Shows
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs42. The Future of Carbon Removal: Is the hype gone? Discussion with co-founder of remove - Marian KrügerIn this conversation, Friederike and Marian Krüger delve into the intersection of climate technology and entrepreneurship, exploring Marian's journey from a background in basketball to becoming a key player in the carbon removal space. They discuss the founding of a drone-based photovoltaic diagnostic company, the lessons learned from its exit, and the transition to focusing on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) methods. The conversation highlights the importance of various CDR technologies, the potential of the Global South in carbon removal, and the market dynamics surrounding this emerging industry. We also touch on the implications of political changes and the f...2025-05-0157 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs41. What is the current state of Clean Energy in USA? Discussion with President of Clean Choice Energy - Zoë GambleIn this engaging conversation, Friederike von Waldenfels speaks with Zoe Gamble about the pressing transition to clean energy, exploring Zoe's unique career path, the current landscape of renewable energy in the U.S., and the challenges and trends shaping the industry. They discuss community solar projects, the role of Clean Choice Energy, and reflect on the experiences of women in the energy sector, culminating in a forward-looking perspective on achieving net zero by 2050.2025-04-1048 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs40. Profitable sustainability with AI - all just Buzzwords? - Interview with Ferolabs co-founder Berk BirandIn this episode Berk Birand discusses the intersection of AI and sustainability, sharing his journey from a young tech enthusiast to the co-founder of Fero Labs. He highlights the challenges of entrepreneurship, the importance of integrating AI into manufacturing processes, and the evolving role of sustainability in industry. Berk emphasizes the need for companies to adapt to changing market conditions and the potential of AI to drive efficiency and reduce environmental impact. In this conversation, Berk Birand discusses the role of AI in creating a sustainable future, addressing the dual nature of AI in the labor market, and the importan...2025-03-2755 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs39: Financing agriculture on big scale by using regenerative farming - Francisco Roque de Pinho, founder of the Land GroupIn this episode we focus on Regenerative agriculture, which presents a transformative approach to combating climate change while enhancing the soil's health. Francisco Roque de Pinho shares insights into how the Land Group scales regenerative practices for financial and environmental benefits, while also intertwining his passion for surfing and resilience with his entrepreneurial journey. In this episode we address: • Exploration of regenerative agriculture and its significance • Discussion of the Land Group's mission and investment model • Challenges of scaling regenerative practices • Financial mechanics of transitioning to sustainable operations • Carbon capture opportunities through livestock management • Overcoming barriers in capital and education for be...2025-02-0648 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs38: From Oil Industry Insider to Environmental Champion: Curtis Shuck's Mission to Plug Abandoned WellsCurtis E. Shuck Jr., a former oil and gas industry insider, stumbled upon a pressing environmental crisis that changed his life's course. Discover how his unexpected encounter with orphaned oil and gas wells in Montana ignited the birth of the Well Done Foundation, a nonprofit tackling these hazardous sites one well at a time. Curtis's journey from industry "bad guy" to environmental champion is a testament to the power of grassroots innovation and the relentless pursuit of environmental restoration.Tune in as we illuminate the Well Done Foundation's remarkable expansion across 16 states, driven by the passion...2025-01-1443 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs37: Anna Alex's Quest for Purpose-Driven Business Models - Dive into the Anna's story and her new venture Nala.EarthToday, we're thrilled to have Anna Alex, a serial entrepreneur and visionary, as our guest.Anna has co-founded and scaled several successful companies, including Outfittery, Planetly, and now Nala Earth. Her journey is a testament to her passion for innovation and her unwavering commitment to making a positive impact on our planet.As Anna herself puts it, "We need to overcome this nonprofit for-profit idea and split in our heads." → can you get this quote out of the podcast? In this episode, we'll explore Anna's entrepreneurial journey, delve into the challenges and triumphs of...2024-11-0747 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs36: Cracking Methane Emissions: A Seaweed Solution for CattleIn this episode of Sustain Now, we dive into an innovative solution to combat one of the most pressing environmental issues: methane emissions from livestock. The guest, Steve Meller, CEO and Co-founder of CH4 Global, takes us on a journey of discovering how seaweed can significantly reduce methane emissions from cattle.Founded in 2018, CH4 Global is on a mission to tackle methane—a greenhouse gas with more than 80 times the warming potential of CO2 over 20 years. Methane is primarily emitted by livestock, especially cattle, through their digestive process known as enteric fermentation. CH4 Global has developed a gr...2024-09-0255 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs35: Refurbed - how a refurbishing marketplace is resilient against current market economics. Interview with Refurbed Co-founder Kilian Kaminski.In this episode of Sustain Now, we sit down with Kilian Kaminski, Co-founder of Refurbed, a leading marketplace for refurbished products. Refurbed offers consumers a sustainable alternative to buying new, with a growing selection of electronics, sports equipment, and household items. Through a meticulous 40-step refurbishment process, Refurbed ensures top-quality, affordable products while promoting a circular economy and reducing electronic waste.Kilian shares the story behind Refurbed’s founding in Vienna in 2017, which stemmed from a personal frustration with the lack of warranties on used products. Since then, the company has expanded rapidly, now serving over 815,000 customers ac...2024-08-1049 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs34: Revolutionizing Smartphones: Fairphone's Path to Sustainability and Ethical Tech with Founder Bas van AbelIn this episode of Sustain Now, we speak with Bas van Abel, the founder of Fairphone, the world’s first smartphone company designed with sustainability and ethical practices at its core. Bas shares his journey from a curious child fascinated by how things work, to becoming a pioneer in the sustainable tech industry. After seeing the waste and harm caused by the smartphone industry, he was inspired to create a company that would address these issues head-on, starting with the Fairphone crowdfunding campaign that eventually grew into a successful business.Fairphone is revolutionizing the smartphone industry by fo...2024-07-2344 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs33: Charging Forward: Inside 8Inks's Lithium-Ion Battery manufacturing innovationIn this episode of SustainNOW, we delve into the world of innovative lithium-ion battery manufacturing with Paul Baade, the co-founder of 8Inks. From his early days at ETH Zurich, where he developed an electric race car in the Model F1 Club, to his Ph.D. in materials and device engineering, Paul’s journey has been fueled by a passion for sustainable technology. Now, through 8Inks, Paul is revolutionizing battery design, pushing the boundaries of performance, reliability, and sustainability.Join us as Paul walks us through the cutting-edge processes 8Inks is using to transform the manufacturing of lithium-ion ba...2024-05-1332 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs32: Design Meets Sustainability in Mutebox's Modular Office RevolutionToday, we're focusing on MuteBox, a company dedicated to redefining workspace design by offering modular phone booths and meeting rooms with a sustainability focus. Joining us are Christian Toft Bach, CMO, and Adil Sheikh, Managing Director of MuteBox, who share the journey of this innovative Danish company. MuteBox offers a smart solution to the hybrid workspace challenge by creating sound-regulating phone booths that fit seamlessly into existing office environments.As companies adapt to post-pandemic work habits, the pressure to balance in-person collaboration with individual privacy grows. MuteBox meets this demand by offering flexible, sustainable office...2024-05-0137 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs31: Synonym's mission to create a new green asset class - using bioeconomy to replace 50% of petrochemical productsIn this episode of SustainNOW, we sit down with co-founder Joshua Lachter to explore how Synonym is pioneering the bioeconomy revolution. As a self-proclaimed biological maximalist, Joshua is dedicated to using biotechnology to replace petrochemical products and accelerate the transition to sustainable materials. Synonym’s mission is ambitious: to create a bioeconomy asset class that enables the commercialization of bio-based products, aiming to replace over 50% of petrochemical products with bio-manufactured alternatives.Joshua takes us on a journey through Synonym’s innovative approach to scaling the bioeconomy, from providing financial and developmental services to startups, to connecting companies with...2024-03-2649 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs30: Making farming sexy again: How Climate Farmers Aims to Support Regenerative Farmers with Co-Founder Philipp BirkerIn this episode of SustainNOW, Philippe Birker, co-founder of Climate Farmers, takes us on a journey into the world of regenerative agriculture. Growing up in an agricultural town in Western Germany, Philippe has always been connected to farming, and now he’s dedicated to restoring its image and making it more sustainable. He shares his mission to make farming "sexy again" by highlighting the importance of regenerative practices that enhance soil health, increase biodiversity, and combat climate change.Climate Farmers was founded with the aim of building the infrastructure needed to scale regenerative agriculture in Europe. Philippe ex...2024-02-2843 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs29: From Ancient Organism to Renewable Energy Superhero: Electrochaea Synthesis of Synthetic MethaneIn this episode of SustainNOW, Doris Hafenbradl, CTO of Electrochaea, shares her groundbreaking work harnessing the power of archaea to create sustainable bio-methane. Doris, a passionate scientist with a background in biotech and pharmaceuticals, has spent over a decade exploring how ancient organisms like archaea can revolutionize energy production.Electrochaea leverages methanogenic archaea to convert renewable energy and carbon dioxide into synthetic methane, a crucial energy product compatible with existing gas infrastructure. This innovative process not only helps mitigate harmful CO2 emissions but also creates a reliable energy source from renewable sources like wind and solar.2024-02-1448 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs28: Policy Special Focus - Regenerative Agriculture Policy with NRDC Deputy Director Lara BryantToday I am talking with Lara Bryant, Deputy Director of NRDC (The Nature Resource Defence Council) in USA. Lara has a background in chemistry and studied plant and Soil Science and has a master’s degree in public administration in environmental science and policy from Columbia University. NRDC is a Non-Profit organization with more than 3 million members and online activists with the expertise of some 700 scientists, lawyers, and other environmental specialists to confront the climate crisis. Lara promotes soil health practices to address climate change through regenerative farming. At NRDC, she drives policies to protect water quality, im...2023-11-1729 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs27: Harnessing the Ocean's Might: In-Depth with SeaO2 Founders on their Mission to Capture a Gigaton of CO2 by 2035Rose and Ruben co-founded SeaO2, an oceanic carbon removal company based in the Netherlands, with the ambitious mission to reduce CO2 concentrations in the ocean and the atmosphere, combating global warming. Rose, inspired by her PhD research on electrochemical oceanic carbon capture, partnered with Ruben, a serial entrepreneur with expertise in business consulting, to bring their vision to life. Along with their third co-founder, David Vermaas, they formed SeaO2, aiming to capture 1 Gigaton of CO2 by 2035.SeaO2’s innovative technology harnesses the natural flow of ocean water to capture and store CO2, using electrochemical processes to treat an...2023-11-0144 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs26: BiCRS - How can biomass contribute to negative emissions in the future? A conversation with Stefanie Bischoff, Managing Director of AirfixStephanie Bischof, Managing Director of AirFix, shares insights into the growing field of Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS), a critical solution to reducing carbon emissions and mitigating climate change. With over a decade of experience in corporate finance, Stephanie transitioned into the climate field after being inspired by a documentary on soil health. Since 2022, she has been leading AirFix, a company focused on developing carbon capture infrastructure and creating markets for negative emission technologies in Switzerland and across Europe.BiCRS focuses on capturing and removing biogenic CO2, which comes from the combustion of biologically based materials...2023-10-1137 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs25: Sustainable laptop? How Framework is Challenging Traditional Tech Industry Norms. Interview with Founder Nirav PatelNirav Patel, founder and CEO of Framework, shares the vision behind his innovative company that aims to tackle the massive environmental impact of consumer electronics. Framework was founded in 2019 with a bold mission: to create products that are long-lasting and sustainable. After working as an engineer at major tech companies like Apple, Meta (Facebook), and Oculus VR, Nirav took the leap into entrepreneurship, driven by his desire to reduce e-waste and its environmental consequences.Framework’s first product is a fully customizable, high-performance laptop designed to minimize e-waste. Unlike traditional laptops, which are built with non-replaceable parts an...2023-09-1430 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs24: From Tobacco to Steaks: Dana Yarden's Biotech Journey to Turn Tobacco into Natural BioreactorsDana Yarden is the co-founder of BioBetter, an Israeli Agri/FoodTech start-up that aims to revolutionize the cultivated meat industry by using tobacco plants as natural bioreactors for producing growth factors (GFs). Dana’s background spans 18 years in the Life Science and Biotech industries, and she holds both an MD and an MBA from Tel-Aviv University. Through BioBetter, Dana envisions a future where molecular farming—using plants like tobacco to produce crucial resources—plays a pivotal role in sustainable agriculture and the future of food production.Founded in 2015, BioBetter uses tobacco plants to produce specific growth...2023-08-2339 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs23: The Green Retail Revolution: Keynote at SCORE!In this special episode, Friederike von Waldenfels, the CEO of Forestrock and Founder of SustainNOW, discusses the concept of Green Retail during her keynote at the SCORE! – Swiss Conference for Retail and E-Commerce. In her speech, she highlights the growing importance of sustainability in retail and why she believes Green Retail is both an opportunity and a necessity.Here are the three reasons why Friederike believes Green Retail works: Green Retail is like the Digital Revolution 20 years ago: Just as digital transformation radically changed the retail landscape, sustainability is poised to be the next major sh...2023-08-0727 min
SustainNOW Podcast - Exploring Climate Solutions with Innovators and Entrepreneurs22: The Last Mile of E-Commerce - with Milo Stössel, the Co-Founder of QuickpacIn this episode, Milo Stössel, the Co-Founder of Quickpac, talks about the concept of last-mile delivery in e-commerce and how Quickpac is revolutionizing this space with electric vehicles.Last-mile delivery refers to the final leg of the delivery process, where goods are transported from a distribution center to the customer's doorstep. As online shopping continues to rise, there is an increasing demand for efficient, fast, and eco-friendly solutions to deliver products.However, last-mile delivery poses challenges for sustainability, as the number of delivery vehicles in urban areas is expected to increase significantly. A report h...2023-07-2040 min