a hundred thousand students, parents, and educators, talking about how social media and social media addiction affects our lives. With Social Awakening, he has made it his mission to help teenagers thrive in a digital world where apps are radically optimized for engagement by leveraging addictive behavior.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [1:05] Max Stossel’s background & Journey
• [4:20] Lessons learned from working in the social media industry
• [6:41] How does the social media Economy work for companies?
• [8:35] Mechanisms behind social media
• [11:11] Max's views on the world learning to adjust to social media
• [13:54] What lessons/advice do you give kids struggling with social media addiction
• [16:09] Action plans for how to combat social media addiction
• [18:59] What do social media Apps do differently in engagement
• [21:54] Advice for social media impact-driven founders
• [26:32] Net positive hours
• [27:57] Strategies to help in handling social media usage
• [32:30] Max’s 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “I’d love to live in a world where all data in social networks was being used to help us improve our lives, to help illuminate new experiences and opportunities.” [12:11]
• “Having social media values helps when I show up whichever way in the world. I feel good about it regardless of the outcome, if it goes my way or if anybody else joins me.” [26:46]
• ”You already know there is one app on your phone that you're like, I know I should delete that one, but you're just not doing it, stop it, go delete it now.” [28:28]

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Tess Cosad, the co-founder and CEO of Bea Fertility. A company making fertility care more convenient and affordable. The company is leveraging a method called IntraCervical Insemination or ICI, which has proven to actually have a 50% success rate at only a 10th of the cost of IVF.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [0:30] Tess Cosad’s background.
• [1:56] Fertility & Infertility, who actually has this problem?
• [3:43] How do existing solutions work?
• [6:27] Why was IUI the go-to treatment?
• [9:07] Strategy behind bringing back the treatment into the market
• [12:03] Challenges and barriers in launching the product
• [14:57] Success factors for the business
• [17:48] Experiences during a biassed system during fundraising
• [19:52] Advice for other female founders in that field of work
• [20:55] Challenges or lessons in building a company
• [25:23] Thoughts on learning and same time navigating dysregulated environment
• [27:42] How do you navigate customer feedback vs your perspective
• [30:15] Future challenges that you need to overcome to make a step forward
• [32:42] Tess’s 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “ Fertility is not a women's health issue, and when we make it that we take away the responsibility from men, for their fertility” [2:32]
• “In the US you're looking at 3,4, $5,000 for a round of IUI. What we're trying to do is deliver this treatment straight to people's homes for a 5th to a 10th of the cost of IVF. ” [4:40]
• ”90% of treatments, require heterosexual intercourse, to be used. What that means is people for whom intercourse is not a part of their family building story, cant benefit from the treatment” [10:21]

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Chieu Cao is the co-founder of Mintago, a financial wellbeing platform for employees offering financial education, financial planning tools and pensions through salary sacrifice. He’s worked for many years at some of the world’s most renowned brands like Amazon, Microsoft and Yahoo. Before Mintago, he co-founded PerkBox which became one the fastest growing employee service platforms.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [1:17] Chieu Chao's background.
• [4:07] Next step after leaving Perkbox.
• [6:04] Lessons learnt from Perkbox.
• [10:34] Overcoming mental hurdles as an entrepreneur.
• [13:32] Dealing with mental hurdles as a founder.
• [15:45] How to look for an advisor.
• [20:18] Step by Step process to building a profitable business.
• [28:10] Pushing the presale concept.

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “It takes a lot to be an entrepreneur and to really dedicate yourself to this craft. It's not for everyone but if you find it’s rewarding, you can kind of justify the hardships” [1:27]
• “It is more than just building a big business because there's so many options, so many ways to build a business, so many types of businesses. I'd say choose the model that really appeals to you on multiple levels” [1:48]
• ”Just having experience isn't enough.You need to have resilience.You need to have that resourcefulness,that drive” [5:01]

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In today's episode, I speak to Matt Semmelhack, the co-founder and CEO of Boox, reusable boxes, and shipping bags, eliminating single-use plastic and cardboard from eCommerce shipments.

The rise of eCommerce has been massive in the last few years and further accelerated by the pandemic. We'll dive into some of the most sustainable options to reduce the negative environmental impact of shipment.

• [01:00] Matt's Personal Journey (How he started Boox)
• [08:09] Comparing the environmental impact of Boox to other solutions
• [09:41] Boox's initial market segment
• [12:33] How does Boox work? (Customer Experience explained)
• [14:39] Boox's value proposition for the retailer
• [19:16] Key strategies Boox uses to increase box return rates
• [23:23] Matt's biggest entrepreneurial lessons
• [29:22] Founding vs Operating - Where are you on the spectrum?
• [32:40] Boox's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “Part of my entrepreneurial journey is finding something I really love to think about and & will outlive me” [01:42]
• “One of the special things about restaurants is that you get to see the customer's reaction to your product in real-time. I’m trying to apply in most of what I do ” [04:43]
• “Getting real-time feedback is a pretty unique angle into product development.”
• “There's ~200 billion shipments globally every year. If our solution works correctly, we have the potential to reduce the overall environmental impact of that shipment by 70% or more” [8:25]
• “When I was a kid, it wasn't cool to be sustainable. People weren't seeking out brands because of it but now they are” [11:48]
• “Switching to Boox improves your bottom line because of customer retention, acquisition, and loyalty.” [12:11]
• “If you approach a brand with an environmentally friendly solution but it drastically affects their bottom line, they're gonna say no; it’s just a reality of business today” [15:35]
• “Getting consumers to shift behavior is probably the biggest challenge we've had and will continue to have” [18:23]
• “An important thing about working on an impactful challenge is that we see other companies like that as partners, not as competition. Unless we all win, none of us win” [22:30]
• “Take care of your employees. There is no other greater resource that you have as a company” [24:13]
• “When you start to think of employees as expenses, your priorities are in the wrong order” [25:04]
• “As a startup, make decisive actions. You don't have to solve the future state yet. Just get over the next hump. [32:00]

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In today's episode, I speak to Khyati Sundaram the CEO of Applied, a platform helping businesses to take bias out of their recruitment processes through anonymized recruiting, and algorithms that help them predict which candidates will be performing best in their roles, based on objective criteria rather than anything subjective and any biases.

The company also offers AI-based tools to help write job descriptions that are likely to attract a diverse set of candidates rather than biasing towards a certain set of candidates.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [00:38] Khyati's Personal Journey
• [05:22] Most common recruitment biases in companies
• [07:33] Solutions for Debiasing Recruitment
• [11:27] Understanding how to test for skillsets in a non-biased way
• [14:56] Integrating Predictive Algorithms &Machine Learning into the Recruitment Process
• [17:42] Best way for early-stage startups to integrate debiased recruiting
• [21:45] Job descriptions 101: How to recruit more diverse talent
• [24:50] Biggest challenges for companies trying to adopt diverse hiring practices at scale
• [26:59] Applied in Action
• [31:09] Applied's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “Working as a Developer in Google doesn't automatically mean you'll translate all those skills well in any other company” [06:08]
• “As an employer don't just screen based on the CV” [09:55]
• “We know that AI can aid in adding bias to the recruitment system. We are working towards achieving the opposite; harm reduction” [16:41]
• "Most founders neglect the recruitment system - you're only as good as your team." [18:43]
• "Every company is a recruitment company & until they realize that, things will only get worse" [21:39]
• "We see Applied as an expression of a fairer society where there's level access to jobs" [31:48]

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In today's episode, I speak to Erin Davis, co-founder, and COO of Enduring Planet, which is a revenue-based financing platform for climate tech startups. The platform allows climate tech companies to raise funding without dilution, without giving away equity, and without any personal guarantees and collateral.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [00:45] Erin’s Personal Journey
• [06:49] What Enduring Planet is all about
• [09:13] How Enduring Planet lets founders do what they do best
• [11:13] Enduring Planet's Value Proposition to Investors
• [13:57] How Enduring Planet implements diversity & inclusion into their product
• [15:07] Key requirements for founders to get funding from Enduring Planet
• [17:21] Erin's take on the Macro Environment
• [18:54] Types of companies Enduring Planet invests in
• [20:08] Biggest challenges Erin faced as a first-time founder
• [21:24] Advice for founders in the current climate tech environment
• [22:56] Changes in the fundraising environment
• [24:36] Enduring Planet's funding framework
• [26:21] Enduring Planet's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• "I'm not really scared of failing and if I did, I know I'd land on my feet & find something else to do" [06:27]
• "There's fewer impact in climate-focused investments that are a fixed income return" [11:39]
• "As a first-time founder, don't get bogged down in too many details. Done is better than perfect" [20:34]
• "Ultimately, investors invest in people. If you have that passion & drive to move something forward, they're willing to trust that." [21:14]

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Tom Foster-Carter, the founder of Lollipop, (online shopping assistant ) is on a mission to help solve the health and obesity crisis and reduce the food plastic waste on the planet.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [00:13] Tom's personal background & journey
• [6:26] Lollipop business setup and purpose
• [12:08] Food waste control mechanisms
• [15:34] Mistakes and lessons learned
• [20:57] Reading and not applying
• [23:43] Intentionality of business build-up
• [30:18] Sacrifices of “Change the world” entrepreneurs
• [35:02] Advice for financially scared start-ups
• [38:52] Tom's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “An improving next generation expects much bigger, better things, out of the products that they use and the businesses that they support.” [12:29]
• “You can validate your product by speaking to customers, designs, simple prototypes without an integration, Wizard of Oz style and so on. Those principles were absolutely golden for me.” [16:01]
• “Fall in love with the problem, not the solution” [21:36]

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Amee Richie and Jake Elliot-Hook, the co-founders of Sweet Bottle. Sweet Bottle has developed a reusable plant-based water bottle, which is made from sustainably sourced bamboo and wheat straw For every bottle sold. The company plants a tree and removes plastic from the ocean.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [0:34] Amee & Jake's personal background & journey
• [2:52] Sweet Bottle’s crowdfunding campaign
• [3:54] How Amee & Jake promoted their crowdfunding campaign
• [4:57] Sweet Bottle’s PR opportunity
• [5:54] How Amee & Jake spent the funding step by step
• [7:27] Sweet Bottle’s production process and materials
• [8:23] Sweet Bottle’s material transformation
• [9:03] How does Sweet Bottle work?
• [9:48] Lessons learned in the entrepreneurship journey
• [14:20] Amee & Jake bottle product development experience
• [15:21] Product development phase and working with manufacturers
• [16:09] Lessons learned working with manufacturing partners
• [18:20] Benefits and differences of working as co-founders
• [20:27] Dating and co-founding relationship experience
• [22:35] How to differentiate your product to competitors
• [25:34] Challenges faced against larger companies
• [27:07 ] Amee & Jake's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “When we first started we were very, very stingy with our money, so my bit of advice would be to not cut too many corners” [10:44]
• “I think it's really important to have the same vision and the same goal for the company as a couple co-founding together and communication skills ” [21:16]
• “We really want to fight against deforestation, so we always plant trees where they're needed most in the world” [27:18]

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Robin Saluoks, the CEO and co-founder of eAgronom, a platform helping farmers adapt to sustainable farming practices and increase revenue through the voluntary carbon market.

In today’s episode, we discuss how he built his company from the ground up.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [00:27] Robin's personal background & journey
• [5:02] Farmers management app
• [6:37] Using farming to capture carbon and greenhouse gasses
• [9:33] Impact of farming in battling climate change and farmer’s solutions
• [12:10] How can farmers impact carbon sequester
• [14:58] eAgronom’s approach to measurement and verification of carbon emissions
• [17:21] Barriers eAgronom’s clients face adopting the technology
• [19:47] Global expansion and lessons learned as an entrepreneur
• [21:54] eAgronom’s market expansion
• [24:28] eAgronom’s current markets
• [25:31] Product translation and customization for different markets
• [27:25] Robin's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• "Soil after the ocean is the second biggest carbon bank on earth" [10:20]
• “Farmers need to implement full air crop coverage to help curb carbon sequester” [12:27]
• “For many farmers, it seems unbelievable that they will get money for selling air but our carbon program covers them” [17:37]

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In today's episode, I speak to Anna Maybank, co-founder of Break Room, a platform with a mission to improve working conditions for low-income jobs by creating transparency, sharing salaries, working conditions, and employee ratings publicly. Break Room has raised more than 7 million dollars in funding from the likes of Pro-founders Capital and North Zone, has about 65,000 members, and more than 600,000 jobs rated on its platform.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [00:32] Anna’sPersonal Journey
• [03:45] Anna’s Founder’s Journey
• [06:27] How Anna started Break Room (Identifying the biggest problems that need solving)
• [08:40] How Break Room works
• [10:35] Break Room's Core Business Model
• [11:39] How Break Room is working toward solving the societal divide
• [15:14] Is the treatment of frontline workers improving?
• [17:37] How Break Room is incentivizing companies to make positive shifts in worker pay & job flexibility
• [20:16] Biggest lessons in Anna's journey as a founder
• [23.46] Importance of face-to-face conversations when collecting feedback
• [25:01] Big Room's main role in the recruitment industry
• [27:46] Break Room's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “We started Break Room from the perspective of ‘What’s the biggest problem we could try to solve?’ Then talked to lots of people who had the problem that we cared about” [06:43]
• “Don't just seek to solve problems that you’ve personally experienced. Go beyond that & listen to others” [08:52]
• “77% of people who use Breakroom tell us that their head office doesn't understand what's going on on the front line; just a reflection of the divide” [13:08]
• "Pay is a huge problem. 70% of those who took our survey say that the cost of living increase is the main factor in them looking for a new job" [13:39]
• "45% of people who use break room report that they get their schedule for work less than a week before they do that work. That makes organizing your life incredibly hard" [14:14]
• “In the future, I want to see us being able to prove that a company with a higher Break Room rating, with data that shows they are a better quality employer, is able to map that to better financial results and better financial outcomes for a company.” [19:33]
• "Better quality jobs result in better business outcomes.” [19:50]
• “Always remember to keep talking to the people who are using your product.” [20:40]
• “Companies need to realize that, the quality of jobs matters for the health of their business.” [26:17]
• “The future will see businesses start to value and measure the impact of the quality of their jobs in terms of improving business performance” [28:01]
• “Break room will be one of the sources of information & data that proves that better quality jobs are not just better for workers, but also for companies.”

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Peet Denny, the founding partner at Climate VC, which is a new venture fund investing in climate tech ventures, and the fund is based in the UK. Climate VC is planning to actually fund a hundred startups over the next three years.

In today’s episode, we discuss how he built his company from the ground up.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [00:55] Peet's personal background & journey
• [3:28] How the machine learning model works to track rainforest destruction
• [5:03] Climate VC journey and thesis
• [7:22] The SEISEIS fund impact on Climate VC
• [9:22] Peet's climate tech funding opinion
• [11:27] Peet's advice to climate tech founders currently fundraising
• [13:14] Climate tech startups space
• [16:05] Focusing on the promiseland not the problems
• [18:08] Biggest rules for success in funding a startup
• [20:12] Peet's Investment decision-making process
• [22:04] Managing vision & division in a startup
• [23:20] Characteristics of a great founder and team
• [25:33] Peet's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

“Being quite on top of your game in understanding where your impact is coming from. And having the long-term view of making that more and more sophisticated over time, will make it easier for you to raise money.” [12.11]

“We wanna see a team that will just roll over all of the rocks in the road without breaking the pace. Typically founders are amazing problem solvers and that's why we love them and need them in our lives. ” [16.22]

“ If a potential customer is excited about a product, then that's so much of the problem solved. ” [18:19]

“If you look at a founding team as a team and not as a set of individuals, it doesn't really matter who you are as long as you're great in some way” [24:37]

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Martin Holden-White, the founder of Grubby, (one of the highest-rated recipe kits in the UK) is on a mission to make plant-based cooking more accessible across the world.

In today’s episode, we discuss how he built his company from the ground up.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [00:30] Martin's personal background & journey
• [02:30] The inception & launch of Grubby (Before COVID hit)
• [04:20] The relaunch of Grubby
• [05:56] Competing with big players in the D2C space
• [07:39] Weaving sustainability into your business operations
• [09:30] Giving investors an idea to buy into
• [11:56] Getting the right investors for your startup
• [13:02] How to use angel fundraising & investment crowdfunding effectively
• [15:00] How to keep crowdfunding investors involved as advocates for your business
• [16:07] Grubby: From initial growth to profitability
• [18:39] Identifying your initial customer segment & scaling further as an early-stage founder
• [21:43] Marketing & Positioning: Messaging for different customer segments
• [22:40] The biggest challenge Martin faced as a founder
• [25:00] Importance of having a support system as an early-stage founder
• [26:25] Martin's advice on how to structure your life as a founder
• [30:35] Martin's advice for startups looking to become a B Corp
• [33:10 ] Grubby's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “Relentlessly seek feedback” [3:08]
• “Look for investors that you really get along with. They don’t just care about the money - it’s more about how they can help and be a mentor to you” [3:42]
• “Sustainability isn’t the cheapest thing to do, but customers hold value in it - that’s why they buy into our product & mission” [7:55]
• “The early stages as a founder is just about getting as much traction as you can ” [10:21]
• “In that early stage, when there’s very little traction & revenue, angels invest in you as an individual - a lot of it comes down to personality fit.” [11:19]
• “Bootstrapping 101 - Be unbelievably conscious about what you’re getting out of every pound you're spending.” [12:32]
• “The whole thing with crowdfunding is that the crowd follows. So if you have some angel investors already involved already it’ll be easier for them to believe in your products” [14:25]
• "Word of mouth is the cheapest way to grow your business. Obvious, but overlooked" [15:47]
• “Have really clear pillars - spend time creating that on-page document with all the priorities you had at the start of the year. Look at it every so often to reorient yourself accordingly.” [27:40]”

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With the increasing severity of the climate problem, thankfully, there are organizations like Cervest that offer their climate intelligence program to empower companies and individuals to analyze their climate risk and make climate-informed decisions. For this reason, Cervest’s Founder and CEO Iggy Bassi joins us today to educate us on why we need to quantify and act on climate risks.

Some of the highlights of this episode include the extremely useful advice that Iggy shares on building a mission-driving business, hiring the right people, finding the right investors, cultivating great relationships with both your staff and investors, and getting through the dark days. He also talks about why you need to marry method with conviction, which he emphasizes a lot, as it has a big role to play for founders when building a company. This is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Iggy’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “Conviction needs to be high on mission, but also needs to marry with method as well, because the real impact you're looking to make has to be scalable.” (27:17)
• “There'll always be dark days… The question is, who do you want around your board when times get dark, and do they believe in the same thing that you believe?” (27:52)
• “You may be very strong on vision, but you've got to surround yourself with the right talent, and you have to build the right culture, because [...] for every power you have, you have a corresponding weakness as well.” (31:43)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Cervest and how it works (6:32)
• Why people use Cervest (17:54)
• Iggy’s hardest lessons learned (26:47)
• Finding mission-aligned investors (34:55)

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Alex Farcet is Founder of Rainmaking and Startupbootcamp, and these are just two of the many hats he wears. Rainmaking harnesses the power of entrepreneurship to help corporate companies implement innovation and impact initiatives, and Startupbootcamp is currently the largest industry-focused startup accelerator in the world.

In this episode, Alex shares what led him to starting these companies and what drives him to keep them going. As someone with tons of entrepreneurial experience, he shares his advice and experiences for founders on fundraising, startups, the impact space, and the like. He even talks about the shift from corporate to startup, and why he works with both. Whether you’re a first-time founder or serial entrepreneur, you’ll want to listen to what Alex has to say.

Alex’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “There's no secret sauce. You have to be extremely adaptive and aware… There's no formulaic approach. We've evolved over time.” (18:33)
• “We have to work on these problems. We're talking about my kids' well-being here, the planet's well-being.” (40:23)
• “The number one difference I see between a doing well Startupbootcamp alumni and not is how well they know their customer… It's, again, customer discovery, customer discovery, customer discovery. There is nothing else.” (48:42)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Alex’s entrepreneurial journey (9:51)
• How to make startup and corporate collaboration work (18:29)
• Mainstream funding for impact-driven startups (35:27)
• How to secure the right investors (46:57)

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Today, we were joined by not just one but two co-founders: Marcela Flores and Angela Newtons, who are the brains behind Tierra Foods, a startup with a mission to change the way we feed the planet. Through agroforestry and regenerative farming, Tierra Foods develops carbon-negative ingredients that help restore the planet. So, not only do these plants and ingredients help sequester carbon, but they taste good too!

In this episode, Marcela and Angela share how the Carbon13 program was vital in making their paths cross but also in teaching them tips and tricks on how to successfully build their business. Apart from giving their insights into the agroforestry impact space, they also shared their advice for entrepreneurs on things like differentiating opportunities from distractions, how to find the right investors for your business, and so much more. This is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Marcela and Angela’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “It's so vital to be clear on the North Star and recognize that opportunities and distractions will come all the time. There's a real art in being able to navigate that and recognize the difference between a pivot and a distraction.” (29:45)
• “There are a lot of investors out there. There's arguably a lot of money out there, but I think it's really important to find investors who really get who you are and what you want to do and what you're trying to achieve.” (36:44)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• The Carbon13 program and what inspired Marcela and Angela to create Tierra Foods (6:41)
• How Tierra Foods brings the innovation to agroforestry (22:52)
• Entrepreneurial lessons the co-founders learned (28:59)
• Finding investors who are truly aligned with your mission (34:03)
• The world in 10 years according to Marcela and Angela (40:19)

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Conversations from around the world inspiring you to be an extraordinary leader.
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Think of candy, but in this case, it’s made out of upcycled fruits and vegetables (yes, you read that right) and it helps the environment, so it’s not only good for you but it’s good for the planet too! That’s what FAVES by Climate Candy is, and its co-founder and CEO, Amy Keller, is here to school us on food waste, climate change, candy manufacturing, and so much more. Amy is also the CEO of Pureplus, which works with farmers to turn their unwanted produce into plant-based powders, which ties into FAVES and Climate Candy. Fun fact: FAVES actually stands for Fruit And Vegetable Sweets. See what they did there?

In this episode, Amy talks about what inspired her to address multiple problems, such as climate change, poor nutrition, unhealthy food, and food waste, to name a few, through candy. It’s really worth listening to her share her entrepreneurial journey in founding Pureplus, Climate Candy, and FAVES, obstacles she overcame, and lessons she learned to make her the successful impact-driven entrepreneur and advisor she is today. Press play on this episode now!

Amy’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “When I look at that capability to share this dream of ours to teach millions of citizens how easy it is to affect change, it's high time people realize and seize their full power that it's really what we choose to eat, and that includes all of us.” (11:20)
• “As an entrepreneur, you're exposed to new insights, transformational experiences, really unique opportunities to make a positive impact in the world.” (28:33)
• “One of the things that you learn as an entrepreneur is that you have to take action and rise from some of these setbacks and understand that they're not setbacks. They're all learnings.” (29:41)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• All about Climate Candy (7:56)
• Incumbents vs. startups (16:40)
• Entrepreneurial lessons from Amy (28:32)
• Amy’s great advice for early stage founders in the candy space (36:47)
• The world in 10 years according to Amy (42:28)

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Tailor-made nutrition. That is the tagline of Nourished, a company dedicated to personalized nutrition supplements that are vegan, friendly, not to mention, delectable, and are made through patented 3D printing techniques and sophisticated encapsulation gel technology. Its CEO and founder is Melissa Snover, a seasoned entrepreneur who has founded multiple companies. In fact, in 2019, she raised the highest female founder seed round in the history of the UK, so there is definitely a lot that can be learned from her.

In today’s episode, Melissa talks about why she was set on solving a problem that she herself experienced, the world of 3D printing and nutrition, how she’s made her businesses stand out from the rest, and key advice for early stage founders on having the right mindset when facing problems, choosing investors, and building a support system. Listen to this episode to find out Melissa’s investor horror story that will make you think twice before accepting money from just any investor!

Melissa’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “All good entrepreneurs have a highly developed sense of empathy, because only when you have that can you actually develop solutions that are going to be fit for purpose and actually create meaningful value add and solve problems for people.” (6:41)
• “Every difficult thing that happens is really an education that prepares you for the next step, and I've really adjusted my perception to view it that way. The sooner you do that, the better you will be for the rest of your life.” (26:04)
• “99% of your life is the ride, not the destination, and you have to find ways of getting comfortable with that failure, and the eventualities of what the impact of that might be.” (28:09
• “The easy way and the right way are never the same way.” (34:04)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• How Melissa ‘accidentally’ became an entrepreneur (3:22)
• How Nourished adds value to their customers (16:14)
• Crucial lessons Melissa learned on her entrepreneurial journey (25:58)
• Finding the right investors for your business (35:22)

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Reusable packaging has been around for a while already as an alternative to single-use plastic or disposable packaging, but if there was a way to level this sustainable experience up? That’s where CLUBZERØ, formerly known as CupClub, comes in through innovatively combining sustainability and technology. Safia Qureshi of CLUBZERØ’s joins us today to share how she went from being an architect to a startup CEO and founder and why their reusable packaging experience is better than the rest.

Safia shares how her background in architecture has helped them develop CLUBZERØ as the most scalable and best quality setup in the market, why user experience or UX is a big deal, improving the customer journey, and more. She also gives her insights and advice for entrepreneurs on the qualities you need to survive, addressing customers’ needs, and partnering up with the right businesses, among others. Tune in to this episode!

With the likes of Just Eat, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Nestle, and more companies promoting the use of CLUBZERØ, we’re proudly on the way to lessening or eradicating single-use or disposable packaging. Say no to disposable packaging and sign up to join CLUBZERØ here! https://www.clubzero.co

Safia’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “Fundamentally, it's about finding your purpose. I think you're answering your inner brief, which leads you to do what you do.” (7:59)
• “There's always value in selling your product if it's creating impact.” (51:25)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Finding your purpose (3:57)
• CLUBZERØ for consumers (17:17)
• How to gain customers (33:47)
• Overcoming COVID and other challenges (44:09)

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What if you could invest your retirement fund into companies that are sustainable and working towards solving climate change? That’s hitting two birds with one stone and exactly what Carbon Collective does. One of Carbon Collective’s founders, Zach Stein, joins us today to educate us on the world of sustainable investing and why this matters so much in the world we live in.

In this episode, Zach shares his entrepreneurial journey creating Carbon Collective with his co-founder, James, with whom they’ve known each other since they were four year old. This is one of the main reasons they’ve cultivated a strong co-founder relationship, and he gives great advice on how to make this happen for you and your co-founder(s). He also talks about the importance of being vulnerable with your team along with sharing his highly suggested book recommendations for entrepreneurs and early stage founders. There is so much to be learned from Zach, so listen to this episode to hear what he has to say.

Zach’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “How does the world change? How does the status quo change?," and the only answer I've really found out is when enough people say, "I'm going to break from the status quo." When enough people do that, that's when the world starts to change.” (27:14)
• “Talk is cheap. And often, that's seen as a bad thing, but it means talk is the cheapest place to ideate on something. Make sure you've thoroughly talked through something before you actually start building.” (36:51)
• “An effective co-founder relationship and just an effective team, it is not tension-free. Tension is actually really important. You just never want to let it sit.” (38:43)
• “A small effective team can do so much more than a large ineffective one.” (43:36)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• The impact of sustainable investing in addressing climate change (9:06)
• How Carbon Collective works (19:23)
• Important entrepreneurial lessons Zach learned (34:29)
• Finding the right co-founder (38:22)
• Vulnerability and team culture (45:59)

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Serendipity doesn’t equate to luck, but it can be considered smart luck, and this is something Dr. Christian Busch explains to us today. Christian is a renowned author, professor, researcher, and co-founder of Leaders on Purpose and Sandbox Network, two well-known communities for impact-driven leaders. As an authority in purpose-driven leadership and impact entrepreneurship, Christian shares his insights on serendipity, finding the meaning of life, and how anyone, including entrepreneurs, can leverage their knowledge and serendipity to make an even bigger impact in this world.

The main focus of this episode is Christian’s book, The Serendipity Mindset, which offers practical advice for entrepreneurs and changemakers to use science and serendipity to change the way they live and see the world, and it’s definitely worth a read. It was a great conversation with Christian, and he asked thought-provoking questions and gave helpful tips that may guide you on your entrepreneurial journey or simply in your journey through life. You won’t want to miss this episode.

Christians’ key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “The most purpose-driven inspiring people, they seem to have something in common, which is that they somehow intuitively cultivate serendipity… how can we develop communities, mindsets, and companies that allow us to have more of this unexpected good luck?” (5:19)
• “Serendipity is about smart luck. It's about the luck we create ourselves through our own actions in how we react to the unexpected or how we create the unexpected. It's either making accidents meaningful or creating meaningful accidents.” (8:09)
• “Do you let the situation define you, or do you try to define the situation? In terms of this whole idea that, yes, we cannot always pick the situation we're in, but we can always pick our response to it.” (46:10)
• “How do you bring the best out of people and out of yourself so that when you are on your deathbed, you're saying, "Okay, well, it was worth it"?” (53:30)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• What is serendipity? (7:57)
• The intersection between serendipity and impact (17:20)
• The importance of having a North Star (23:38)
• The government’s role is pushing society towards more serendipity (30:41)
• Victor Frankl’s lessons that Christian has taken to heart (46:04)

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. These three are an often overlooked yet crucial component in any company or organization. That is why Arthur Woods created Mathison, the first tech platform offering tools for companies to increase, measure, and manage Diversity, Equity, or Inclusion in a whopping 12 different dimensions. With the likes of Accenture, 23andMe, TripAdvisor, and many more companies using their product, the path to a more inclusive and diverse workforce is hopefully getting clearer with the help of Mathison.

Driven by his own experience of not feeling safe in his workplace, Arthur founded Mathison with the goal of helping employees feel included, safe, and empowered. In this episode, Arthur shares his entrepreneurial journey, the ups, the downs, and the in-betweens, and how he powers through, including a neat tip on how to end everyday on a good note and his perspective as both an experienced founder and investor. Listen to this episode to find out more.

Arthur’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “That sense of urgency and that sense of rush and impatience as entrepreneurs is sometimes really a strength, and other times, you have to eat your own medicine in terms of knowing when to slow down.” (24:29)
• “As entrepreneurs, we're constantly charting a new path. We're going into territory no one's explored before. And by the nature of doing that, we're making progress.” (28:02)
• “Even in the days where it feels like we're going three steps forward and four steps backward, those three steps, we still need to celebrate.” (30:27)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• A rundown on DEI in the workplace (6:02)
• Arthur’s advice for founders hoping to build a culture of DEI in their company (17:15)
• The most painful lesson Arthur learned (24:12)
• The role of investors in promoting DEI (35:25)

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Alon Cohen is the founder and CEO of Pika Diapers, an impact-driven startup focused on changing the world one diaper at a time. Born from Alon’s own struggles as a parent constantly needing to buy and change diapers, Pika offers a machine that cleans and dries reusable diapers, making this a great alternative to using roughly 6,500 disposable diapers per baby that will simply end up in landfills.

Not only does Pika Diapers address the financial aspect of having to shell out money for diapers regularly, of which the costs for this expense alone can pile up, but it also lessens the environmental impact through reusable diapers. And so, in this episode, Alon shares with us his entire entrepreneurial journey, from Pika’s inception, to the obstacles he faced like his stuttering, and then onto his goals and his vision for Pika as they soldier on in their mission to clean up babies’ sh*t. Oh, and we have exciting updates for the Impact Hustlers community. Listen to this episode to find out what we have in store for you!

Alon’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “Figure out each feature if it is the right solution for the customers. If not, don't waste time adding features that the customer does not have any value [for].” (21:09)
• “Look, to be a founder, it is not the obvious thing to do. I think it's not recommended for everyone… You need a lot of inner strength.” (35:50)
• “The perspective is to change the way that we consume, to consume less, to consume without disposables.” (40;26)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• An overview of Pika Diapers (7:08)
• How Pika came to be (12:33)
• Bootstrapping the business (23:49)
• Overcoming challenges in his entrepreneurial journey (29:02)
• How the world looks like in 10 years if Pika Diapers succeeds (40:24)

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Reasonable items seldom change anything. This is why the aim of the Unreasonable Group, a private equity firm, is to re-purpose capitalism and support impact-driven entrepreneurs and companies who are trying to solve major global problems. To date, the Unreasonable Collective has over 300 ventures in more than 180 countries, and these ventures have collectively made more than $7 billion in revenue, nearly $9 million in financing, and are making a difference in the lives of 800 million people across the world.

Impact Hustlers speaks to a lot of founders, but today, it’s time to hear what it’s like from the other side of the field. Jasiel Martin Odoom, Senior Investment Associate at the Unreasonable Group, joins us to share some insights on what it’s like partnering with impactful companies led by underrepresented or minority founders and raising funds. In this episode, Jasiel gives great advice and nuggets of wisdom for aspiring or early stage founders on how to pitch, how to select investors, how to raise funding, and so much more. We were even joined by a former guest on Impact Hustlers, Joel Tasche, the founder of Clean Hub! Again, you won’t want to miss this episode.

Jasiel’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “If you can tell a very clear value proposition within the pitch deck you're sharing with the investors is always helpful.” (11:40)
• “You have to explain why your solution is better than anybody else in basic terms, but being able to craft a story around that thing often helps as well.” (17:34)
• “As you're starting out, the feeling might be to rush for the first VC to validate your product… but it's less about the money and more of what you're building. Especially as a founder, you're looking to build something that lasts, so think it through.” (23:33)
• “We should include diversity in this space and diversity of the team, who is in the team. That should be a metric for us to go out and find companies, because we will find that it will force us to source in different places.” (35:22)
• “Always start to fundraise before you need to close a round.” (45:43)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• The type of companies the Unreasonable Group invests in (6:56)
• Do’s and don’ts when it comes to raising (11:16)
• The key to choosing investors (21:42)
• Pitching and helping investors understand a niche industry (37:56)
• Joel’s top tips on the overall fundraising process (45:25)

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Imagine living a long and healthy life. Imagine not getting sick at all at 80 years old, or who knows, maybe 100 years old. The possibilities are endless thanks to today’s advancements in science and technology, and today, Victor Bustos joins us as the COO and Co-Founder of Refoxy Pharma. Refoxy is a biotech startup whose goal is not to extend the human lifespan but primarily to extend health. Basically, Refoxy aims to keep people healthy for as long as possible, which is both noble and challenging in itself, right?

Initially, Victor was working in academia, but then he was motivated by the fact that life seemed too short coupled with him having read studies on how it was possible to change how long and how healthy people could live. Thus, Refoxy Pharma was born. Pivoting from the academe to creating a startup, however, was no easy feat, so Victor had some amazing insights and lessons to share with us about his journey from PhD student to startup founder. You won’t want to miss what he has to say.

Victor’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “What is a scientist if not an entrepreneur?” (26:44)
• “It is important to not sell yourself short as a scientist, because there is a lot that one can bring as a scientist into any endeavor. And so, just having this open mind of being able to learn anything and try to learn anything, that's going to give you a lot of ground.” (27:29)
• “In the end, it's just a matter of asking the right questions and trying to find the right tools to answer those questions.” (29:17)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Refoxy Pharma and what it’s like working with Apollo Health Ventures (9:11)
• Academia vs. entrepreneurship (22:10)
• Why scientists and entrepreneurs are more similar than you think (28:53)
• Risk mitigation (36:01)

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Thomas Folker is the co-founder and CEO of Leap, a climate tech startup that helps balance the energy grid and begin the transition to renewable energies, all through a single API. With the goal of running an energy grid that is decreasingly carbon-intensive, Leap hopes to pave the way for better and cleaner energy alternatives through their software.

In today’s episode, aside from sharing how energy grids in general and, in particular, Leap work, Thomas also shares how he and his team made the most out of the pandemic. With a team of 80, he sings praises about the beauty of going fully remote and the advantages that came with it, such as being able to hire the perfect people regardless of where they are in the world plus how having a Director of People made a huge impact in their company culture and so much more. This is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Thomas’ key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “We are a startup with a mission, a climate tech-driven mission. So, everyone that works at Leap has the drive to do something good for the world, so that's been a real big magnet for us to acquire real talent.” (36:51)
• “For everyone, impact is different, and we are not the small startup anymore where everyone knows exactly what's happening in everyone's private life. So, processes break as well.” (38:47)
• “Technology got us where we are right now, but it can also get us in a situation where we make sure that we are not on a pathway to destruction. Clean energy is the future.” (42:53)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Electric vs. solar vs. wind (10:53)
• How Leap works (17:24)
• Leap’s business model and how they make money (26:52)
• Lessons Thomas learned during the pandemic (35:27)

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Libryo co-founder Garth Watson joins us today to share how Libryo helps companies comply with regulations on environment, health, and safety all over the world. Initially beginning his career as a lawyer, Garth pivoted when he and his co-founders, Malcolm and Pete, saw a problem that needed to be solved regarding regulation and compliance.

In this episode, Garth shares how Libryo came to be and his advice to early stage entrepreneurs when it comes to overcoming challenges. It was no easy feat to get Libryo to what it is today, having raised nearly £4 million in funding and operating in more than 80 countries and over 500,000 sub-national jurisdictions, so there is definitely much to be learned from Garth and Libryo. Listen to this episode to find out more.

Garth’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “We've been very deliberate about building a company culture that's full of honor and encouragement and calling out the greatness in people.” (21:57)
• “There's no such thing as a peacetime CEO and a wartime CEO. In running a startup, there's always a blend of both, so it's just a level adjustment.” (28:24)
• “You don't want to mute your highs, you want to express the joy as best you can.” (31:46)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• How Libryo works (6:10)
• Surviving 2021 and why is the most challenging year for them (18:46)
• How entrepreneurs make good decisions (25:03)
• One of Garth’s most useful pieces of advice (31:36)
• Garth’s vision for Libryo and the world (40:51)

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In the race to net-zero emissions, one of the leaders in the carbon accounting space that helps companies calculate and reduce their emissions is Normative. Today, we have Normative’s CEO and co-founder, Kristian Rönn, here to share the lessons he has learned in the past eight years since creating Normative with his friends and what progress they’ve made on the path to sustainability.

Being a startup founder is definitely no easy job, and Kristian said that sometimes, you need to take a step back in order to reflect and recalibrate what the best way forward is for the company and your team. This is Kristian’s advice based on his experience, and he offers many more nuggets of wisdom, such as how to avoid hitting a wall or what to do when you do hit a wall, so listen to this episode and find out more.

Kristian’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “You need a different type of personality when you start a company than when you grow with the company.” (33:24)
• “What you need to be in the end is humble.” (37:40)
• “You don't have to be the CEO just because you're a founder. I think it takes humility either way, but where startups fail is when you don't have that humility.” (38:17)
• “What is the way forward? How will we have the biggest impact in 10 years, 20 years, or whatever it might be?” (40:36)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• The history of carbon accounting and how Normative works (9:48)
• The difference between ‘net zero’ and ‘carbon neutral’ (16:51)
• The three scopes of emissions and how to prevent double accounting (20:58)
• Kristian’s core lessons in his entrepreneurial journey (33:14)
• An important startup that Kristian experienced and wants you to avoid (41:28)

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Did you know that there are 90 million refrigerators in the business world and 1.4 billion in the consumer world? Imagine the effects of that on our environment. That’s why Manik Suri co-founded Therma, a tech startup driven to prevent food, product, and energy waste, which are three major drivers of climate change, through temperature monitoring and analytics.

On his journey to founding Therma, Manik shares the many insights he uncovered, some of which were discovered the hard way, such as the significance of finding the right people to work with, how to sell the dream but also stay true to yourself, tips on prioritization and avoiding burnout, plus a useful framework to keep in mind when crafting a product, among others. Listen to this episode to find out more!

Manik’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “The journey is always somewhat different than we expect when we get started, at least I've never seen the path to be linear.” (3:03)
• “We need so many people to be working on socially impactful problems like sustainability and the climate crisis that there's literally no better time to get started than today.” (26:28)
• “The talent and the quality of the team matter more than anything else… The ability to work with people who are better than you in whatever it is you're not best at is key.” (35:13)
• “The best entrepreneurs and the best strategists are really good at knowing exactly what they need at any given time and quickly changing when that changes.” (40:45)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Addressing the food waste problem to address climate change (8:41)
• How Therma works (16:09)
• Bringing out the entrepreneur in you (26:27)
• The most important lessons Manik’s learned on his entrepreneurial journey (34:02)
• Finding the perfect balance in life (43:25)

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Imagine Eventbrite and Ticketmaster but with lower booking fees, highly competitive technology, an incredible customer service team, and not to mention, has an amazing cause. That’s Humanitix, a ticketing registration platform that donates 100% of its profits to education programs around the world, and Humanitix CEO and co-founder Adam McCurdie is here today to talk to us about how Humanitix creates a meaningful impact and why Humanitix is one of the frontrunners, if not the frontrunner, in the events ticketing space.

Something interesting about the Humanitix co-founders Adam and Josh is that they actually shared Josh’s salary while bootstrapping and building Humanitix. Adam shares that this definitely required a lot of trust in each other and included setting some rules and boundaries in their friendship in order to make it work. Apart from having a great partner, he also told us how integral having a good team is. A testament to this is the fact that despite not being able to provide equity, they have zero churn with their engineering team, which is one reason they’re able to constantly innovate and offer the best quality product in their field.

So much was discussed in this episode, including how they raised initial funding from philanthropists and what they promised them in exchange for their money, how they convinced event hosts to make the switch to Humanitix, why people use their product not just because it’s impactful but also because their technology is exceptional, and so much more. You won’t want to miss this episode.

Adam’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “We've created the biggest no-brainer in events ticketing, and I think that's the main reason for our success and growth to date.” (7:51)
• “To get an event host to switch to Humanitix, particularly the bigger, more complex, sophisticated events that have more booking fees as a result, we have to come to the party with a very compelling piece of technology, not just a far more ethical model.” (9:22)
• “You can, as we've proven, run a beautiful company that creates phenomenally high-quality products, that produces a lot of profit, and as a result, achieves all this impact and funds the organization itself.” (18:34)
• “How important are shareholder values and wealth in the grand scheme of things? It's not the be all and end all of the capitalist engine. It's just one aspect, but it doesn't have to be everything.” (44:49)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• How Humanitix works (5:27)
• Why they choose the 501(c)(3) nonprofit model for Humanitix (16:21)
• The most important lessons Adam learned on his journey to creating Humanitix (23:05)
• Battling COVID (38:30)
• Compassionate capitalism: How Adam sees the world in 10 years (43:51)

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Miguel Reynolds Brandão is the CEO and founder of CORKBRICK, a furniture company that aims to provide people with sustainable dynamic structures or furniture solutions. One of the best things about CORKBRICKs is that it's as easy to build and take down as Legos!

Despite facing many setbacks and delays to their launch such as having to move factories, a fire in the factory, and not to mention COVID, Miguel was able to successfully launch CORKBRICK with his daughter Catarina.

He shares with us that although they didn’t initially plan on creating this company, they are proud of how far they have come with CORKBRICK already and how far they have yet to go. Also, it enables Catarina, who is an architect by profession, to develop the architectural aspect of the company. Talk about a great father-daughter duo!

Another interesting thing about CORKBRICK is how they are able to merge the digital world with real-life with a game similar to Minecraft, except that with their offering, you could potentially earn royalties for life. Basically, it’s a combination of gaming, digital and physical creativity, and economic value. Now, doesn't that sound enticing? Listen to this episode to find out more.

Miguel’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “What motivates me is to solve real problems, not just making money.” (4:46)
• “What is common to all of us is the passion for creating a sustainable solution that can really change people's lives.” (13:19)
• “The problem in our world is that people think that money is everything. It's people.” (27:01)
• “We need to change our attitude. We need to change the way we build things to more clever ways, and CORKBRICK is one example of that.” (42:13)
• “We need to leave an inheritance to the next generation that is at least as good as the one that we got.” (43:12)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Miguel’s entrepreneurial journey and what led to the creation of CORKBRICK (3:06)
• Choosing the right investors (19:07)
• CORKBRICK today (29:26)
• Use cases of CORKBRICK (38:11)
• The world in 10 years if CORKBRICK succeeds (42:40)

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Social innovation is all about designing and applying solutions to improve people’s lives, and this is something Stanford Political Economy professor, Neil Malhotra, teaches and knows extremely well. As the Director of the Graduate School of Business' Center for Social Innovation, Neil begins with an introduction of what they do at Stanford in terms of social innovation and Stanford’s connection with Silicon Valley as the startup scene.

Neil talks about a book he co-authored with his colleagues entitled Frontiers in Social Innovation. He tells us what inspired them to write this book and the valuable insights that they share with their readers. Whether you’re a seasoned businessperson or early stage entrepreneur, Neil and his co-authors provide advice that will equip you with the skills and tools you need to create and scale your impact-driven business.

Neil explains how you can carry out impact measurement in the right way, analyzing the correct metrics, and he also highlights the fields are already oversaturated with businesses and which ones need more attention. One important concept he talks about is the theory of change and how to apply it so that your business model translates into impact. There are some nuggets of wisdom in this episode, so listen to find out more.

Neil’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “Having a good theory of change is a really good starting point.” (14:40)
• “Don't be intimidated. Don't immediately go to lean approaches. A lot of these more rigorous approaches are in the hands of your toolkit that you might not realize.” (17:03)
• “The more skepticism you can decrease, it's not only the right thing to do, but it's going to be the most effective in growing your enterprise.” (24:38)
• “If there's not a trade-off, then there's no such thing as social entrepreneurship. It's just entrepreneurship. There is no such thing as impact investing. It's just investing.” (33:51)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Neil’s book Frontiers in Social Innovation (5:46)
• Neil’s advice on how to effectively measure impact (14:28)
• Standardization in the impact space (26:04)
• What to do and what not to do when creating an impact-driven business (30:22)
• The future of social innovation according to Neil (40:11)

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With consumers becoming more conscious and aware of the sustainability and overall impact of the products they buy, one major area under inspection is the supply chain process. And so, armed with the goal of sustainable consumption, Seedtrace CEO and co-founder Katharina Davids shares how their software empowers both businesses and consumers through product transparency.

On the one hand, Seedtrace enables companies to manage supply chain data, prove it, and then communicate it. On the other hand, Seedtrace also allows consumers to trace products back to their roots and ensure that environmental, ethical, or sustainable standards are met. Their software is actually blockchain-based, which Katharina herself deliberately doesn’t mention immediately nor is it mentioned on their website, because though blockchain does help them verify claims, it doesn’t help them prove where data is coming from. So, their focus is really more on providing transparency for sustainable consumption and production.

One case study Katharina gives is a cacao fruit pulp producer, Koa, and how they use Seedtrace to prove that their farmers are being paid fair wages. Apart from this, she also talks about the struggles she and her co-founder faced being two female founders, the challenges when it came to finding investors, especially female-led VCs, and the lessons they learned from these experiences. Listen to this episode to find out more.

Katharina’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “50% of consumers often don't know which is the better choice, because there's so much confusion and information lack and greenwashing that is happening around us as well.” (14:46)
• “Do we rather go that route to grow faster and maybe don't really stay true to ourselves? Or do we go the route where we might grow a bit slower and lose some clients on the way, or potential clients, but really do what we believe in?” (30:51)
• “We have the goal for ourselves that transparency in supply chains is the norm rather than the exception.” (38:54)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Katharina’s background and what led her to creating Seedtrace (2:53)
• Current supply chain processes and regulations (9:24)
• The three main offerings of Seedtrace (17:46)
• Seedtrace’s two main stakeholders (26:58)
• The biggest challenge for Katharina in building Seedtrace (33:40)

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What changes can be done in the educational system to adapt to being in the 21st century? That is what Brian Greenberg asked himself, and so the Silicon Schools Fund was created. It is a nonprofit organization that supports a new generation of schools and innovative education models, and Brian is here to share what they do, how they do it, and why they do it.

Beginning his career dabbling in politics, it was Brian’s later experiences working as a teacher that motivated him to want to improve the learning system. Through hard work and a bit of luck, he was able to start a venture fund that supports a new kind of learning. Not all children learn as quickly or as effectively from the traditional education system, and so the Silicon Schools Fund envisions a more personalized learning program that leverages technology and innovation. As it turns out, there were many wealthy investors who found this to be a meaningful and impactful proposition. Since its inception 10 years ago, they now have worked with over 75 schools in California.

Brian explains the three types of schools in the American education system, how they select and fund schools, and what it takes for that school to actually open, teach students, and break even. He also talks about the long road ahead to truly make an impact in the way kids are being taught. If you’re an entrepreneur who is interested in the education space and seeking advice on how to go about it, you’ll want to listen to this episode.

Brian’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “The difference is, whereas venture capitals [are] raising money from limited partners and investing it for profit, we are raising money from limited partners and investing it for social impact.” (11:24)
• “What if we unlocked this amazing potential of the kids really caring about what they were doing and having a chance to have a little more control over the speed or topics that they were covering?” (23:28)
• “Anyone who says this will be easy, you should just walk away from them. Anyone who says it's impossible, you should run away from them.” (33:24)
• “If we don't solve making education more equitable and more effective for everybody, we will never have the kind of society we want.” (33:38)
• “Get closer to the action, so you can understand what the real problem is, and try to build solutions that matter.” (39:13)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• What led Brian to founding Silicon Schools Fund and the kind of schools they support (3:47)
• How the Silicon Schools Fund operates (11:11)
• How they select schools (18:30)
• Entrepreneurship in the education space (27:26)
• How Brian sees the world in 10 years if Silicon Schools Fund succeeds (39:36)

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One of the most common symptoms associated with COVID-19 is probably the cough. Now, what if you could quantify that more than giving a simple description about it? Well, that’s what the cough tracking app Hyfe does, and co-founder Iulian Circo is here to tell us what it’s all about.

Initially working in the humanitarian sector in various countries, Iulian shared his experiences working in war zones and high-intensity environments and how he was drawn to making a similar impact, but this time in a different sector. Now, he’s founded and currently advises many organizations and startups that are geared on making an impact in the world in so many different ways. Iulian also talks about his entrepreneurial journey, Hyfe’s use cases, and the significance of technology, especially in healthcare and new fields like acoustic epidemiology. Apart from that, Iulian said that this generation is ready to make an impact, and so now is the best time to turn your idea into a reality.

With Hyfe, it is an artificial intelligence algorithm that tracks cough in real-time. To date, they have over 140 million samples collected from all parts of the world. Now, that’s impressive. They are undoubtedly and proudly the market leader in this space thanks to the wide range of their user demographics which has resulted in an extremely diverse and unbiased data set. It’s a really interesting episode you won’t want to miss.

Iulian’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “In critical environments and extreme environments, technology is a lifesaver, and it's definitely a multiplier for people trying to get things done.” (5:42)
• “Humanity will always prevail.” (14:19)
• “Where we are, there's no playbook. So, what we do is we have to discover basically where the market is and where the value is.” (28:21)
• “Running a business, and running a startup… that's a very healthy attitude to have, to always be very rigorous in deciding, what is the metric that moves my needle?” (37:07)
• “I don't think there's been ever a better time to do it, and anybody who is thinking about doing that should absolutely do it right away.” (44:33)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• The nonlinear evolution of Iulian’s career (3:01)
• The lessons Iulian learned from his time in the humanitarian sector (11:35)
• Hyfe and how it works (15:41)
• The cough tracking space with and without Hyfe (29:09)
• Iulian’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs (39:11)
• Mistakes Iulian’s made that he wants you to avoid (45:04)

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If every time you bought clothes and shoes, you would also be donating to nonprofits, wouldn’t you want to spend more? Well, that’s exactly what ShoppingGives aims to do through their social impact commerce platform. By enabling e-commerce retailers to donate a share of their revenue to a cause of their customers’ choice, social impact is created and this has always been the vision according to ShoppingGives CEO and founder Ronny Sage.

Ronny shares how he first started working for a digital agency but saw a problem that needed to be addressed, and so ShoppingGives was born. Founded by the belief that doing well equals doing good, ShoppingGives hopes to create an impact with every purchase or transaction. Consumers and businesses these days are becoming more and more conscious of where their money is going, and so this has allowed ShoppingGives and the nonprofits it supports to thrive.

Ronny talks about their business model, the dynamics, the pillars, and the great retail reset that has put social impact at the forefront of consumers’, retailers’, and organizations’ decisions and actions. Ronny also shares how he was able to bootstrap his business while still working full-time and his advice for first-time founders on how to do the same. He emphasizes the importance of having conviction and explains how his own conviction led ShoppingGives to where it is today, with thousands of direct-to-consumer partner brands that support nearly 2 million charities around the world. Listen to this episode to find out more about ShoppingGives and the impact it creates.

Ronny’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “If a business doesn't have a bottom line to do well, they don't have a bottom line to do good.” (4:13)
• “We are the generation of impact.” (5:28)
• “Any founder who has the opportunity to learn on somebody else's dollar and to grow their arsenal of skills and ability to level up while making money and to learn on somebody else's dollar, cease that as much as you can.” (22:00)
• “The difference between a dream and a vision is the actions in between.” (24:03)
• “The path least expected results in outcomes unimaginable.” (31:08)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Ronny’s background and how ShoppingGives came to be (1:34)
• The ShoppingGives business model (11:12)
• How ShoppingGives fares against its competitors (16:18)
• Ronny’s advice on how to raise funding (26:24)
• Pivoting the business but staying true to your vision (34:13)
• The world in 10 years according to Ronnie (36:42)

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Has it ever occurred to you how your diet and genetics could be studied to give you more personalized medical advice? Well, that’s exactly what 3X4 Genetics is all about and founder Yael Joffe tells us all about the world of nutrigenomics and how 3X4 Genetics is changing the way healthcare professionals treat patients.

Initially starting out in architecture, Yael pivoted to the health sciences, specifically in dietetics and then later on to genetics. After discovering her love for genetics and nutrition and being upset with how little advancements she felt took place back then, she went on the path of hoping to redefine the industry of genetics. Hence, 3X4 Genetics was born.

Yael gives us a rundown on the basics of genetics and what their product is, who it is for, their four main pillars, and how these pillars ultimately contribute to all the advancements they are achieving. She explains the difference between their product and the rest of the direct-to-consumer products out there in this same space. Yael also shares the struggles she faced as she tried to raise funding and how she almost gave up but soldiered on until she found the right investors. More importantly, she shares her advice to early stage entrepreneurs like yourself and emphasizes the importance of courage and boldness.

Yael’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “That was really my vision for 3X4, that we would change the gold standard for how genetics was offered.” (11:34)
• “If we can understand how your body works differently from mine, then we can personalize everything for you. We can personalize your nutrition, your supplements, your exercise plans, your stress management, your lifestyle choices, everything about you.” (14:12)
• “You don't actually choose to be an entrepreneur. It chooses you.” (32:32)
• “The big acceptance is never to be attached to the wealth of entrepreneurship, because it's an illusion. If you're going to be an entrepreneur, how much money you have will flow in and out for the rest of your life.” (35:09)
• “We believe that we will become the genetic company that powers other health companies and that won't have a geographic limitation or boundary to it in the way that what we're doing currently does.” (45:56)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Yael’s interesting career changes and how she ended up in nutrigenomics (1:54)
• How nutrition and genetics are related and the current state of nutrigenomics (12:27)
• What sets 3X4 apart (19:21)
• Yael’s entrepreneurial journey in starting 3X4 Genetics (24:12)
• Branching out from South Africa to the US (38:03)
• Yael’s vision of the world in 10 years if 3X4 Genetics succeeds(44:50)

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Bide is a sustainable company founded by Amelia Gammon that produces eco-cleaning products. Created at the start of the pandemic, Bide uniquely combines the social, environmental, and economical impact all into one. Interested in how they managed to achieve that? Listen to this episode to find out more.

Bide addresses the issue of underutilization of unskilled labor by providing jobs to a heavily marginalized sector of women. Not only that, these women get to work from the comfort of their own homes as they create sustainable and environmentally friendly cleaning products that are crafted to a high standard. Through Bide, these women are able to earn money by making these products and by selling them as well to their friends and family. This then helps people invest money into their local communities.

Amelia believes that sustainability shouldn’t be a privilege afforded to only those with money, so another good thing is that Bide products are reasonably priced. She also talks about how she bootstrapped the business, started a crowdfunding campaign, and exceeded their target, and how she eventually found investors. Being a first-time founder and having to initially do everything herself was no easy feat, but she managed to get Bide to where it is today, and she shares the lessons she learned from her experiences.

Amelia’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “How much energy is going into and how many carbon emissions are being produced in the production of something that we are then telling consumers is good for the planet?” (6:42)
• “The vision for Bide is actually to be the future of work for unskilled labor.” (10:06)
• (16:50)
• “Having multiple roles was definitely a challenge, and I think you just need to remember that actually, everybody's in the same boat.” (20:00)
• “Not only are we helping from an environmental footprint, because we're keeping the production and consumption in a really tight circle, from an economical point of view, we're helping to reinvest money into local communities.” (31:58)
• “In 10 years' time, look for Bide on the back of packaging, and you'll know that it's been made in the best possible way.” (33:40)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• How Bide came to be (3:28)
• The Bide business model and the women behind Bide (10:00)
• Crowdfunding and finding investors (20:39)
• How Bide is doing today and exciting future plans for the business (28:41)
• How their home manufacturers make and sell their own goods (31:13)
• What the world looks like in 10 years if Bide succeeds (33:19)

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Imagine a debt-free world where you’ve fully paid off your student loans, auto loans, credit card debt, and mortgage. That’s how Christian Zimmerman, one of the co-founders of Qoins, envisions the world will be with the help of their app. Qoins is a debt-free financial app that helps people achieve financial freedom by starting a habit of saving money. The beauty of this app is that everything is fully automated too. Now, who wouldn’t want to use this?

Christian shares his own experience with student loans and how creating Qoins wasn’t initially part of his plan. He simply wanted a solution to his personal problem. After reaching a low point in his life dealing with a health condition, Christian soldiered on. One thing led to another and serendipitously, Qoins was born.

He talks about the validation they received that became their impetus to building Qoins, the process of raising funds and finding investors, what sets them apart from other financial apps, as well as how him being Latino and his co-founder Nate being black somehow played a role in all this. Christian also walks us through the Qoins journey and how exactly their product works both for setting money aside and paying off debt. Financial debt is something that plagues pretty much all adults, so what Qoins does truly creates an impact, because just like maintaining physical health, our financial wealth and financial health are important aspects of our lives too.

Christian’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “I never really told myself I couldn't do something. And so, I think that was one of the biggest things that I took when I started my own company was that, I have to have that type of mentality, otherwise, it's not going to work.” (15:36)
• “The win is when we're able to say that we've successfully exited. We're able to create impact and again that goal, hitting that 100 million dollars in total debt paid off or a billion dollars, whatever we can to make sure that we did create a positive impact in our customers' lives.” (23:58)
• “By automating this habit, we build education. By educating the customer, we then create impact, and then it's a full circle.” (34:29)
• “Personal finance has three big pillars: automation, education, and recommendation.” (34:42)
• “We're in the business of putting ourselves out of business… if we've done a good job of helping everyone become debt-free, then we've probably put ourselves out of business.” (36:09)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Christian’s personal problem with debt and the debt issue as a whole (2:00)
• Bootstrapping Qoins and how they raised funding (9:47)
• Dealing with health issues and the entrepreneurial mindset (14:31)
• Christian and his co-founder Nate’s experience as minority startup founders (21:59)
• Challenges they faced and how they overcame it (26:48)
• The Qoins experience (29:23)
• How Christian sees the world in 10 years if Qoins succeeds (36:09)

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Impact Hustlers proudly welcomes one of the pioneers of venture capital and impact investing, Sir Ronald Cohen, or Sir Ronnie. Having been in the finance industry for decades, he now has the well-deserved distinction of being known as the Father of British Venture Capital. He has also founded investment firms and companies that are regarded as leaders in the social impact space.

Sir Ronnie had an interesting childhood, leaving Egypt as a refugee at age 11 and moving to the UK. From his humble beginnings, his dedication and hard work landed him in Oxford and, later on, Harvard Business School. Interestingly, at age 53, he one day sat down with the management of Apax Partners, the investment firm he founded that now has over 50 billion dollars under management, and announced he would be leaving after seven years to focus on social issues. He was then tapped by the British Treasury to lead a task force on poverty, which led him on the path of impact.

He shares how luck played a major role in his life, the valuable insights he learned throughout the years, what drove him to impact investing, and more. He also shares snippets from his book, Impact: Reshaping Capitalism to Drive Real Change, which is a worthwhile read, by the way, as well as the three major forces that are working to make the world a better place. This is truly an episode you won’t want to miss.

Sir Ronnie’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “Our success or our failure, the types of challenges we have to go through are not all within our control. And once you understand that, you become a lot stronger in meeting the challenges that come your way.” (11:27)
• “There's a greater purpose to your being on earth than just continuing to make more money.” (17:50)
• “The profit motive needs to be guided by impact. Making money and not worrying about the harm you do is no longer possible.” (24:51)
• “Mandatory reporting, use of accounting to measure impact, and measuring both social and environmental impact. If we do that, it will be a historical frontier for capitalism and for society.” (31:06)
• “Bring impact into your thinking. It's the future. You will do better financially, and you will improve the world.” (35:41)
• “Those who refuse to understand the importance of impact for the future of their businesses will once again be left behind.” (37:40)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• An overview of Sir Ronnie’s journey, his childhood, and education (2:52)
• Luck and how it helped Sir Ronnie get to where he is today (10:52)
• Why 1998 was a memorable year for Sir Ronnie (16:06)
• Integrating impact into the core of every business model (24:41)
• Sir Ronnie’s book and social impact bonds (32:39)
• The world in 10 years according to Sir Ronnie (36:13)

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In this world of mass-produced items and fashion, here is Novica, an impact marketplace dedicated to showcasing unique home decor, jewelry, clothing, and gifts handmade by some of the most skilled artisans all over the world. Founded in 1999 by Roberto Milk, his then-girlfriend and now-wife, and his mother-in-law, Novica empowers artisans by keeping their tradition and culture alive.

Inspired by Robert’s childhood where he loved watching National Geographic and got to travel and see the arts and crafts made by artisans in the places he visited, Novica was created. And eventually, companies like National Geographic themselves, the World Bank, and Scripps Ventures saw the positive impact of what Novica were doing and decided to fund them. Despite industry experts telling them they wouldn’t be successful, they managed to prove those people wrong.

Fast forward to the present, Roberto shares the many challenges they faced working as a dot-com startup at a time when e-commerce wasn’t even a thing yet and how they overcame those and managed to rake in $111 million dollars in sales purely for their artisans. Roberto shares that they owe the success of Novica to the fact that they are, first and foremost, artisan-focused and customer-focused. Ultimately, there are many takeaways from this interview with Roberto.

Roberto’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “The whole import/export for artisans is broken. It doesn't work. We have to reinvent it.” (17:48)
• “This is a mission-driven company at the very root. Artisans can charge more. Customers pay less. We cut out all the middlemen.” (18:16)
• “We're just thinking about customer first, like how do we provide an amazing experience for the customer and yet make it amazing for the artisan?” (24:11)
• “We want the artisan to feel like a king or queen.” (28:13)
• “Happy artisans, happy customers, and spreading global happiness” (29:24)
• “The purer the business, the less friction, the less touch, the better.” (41:11)
• “There is so much of a reduction in individual culture, language, traditions… part of the role that we want to play is keeping those traditions alive around the world, celebrating the master women and men that make these items, the time-honored techniques.” (48:49)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• How Novica was created (3:40)
• The partnership with National Geographic (12:03)
• Choosing the right business model for Novica (16:19)
• Lessons learned in 20+ years of being in business (19:45)
• How Novica remains mission-driven yet profitable (30:12)
• Artisans are in control (35:47)
• Novica as a family business (44:05)
• The world in 10 years if Novica succeeds in their mission (47:06)

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Did you know that the UK government allots 16 billion pounds every year to charities? That’s seven billion pounds more than private donations made to these same charities. With that, Time to Spare founder Tom Neill shares what it’s like providing data that helps charities manage their projects and volunteers as well as collect information that, in the end, not only keeps charities transparent and organized but also allows the government to decide on local projects and organizations that would benefit most from being funded.

After quitting his job at Oliver Wyman and taking a sabbatical in China, Tom realized there was a problem that needed to be solved, which was the lack of data on what charities were doing and the impact they were having on people’s lives. And so, Time to Spare was created. With their software that records all the information on charities and their projects, they help charities provide support to the people that really need it.

Having to pivot during the pandemic was one of their main challenges, among others, and along with that, Tom also shares the story behind their business model, how they figured out how to make it sustainable, other challenges they faced and overcame, their competition, what it is like working with the government, and more.

Tom’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “I think the main source of motivation really is a lot of the organizations, especially the charities that we work with, are really quite underserved by software tools in general.” (24:46)
• “You go to a local community center and their activities they're putting on for people, the support they're providing to people who just have no other way of getting that support is really inspiring.” (25:49)
• “The only way you can do it, or at least the way we managed to do it, was to do something on the cheap.” (30:35)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Tom’s journey from Oliver Wyman to Time to Spare (1:32)
• The world of Time to Spare, charities, and government (7:57)
• The lessons Tom’s learned from his journey with Time to Spare (20:17)
• Why Tom and his team do what they do (24:46)
• Tom’s advice to startup founders (30:23)
• How the volunteer space will be in 10 years’ time according to Tom (35:30)

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As the CEO and founder of Moves the Needle, as a New York Times bestselling author of The Lean Entrepreneur, and as one of the pioneers of the lean startup movement, Brant Cooper shares his advice and lessons learned from his decades of experience helping entrepreneurs digitally transform their businesses.

Brant shares what propelled him to go from the corporate world to the startup environment in the early years of his career, how to go from talking about solving the world’s biggest problems to actually turning those ideas into a reality, and how to become successful in doing so.

He talks about the importance of understanding your audience and translating your mission into a purpose that is also meaningful for them as well as how charities or businesses and governments can not only learn from entrepreneurs but also work hand in hand so that impact-driven businesses, whether it’s small businesses or the huge corporate companies, thrive. And of course, Brant paints a beautiful picture of how he hopes to see the world in 10 years.

Brant’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “I didn't want to do what other people wanted me to do. I wanted to do what I thought was best, so that sort of mindset kind of belongs more in a startup environment than it does in traditional companies.” (5:18)
• “People are inspired by, whether they realize it or not, they're inspired by needs that they see out in the world that they want solved.” (8:11)
• “If you're asking for investment or you're talking about startup investment, you don't say, ‘You're investing in the business,’ or, ‘You're investing in me, the founder.’ You're investing in the mission.” (17:18)
• “Foundations and people that are giving money to the foundations need to demand the impact reports, and they need to demand a higher impact for their dollar spent, and maybe that starts creating the culture of improving the practices.” (28:40)
• “As long as we have choices as consumers, there's pressure on the companies to actually do the right thing… I do think that individuals actually have more power than they think, both as shareholders and as consumers.” (33:22)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• The beginning of Brant’s career (2:13)
• Changes that need to happen in the startup ecosystem (7:43)
• Brant’s advice to entrepreneurs and startup founders (16:48)
• Common mistakes made my impact entrepreneurs (23:24)
• How charities and governments could learn from entrepreneurs (27:14)
• How digital transformation can turn corporations into positively impactful businesses (31:21)
• Brant Cooper’s view of the world in 10 years (37:42)

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How does Cleanhub address plastic pollution? Well, co-founder and CEO Joel Tasche is here to share their secrets. Cleanhub is a startup that aims to preserve and protect the world’s oceans by collecting and managing multi-layer packaging, which is a type of plastic that is almost impossible to recycle using traditional technologies, and so that is what Cleanhub is for.

Having had the chance to explore many countries in his youth, Joel was grateful for the chance to fully appreciate and immerse himself in nature and the oceans. After finishing his degree, he worked at a startup, later on quit, and got his waste management certification in Germany. And then, together with his two friends Florin and Bosse, they set out on a mission to solve the problem of plastic pollution, thus, Cleanhub was born.

Joel elaborates on the waste collection and management cycle and stresses the importance of not just waste management but of creating more sustainable materials to begin with. He talks about their business model and how and why they partner with businesses that aim to take responsibility for plastic waste and what motivates these businesses to do so in the first place.

He goes on to share why they chose to fly from Germany to India to get Cleanhub running, why they focus on multi-layer packaging in particular, and some of the challenges they faced creating Cleanhub right before the COVID-19 pandemic and how they overcame those challenges. He ends with what he thinks is the key ingredient for companies like them to scale and how he hopes the world becomes more circular (economy wise) in the years to come.

Joel’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “In an ideal world, every single household would be connected to a managed waste service.” (15:35)
• “You can try to be the best company in the world; you will be criticized.” (19:07)
• “By passing on the theory, by passing on the cost to the polluter in the capitalistic world, you're also setting the incentive to pollute less, and that's what we need to keep in mind.” (19:57)
• “I really truly believe that every single company that we work with wants to do something good for the planet.” (21:00)
• “Consumers really appreciate when companies take responsibility, when companies are also transparent about how they conduct business, and that's a massive change that the consumers are driving that is going on right now.” (30:39)
• “It's the willingness to pay and really putting the money where your mouth is what we need to get going and get more brands to sign up for that.” (31:49)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Joel’s and Cleanhub’s beginnings (2:16)
• Dissecting the waste collection and management system (6:50)
• Why they chose to start Cleanhub in India (11:32)
• What’s so special about multi-layer packaging (13:55)
• What Cleanhub does and doesn’t do (16:29)
• Why companies partner with Cleanhub (20:53)
• The challenges they faced as a startup (25:36)
• The secret to growing at scale (30:19)
• How Joel envisions the world in 10 years if Cleanhub succeeds (34:02)

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Olio and Pebble founder and now startup or venture advisor Steven Jacobs walks us through the hardware space and how he founded two companies and is now focused on mentoring founders and helping startups achieve a positive social and environmental impact.

Taking up mechanical engineering and materials science and Stanford and Berkeley, Steve then went on to work for companies like Apple (as part of their product design team) and HP (in their Premium Products Group), after which he founded Olio Devices and also Pebble, which are both around wearables. Then, Steve went on to do product management for the big tech companies like Google and Facebook before moving onto being a venture advisor.

Steve’s goal was to make products that made people smile and create meaningful change. He talks about the stark contrast in his mindset from when he first started out versus today and how the definition of ‘impact’ changed for him. He even uses lettuce as an example of a business model and likens it to soda and later on, algorithms and software.

In order for startups to have a more positive impact, Steve talks about two ways for them to go about it, and he also offers advice based from his own experience on common mistakes founders usually make and how to avoid them. One important point he mentions is integrating the social impact into the incentive structure so that it becomes the core of the company culture and values. Lastly, he emphasizes the importance of focusing on creating the greatest impact for your target audience to ensure you stand out, and only then, he suggests that you broaden your horizons.

Steven’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “How do I play a small role in impacting our species for the better? How do I find companies and founders and investors that are making meaningful change that will have long-lasting effects?” (6:00)
• “Impact isn't the degree of happiness that you bring someone. Impact is the amount of people that you affect.” (9:36)
• "How many users can you get to spend more time on our product?," versus, "How much did you make that user smile?" (10:27)
• “The fallacy that, I think, all of us fall into is thinking that our oversimplified desires to have things be constant is best.” (25:07)
• “One of the things that really stuck with me though, and I tell companies that I advise today this story all the time, is the benefits of really being focused and saying no to good ideas, so that you can focus on great ideas.” (44:43)
• “There's more friction to learning and getting advice and having all the advantages of people that start companies when the people who've done it before you are different than you across a variety of dimensions.” (54:25)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Steve’s education and the early beginning of his career (1:56)
• Steve’s relationship with social impact throughout his career (8:01)
• Advertising-based business models and Steve’s take on it (13:55)
• How to influence startups to create a more positive impact (21:54)
• Common mistakes in the hardware space (28:43)
• Steve’s advice on creating a positive social and environmental impact (34:41)
• Pebble and the start of Steve’s entrepreneurial journey (41:57)
• The world in 10 years according to Steve (52:13)

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Adam Kurkiewicz is the CEO and co-founder of Biomage, an open-source bioinformatics software company whose mission is to improve human health through science and technology. Biomage makes it easier for researchers to understand their own data without having to hire a bioinformatician, which often comes with problems around collaboration, communication, and price.

After completing his Bachelors in Computer Science and Mathematics, Adam joined Skyscanner. And though he loved the company culture, he did not agree with the mission and instead wanted to address people’s health problems, so he decided to pursue a PhD in bioinformatics. However, he decided to not continue with his PhD, and along with his friends Iva and Marcell, they founded Biomage. After overcoming hurdles in the hiring process, Adam and his co-founders have now successfully and proudly expanded their team to 15 people.

In terms of their software, while a typical biology experiment will produce one data point, with Biomage’s single-cell RNA-seq technology, a single experiment results in 200 million data points. Naturally, that would require powerful software capable of processing all that data. So, in simple terms, Biomage’s software does both the processing as well as the analytics of data. Inspired by MongoDB and Elasticsearch, Adam likens Biomage to being the MongoDB of bioinformatics.

Here’s proof that Biomage works. Dr. Angela Bradshaw’s research on the heart bypass in the University of Glasgow uncovered the mechanism occurring after receiving a bypass that leads to its failure. Through this research, they’re able to prevent this from happening in the future, and this discovery would not have been possible without Biomage. Aside from the University of Glasgow, another one of Biomage’s partners is Harvard Medical School, and they hope to partner with more and more universities and institutions.

Adam shares his advice for founders on how to raise funding, and he highly encourages joining accelerator programs. In 10 years’ time, Adam envisions Biomage contributing to major advancements in precision medicine, because ultimately, their goal is to help as many scientists as possible for the betterment of everyone.

Adam’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “In traditional businesses, the term human resources or even just the approach to the employees is as sort of just a commodity resource, but we really do not think about our employees that way. They are the company, and that's it.” (20:40)
• We envision becoming a multi-product, open-source bioinformatics company that really helps, that really allows any bioinformatician, any biologist who has bioinformatics needs to get their job done in a better way than right now.” (25:14)
• “That's the beauty of the fundraising process; it only has to work once. You can have 100 conversations with investors. It only has to work once. You only need it to work once.” (30:06)
• “I believe that precision medicine will happen, and has been waiting to happen, and will happen sooner or later, and I believe Biomage is just going to be a big part of that story.” (35:04)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Adam’s education and then how his career began at Skyscanner (1:28)
• From being a PhD student to Biomage founder (3:51)
• Biology then and now (7:39)
• How and why Biomage is a big help in research (12:17)
• The biggest challenge for Adam and his team (16:48)
• Developing Biomage and one of their main partnerships (22:14)
• Biomage and its role in drug development (26:29)
• How to get investors (29:57)

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We’re probably all familiar with the term “Buy 1, Get 1,” but what about “Buy 1, Give 1”? B1G1 founder Masami Sato shares what inspired her to create this global giving initiative and social enterprise by partnering with businesses all over the world and helping them create an impact through their projects. Thirteen years later and as of this interview, B1G1 has already partnered with 3,000 businesses and created 220 million impacts (and counting)!

While traveling the world and being exposed to different situations, Masami already felt the inkling to want to be part of the solution to many of the problems she encountered. But, it was not until she had her first child that she realized she really wanted to do something to help. And so, she opened up a food business. Years later, it dawned on her that instead of being afraid to start something big, she could start doing small things daily. Then, B1G1 was created.

Initially selling one meal for every meal packet they sold, she decided she wanted to help other businesses make an impact as well and turned B1G1 into a social enterprise. Through the NGOs they work with, they are able to identify the issues people face as well as the solutions or high impact projects that can be done to address these issues.

Though money is a common way of measuring impact, in B1G1, they measure impact through impact, habit, and connection as well as the length of time people have access to resources and, of course, they make sure their impact is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. Speaking of money, they actually bootstrapped the company in its early days, but thankfully, they now get to enjoy doing what they are doing and focus on helping people and businesses.

There are two sides to B1G1, the company side, which entails them being listed as a B Corp, and the charity side, through which they find partners, list their projects, and hand out contributions. And in order to be sustainable, they utilize a business membership model or subscription-based model that their members pay a monthly fee for.

Now, what kind of businesses work with B1G1? Well, they partner with big and small businesses alike, and Masami also shares how they vet the businesses that would like to partner with them and, once they’ve set up a partnership, how they help each other out.

Though the pandemic brought about new challenges, luckily, the fourth quarter of 2020 was actually record-breaking for them. And so, with trials and tribulations come victories as well. This is why Masami reminds us to appreciate the journey and not to focus too much on the destination. In 10 years, Masami is optimistically ambitious and hopes that B1G1 partners with 1 million businesses.

Masami’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “What if instead of trying to do something big in the future one day, what if we did something small but did it every day?” (7:17)
• “In B1G1, we focus on three things that we think can be integrated in [the] business-giving space, which is impact, habit, and connection.” (15:14)
• “As a social enterprise, the model itself is that our mission is really about transforming how businesses do what they do. And as a result, we want to inspire all those businesses to feel that what they are doing is actually really meaningful and important in the world, so they add value to their customers and clients through what they are doing already.” (19:40)
• “When we tap into that feeling of why they are doing what they are doing and then introduce B1G1 as a way for them to create their legacy and also to make their business much more meaningful, and purposeful, and rewarding for them as well as for their team if they have other te

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Liam Megill is one of the brains behind AeroDelft, which is actually not a startup but a student-led organization created in Delft University of Technology or TU Delft in Germany with the dream of making aviation a more sustainable industry. With their motto being “Our future flies into clean skies,” they have created a liquid hydrogen-powered aircraft prototype in the hopes that the big players will follow suit and work towards building airplanes that run on sustainable fuels.

What started as a student team designing human-powered submarines came the idea to form a student team focused on building aircrafts. Not only were they able to experiment with reducing drag and increasing efficiency by drilling holes onto the sides of an airplane’s wings, but they were also ultimately able to reduce emissions by using liquid hydrogen as their fuel.

Why liquid hydrogen? Well, one of the reasons is because it is energy-dense. In fact, liquid hydrogen is already being used in rockets albeit in different ways. With rockets, the liquid hydrogen is combusted, however, for AeroDelft, they plan on using it in a fuel cell.

One of the problems that comes with using liquid hydrogen is its storage, as it needs to be stored at extremely low temperatures. And though its storage temperature is –250 degrees Celsius, it won’t run at this same temperature, so it needs to be cooled for their liquid hydrogen-powered fuel cell to run. But despite these challenges, they have successfully built a remote-controlled prototype of a liquid hydrogen-powered aircraft that is a third of the size of an actual aircraft.

Because they are still in the process of figuring out the direction they want to take AeroDelft in in terms of turning it into a startup, they decided for AeroDelft to remain as a student team for now to give more students the opportunity to be a part of this development. However, Liams says that creating a spinoff from AeroDelft is something they are considering, as that is another challenge they face: not having any funding since they are not a startup.

For the aviation industry, Liam says 10 years feels like just a day, since it takes that much time to build or design a new aircraft. And so, in 10 years, he hopes to see the first hydrogen-powered aircraft in the skies as well as reduced emissions and fuel consumption. He also talks about what companies are doing, such as Airbus with their ZEROe project which aims to produce the world’s first zero-emission aircraft by 2035.

Liam’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “There are different solutions to each problem, and we think about battery powers, think about hydrogen, think about sustainable aviation fuels, they will all play a major part in making aviation more sustainable.” (16:08)
• “There are different solutions to each problem, and we think about battery powers, think about hydrogen, think about sustainable aviation fuels, they will all play a major part in making aviation more sustainable.” (19:43)
• “We do want to share what we're doing, because we're not here to make a profit. We are a student team. We're a nonprofit organization. So, we're here with our partners together to show that it's feasible and then also to give that knowledge on to people who are more able or companies who are more able to put this into practice on a larger scale.” (22:53)
• “We want to fly in clean skies. That's how the future looks like, so we want to do everything we can to make that happen.” (23:52)
• “10 years for aviation is quite an interesting question, because essentially, it's tomorrow for the aviation world.” (32:21)
• “I would say that 10 years from now, I would expect that we see th

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Lauren Currie is the founder of UPFRONT, an organization that aims to put women in the spotlight and boost their confidence, visibility, and power. What was just an avenue for people to be on a stage in front of an audience turned into a global community of women from all walks of life, and that’s what UPFRONT.

Initially starting out as a product design engineering student, Lauren learned about service design which is what is now considered as design thinking or customer experience design. Shortly after finishing her education, she co-founded Snook, Scotland’s first service design for social change agency. With their focus on the public sector, they were able to implement and optimize service design for sectors like the government, health, and education.

After studying in Hyper Island to get her MA in Digital Experience Design, she then went on to work for Good Lab, a think tank for social innovation. After her time in Good Lab, she built NOBL, which was focused on organizational change, culture design, and the like. All this time, Lauren had also been building UPFRONT, which has now become her full-time job.

Now, what made her want to create UPFRONT? She says it was borne from the lack of diversity of conference speakers, majority of whom are white middle class men. After learning just how many people were actually interested in being on stage but were also too afraid to do it, she realized she could help give these people the chance to do so. She did exactly this and was met with astounding results.

As much as Lauren would like UPFRONT to cater to both men and women, their main and sole focus for now is women. She shares the three truths they base their work upon, and she also shares what men can do to help uplift the women in their homes, workplaces, communities, governments, and more. Speaking of government, if Lauren were Prime Minister, education and policy & laws would be the two main areas where she would begin making a change in.

Getting down to the thick of things, Lauren talks more about UPFRONT and the global community they’ve built called Bonds that is a perfect offering not just for individuals but for companies as well. She’s currently working on a Bond for neurodivergent women and hopes to create Bonds for BIPOC women, women with long-term conditions, and more.

In ten years, Lauren hopes that UPFRONT will become a household name and just like what Brené Brown has done for vulnerability, Lauren hopes to do the same for building up women’s confidence.

Lauren’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “We want to change confidence, not women.” (17:19)
• “You are a result of your environment, and that truth, for many women who go through the Bonds, is completely transformative. It's the first time in their life that they have realized, understood, and accepted, ‘The problem does not lie with me.’” (18:21)
• “I must bring other women with me. I must amplify women who have less privileges than me, and I must do all of this work in a way that is building ladders around myself.” (19:53)
• “There's very much a focus on the collective power of community and networks, as I mentioned earlier, to try and make there be more equality within women ourselves.” (20:07)
• “Confidence is a result of our environment. Women are not born feeling less than.” (23:33)
• “We need policies and laws to change, so that they are policies that are designed with entire populations in mind.” (30:50)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• How Lauren came across service design during her studies in product design (2:02)
• Lauren’s experience and lessons from working wit

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Welcome to the world of impact investing, where Tickr founder Tom McGillycuddy shares what it was like for him and his co-founder, Matt Latham, to leave their corporate jobs and create a business that allows people to invest in companies that create a positive impact, such as those in the energy, water, food, health, education, and cybersecurity space, to name a few.

Initially crossing paths in Barclays, Tom and Matt realized that they wanted to “democratize” investing and make it more accessible for everyone. Apart from that, they also wanted to give people a chance to support companies they believed were making an impact. So, it was basically offering people a chance to invest sustainably and adopt good investment behaviors.

In terms of how Tickr works, it first gives people three themes to choose from (people, planet, and people-planet) along with three risk levels, after which you will then be able to select from an extremely diverse array of options the companies you would like to invest in. They encourage their users to invest monthly, which 85% of them do. Currently, Tickr has over 100,000 customers and it’s continuously growing, since more and more people are realizing the beauty of what Tickr offers and the problem that it solves.

Tom talks about the two ways of getting a fintech company regulated, which both have their own pros and cons. He also shares the challenges he and Matt faced when it came to finding investors, and he says their financial backgrounds had a big role to play as it helped them talk to the right people and get the funds they needed.

Contrary to what you may think, Tom and Matt actually didn’t do much market research, because they were creating this product for themselves and their friends. They simply built their idea off the fact that they knew there was a desire to invest and to have a positive impact, and years later, they proved themselves right.

Tom’s advice for early-stage founders is that although working in a startup is definitely not a walk in the park, if you’re passionate enough about your idea, work hard to make it happen. Having a vision of the future, he says, is also crucial to investors, so keep that in mind.

In the years to come, Tom would like to think that the term ‘impact investing’ will be obsolete as it will just be considered ‘investing,’ and with the help of companies like BlackRock, a more impact-driven society will hopefully happen sooner rather than later.

Tom’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “We started to realize after we started working on the idea that one of the only ways to truly engage with investing for the long term, it's good for them and good for everyone else, is via impact, and the stories, and the narrative.” (3:36)
• “What we should be getting people to do is invest sustainably, not in the impact sense of the word but in the longevity sense of the word, for themselves and build wealth over the long term.” (7:39)
• “You create sustainable wealth for yourself into the future by investing in hundreds of companies around the world that are doing good for the world.” (12:13)
• “I think our generation specifically and the way we see our money as a tool that reflects our values and what we believe in the world, I think that will have a massive impact.” (15:08)
• “In 10 years' time, there'll be no such thing as impact investing. It'll just be called investing.” (16:21)
• “Our generation wants to solve these problems more than anyone else. The problems are getting worse, and they want to invest at the same time.

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Gary Stewart is the founder of FounderTribes, a startup dedicated to diversity and matching businesses or entrepreneurs with the right investors and mentors to help them lead their business in the right direction.

Impact Hustlers’ Maiko and Gary actually go way back with them crossing paths in Wayra, a technological innovation hub that they both worked in. Even before that, Gary took up law in Yale and shortly after school, he went to Spain for some time off post-graduation. He also shares how his first entrepreneurial stint, which was in real estate, began. He briefly was a professor at the IE Business School in Madrid and was then recruited by Wayra to be its Managing Director, and off to the UK he went.

Realizing that the corporate world was not for him nor was working for someone else, he wanted to chart his own path and at the same time diversify entrepreneurship, and so he created FounderTribes. For £9.99 a month, FounderTribes provides its clients with an impressive network of mentors and coaches who will then guide their clients and their companies to becoming investor-ready, by which time they will match them with the appropriate investors based on their stage and vertical.

Compared to the US where Gary could easily find investors, he noticed the stark contrast in the UK where, despite him graduating from an Ivy League university, he experienced difficulty finding investors. This, he said, was partly due to race and also due to class. Thankfully, events like Pitch@Palace helped Gary meet the right people who were willing to give him a chance.

He also gives great advice for young entrepreneurs who are just starting out on their entrepreneurial journey, and in 10 years, Gary says he envisions proportional representation, that everyone gets a fair chance regardless of race, gender, class, or whatever it may be.

Gary’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “I think there's a point when you realize, "I'm more interested in that bit and solving that challenge," than on the day-to-day of, ‘Can I help corporates to figure out what's going to be their next big product?’” (10:07)
• “In Spain, I feel like I was more investible than I am in the UK, because in Spain, I was an American first, and I think in the UK, I'm black first, and I didn't quite realize what that meant.” (18:34)
• “Because when they talk about gender diversity, usually, they're only talking about white women diversity. They're not talking about black women diversity, brown women diversity.” (22:23)
• “If we create these economies of scale, then the price of entry is a lot more accessible for everyone, which then democratizes entrepreneurship for everyone.” (29:58)
• “Remember, you're not the first person to blaze a trail, and you're not going to be the last, so if you're going to get into this game as a black person or brown person, know that it's about blazing a trail that requires a certain level of a thick skin, but just get on with it.” (35:50)
• “All you want is equity. You don't want overrepresentation. You just want everyone to have a fair shot.” (45:40)
• “FounderTribes is about race. It's about gender. It's about socio-economic. It's about geography. It's about all of the "isms" that keep us locked out.” (46:12)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Yale, Spain, and Gary’s first business venture (2:41)
• How Gary got into entrepreneurship (6:22)
• What made Gary leave Wayra to start FounderTribes (8:09)
• Facts and numbers on funding according to gender and race (14:06)
• Finding investors in Europe vs. finding investors in America (1

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With 78 employees working across five offices on five continents, Vera Solutions is a social enterprise and B Corp that helps for-profit and nonprofit organizations measure and track their impact, and Founder and CEO Zak Kaufman is here to tell us more about the change that they make.

While working in monitoring and evaluation for an organization in South Africa called Grassroot Soccer, Zak and his team were faced with data systems that couldn’t really keep up with the needs of the organization, especially with Grassroot Soccer just being given a huge grant to scale up their operations. To solve this, Zak had an idea, one that was unthought of at the time, and this was to migrate their systems to Salesforce, a CRM system. This turned out to be a brilliant solution as this then solved their data problems and allowed them to collect and analyze their impact data in a more efficient way.

Quickly realizing the significance of what they were doing, Zak and two of his colleagues sat down with Grassroot Soccer’s CEO and COO, and they came to an agreement that they would leave Grassroot Soccer to form Vera Solutions. After a few years, Zak was faced with another major issue: both his co-founders leaving. Thankfully, the company survived it which, in part, Zak attributes to Vera Solutions having a strong “ikigai.”

Zak also talks about the four pillars of good monitoring and evaluation, which they wrote an article about on Salesforce. He also shares his formula for measuring impact data, and speaking of impact, one of the main products or services of Vera Solutions is Amp Impact, which helps clients measure their impact data at the portfolio level and also portfolio data to manage the entire lifecycle of an organization’s projects.

Despite the notion that charities and foundations would be hard to sell their services to with their often limited budget, these organizations understood the value of what Vera Solutions was offering, and so the need was there. The demand slowly started to increase, and they would hire one employee after another. Today, with their 78-strong team, Vera Solutions has worked with over 325 organizations, and their clients range from social enterprises to impact investors to nonprofit organizations and more.

In 10 years, Zak hopes to live in a world with a social sector that is not only accountable, transparent, and data-informed, but also closer to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Zak’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “There's a little bit of a perspective that, ‘Well, we're a charity, therefore we don't have money to spend on these kinds of things,’ and I think that that kind of mindset holds the social sector back, and it's a mindset that's going away.” (11:23)
• “We're also seeing the private sector starting to get more interested in social impact and environmental impact.” (11:50)
• “We had the privilege to see the sector and the space from a lot of different angles and start to see the diversity of needs that are out there but also the commonality of needs across different organizations.” (13:10)
• “Amp Impact isn't trying to be 100% of what everybody needs or really 100% of what anybody needs. It's trying to be 60-70% of what everybody needs, and the remaining 30-40%, that comes through configuration of the Salesforce platform.” (27:04)
• “If you can execute well and you've got, really, a purpose that aligns with what you're good at, what you're passionate about, and what the world needs, I think you're quite set up for success.” (30:59)
• “I do think it's super important to just have the right people around th

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Lifeed founder Riccarda Zezza is here to share her story of how motherhood gave her the idea to create an EdTech company centered around life based learning and transitions, much like the ones working mothers, fathers, and carers face as they add another notch to their list of roles.

Despite having been a manager in reputable companies both in Italy and abroad for 15 years, upon returning from maternity leave, Riccarda was made to feel as though her being a mother was now conflicting with her role as a manager, and she experienced this not just once but two times. This prompted her to do some research around this, and thus, Lifeed was born.

A popular Lifeed expression is “Maternity as a Masters,” implying that maternity leaves should not merely be seen as a chance for a mother to rest and look after their child, but as a person of training as well. This leads on to their principle of life based learning, which is a methodology of practicing and applying soft skills both at home and in the workplace.

In 2015, Lifeed went digital, and originally, it was made for mothers, but later on, it expanded its user base to include fathers and caregivers as well, as these groups all have to make major transitions. Today, they have a team of 35 people and are working with 80 companies to adapt and implement this new way of learning, working, and living.

Using what they call “prompts,” Lifeed helps its clients break free from stereotypes and transfer behaviors between home and work to see where it is lacking or where it can be more effective, and these help people break the barriers between their different roles.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, Riccarda and her team developed the Transitions program made specifically for helping people deal with a global pandemic. Now, they have helped thousands of people manage this transition.

Riccarda’s advice when looking for clients is to not educate companies, as this is both time-consuming and resource-heavy. Instead, she recommends looking for companies that are ready and open to making that change. The three main challenges to this entire process would be finding the right people, turning an idea into reality, and finding the financial resources to make this all happen.

In 10 years, Riccarda hopes that life based learning becomes the norm in all companies so that parenthood or similar major life events are seen as an advantage in the workplace rather than a disadvantage.

Riccarda’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “Science shows that when people have more roles, they have more opportunities to recharge, more opportunities to develop skills, and more strength, because they have more places where they can find their balance.” (4:55)
• “The power of questions is that they trigger your own knowledge. They don't provide you with some content. They give room to your own content.” (13:15)
• “We have our roots in the theory about breaking stereotypes, because that's the starting point. You have to break the stereotypes. You have to break the previous schemes in order for people to apply a different framework on things.” (11:44)
• “We have to avoid going back to the old reality. We have to use this transition to go forward.” (17:07)
• “People have everything inside. They have wonders inside, but the problem is they don't have the space to express it. But if you ask them the right questions and if you provide them the space to express the wonders they have inside, the wonders will come out.” (19:44)
• “I had a couple of moments, which were emotionally very, very

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Martin Rich, co-founder and executive director of the Future Fit Foundation, joins us today to talk about how this company supports other companies and incorporates social and environmental impact into their business models. Future Fit works with a variety of companies, including The Body Shop and Fuji Xerox.

Martin shares how his career started as an investment banker at HSBC and then as a sales director at Social Finance. While working at Social Finance, Martin felt a desire to take all of his financial experience and knowledge and start using it for something more purposeful and fulfilling. He realized that while raising capital for impact-driven companies was a great advocacy, it was just a small fix to a problem that needed bigger solutions in place. With that, Future Fit aims to show companies the gap between where they are now and where they need to be if they want an ethical business with a positive contribution to the planet. To do this, Future Fit created 23 clear goals for companies with the help of different experts around the world.

Martin also explains how Future Fit works seamlessly with companies like B Corps. Companies like B Corps are described by Martin as essentially operating on reports that are backward-looking, which blends well with something forward-looking such as Future Fit. To cite an example, Future Fit aims to prepare companies with questions like, “What if carbon tax gets introduced?” and “What if the waste tax gets reintroduced?” The objective is to help de-risk companies while encouraging its sustainability.

When asked about the challenges Future Fit has encountered since its establishment and how the company has survived through them, Martin emphasizes the importance of partnership. He details how he and his Future Fit co-founder Dr. Jefhave helped each other through many different challenges, one of which is funding. Though funding is a fundamental need of a company, Martin says that focus should be on getting the money to follow you, not vice versa.

Lastly, Martin envisions a world in ten years where the biggest and most influential companies would be going on a Future Fit journey, in turn creating a fundamental shift in the way businesses perceive what it means to create value.

Martin’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “The things you are investing in are affecting people on the planet, in some good ways, and usually in quite lots of bad ways at the same time. If you're financing those in any way, shape, or form, you are partly responsible for that impact.” (6:50)
• “It's about pushing those dials all the way up to 100% across all of those goals. That's a journey. It's not going to happen tomorrow; it's 10, 15, 20 years’ time, maybe more for some organizations.” (9:53)
• “You’ve just got to choose a few things. Start on that journey. Don't try and do everything at once. Take some easy wins, get those easy wins over the line, and then start working your way down.” (31:30)
• “Don't follow the money. Try and find the money that wants to follow you.” (35:41)
• “Don't focus on the setbacks; focus on what you can learn and keep pushing to that next win.” (37:09)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• How Future Fit was founded (2:57)
• The transformational journey through Future Fit (13:46)
• B Corps and Future Fit (19:50)
• Traversing challenges as a company (32:31)
• A fundamental shift in true value (37:41)

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CEO of the Global Good Fund Carrie Rich joins us today to talk about how their US-based fellowship program for impact-driven entrepreneurs operates, and how it has led to the development of other projects such as the 360 Learning Assessment, the Global Impact Fund and Fund the Good.

Rich shares that her beginning as a social entrepreneur was largely influenced by her personal values and her business mentor. Her strong moral compass and supportive mentor influenced her to co-found the Global Good Fund eight years ago. The fund married young people who cared about making the world a better place using entrepreneurship for good, together with other experienced business executives who wanted to turn their professional success into social significance. By pairing the two populations, Rich hopes that this will serve as a catalyst for good social change in the world. At present, the Global Good Fund has supported more than 160 entrepreneurs across 40 countries, and has built a community of more than 40,000 global changemakers.

Having been exposed to a variety of social enterprises, Rich notes the trends she has noticed as of late regarding the focus of these companies, namely: education, health and healthcare, financial inclusion, economic mobility, and environmental sustainability. She then discusses how they formulated the 360 Leadership Assessment as a way to measure the leadership effectiveness of social entrepreneurs. Rich continues to say that traditional entrepreneurs must catch up to social entrepreneurs, because the latter are comfortable navigating the boardroom, halls of power, and even the slump while the former are not. For social entrepreneurs, there's a willingness to connect with people at all aspects of the continuum in terms of social class and economic mobility, in a way that there isn't the same interest in traditional entrepreneurship.

Rich also details the founding of their sister company, the Global Impact Fund. It aims to invest in socially impactful companies that produce market leading returns. They wanted to demonstrate that individuals could invest and do good, and do well, at the same time.

Lastly, Rich explains their recently launched Fund the Good campaign as a way to engage individuals to participate in different master classes to raise funds for the Global Good Fund. With all of these projects, Rich envisions a world in ten years where there won't be such a field as impact investing, or social entrepreneurship, because traditional companies and traditional investors will have built impact into the way that we all do business. And as a result, the world will be a better place.

Rich’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “Our philosophy was that if you invest in a high potential young leader, that leader will, in turn, grow business and positively impact the world.” (05:00)
• “And now, during times when people are losing jobs, and there's high unemployment rates especially in young people, there's an opportunity to go out there and make a difference yourself and start a company that can positively impact the world.” (07:07)
• “When you invest in a high potential leader, that leader, in turn, grows the business and positively impacts society. And really, the idea is, let's have a ripple effect.” (10:26)
• “We're really trying to bring together people from across the world who want to get together and in their way, however big or small it is, do their part to make the world a better place. ” (24:37)
• “I trust that, in the future, there won't be such a field as impact investing, and there won't be such a field as social entrepreneurship, because traditional companies and traditional investors will have built impact into the

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Kiva and Alltruists founder Jessica Jackley joins us today to talk about her journey as a social entrepreneur that started in 2005 and the lessons she had learned as a founder, an investor and a general partner of various companies since then.

As a graduate of philosophy and poetry, Jackley initially had no desire to venture into business. However, after having been exposed to the wonders of social entrepreneurship working a temporary job at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, she had realized how social enterprises could become a force for good.

She would then go to Africa on an unpaid internship under Village Enterprise, a nonprofit organization, through which she saw firsthand the impact that donations had on the livelihood of different members of the community there. She and Kiva co-founder, Matt, then thought that while donations could be incredibly beneficial to the receiver, loans could also help members of the community take the next step forward in terms of their livelihood.

Building a social impact driven company in 2005 was not the norm, and shorthand terms such as “crowdfunding” had not existed then. This drove Kiva to work hard and strategize so as to inform people of the microloans they would be sponsoring, which is different from the usual donation strategy that nonprofit companies often adopted. At present, Kiva has issued more than $1.5 billion loans, with a repayment rate of 96%.

With the success of Kiva, Jackley also stressed the importance of actively exerting effort to maintain proper work-life balance. For her, this involved creating a spreadsheet that detailed her kids’ schedules, and how she would then divide her work hours accordingly to make sure she maximized her time with them. As determined as she was for the role she wanted to play in the lives of her children, she did not lose sight of the role she had at work, too. She notes even the importance of prioritizing which work emails to respond to right away, and how all of her strategies have helped her maintain the balance she needs to perform well both as a mother and the founder of Kiva.

Moving on to Alltruists, which is a subscription box for volunteer projects that delivers monthly mini projects to kids, inspiring them to have empathy for some of the world's biggest social and environmental issues. Jackley emphasized the importance of instilling empathy at an early age, which she said Alltruists achieves in three steps: learn, connect, and act. Finally, Jackley hopes that Alltruists can grow in the future to make volunteering more accessible and engaging for everyone.

Jackley’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “It's great to just want to be an entrepreneur, but you need to really quickly focus in on a particular theory of change or a problem that you want to solve or a segment of, you know, a persona or a group of people that you would like to help. You can't just stay in the general, "I want to be an entrepreneur," for too long. It's like saying you want to go to the Olympics, but you just haven't chosen a sport yet.” (4:10)
• “I think it's very freeing to approach work as, what is the problem I want to go solve? Who are the people that I want to go serve? And then you figure out the other pieces.” (9:13)
• “I feel like quiet time to reflect and whether it's journaling, or just meditating or being thoughtful, I think everyone needs at least a little bit of that. And it's really hard to get, especially with a bunch of kids in the house, especially as you take on more work, etc. But I think it's important because during those moments, when you can hone in on really what your priorities and your values are.” (20:10)
• “Bring your own unique self to

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Kickstarter and The Bento Society founder Yancey Strickler joins us today to talk about what it was like creating an impact-centered crowdfunding platform in 2009, what being a public-benefit corporation means (and what it doesn’t), and bentoism and why it’s something we all should practice.

Initially beginning his career as a music critic, Yancey crossed paths with Perry Chen who would then go on to be one of his co-founders. With Perry’s idea of wanting to throw a concert without having to shell out cash at the start and further driven by creative projects, the two of them along with another friend, Charles Adler, put their heads together and founded Kickstarter.

Truly breaking away from the norm, instead of merely supporting projects that would make companies rich, Kickstarter was born with the goal of funding projects without a profit motive, meaning as long as a person found it to be of value to them, then that was enough.

Kickstarter eventually became listed as a public-benefit corporation and this decision has allowed and is continuing to allow Kickstarter to succeed in the long term. He then goes on to talk about B Corps and C Corps and the differences between the three.

Moving onto The Bento Society, Yancey talks about the bentoism movement and what the bento model or framework is all about. It’s not just about self-interest but taking into consideration those around you as well both in the present and in the future. Centered in this framework, Yancey has built a society of thousands of people that have adapted and now use this bento model. They hold weekly activities to allow members of the community to practice bentoism and support projects aligned with their mission through quarterly grants.

Yancey’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “It's quite difficult to make a good decision, a righteous decision in a hard moment. Even the best person will have a hard time doing that. And so, how well is this really set up for long-term success if we are reliant on that?” (10:02)
• “The idea should be you put the public good and your own personal good side by side, like you don't get to choose one and then the other.” (11:01)
• “Creating a business is a very powerful way to change things, to do things. It's exciting. It's fun.” (12:23)
• “The climate is going to make it unconscionable for us to only optimize for financial value.” (19:15)
• “What solves what I need right now?” (24:23)
• “Without a destination, you can't get anywhere” (26:28)
• “In any good negotiation, what do you negotiate? You just shift the playing field.” (29:42)
• “You may be wrong, but you have to be opinionated.” (30:07)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• How Kickstarter was founded (2:27)
• Being entrepreneurial and “personal good” and “public good” (8:26)
• Public-benefit corporations (14:54)
• Bentoism and how Yancey practices it (21:57)
• How impact-driven entrepreneurs can use the bento framework (26:25)
• Finding the balance between profit and impact (32:33)
• The Bento Society (37:07)
• What Yancey envisions the world will be in 30 years according to bentoism (39:41)

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Learn more about Change Now here: www.changenow.world 

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Learn more about Dreams:
https://www.getdreams.com/en/

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Dawn Lippert is the Founder & CEO of Elemental Excelerator, an initiative supporting ClimateTech startups. 

Elemental is currently open for applications, you can find out more on their website: 
https://elementalexcelerator.com/

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Tom Jam Pedersen is the co-founder of Copenhagen Atomics, a company in Denmark that uses thorium to burn out actinides from spent nuclear fuel in order to convert long-lived radioactive waste into short-lived radioactive waste, while producing large amounts of energy.

Useful links:

Copenhagen Atomics : https://www.copenhagenatomics.com/

Thomas Jam Pedersen :  https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-jam-pedersen-9595a4/

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Ali Albazaz is the Founder & CEO of Inkitt, a platform that is on a mission to democratize the publishing industry.

Learn more about Inkitt:https://www.inkitt.com/

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Chris Peng is the Co-founder PhysioQ and has created a platform to help run decentralised scientific studies using the power of wearables and software.

PhysioQ has focussed heavily on the Covid-19 pandemic, working with 20,000+ families to help track the most common Covid-19 symptoms. m

Learn more about PhysioQ here: https://physioq.org/
Learn more about Kiipo here: https://www.kiipo.com/

The Labfront software mentioned in the podcast: https://physioq.org/labfront
Documentary about Kiipo's work in Ethiopia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9LWtorXwWw

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Vanessa Martins Lopes is the co-founder of The Wild Curl, a naturally curly hair care company

Highlights:

• The trouble for naturally curly hair that has no product for them.
• Straight hair is the good hair that was set by social media and society - the misconception of great hair.
• The Wild Curl aims to let everyone know to be confident with their hair.
• Dryer hair by nature, mostly difficult to manage as it is mostly tangled, different hair structures require different hair products - there is no one hair product for all hair types.
• Seeing customers happy with their beautiful hair after using their product makes Vanessa and her fiance feel very proud.
• Vanessa and her fiance are looking forward to expanding their business through crowdfunding, so their customers, friends and family, or sponsorships could invest and be part of their business.
• Big hair products companies in the past do not consider more products for afro hair people but have changed recently, however people do think that the companies should do this sooner.
• It is never a good time to start, it's always a bad time to start, it can be your excuse, but it is always like this, it is either full in or you never gonna do it.
• Talk about your company as much as possible, to strangers, to friends - you might be surprised with the advice you get from the investors.
• To grow the business, we must have a proper scale, as a founder there are tasks that we have to do and not queuing up in the post office.
• Funds will be mostly used in product development, their next step is to launch three conditioners next year.

Useful Links:

The Wild Curl : https://www.thewildcurl.com/ The Wild Curl Crowdfunding campaign: https://www.crowdcube.com/companies/the-wild-curl/pitches/bAJ7kq

Vanessa Martins Lopes : https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessamartinslopes/

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Welcome to Impact Hustlers, the podcast featuring the entrepreneurs & changemakers solving the world's biggest problems. 

Make sure to subscribe & sign up to our newsletter on www.impacthustlers.com

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Sacha Dench, famously known as “the human swan,” is the founder and CEO of Conservation Without Borders, a charity focused on solving problems related to migratory species and sharing it with the world through compelling stories. Today, she shares her advice on how to take action and raise awareness on climate change through storytelling.

Her career initially began as a marine turtle geneticist, but she found herself drawn to issues of waste management and fish deaths, which eventually led to her interest in conservation.

Sacha is known for flying 7,000 kilometers with the Bewick’s swans across 11 countries on a paramotor from the Russian Arctic to the UK in 2016.

Sacha’s next adventure is the Round Britain Climate Challenge, wherein she will travel 5,000 kilometers along the coast of Britain on a battery-powered paramotor fueled by renewable energy.

Sacha’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

● “I had the attitude from the start that if there were problems, fix them, as opposed to going, "Oh my God, there's a problem. Isn't this awful?"” (07:23)

● “There was only so far you could go with the science. When it came to then trying to fix the problem, you quite often needed to find ways of convincing people.” (8:55)

● “There's a lot of power in the stories.” (9:14)

● "Where are the compelling stories that can cause change?" (11:06)

● “From the air, you see the world in a different way.” (16:31)

● “Climate is the overriding factor in all of this, and if I can help us to get onto a different track on that front, then that should definitely be my mission." (23:18)

● “You could look at a situation like that and it could break you, or you could look at it and go, "I still don't think it's too late”." (25:51)

● “Looking at the world through the eyes of migratory species is a really powerful tool. It gives a story that people want to engage with, but the overview effect of looking at the world from above, I think, is really important for people.” (33:48)

● “Each of these expeditions, we can make them something that people from around the world, not just those along the route, will follow and will be inspired by.” (36:03)

In this episode, we also talked about:

● Meaningful storytelling (9:32)

● Marine life issues in Australia (9:49)

● Combining science and storytelling (11:12)

● Resilience and overcoming one’s fears (11:48)

● Benefits of paramotors (18:53)

● Effects on climate change in the Arctic region (21:35)

● Impact of climate change and weather conditions on migratory species and how they have to constantly adapt to different environments and habitats (22:29)

● Seeing the bigger picture (literally from above) (34:17)

Support Sacha's mission on Crowdfunder:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/round-britain-climate-challenge

Sign up to our weekly impact nuggets:
www.impacthustlers.com

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Hjalmar Ståhlberg Nordegren is the co-founder of Karma, an exciting app that helps businesses sell surplus food at a 50% discount. At Karma they believe that all food should be eaten, and it is their goal to eliminate food waste by allowing people to enjoy delicious food at a very low price.Highlights:Learning from customer requirements to adapt and fine-tune the direction of KarmaTackling commercial food waste by eliminating the hassle and doing the work for themKarma advises companies on how to initially create less waste, by going straight to the root of the issueWorking from customer feedback to stay relevant and improve the app experienceKarma allows its users to “do good” by saving both money and the environmentThe importance of focusing on creating a good, clear company cultureTime stamp:[02:28] How the idea of Karma came about[07:00] Food waste is of low priority for restaurants[09:30] Considering multiple factors to help businesses run at optimal levels[11:55] Making surplus food available to pick up immediately to reduce food waste[16:50] The importance of branding, customer experience and word of mouth when growing a business[18:00] Customer retention[21:30] Hjalmar’s advice for other young entrepreneurs[25:15] The future for KarmaUseful links:Karma (http://www.karma.life)Go to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath)This podcast is produced by Woon Tan of Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) (http://www.karma.life) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Aneesh Varma is the founder of Aire, a new credit assessment service that considers both previous and future credit information to help lenders make more informed decisions and allow people the credit they deserve.Highlights:-Turning personal hardships into entrepreneurial solutions-Aire is beneficial to both lenders and consumers-Going direct to the customer to obtain reliable information and create a holistic profile-Allowing consumers to access credit while avoiding debt-The importance of instilling company values from day one-Ensuring investors understand the company vision to ensure compatible working relationshipsTime stamp:[02:00] Aneesh's personal journey[03:50] Updating the “ecosystem software” in relation to expectation[07:30] Aire helps both the lender and consumer by recognising financial distress very early on[10:10] Aneesh’s want to build a company with purpose[12:55] The ‘Book of Bonsai’[14:30] The lessons Aneesh has learned along the way[19:15] Preparing for the long term and adapting throughout company growth[20:35] Working relationships with investors[24:00] Collaboration vs competition[26:10] Aire in 10 years timeUseful links:Aire (http://www.aire.io)Go to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath)This podcast is produced by Woon Tan of Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Jonathan Petrides is the co-founder of Allplants, an exciting company that produce and deliver delicious, healthy and 100% plant based meals straight to your door.Highlights:Food is driven by pleasure and therefore, must be excitingChanging negative attitudes towards the plant based diet by creating delicious foodEstablishing transparent plant based branding from day one to send a direct messageInspiring the ‘plant-curious’ target market to positively change the impact we have on our environmentThe importance of direct chef to customer relationships in aiding constructive feedback and product improvementJP’s mission to see everyone, globally, eating a plant based diet by 2030Time stamp:[01:47] An introduction to Allplants[04:00] JP’s personal journey and his previous inspiring projects[07:25] Recognition of JP’s passion for building ventures from scratch[09:30] Where did the idea for Allplants come from?[11:30] Plant based vs vegan[12:50] The environmental and personal benefits of a plant based diet[15:20] Things to consider when setting up a business and knowing when to ask for expert help[19:10] Supermarkets are vital to the success of household food brands[20:15] The expansion of Allplants and exciting new projects[22:45] JP’s goals for the future of Allplants, the planet and humankind Useful links:Allplants (http://www.allplants.com)Go to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath)This podcast is produced by Woon Tan of Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Adele Archer is the CEO of Eterneva, recently backed by Mark Cuban of Shark Tank. Eterneva celebrates the lives of remarkable people and pets by turning their ashes into diamonds.Highlight:Adele's personal story of coming up with EternevaWhy customer experience is everythingHelping people through the grieving processHow Eterneva has changed a customer's life through grief wellness journeyThe science behind the diamondMaking the industry more transparentEngagement diamonds from carbon in hairChanging the culture around death, grief and remembranceTime Stamp:[02:00] Death of Adele's mentor[05:00] Dealing with changing customer behaviour[06:30] Marketing to people going through grief[10:00] Physical process of extracting the carbon[12:00] Homecoming[13:45] Challenge of running Eterneva[15:30] Changing the diamond industry[23:00] Dying well is becoming a key part of the wellness trend[24:00] Pitching to Mark CubanUseful link:Eterneva (https://eterneva.com/)Go to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath)This podcast is produced by Woon Tan of Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Ben Clifford is the CEO and founder of Tyve a software platform that empowers your employees to give tax-free through their paycheck to causes they care about.Highlight:Studying moral philosophy and Peter Singer's Famine, Affluence and Morality30% of US giving is done through payroll giving vs 2% in the UKWhat is effective altrusimGiving what we can with a 10% pledgeMaking giving the social normYou can't fake the stat on employee givingPlatform for everyone to give through their lenseWhy focus on growing number of users will scale impact givingTime Stamp:[01:10] How does Tyve works?[05:30] How Tyve started[10:00] What would my next £3000 do? Seeing the data.[17:00] Business model of Tyve[23:00] Targeting chief people officer of organisations[25:00] When giving becomes part of your identity[26:00]How Tyve works?[29:00] How does the world look like if Tyve succeedsUseful links:Tyve (https://www.tyve.org/)Peter Singer's Famine, Affluence and Morality (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famine,_Affluence,_and_Morality)Go to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath)This podcast is produced by Woon Tan of Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Hiyacar is an app to hire local cars from trusted owners. Graeme Risby is the CEO and Co-founder of Hiyacar.Highlight:How to turn a car into an assetMore utilisation, less emmisions, more space and more electric carsThere are 30 million cars in the UKReally listening and understanding to drivers and car ownersDoing good for members, teams, investorPeople always want to have less and share moreTime Stamp:[04:30] Reducing car ownership[07:00] Tech business with lots of sustainable action[09:40] Breaking through in a very competitive space[13:00] Urban transport and sharing economy[15:00] Career in risk management[16:00] Advise to anyone wanting to enter the mobility sector[18:00] Vision of Hiyacar in 10 yearsUseful link:Hiyacar (https://www.hiyacar.co.uk/)Go to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath)This podcast is produced by Woon Tan of Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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War On Cancer is here to radically improve the mental health of everyone affected by cancer. Fabian Bolin is the CEO and Co-founder of War On Cancer. After being diagnosed in 2015 at 28 years of age, Fabian began documenting his cancer battle on a blog, which made him realise the true power of storytelling. Sharing his story gave him a sense of purpose that he had never felt before. This, together with a strong urge to help others affected became the foundation for War On Cancer.Sebastian Hermelin is the COO and Co-founder of War On Cancer. When Sebastian saw what positive impacts storytelling had on Fabian’s mental health, as well as himself, he conceptualized an idea for a global platform. In May 2016, the founders launched the first version of War On Cancer and within weeks the platform had storytellers from more than 20 countries.Highlights:Diagnosed with acute leukemia and asking for help and sharing a Facebook post that lead to a big changeWar On Cancer as a storytelling platformFeeling belittled and still treated as a personStorytelling as a tool to help others and feeling altruistic happinessCancer phobia and how cancer is being marketedSpeaking to patients as a personBiggest learning and entrepreneur journey from a "project" into a tech and impact companyDisrupting patient mental health, cancer, life sciences and health careTime Stamp:[02:40] From bond trading to film acting[05:40] Priorities after being diagnosed[09:00] Being a best friend to a diagnosed cancer[12:27] Writing and feeling happiest[15:00] War On Cancer App[18:00] Type of stories that patients are sharing[20:40] Cancer treatment patients don't want to talk about chemotherapy[23:00] Impact tracking for cancer patient data[26:00] Creating a social network[30:40] 10 years visionUseful links:War On Cancer (https://waroncancer.com/)Go to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath)This podcast is produced by Woon Tan of Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Nicolas Loufrani is the founder of the Smiley Movement, a non-profit social network dedicated to positive change. Highlights:History of SmileySmiley name and the Smiley brandRise of emoticons and usage of Siley for communicationGrowing the Smiley brand and design studio - its a small DisneySmiley Fund to develop social projects to create social and environmental impactHow we engage the public similar to happy news when dad first created the SmileyMatchmaking for good app and Smiley AwardsAlexander Mars and the Epic movementTime stamp:[03:00] Promotion to bring smiles to people's faces[05:30] Coming up with the name[08:00] Smiley started[12:00] How Smiley works with other brand[15:00] Smiley Fund[18:30] Engaging the in happy news[22:40] Smiley Awards[24:20] How to sustain the activities[26:40] Recommendation to support social impact[29:00] Vision in 10 yearsUseful links:Smiley.com (https://smiley.com/)Smileymovement.org (https://smileymovement.org/)Epic Movement (https://epic.foundation/)Go to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath)This podcast is produced by Woon Tan of Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Nick Doman and Will Pearson are the founders of Ocean Bottles, a tool for individuals to fund collection of ocean plastic bottles. Their product is a part stainless steel and part ocean-bound recycled plastic.Highlights:Collecting ocean bound plastic bottles are just as effective.22 million kg of plastic goes into ocean each dayCreating an IBM blockchain platform of network of plastic collection networkOcean Bottle has a NFC chip to offer retailers new way to interact with consumersGetting support in the product design phase and other partnershipsGetting into Catapult accelerator programmeTime Stamp:[01:00] How Ocean Bottles work[03:22] No bullshit sustainability[05:00] Working with Plastic Bank[07:45] Plastic collectors with Plastic Bank[10:38] B2B side of Ocean Bottles[13:00] Product design background[14:00] Creating a physical product[17:20] Partnerships[19:00] Working as a team and getting coaching[20:50] Vision in 10 yearsUseful links:Ocean Bottles (https://theoceanbottle.com/)Go to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath)This podcast is produced by Woon Tan of Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Mercy For Animals’ vision is a world where animals are respected, protected, and free to pursue their own interests. Leah Garcés serves as MFA's president. Leah has nearly 20 years of leadership experience in the animal protection movement. Highlights:What Mercy For Animals do that is different from other animal welfare organisationsAsking "what are the unlikely partners that are out there?"Creating a compassionate food system and reducing the suffering of animalsEconomics of animal protein and plant-based indistinguishable productsCollaboration vs confrontationWhat is the next step looks like and needing an ecology of approachesOur circle of compassion is wideningKFC's plant-based chicken nuggetWe are seeing a protein revolutionTime stamp:[01:50] Why is Mercy For Animals different from PETA or WWF[03:00] Working with corporates and campaigning[05:30] Understanding the factory farmer's perspective[06:30] Story of Craig Watts, the chicken farmer[10:00] Being a vegan and living the values[14:00] Why colloboration works and role of confrontation[18:00] Job opportunities for farmers[20:00] Plant based food startup[23:00] Lessons from the book Grow[24:45] 10 year visionUseful links:Mercy for Animals (https://mercyforanimals.org)Leah's linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahgarces)Leah's Twitter (https://twitter.com/leah_compassion)GRILLED: Turning Adversaries into Allies to Change the Chicken Industry (https://mercyforanimals.org/grilled)Go to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath)This podcast is produced by Woon Tan of Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Dan Grech is the CEO and Co-founder is Global OTEC Resources. He is working to reduce tropical islands reliance on fossil fuels in areas that are suitable for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC).Highlights:Dan's journey from watching David Attenborough to researching desalinationPrototyping OTEC, to pitching for pro-bono work and working at the MaldivesBenefits of having a sales backgroundWhy building OTEC for a resort make senseWhat is OTEC?Moving islands away from diesel and the OTEC marketGrant funding for sustainable projectsTime stamp:[01:44] The Attenborough effect[06:00] Meeting a technical co-founder[08:00] Skype calling experts[11:50] History of OTEC[14:00] OTEC 101[16:30] Core markets for OTEC is 30 terawatts[19:45] Moving from 100kW to 1.5mW[22:10] Biggest learnings[25:00] Dan Grech's vision of the futureUseful link:Dan Grech's Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dangrechuk)Dan Grech's Twitter (https://twitter.com/dangrech)OTEC Resorts Twitter (https://twitter.com/otecresorts)Go to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath)This podcast is produced by Woon Tan of Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Dr Nick Taylor is CEO and Co-founder of Unmind, a workplace mental health platform to help organisations and employees measurably improve their mental wellbeing.Highlights:Why mental health matters to Nick TaylorWhat motivated Nick to become a founder3 learnings from working at the frontline of mental health serviceLeading an NHS team and the moment of realisation that organisations needed to better look after their peopleJohn Lewis partnership and William HillThe Unmind mental health indexFeatures and content on the Unmind platform9 out of 10 employees won't share their mental health problems with the employerHow to breakdown the stigma around mental healthBenefits for the organisation of measuring mindfulness"Going forward, people will only choose to work in organisations that do care."Time stamp:[01:30] Nick's personal experience with mental health[03:00] Working at the NHS[05:20] Prevention in mental health[06:00] Working with organisations vs consumer mindfulness[07:30] How the Unmind platform works[10:00] Building trust with employees[12:00] Celebrating mental health and breaking stigma[14:00] Why employers should pay to support mental health of employees[17:00] Hardest challenge in Nick's journey[18:40] Early investors of Unmind[20:00] Growing a passionate team[22:00] Nick Taylor's vision of the futureUseful links:Unmind Website (https://home.unmind.com/)Nick Taylor's Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dr-nick-taylor)Go to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath)This podcast is produced by Woon Tan of Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Michael Collinson is the Chairman of Bee Vectoring Technologies (BVT) a complete pest and disease management solutions to help growers improve their crop quality.Highlights:Bee colony collapse is caused by multiple issues and mortality rates are not sustainable"Employing" Bumble Bees and Honey Bees to deliver an organic solution for plantsDiscovering a fungus that acts as the penicillin for plantsGoing through the EPA registration process because that is where the value liesBenefits of their solution vs other pesticidesHow BVT works with farmers to test the productFuture of agricultureBVT grown products in 10 yearsTime stamp:[02:05] How big is the problem of bee colony collapse?[03:10] How BVT works with bees?[05:45] How was the solution discovered?[06:30] Where you are on your journey[10:00] Biggest concern from farmers[12:00] Why use bumble bees?[13:00] BVT's business model[15:00] Future of farming[16:40] Regulatory process and working with growersUseful links:BVT website - http://www.beevt.com/Michael Collinson's Linkedin- https://uk.linkedin.com/in/michael-collinson-24b75714Go to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath)This podcast is produced by Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Jay McGregor is the Founder & Editor in Chief of Point, an investigative journalism publication that has exposed major scandals such as Russian fake news campaigns on Reddit and Bitcoin Ponzi schemes. Find out more about Point here: www.youtube.com/pointreport Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Alex Stephany is the CEO & Founder of Beam, a crowdfunding platform which funds professional training for homeless people & enables them to get back into paid work. Find out more about Beam here: www.beam.org Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Andrew O'Brien is CEO of Goodbox. Andrew brings over one decade of experience in investment banking to the table from his time at Credit Suisse and Industrial & Commercial Bank of China. Andrew was introduced to FinTech during his time as Managing Director of QixPay, ultimately completing its sale in 2017.GoodBox is a tech for good company, founded on the insight that a cashless society is having a negative impact on the charity sector. GoodBox have set out to develop the world’s best fundraising platform. Since then, they’ve raised over a million pounds for charities, and built a platform that ensures that when it comes to technology, charities never have to settle.Highlights:Problems of current contactless paymentsHow Goodbox is overtaking cash as the main source of incomeReid Hoffman on the importance of changing your pricing modelBarak Obama on "Nobody has a monopoly on wisdom"Importance of managing risk for startups and scaleupsVision of solving the 'bottlenecks' in the charity sectorsUseful link:Goodbox - https://www.goodbox.com/Andrew OBrien's Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-o-brien-4b375b92/Time Stamp:[02:33] How much are charities losing out as society become cashless[04:10] How did Andrew discover the problem?[06:32] How is Goodbox different from other solutions[09:30] How far have you come?[11:30] How Goodbox is making a difference to churches, museums and charities[13:20] Goodbox revenue model[16:00] Why you shouldn't just take a leap of faith[17:40] Working on an idea on weekends[19:30] Importance of partnering with the best in the sector[21:00] 10 year visionGo to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath)This podcast is produced by Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Freddy Kelly is the CEO and cofounder of Credit Kudos, a new kind of credit bureau that uses financial behaviour to measure creditworthiness, harnessing Open Banking. Highlights:Problems of traditional credit scoring which is non consensualTypes of use cases for open bankingIdentification problem when someone arrives in a new countryTackling poverty premium i.e. cost of paying more for being poorerHaving better data and turning into objective measures to predict credit riskHow FCA is looking at competition in credit information marketWhy Open banking can be a bad name and winning the trust challengeThe Mum Test and chasing the hard noUseful links:Credit Kudos - https://www.creditkudos.com (https://www.creditkudos.com/)Freddy Kelly's Linkedin - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/freddykellyFreddy Kelly's Twitter - https://twitter.com/fredkellyThe Mum's Test - http://momtestbook.com/Time Stamp[02:30] How Credit Kudos is solving the credit score problems[04:30] Helping show good risks for thin file customers[06:00] How to prove you are who you are when you are in a new country[08:00] Tackling poverty premium and accessibility of credit[10:30] How is Credit Kudos different[12:00] New data, credit risk and business models[13:00] Challenge of getting new banks to use Credit Kudos[17:00] Lessons from being a founder[20:00] Having unique insights from what data can do[21:00] Vision in 10 yearsGo to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath)This podcast is produced by Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Tomer Shalit is the founder of ClimateView. ClimateView was founded on the principles of agile: a philosophy built for the very purpose of tackling complex problems. When cities and nations address climate change – visualisation, collective intelligence and transparency are the main pillars they focus on. HighlightsHow Tomer got Sweden as his first clientHow to convince a whole country to become a customerTomer's background and how he first addressed the problemWhy an open collaborative platform is importantHow visualisation, collective intelligence and transparency became the main focus of ClimateViewBreaking down tasks and zooming into actionsGetting interest from Sweden's transport sector and VattenfallUseful links:Climate View - https://www.climateview.global/Tomer Shalit -https://se.linkedin.com/in/tomer-shalit-6153a91Time Stamp:[02:00] Climate emergency is getting traction, but how are cities managing?[04:00] Sweden now has a public road mapProject management vs accountability[05:00] Applying agile development and visualisations[06:00] Setting up a "Project Owner" for Sweden[09:00] Getting Sweden as a client[11:00] Dealing with red tape in government[13:00] Collaboration of government and private sector[16:00] Who else can use ClimateView?[18:00] How to take climate action[19:00] View from 2030Go to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath)This podcast is produced by Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Ruby Raut is the CEO and Co-founder of Wuka Wear. Ruby is a passionate environmental scientist who combines her scientific knowledge and passion for lean startup methodology to solve the problems that surround disposable menstrual products.Highlights:4.6 million tampons and pads are flushed down the toilet in the UK everyday.The problems around Chaupaddi that is being practised in Nepal.Why period poverty is a huge problemPeriod pants is a reusable product that needs more publicity.How a Sainsbury community project got Ruby started her entrepreneurial journey.How Ruby created and iterated her prototypeThe social and environmental impact of Wuka WearUseful links:Wuka (https://wuka.co.uk/)Time Stamp:[01:30] Solving multiple problems around period[04:00] Problems with lack of proper period.[05:00] Social problems around period in Nepal.[07:40] Period poverty needs to be addressed.[09:30] Benefits of reusable period pants[11:50] How Ruby got started in this sector?[12:00] Women's Environmental Network and discovering the problem[13:00] Creating a period pants prototype[17:00] Why it took Ruby to innovate such a product[22:00] Importance of networking[23:30] Social and environmental impact of Wuka WearGo to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath)This podcast is produced by Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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This episode is a live event from Fast Forward 2030 on Sustainable Development Goals SDG15: Life on Land, with a special focus on combatting desertification, tackling deforestation and halting biodiversity loss.Chris Forbes, Co-Founder of The Cheeky Panda (https://www.thecheekypanda.co.uk/) - The Cheeky Panda is an innovative company offering the tissue market a sustainable and health conscious alternative. Making tissues and wipes from virgin bamboo, The Cheeky Panda tissues are pure and rich in natural goodness. Free from harsh chemicals found in regular tissues and saving thousands of precious trees and animal habitats around the world.Dom Desmond, Founder of Critically Endangered Socks (https://www.criticallyendangeredsocks.com/) - Critically Endangered Socks is a social enterprise that protects some of the world's most critically endangered animals through the sale of their bamboo and cotton socks. For every pair of socks sold, they give 20% of the total sale price to charity - and by choosing which sock you buy, you're also choosing which charity they help. Their mission is to eventually help every critically endangered animal on the brink of survival by selling the most beautifully crafted, ethical products they can create.Keiran Whitaker, CEO and Founder of ENTOCYCLE (https://www.entocycle.com/) - Entocycle is an insect farming company. They farm insects as a sustainable source of protein to feed animals, replacing traditional sources of protein such as soy and fishmeal which are causing significant environmental problems including biodiversity loss and overfishing. They exist to defend and restore the natural world.Highlights:Demand for more sustainable products are increasingWhy build a startup tackling environmental sustainability?Why become an entrepreneur making a difference to the environmentKey steps in moving from idea to productInspiring change in food production, fashion and consumer productsWhy purpose driven startups are attracting top talentsImportance of having a strong networkUseful links:The Cheeky Panda (https://www.thecheekypanda.co.uk/)Critically Endangered Socks (https://www.criticallyendangeredsocks.com/)ENTOCYCLE (https://www.entocycle.com/)Fast Forward 2030 events (http://fastforward2030.com/events)Time Stamp:[01:24] Introduction to Chris, Dom and Keiran[03:41] Solving ecological problem and is there a demand for sustainable product?[07:08] What other environmental business opportunity are there?[09:47] What was the first unexpected learning and biggest mistake as an entrepreneur?[14:07] How does the world look like if your company succeeds?[16:12] Would value-driven products become a market leader?[20:59] Return business models and purpose centred businesses[25:15] First steps of getting from idea to taking action[27:56] How to get into Y Combinator[32:14] SDG and changes in regulationGo to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath)This podcast is produced by Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Exxpedition round the world 2019-2020 is an all-female sailing voyage and scientific research mission. Over 38,000 nautical miles and 30 voyage legs starting and ending in the UK, Exxpedition crews will explore plastics and toxins in our ocean, via four of the five oceanic gyres and the artic.Emily Penn is an oceans advocate, skipper and artist; a graduate of Cambridge University with a degree in Architecture. Emily splits her time between running eXXpedition - a series of all female voyages which focus on the relationship between plastics and toxics and female health - and working on solving the ocean plastics issue with Parley for the Oceans and other corporate clients.Highlights:Emily's personal story discovering the plastic ocean problemCitizen research for ocean science and impact of the researchGetting funding and being a CIC Community Interest CompanyBeing an ambassador of SkyOceanRescueAlternative to plasticsUseful links:Emily Penn - http://www.emilypenn.co.uk/Exxpedition - http://exxpedition.com/Earthrace - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MY_Ady_GilOoho - https://audioboom.com/posts/7153564-pierre-yves-paslier-of-skipping-rock-labs-making-packaging-disappearSky Ocean Rescue - https://skyoceanrescue.com/Time Stamp:[00:30] How did you discover the passion for solving the ocean plastic problem?[01:55] Being a skipper of a boat[03:58] What is citizen research[06:40] Sponsorship and funding[13:00] Getting involved in this movement[15:00] Working with Sky News[17:00] Ooho and alternative plastics[19:00] Future of ExxpeditionGo to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath) .This podcast is produced by Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) . Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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May Al-Karooni is the Founder & CEO of Globechain, a reuse marketplace for companies to list unneeded items. All items are free to collect.Highlight:Seeing furniture go to landfillBusinesses have to make money from day oneBig volumes of construction material and obsolete stockBehaviour change and audit of itemsSocial and environmental impact data vs waste dateDifferent interest from SMEs, corporates and charitiesHow May started from a single founder into getting into different locationsReuse and being part of the circular economyPutting your personality into your businessUseful links:Globechain - https://www.globechain.com/May Al-Karooni's Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/may-al-karooni-25b4407/Time Stamp:[01:00] Moving office when still working in banking[02:50] Business model of Globechain[04:30] Customer journey on Globechain[05:00] ESG impact data vs waste data[06:30] Why SMEs are commercially driven[07:00] Connecting big corporates and charities[09:00] Picking up corporate clients for a global retailer[10:00] Moving from a founder to raising a Series A[13:00] Why year 2 was the hardest year[15:00] Ikea and the rental business model[17:30] Founders addressing unsexy industries[19:10] Vision of GlobechainGo to ImpactHustlers.com (https://www.impacthustlers.com/)Visit FastForward 2030 (http://fastforward2030.com/) and Real Changers (https://www.realchangers.com/)Impact Hustlers is hosted by Maiko Schaffrath, connect on Linkedin (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maikoschaffrath/en) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/maikoschaffrath) .This podcast is produced by Podcast Publishing (http://podcastpublishing.help/) . Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Jo Hand is the cofounder of Giki Badges. Giki’s aim is to drive sustainable consumption by inspiring people to make small, regular changes in their shopping which are good for them, better for the environment and fairer toothers.Giki Badges currently rate over 250,000 supermarket products across 12 areas, including carbon footprint, sustainable palm oil, responsible sourcing, chemicals of concern, organic, local, animal welfare, nutrition, animal testing, additives, greener cosmetics, kinder cleaning and recycling. Highlights:Problems of living more sustainably e.g fast fashion and palm oilHow Giki Badges app worksThere was enough data in food drinks and supermarketsThe challenge of creating a certificationTransparent, robust and the needs to be recognisable by the general publicWorking with schools and kidsNo one else is looking at data and analysis at product levelTransparency in supply chain is not there yetUseful links:Giki Badges - https://gikibadges.com/Jo Hand - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-hand-27b18a104/Time Stamp:[00:54] What is the problem Giki Badges[03:51] Does sustainability data exist?[06:04] We are all at different stages of our understanding[07:29] Working with schools and kids[08:38] What is the business model?[10:19] Behind the app there is a lot of data[12:24] Where is the app available[13:23] Biggest challenge of the startup[14:56] Hard to be heard in a very noisy world[15:38] Overnight success over 20 years of hard work[16:53] Vision of Giki Badges Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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BuyMeOnce an industry-leading online marketplace selling incredibly long-lasting & sustainable products. Founded by author and former blue-chip marketer, Tara Button, BuyMeOnce is well positioned to meet demand as conscious consumerism goes mainstream.Highlights:How Tara started a blog that went viralAshton Kutcher likes Buy Me OnceFrom advertising to sustainable consumptionTaking responsibility for a product's life and afterlifeImportance of making it easy for people to use itPrice per use comparisons and longevity calculators for productsHow big is Amazon as a threatCrowdfunding on CrowdcubeUseful links:Buy Me Once's Crowdfunding on Crowdcube (Capital At Risk) http://bit.ly/2wJIy9TBuy Me Once - https://uk.buymeonce.com/BuyMeOnce Twitter - https://twitter.com/BuyMeOnceBuyMeOnce Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/buymeonce/Tara Button's Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-button-a3548925/Trump's Earth Day - https://www.trumpsearthday.com/TimeStamp:[01:00] When did Tara Button discovered the problem?[03:00] How does one go viral?[05:00] Turning a passion product into a business[08:00] What are the criteria for the brands to make it on BuyMeOnce[12:00] Washing machine that lasts 20 year  [15:00] Having more long-lasting products that are cheaper[21:00] Amazon vs Buy Me Once[23:40] Future of Buy Me Once Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Sasha Yakovlev is a cofounder of OneSoil which is developing applications and an online platform for precision farming that are based on satellite imagery and machine learning technologies.Highlights:AI and Machine Learning applied to farming dataCreating tools for farmersWhy it is important to solve the soil agriculture problemVision of connecting all agriculture knowledgeCreating a transparent global food supply chainPrecision farming to educate farmers on how to startUseful links:OneSoil - https://onesoil.ai/en/Sasha Yakovlev Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexyakovlev/TimeStamp:[00:53] What brought Sasha a cofounder of a farming technology platform[02:39] What is the problem OneSoil is solving[05:23] Combining as many sources of data for farmers[08:21] How a typical customer uses their data[09:42] Producing food and reducing environmental impact[12:45] Data for farmers and the challenge of scaling[15:55] Onboarding of customers[16:07] Vision of OneSoil Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Third Door is a coworking and nursery, bringing together a collaborative community of working parents and passionate childcare professionals, who believe that work and family can grow together.Shazia Mustafa is passionate about growing Third Door to help working parents create a family and work-life balance and where parents can work both on their careers without any guilt and be there for their children.Highlights:The rise of flexible nursery and coworkingHow is Third Door different from other spaces?Growing a community of working parentsBenefits of working next to childrenBeing in a safe space for mums and dadsUseful links:Third Door - https://www.third-door.com/Shazia Mustafa's Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaziamustafa/Chapters:[1:00] Solving a personal problem that lead to Third Door[4:30] How does Third Door works?[7:00] The Third Door community[10:00] Growing the coworking and child care services[14:00] Growing a business and making a difference to parents[15:00] Biggest challenge to creating Third Door[20:00] What is your 10 year vision? Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Joslin Kehdy is the founder of Recycle Lebanon an NGO addressing the waste emergency in Lebanon and creating a regenerative system change from within Beirut.Highlights: Examples of initiatives within Recycle Lebanon Ecosouk - eco product marketplace Regenerate Lebanon - a circular hub towards regenerative development within Beirut Importance of getting information out to people in bite sizeUseful links:Recycle Lebanon - http://recyclelebanon.comJoslin Kehdy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joslinkehdy/Chapters:[00:55] Lebanon is in a permanent problem of waste emergency in Lebanon[03:20] Solutions that are copy and pasted from Lebanon[04:42] Collection points for cigarette buds[06:49] Surfboards for outdoor lovers[07:27] Styrofoams in surfboards[09:55] Regenerate Labenon and circular village within the city[12:08] NGO profits and community[14:59] Information is the challenge[16:54] Increasing use of single-use plastic[17:58] Scaling Regenerate Lebanon Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Danny Witter is the co-founder of Work For Good. He is an investment banker turn social entrepreneur. Work For Good is a business giving online platform that makes it easy for businesses to build giving into their day to day work – impressing their clients, and inspiring their people, at the same time. We connect them to their chosen charities, and have solved the legal and tax impediments to the giving process.Danny Witter says, "of the £20 Billion that goes to charities in the UK, a miserable 2% comes from businesses. Individuals gives 47%. People like you and me give 20 times more in absolute terms in cash than businesses giving to charities."Highlights of this episode: Helping businesses tell their giving story Solving the tech and legal challenge of Work For Good Why don't businesses embed more business giving? Wateraid and Friends of the Earth turn away 5 business a week Examples of businesses using Work For Good and embedd giving in their business Everyone loves our logo* Creating a massive additive channel of philanthropic fundingUseful links:Work For Good - https://workforgood.co.uk/Danny Witter's Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-witter-94561225/Chapters:[01:04] What's the biggest friction for small businesses to do giving?[02:45] Linking businesses with charities with small little amounts of giving[03:38] Receiving an email saying we have donated on your behalf[04:55] Restaurant that has a charity table where [05:50] How is the business model for Work for Good[06:39] What lead to setting up the business as a for-profit[09:44] Creating behaviour change for business[10:50] Raising for a seed round impact funding[11:38] Making a pledge for hitting a target[13:04] Beautiful toys that make 10% to WWF via Work for Good[13:47] Reason for starting Work for Good[16:14] Achievements in the last 3.5 years[18:03] We need to make the tech more integrated[19:10] Creating a bigger tribe[19:15] Vision of Work for Good Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Mette Lykke is the CEO of Too Good To Go. With a mission of reducing food waste worldwide, Too Good To Go is the World's largest B2C marketplace for surplus food. TGTG help retailers like restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets and hotels sell the surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. Retailers make a profit on their surplus food and consumers get delicious food at a good value in return. Everyone wins and together saving the food and do good for the planet. Highlights of this episode: Coincidence in a bus meeting Why focus on food waste in restaurants Biggest barrier to growth for TGTG Challenge of making the business model work Measuring impact of reducing food waste Working with schools and educating people on food waste Surplus food vs food waste Unsolved problems in food wasteUseful Links:Too Good To Go - https://toogoodtogo.com/enMette Lykke's Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mettelykke/Chapters:[01:03] Management consulting to Too Good To Go[02:51] Integrating the global team[04:41] How can companies make money with food waste[06:49] Focus on restaurants[09:18] Challenge with a global team with presence in 11 countries[12:03] Winner take all market[17:26] Inspire people to reduce food waste[19:26] Vision of Too Good To Go Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Arthur Kay is the founder of Bio Bean and founding member of Fast Forward 2030.Arthur came up with the idea for bio-bean whilst studying architecture at The Bartlett, UCL, and in two years has raised several million in financing, built the world’s first coffee waste recycling factory and a team of twenty. He currently holds positions on a number of boards associated with social enterprise and green entrepreneurship and is a Fellow of RE, the RSA and IoD. In 2013, Shell named him ‘the UK’s most Innovative Entrepreneur,’ he was appointed as a ‘London Leader’ by Mayor Boris Johnson, in 2014 he became one of NESTA’s ‘New Radicals’, was named ’25 under 25 most influential Londoners’ by the Evening Standard and as '30 under 30' by Forbes Magazine. He was named the youngest ever Guardian Sustainable Business Leader of the Year. Bio-bean is an award-winning clean technology company, the first in the world to recycle used coffee grounds on an industrial scale.Bio-bean manufactures a range of biofuels and biochemicals from these recycled spent coffee grounds, saving businesses money, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and displacing conventional fossil fuels.Highlights of this episode: How Arthur's interest in designing cities lead to the problem of coffee waste What is Bio Bean? How to turn a waste stream into something of value Why creating a fuel and is it sustainable? Looking for co-founders, financing for sustainable? Challenge of circular economy products Bio Bean's business model Advise to environmental and social enterprise entrepreneursUseful Links:Bio Bean https://www.bio-bean.com/Arthur Kay's Linkedin - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/akay1111Arthur Kay's Twitter - https://twitter.com/arthurkay_Chapters: [01:22] How did Arthur discover the waste coffee problem?[04:34] Properties of coffee waste.[08:40] How does supply chain of Bio Bean more sustainable?[10:39] Solving a chemical engineering problem?[12:55] Running a capital intensive business[15:33] Scale of feedstock[17:24] Scaling coffee waste circular product[19:08] Advise to early stage companies[21:55] Mistake that Bio Bean made[22:31] The vision of Bio Bean Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Rutger van Zuidam is the founder of Dutchchain, the blockchain development agency behind Oddysey.org a hackathon solving the world's biggest problems using AI & Blockchain. Backed by the European Union and the Dutch Government, the DutchChain ecosystem unites more than 6.000 members, among whom large corporations and SMEs, start-ups, individual entrepreneurs, scientists, developers, engineers, students, government officials, legal experts, and many other stakeholders.Highlights of the episode: How blockchain works and why it matters Why blockchain brings a better internet Examples of global challenges Oddysey is tackling How is Oddysey supporting startups before and after the hackathon* Machines that are sovereign and collaborativeUseful links:Oddysey - https://www.odyssey.org/Rutger van Zuidam's linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rutgervz/Nest Egg - https://nestegg.eu/[00:32] How did Rutger came across blockchain?[03:03] How to apply blockchain to positive impact?[06:27] Do we want more surveillance state?[07:13] Challenges for hackathons[09:43] Once protocols are unlocked, new ways of collaborating happen.[11:43] Example of social and environmental impact companies[13:27] Investing in solar panels NestEgg[14:39] Autonomous swarm robotics - machines that owns themselves[17:11] Support to teams after the hackathon[18:38] How to take a prototype into the real world[19:24] Guiding an ecosystem[20:10] What kind of world is Odyssey creating?[21:33] Contributing to thousands of people doing meaningful work Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Julia Daviy is a fashion designer creating the first ever 3D printed, recyclable and zero waste clothes. Her 3D printed fashion collection is the first ever to be released within the U.S. that not only uses the technology of large printing format but also displays a true everyday clothing look that is functional, fabulously delicate and wearable for women.Highlights of the episode: How Julia started her journey into 3D printing The Third Age of Fashion Zero waste fashion 3D printing with new materials Large scale 3D printing in footware and bags/accessories Social problems because of automationUseful links:Julia Daviy - https://juliadaviy.com/Julia Daviy on Twitter - https://twitter.com/JuliaDaviyTime Stamp:[01:05] How did you discover 3D printing technology can be applied to sustainable fashion?[03:45] Localised clothing production[07:10] The Third Age of Fashion [11:00] Where are we at for sustainable fashion [13:00] Adidas producing millions of 3D printed shoes[15:45] Large 3D printers [17:00] 1/3 of cotton is wasted and 3D printing eliminates waste[18:00] Future of 3D printed fashion[21:00] AI will have an effect on fashion  Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Been referenced as the 'Elon Musk of organic skincare'. Jenise Lee is the founder of CertClean and Purpicks. Jenise is launching her second startup, PurPicks.com - reviews platform like TripAdvisor for nontoxic skincare products. The site already has the largest database of organic skincare products and has thousands of product reviews. Three years ago, she introduced CertClean which is now North America's largest certification of its kind; thousands of safer beauty and personal care products are marked with the CertClean certification.In 2017, Jenise was honoured as one of Canada's top sustainability leader, named Canada's Top 100 health influencers alongside Sophie Trudeau and Wayne Gretzky, and nominated for the Governor General's Innovation Award. Highlights of the episode: How Jenise started Purpicks and CertClean How to cope with the grief of losing a loved one as an entrepreneur The turning point in Jenise' story Explaining cleantech and the online carpet industry* How Jenise hopes to change the skincare sectorUseful links:Purpicks - https://www.purpicks.com/CertClean - https://reviews.certclean.com/Jenise Lee's Linkedin - https://ca.linkedin.com/in/jeniseleeTime Stamp:[01:09] How did CertClean started?[03:32] Why is there a need for certificate?[05:20] Why do we need customer reviews?[07:35] Where is Purpicks now?[11:34] We are inviting all green beauty blogger and creating affiliate link marketing[13:40] Griefing and being a founder[16:29] Helping healthy people avoid chemicals[17:49] Self doubt and confidence and coping with grief[21:46] What is one of your biggest learnings?[24:35] Micro decisions all matter[26:31] What is the type of world you are trying to create with Purpicks?[28:36] Pitching cancer market sizes and eco market Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Solveiga Pakštaitė is the Founder and Director Mimica. Solveiga is the inventor of Mimica Touch, a biologically accurate food spoilage indicator that reduces food waste and improved food safety. The product has a granted patent and has been awarded prizes - most recently she was named MIT Technology Review's Inventor of the Year.Highlights of this episode: Inclusive design, working with a blind charity and being inspired by an old banana Benefits of an accelerator programme Winning awards and grant fundings Making the first hire Why food waste is such a big problem Educating companies on how food waste affects sales and customer loyalty Asking why a problem is not yet being solved Finding out the budget the market can bear for a scaled technologyTime Stamp:[01:45] How did it all start?[03:30] Making the first prototype[05:10] Being an entrepreneur[06:00] Joining an accelerator[07:00] How big is the problem of food waste?[08:00] Working with a scientist to develop a solution.[11:00] Importance of innovating[11:40] Challenge of making a mass market product[16:50] Advise for people who are trying to create a business model and solve an engineering problem[19:00] Mimica in 10 year timeUseful link:Mimica Lab: https://www.mimicalab.com/Solveiga Pakštaitė on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/solveigap/ Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Kike Oniwinde is the founder of BYP Network, described by many as the 'Linkedin for Black Professionals' helps to connect ambitious future leaders with each other for networking purposes and with corporations for job opportunities.Highlights of this episode: Why a network for Black Young Professionals needed? What is the standard for the community? Creating a job board for the black community Role models and trailblazers Advise to companies who are trying to be more diverse Mentoring for black people Becoming a global network Changing negative stereotypesTime Stamp:[01:12] Why did you found BYP Network?[03:18] How did the platform got started?[05:13] What is the business model?[09:02] Biggest challenge for black people.[11:28] How can company have a diverse culture[16:33] Working with top companies with accessing talent[18:57] Future vision where BYP NetworkUseful Links:BYP Network - https://www.byp-network.com/Download the app https://app.byp-network.com/ Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Amy Williams is the founder and CEO of Good-Loop which converts advertising money into charitable donations in a way that keeps the internet free and makes online advertising more effective, more rewarding and more ethical. Highlights of the episode: How Amy met her cofounder What is the biggest challenge for the ad industry How to find your first big customer and scale The importance of getting the right first customer What's the catch? The KitKat case studyTime Stamp:[1:14] Ads as a positive value exchange[4:10] 65% decrease in negative brand sentiment while and funding 300 school kids in Sierra Leone[7:30] Starting Good Loop without a tech backgound[12:00] Making impact and doing good[14:00] Biggest challenge of the ad industry[15:00] What is the big hairy audacious goal?[18:00] What is the catch?Useful links:Good Loop - https://www.good-loop.com/Amy Williams Linkedin -https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-williams-/ Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Chris Edson is the CEO & Co-founder of OurPath, the health startup offering online behaviour change programmes to tackle the global epidemic of chronic lifestyle disease such as Type 2 diabetes. OurPath is the first ever digital programme to be commissioned by the NHS for diabetes management and Chris has been named Forbes 30 under 30.Highlights of the episode: Pillow that solves diabetes Changing habits will help eradicate diabetes People will not get excited with diabetes prevention Being obsessed with the science of behaviour change Making OurPath successful at all cost Test, test and test Advise for other health tech startups Making the behaviour change tools available to everyoneTime stamp:[1:07] Startup Weekend hackathon[5:45] How OurPath is successful as a weight loss behaviour change programme?[8:40] Personal story and the strategic direction[11:00] Biggest learning[15:00] Being a startup founder[19:00] Selling to the NHS[21:00] Vision for the next 10 years Useful link:OurPath - https://www.ourpath.co.uk/OurPath's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ourpath_health/Chris Edson's Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisedson1/ Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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William and Anna Brightman are the brother sister team behind Up Circle. Their high-quality skincare products are made of repurposed ground coffee. The Dragons Den favourite have plans to save up to 1000 tons of coffee ground from going to waste in the next 5 years.Highlights of the episode: How they are challenging perceptions of what is waste. Importance of breaking the status quo and telling your story Going through a journey, making mistakes and iterating. How fundraising on crowdfunding is different. What their Dragon's Den experience taught them. Where the future of circular economy is heading.Time Stamp:[01:32] Why is what they are doing important?[04:13] How did it start?[05:53] Not having a background in cosmetics[07:00] How to grow a new brand and differentiate?[10:15] Natural, organic, vegan, handmade and cruelty free[11:03] How to communicate the message? Rebranding from Optiat[14:45] Taking on discarded ingredients[16:56] Getting feedback and iterate[20:24] Dragon's Den experience and crowdfunding[26:58] Vision of the future Useful link:Up Circle -https://upcirclebeauty.com/Up Circle Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/upcirclebeauty/ Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Lina Chan and Tyler Cristie are co-founders of Adia Health a startup that helps couples test their fertility. Adia’s mission is to empower women with knowledge and to change the approach to women’s reproductive health to one that is proactive, personalised and holistic.Highlights of the episode: How Lina and Tyler’s personal experience shaped their thinking around fertility * Changing the conversation around reproductive health * Importance of emotional and mental health when discussing fertility * Importance of creating a trusted environment for people to talk about fertility * How big is the problem of fertility and how they are solving this * Why fertility is as much a men’s issue * Empowering women to talk about fertility Creating a tech product in healthcare Time Stamp: [01:00] Founders who are couples and why Adia [03:35] Obstetrics today is very reactive [05:34] Michele Obama is speaking up [05:38] How does a home fertility test kit work? [08:13] Trend of watching your health from home? [10:48] Delivering quality healthcare lower cost with more accessiblity [13:08] Fertility is a journey [14:43] Fertility is equally a men 's issue [18:19] Interventions for men are easier [19:39] From not knowing much about the topic to the launch of products [20:48] Is there a need to come up with new methods [23:23] Trust [24:02] Fertility is still taboo and nobody has a plan [26:47] Future of Adia Health Useful link:Adia Health - https://adiahealth.com/Lina Chan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lina-chan-b0a269127/Tyler Cristie - https://about.me/tylerchristie Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Victor Trokoudes is the co-founder and CEO of Plum. They are focused on making the boring act of saving money an automated, seamless ,background process.Highlights of this episode: Problems of personal finances Getting customers to test your product Why automation is key to solving personal finance issues Big issues in financial education* A world where people do not worry about moneyTime Stamp:[00:54] What is the personal story behind Plum?[02:33] Are millennial saving less?[03:31] From saving from subscriptions to helping get reduce bills[06:52] Do you face trust issues?[08:02] Automated finance vs challenger banks[09:30] Connected to savings so no need to decide amount of investments[10:42] How to uncover the problem[12:08] BBC article and getting 5000 users[13:20] Impact on people's lives[15:05] Is Plum for people with very little income[17:02] What are the big issues that still need to be solved in personal finance[18:52] Finance philosophy[20:09] What is the future of PlumUseful link:Plum - https://withplum.com/Victor Trokoudes Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victortrokoudes/ Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Pierre-Yves Paslier, cofounder of Skipping Rock Labs who is behind the viral Ooho sustainable packaging talks about replacing single use plastic water bottles. Highlights of the episode:* Why there is a need to move a way from current plastic packagings * Why crowdfunding is a good way to reach new investors. * Challenge of creating a product like Ooho * The transition from industry and a Master from Imperial College * Creating natural products with the Skipping Rocks Lab approachTime Stamp:[00:46] How does the Ooho packaging works?[01:44] How big is the single-use plastic problem?[03:00] Barrier in getting people to try out Ooho.[05:05] Traditional shaped plastic bottles with Pepsi and Coke[08:06] Are people concerned with hygiene?[10:09] Bridging the Skipping Rock Labs team together and crowdfunding[14:33] How to convince investors to invest?[17:00] Crowdfunding and managing 900+ investors[19:56] Scaling Ooho to restaurants[21:47] Biggest challenges[23:53] What is the vision of Ooho?Useful link:Skipping Rock Labs - http://www.skippingrockslab.com/Pierre-Yves Paslier Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierrepaslier/ Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Jemma Phibbs, Founder and Co-director of School Space talks about how they are creating the AirBnb for schools, a service to allow schools to easily rent out their space to local community events.Highlights in this episode: Mental health of startup founders How an extra income stream are changing schools Importance of community hubs Impact of School Space to local communities Advising schools on the business of renting out spaces Need for schools to be more of an open environmentUseful links:School Space - https://school-space.org/Calmer - https://www.thisiscalmer.com/Zzish - https://www.zzish.com/ Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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I talk to Chieu Cao, the Founder and CMO of Perkbox, a company on a mission to increase employee happiness and wellbeing. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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We talk with Charles Wiles, the Fouder and CEO of Zzish about how their platform helps teachers cater to the individual needs of each student. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Max Parmentier talks about how he and his team are building Birdie, a device platform that allows carers to provide better and more tailored care for the elderly. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Brett Hurt is the Founder and CEO of Data.World, a platform that allows people to openly share data and collaborate on the data sets. Data.World is a BCorp and is on a mission to democratize the access to data and enable organisations and people to make an impact with data. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Kenny Ewan, CEO & Founder of Wefarm talks about how he built the world's largest network of small-scale farmers in the world and gives advice on how solving developing countries problems can become a profitable business. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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I speak to Hamish Grierson, the Founder and CEO of Thriva, a company that allows people to take at home blood tests, help monitor and prevent commonly known health conditions. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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I speak to Caroline Angus, the CEO of Deciwatt which has gone viral with their Gravity Light and nowLight, a product that allows people without access to the electricity grid to easily generate power to charge their cellphones and light. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Maroof Ahmed, COO and Co-founder of Quit Genius, an app that helps people stop smoking through cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). I talk to him about how they started and how they are looking to use their technology to solve the mental health crisis. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Elena Sinel, Founder of Acorn Aspirations and Teens in AI Accelerator talks to me about her journey of starting the company and inspiring young people across the globe to get involved in creating the soltutions to the world's problems through technology. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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In this episode, I talk to Daniel Epstein, the Founder of Unreasonable Impact. Unreasonable is on a mission to empower entrepreneurs to solve the world's biggest problems and is working with partners such as Barclays to radically drive the transformation to an impact-driven economy. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Jay Richards, Founder & CEO of DivInc, talks about his personal experience with crime & how he found a solution in entrepreneurship. He now runs DivInc, where he helps people from disadvantaged backgrounds get into entrepreneurship and set up their companies for success. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Hayden Wood, CEO & Co-founder of bulb, one of the UK's fastest growing renewable energy suppliers, talks about the business of renewable energy and what's to come in the transformation towards sustainable energy. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Brenden Millstein is the Founder & CEO of Carbon Lighthouse, a startup helping to reduce emissions from buildings, which make 40% of all emissions in the US. The company has been backed by Tesla's co-founder JB Straubel and is on a mission to use capitalism to eliminate Climate Channge. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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I talk to Tania Diggory, Founder of Calmer, a community and platform that helps entrepreneurs manage their mental health & fight depression, anxiety & imposter syndrome. Learn more: www.thisiscalmer.com Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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Peter Briffett, Founder & CEO of Wagestream, talks about how they are planning to destroy the payday loans industry by letting employees withdraw their salary as soon as they earn it. Find out more about Wagestream here: www.wagestream.co.uk Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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We feature Zinc, the London-based company builder backed by Localglobe & VC veteran Saul Klein. We speak to Co-founder Ella Goldner as well as to member's of Zinc's first cohort to learn how Zinc aims to solve some of the developed world's biggest social problems., Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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In this episode, Rockwell Shah, CEO of Pzizz, shows how technology can solve millions of people with sleep problems worldwide, how medicine needs to be transformed and what it takes to create massive global impact. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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In this episode, OLIO Co-founder & CEO Tessa Cook tells the story of scaling her product to 250,000 users, raising investment from Accel Ventures & the misconceptions about social startups. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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We speak to Emma Sinclair, the youngest person to IPO a company on the London Stock Exchange and talk about what NGO's can learn from the #tech sector, how she is scaling her company and how each of us can have an #impact.#entrepreneurship #startups #unicef #wayra

Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)