eco friendly

65: The Farmlink Project – Harvesting Hope

June 29, 2021 aviyer2000 Food, Impact, USA 00:27:44 0 Comments

The Farmlink Project was started at the height of the pandemic in April 2020 to fight food insecurity by repurposing surplus produce. Back home in Los Angeles at the start of the pandemic, with nothing but time on their hands, Aidan Reilly and James Kanoff were like many of us disturbed by the long lines at the food pantries alongside farmers throwing away their produce, eggs, milk … and their harvest. The boon of an efficient supply chain in the food industry can be a major problem with any slight disruption. The Farmlink Project, a non-profit run by 200 plus volunteers, operates in 48 US states and Mexico bringing the excess produce of farmers to food banks. They are the recipient of the 2021 Congressional Medal of Honor – Citizen Honors Award – awarded to outstanding Americans who have gone above and beyond to perform extraordinary acts of courage or service. Listen to their story of compassion, drive, and vision on Mindful Businesses podcast.

Read More
Cover
Food
65: The Farmlink Project - Harvesting Hope
Loading
/

63: TOPUP TRUCK – Mobile Zero-Waste Shop

June 15, 2021 aviyer2000 Europe, Food, Packaging, Womenled 00:35:07 0 Comments

With a vision to shop plastic-free, Ella Shone (founder of TOPUP TRUCK) drives a milk float around Hackney, East London, refilling consumables that her customers pre-order. Ella and I chatted virtually over a cup of tea – she had her classic English Breakfast with oat milk and I had an African Rooibos. She recounts her journey with laughter and enthusiasm about founding TOPUP TRUCK – the refill store that floats to your door.

When she was furloughed at the beginning of the pandemic, Ella volunteered at the local food pantry. She found it very fulfilling as she biked around Hackney during the lockdown dropping meals to those who couldn’t come to the community kitchens to pick up their meals. With a head full of various business ideas, Ella came up with the idea of the TOPUP TRUCK. She wanted to reach out to the reluctant environmentalists and make it easier for them to shop plastic-free. She partnered with Re-Stor, a local refill store, and started TOPUP TRUCK.

Learn more about her journey right here on Mindful Businesses podcast.

Read More
Cover
Europe
63: TOPUP TRUCK - Mobile Zero-Waste Shop
Loading
/

62: Rhino Machines – Silica Plastic Blocks

June 8, 2021 aviyer2000 India, Sustainable Materials 00:42:37 0 Comments

When Manish Kothari, Managing Director of Rhino Machines and a second-generation entrepreneur involved in the casting and foundry industry in India, saw how dark, dusty and dangerous this industry was to the environment and the workers, he decided to do something about it. He is a social entrepreneur with a passion for innovation who decided to tackle the dust and sand waste that the foundry creates. He reached out to Shridhar Rao, a partner in the architect firm R + D studio to make a brick by combining the foundry dust with plastic to create the first Silica Plastic Block (SPB). The SPB tested 2.5 times stronger than regular brick and it was comparable in cost to the regular bricks in Indian metro cities. They have created a sustainable alternative to traditional brick.

Manish is adamant about not patenting his innovation and in fact, believes in assisting and sharing the know-how with other sustainable entrepreneurs. Learn more about these enterprising, creative and forward-thinking entrepreneurs on Mindful Businesses podcast.

Read More
Cover
India
62: Rhino Machines - Silica Plastic Blocks
Loading
/

61: Emoss – Future Inside

June 1, 2021 aviyer2000 Energy, Europe, India 00:23:10 0 Comments

We talk to the energetic Karan Shah, director of Emoss, an Indo – Dutch company that is an independent supplier of fully electric and hybrid powertrains. Based on over 20 years of experience in the development and production of EV and HEV, Emoss not only offers complete electric powertrains for all your vehicles, but it also supplies high-end battery systems, fuel cells, range extenders, generators, power electronics, and control systems suitable for different industries.

Karan talks about how Emoss is working to shape the commercial EV landscape in India. Can such innovations be successful in a nascent market like India and what can legislations and governments do to assist the industry? Karan, Harvard Business School MBA 2016, reflects on how being amongst peers from varied backgrounds gave him a broader perspective and helped him become a better leader and entrepreneur. Listen more on Mindful Businesses podcast.

Read More
Cover
Energy
61: Emoss - Future Inside
Loading
/

60: Cannon Design – Living Centered Design

May 25, 2021 aviyer2000 Architecture, Design and Innovation, Thought Leaders, USA 00:39:43 0 Comments

Whether designing for equity in education, accessible healthcare, inclusive communities, new scientific discoveries or the “next big idea” in business, Cannon Design leverages a full suite of end-to-end services to help organizations and the people and communities they serve to flourish.

Cannon Design does this through a design approach they created called Living-Centered Design. Living-Centered Design realizes that to create a world where people continuously flourish, we must address the complex interdependencies that exist between people, businesses, communities, society and the environment.

We talk with Eric Corey Freed, director of sustainability at Cannon Design, about how a well-designed building can not only have an environmental impact but also increase productivity. How can we achieve that? Listen to Eric on Mindful Businesses podcast.

Read More
Cover
Architecture
60: Cannon Design - Living Centered Design
Loading
/

59: Amazi Foods – Snack on Purpose

May 18, 2021 aviyer2000 Africa, Food, Impact, Womenled 00:35:53 0 Comments

Renee Dunn, Founder of Amazi Foods, studied abroad and did her thesis research in Uganda. While living there, she was blown away by their organic tropical fruits, bursting with flavors unlike back at home in the US. But stand after stand, people traded fruits raw or looked for cheap ways of processing or exporting. She had heard stories about cocoa farmers never saw a chocolate bar. Those at the heart of the resources were completely separate from the opportunity and innovation that existed in the global market —resulting in high unemployment and food waste. This sums up a lot about our supply chains as a whole.

Meanwhile, back at home, consumers look for products that serve a higher purpose. She realized there was a huge opportunity missed not only for local industry and job creation but also to satisfy a growing need for US consumers. Amazi Foods source directly from farmers and keep production in-country by partnering with Ugandan businesses. By creating over 150 jobs and paying 2-3x the local wages, paying farmers up to 67% above market price, prioritizing women and smallholder farmers, and committing to contribute over $13 million to the Ugandan economy over the next 4 years, they bring 100% made-in-Uganda products to the US markets. Listen now only on Mindful Businesses podcast.

Read More
Cover
Africa
59: Amazi Foods - Snack on Purpose
Loading
/

58: UpMeals – Healthy Food Hotspot

May 5, 2021 aviyer2000 Food, USA 00:30:54 0 Comments

Vending machines and sustainability seem to be diametrically opposite objectives, But Upmeals is bringing together these two objectives in its innovative. Drew Munro, a professional Vancouver-based caterer, and Ryan Angel, a Red Seal Chef and Registered Holistic Nutritionist. He saw a market need for an option that allowed businesses to provide healthy, ready-to-eat meals for their employees or customers, in a scalable, cost-effective way. UpMeals is a flexible alternative to costly traditional catering or meal delivery services. Freshly made meals are delivered weekly to each refrigerated vending machine that can be monitored remotely via an app to determine the popularity of menu items and reduce waste.

Read More
Cover
Food
58: UpMeals - Healthy Food Hotspot
Loading
/

57: Ceres Greenhouse Solutions – Designing for a Better Future

April 29, 2021 aviyer2000 Agriculture & Farming, Design and Innovation, Food, USA 00:56:17 0 Comments

We have on our show Marc Plinke, founder/CEO, and Miriam Schaffer Marketing and Communications Specialist of Ceres Greenhouse Solutions. Inspired by the Roman Goddess of Agriculture, Ceres is a company devoted to growing plants. Their core team consists of engineers, architects, builders, plant experts, designers, and tinkerers. Founded in 2011, Ceres Greenhouse Solutions aims to reinvent the traditional greenhouse. They combine passive solar design principles with innovative heat-storage techniques to create the most energy-efficient and durable greenhouses for any climate in the world. The result is a smarter, ‘greener’ greenhouse design: one that regulates its own temperature, can grow year-round, withstands the harshest weather, and uses little to no fossil fuel energy.

Ceres greenhouse solutions can be found around the world, in climates as far-ranging as Alaska to South Africa for backyard gardeners, sustainable farmers, school administrators, and big industrial growers. Listen to Marc Plinke and Miriam Shaffer on Mindful Businesses.

Read More
Cover
Agriculture & Farming
57: Ceres Greenhouse Solutions - Designing for a Better Future
Loading
/

56: Jeffrey Hollender – Seventh Generation

April 20, 2021 aviyer2000 Fashion and Beauty, Impact, Thought Leaders, USA 00:32:59 0 Comments

Jeffrey Hollender, co-founder and Board Chair of the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC), which through its national member network represents more than 250,000 businesses in a wide range of industries. He was co-founder and CEO of Seventh Generation, which he built into a leading natural product brand known for its authenticity, transparency, and progressive business practices.

As an early thinker and adopter of sustainable practices, Jeffrey brought to market several green products. He talks about how and why is a living wage important. He talks about the impact of a living wage on an individual and societal level – both emotionally and financially. What sustainability means is far more than just doing no harm – we have to be a net positive. Do more good through regenerative practices. AT ASBC, he leads and lobbies for policy changes in these issues which he is passionate about. Listen now only on Mindful Businesses.

Read More
Cover
Fashion and Beauty
56: Jeffrey Hollender - Seventh Generation
Loading
/

54: Sproutworld – The Original Plantable Pencil

March 30, 2021 aviyer2000 Design and Innovation, Europe, Sustainable Materials 00:36:05 0 Comments

We talk to the CEO of Sproutworld – the original plantable pencils. All aspects of the Sprout pencil are sustainable and non-toxic – from the biodegradable seed capsule to the 100% natural clay and graphite core and sustainably harvested wood. Regardless, of whether you are an experienced gardener or a novice, you can choose Sprout pencils in color or in grey, and when it’s time to stop writing you can start planting, e. Start enjoying vibrant flowers, fragrant herbs, or fresh vegetables.

Read More
Cover
Design and Innovation
54: Sproutworld - The Original Plantable Pencil
Loading
/

Subscribe to our podcast today!

Latest episodes

Quick links

All Episodes

Get Featured

In the News

Contact

Facebook Instagram Linkedin

© 2022 by Mindful Businesses