Good Things Happening! W/ Derek Sabori by The Underswell: Recent Episodes
Good Things Happening! W/ Derek Sabori by The Underswell
New 2023 Episodes Coming Soon! We’re out to normalize sustainability and climate action, and these are conversations with the people helping to make that happen at the brands and companies you love the most (and some you may not have heard of yet). Each week we dive under the surface to learn more about the good things happening - at companies in different industries - directly from the people working on them or leading the charge for change & progress. Each episode is followed up with an Understanding Breakdown by the team at The Underswell.
Big Tony Alvarez wears many hats. It’s clear, however, that he’s a protector; namely, for the sake of this episode, he’s the protector of the brand Volcom.
As the VP of Global Supply Chain and Compliance, Big Tony is in charge of a team that makes sure that Volcom’s products are made in a socially responsible manner, in compliance with some of the highest labor standards in the industry, and that they test safe and are free of restricted chemicals. He’s been at it for years, and it feels like his role is in a really sweet spot right now.
Full show notes at www.theunderswell.com
Kirk Aronstam is an organic farmer and the Lead Shephard at Pure Jojoba. In this episode, I sat down to talk with him about a product (and plant) that I only just learned about. If you didn’t already know it, the jojoba (ho-HO-ba) shrub is pretty much a wonder plant that produces a seed that is pressed to oil and benefits your skin in many, many ways.
Special offer just in time for the holidays - 15% discount code: theunderswell at www.purejojoba.com
Kirk and his family are organically farming on the desert land his father had the foresight to invest in when the government offered incentives for growing jojoba after the whale oil ban in the US. Ends up, jojoba is a triglyceride that mimics perfectly, the sebum that our skin produces as well as whale oil; yep whale oil. Ends up, we can thank the jojoba shrub for helping to pass the ban on whaling here in the US.
Check out this episode to learn about: - The benefits of Jojoba - Less whales, more jojoba - Kirk’s path to farming - The realities of farming (risks, rewards, unpredictability, costs, etc.), especially in the desert - The processing of harvesting/pressing - The benefits of organic and what it takes to get certified - Water use - Supply chain transparency - Farm to shelf products
Shop Parks Project: Use the code: underswell30 for 30% off your purchase; limit to one use per customer.
Sevag Kazanci is the co-founder of Parks Project, a brand whose motto is to “leave it better than you found it,” referring to our National, State, and local parks; as well as local public lands. The unique thing about Parks Project? Each collection of quality goods Parks Project makes, is made with purpose and helps fund a project in our (yes OUR) parks.
So how’d it all start?
In 2010 Sevag started working for TOMS, the shoe company that helped bring the purpose driven business model to the mainstream...that's where Sevag met his co-founding partner, Keith Eshelman. The rest is history.
Full show notes at www.theunderswell.com