Ecosystems

In this episode, we dive into the world of mycelium-based innovation with Maurizio Montalti. Working at the junction of design and biotech, Maurizio is one of the early pioneers committed to the study and development of mycelium-based technologies and products.  He is Founder and Director of the design-research practice Officina Corpuscoli (NL), and Chief Mycelium Officer and co-Founder of SQIM, a (bio)technology company unravelling the potential of mycelium for application across different industries, including interior design, architecture, the automotive and fashion. Montalti's work has been honoured with multiple awards, featured widely in the global media, and globally exhibited in prestigious museums and institutions, including New York's Museum of Modern Art, Paris's Centre Pompidou and the Design Museum in London.

In this episode, we explore the sustainable innovations happening in fashion and food tech with Gabriele Verikaite. Gabriele is the Partnerships Manager at The Mills Fabrica, a VC fund that accelerates techstyle and agrifood innovations for sustainability and social impact. Focused on incubating startups and investing in sustainable technologies, The Mills Fabrica also offers co-working spaces, prototyping labs, and concept stores to drive cutting-edge advancements in sustainability. I met Gabriele at Fabrica X, a sustainable innovation gallery and concept store by The Mills Fabrica. And within just a few minutes of chatting, her deep knowledge of sustainable innovations and brands was so clear, so I knew we had to organise a podcast episode together - and here it is! You can find out more about The Mills Fabrica here: https://www.themillsfabrica.com/

In this episode we dive deep into the world of biomaterials with Amy Congdon. Amy is a designer with that rare blend of scientific insight and deep creativity. She's worked at the forefront of biofabrication for over 10 years, merging design with cutting-edge, material science. Her work has been shown globally, in books, publications, and at world-renowned venues like New York's Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. She is currently the Chief Design Officer at BIOFABRICATE, a truly pioneering organisation in the biomaterial space. As a unique blend of consultancy, design agency, educational platform and global network of startups, brands and investors, BIOFABRICATE drives biomaterial innovation at all levels, helping to bring us a new generation of materials, built with biology.

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of carbon footprint measuring with Charlie Cotton. Charlie Cotton is a self-confessed carbon geek. As founder of the carbon consultancy ecollective, he has helped countless companies understand where their emissions come from and how to reduce them, making it easier for them to do what they do, but with a much smaller carbon footprint. In this episode we cover the importance of accurately measuring carbon footprints for businesses, strategies for reduction, as well as the challenges and opportunities in the carbon measuring landscape, and much more.