Impact Hustlers - Entrepreneurs With Social Impact

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]Support the show

In this episode, Sarah Kingston, co-founder and Chief impact officer of In Good Company, discusses their mission to help good businesses thrive. They define good businesses as those that have a positive impact on people, planet, and communities. Sarah shares how their journey began when she met her business partner, and they discovered the problem of finding and connecting with these impactful businesses. They also highlight the challenges these businesses face in reaching and growing their customer base. Tune in to learn more about how In Good Company is bridging the gap between consumers and businesses making a difference.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS          [00:00] Introduction          [00:36] Discovering problem.          [03:55] Social and environmental impact of business.          [05:27] Acquiring first customer.          [06:36] Advice to future founders.          [07:50] Being part of the impact hustlers.KEY LESSONS & QUOTES“Building social presence helped us acquire our first customers” “My advice to founders is to find business partners that share your values and goals”‘'We define good businesses as those that are having a positive impact on people, planet, and or communities.”Never miss an episodeSupport the showSupport the show

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 visionKEY 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 systemthat 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)Never miss an episodeSupport the showSupport the show

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 visionKEY 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- WebsiteSupport the show

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 SEOKEY 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]Never miss an episodeSupport the showSupport the show

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 visionKEY 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 - WebsiteSupport the show

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]Support the show

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]Support the show

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]Support the show

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]Support the show

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 visionKEY 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]Support the show

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 visionKEY 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]Support the show

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 visionKEY 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]Support the show

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 visionKEY 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]Support the show

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 visionKEY 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]Support the show

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 visionKEY 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]Support the show

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 visionKEY 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.”Support the show

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 visionKEY 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]Support the show

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 visionKEY 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]”Support the show

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)Support the show

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)Support the show

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)Leadership SchoolConversations from around the world inspiring you to be an extraordinary leader.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Smart People PodcastLearn some cool stuff about health, business, & more. Better yourself in the process!Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

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)Support the show

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)Support the show

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.coSafia'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)Support the show

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)Support the show

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)Support the show

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Impact Hustlers proudly welcomes one of the pioneers of venture capital and impact investing, Sir Richard 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)Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/impacthustlers)

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

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

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

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

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