Protein isn't just a fitness buzzword; it's the foundation of our food future. In this episode, Marco sits down with Thijs Bosch, CEO of The Protein Brewery, to explore how brewing fungal strains could replace factory farms. They unpack the company's recent $30M funding round and how that capital is fueling a new era of sustainable, scalable protein. Together, they unpack what this breakthrough ingredient means for the future of food, sustainability, and profit.
Agriculture isn't broken — it's misunderstood. In this episode of The Capitalist Hippie Podcast, host Marco Pimentel sits down with Ali Cox, Olympian and founder of Noble West, to explore how storytelling is reshaping the future of food. From rice fields to pistachio ads, Ali reveals how farmers are reclaiming their place in the value chain by turning transparency into strategy. They dig into why sustainability messaging often fails, how small farms can still win, and what it really takes to turn a crop into a brand consumers care about.
The space race was exciting. The climate race is urgent. In this episode of The Capitalist Hippie Podcast, host Marco Pimentel talks with former NASA engineer, Grant Gunnison, about how he founded Zero Homes to reimagine how Americans power their homes. With 20% of U.S. emissions coming from single-family houses, Zero Homes is using software, data, and design to make retrofits effortless, turning what used to take weeks into a one-hour digital experience. Marco and Grant unpack how better tech and smarter systems can accelerate climate action, lower costs for homeowners, and make sustainable living the new standard.
Can retired EV batteries help solve our energy crisis? In this episode, Nick Nesbitt, founder of Mapleview Energy reveals how they are transforming used electric vehicle batteries into commercial-scale energy storage solutions. By repurposing batteries with 70-80% remaining capacity, they're tackling critical grid capacity challenges, creating circular economy infrastructure, and turning waste into essential infrastructure.
AI isn't just reshaping our digital world; it's rewriting the energy equation. As data centers surge and demand could reach 11% of global electricity by 2030, climate tech investors and founders face a stark choice: can we power the AI boom while staying on track for decarbonization? In this episode of The Capitalist Hippie Podcast, host Marco Pimentel sits down with Nick van Osdol, who's both investing in and telling the stories of climate tech's next wave as founder of Keep Cool. Join us as we dive into how AI and clean energy are colliding and converging to shape our future.
Wildfires don't sleep, so why should our firefighting technology? In this episode, host Marco Pimentel sits down with aerospace engineer and FireSwarm co-founder Alex Deslauriers, whose personal experience during Canada's worst wildfire season inspired a bold new idea: deploying AI-powered drone swarms to fight fires 24/7. With heavy-lift drones carrying 350kg payloads and flying when helicopters can't, FireSwarm's technology could transform wildfire response and reshape a $200B disaster market.
A third of all food produced never reaches our plates. Apeel set out to change that—with an idea and a $10,000 prize from a university venture competition that turned into a $2B food-tech disruptor. In this episode, Jenny Du reveals how a plant-based "second skin" is reshaping the global supply chain and keeping produce fresh without plastic, chemicals, or cold storage.
What if the key to fixing food security and boosting property value was hiding in plain sight, right above our heads? MicroHabitat co-founder Orlane Panet is turning unused rooftops into thriving urban farms across 14 cities, with over 400 farms and 3x year-over-year growth. In just 250 sq ft, she's proving you can grow more than vegetables; you can grow community, resilience, and profit. From climate adaptation to corporate engagement, this is the blueprint for building a purpose-driven business that scales.
This isn't just another swimwear startup - it's a $15K, single-SKU experiment that exploded into 300% annual growth. In this episode, we go behind the scenes with Londre Bodywear, a brand redefining fashion by embracing the philosophy of doing less, but doing it better. Here's how Ainsley Rose, co-founder and CEO of Londre Bodywear, turned plastic waste into cult classics and bootstrapped a climate-first brand consumers can't stop talking about.
This isn't planting trees—it's a return to the wisdom we clear-cut away. This episode delves into how Chestnut Carbon has raised $160 million to transform degraded land into climate-positive assets, reimagining carbon credits from the ground up. By buying land outright, restoring native forests, and building trust with enterprise buyers like Microsoft, Chestnut Carbon is proving that nature-based solutions can be credible, scalable, and wildly effective.
Success is designing for impact, not interruption. EcoCart built a carbon offset tool that meets consumers exactly where they are: at checkout. In this episode of The Capitalist Hippie, Marco Pimentel sits down with Dane Baker, founder of EcoCart, to explore what happens when climate impact becomes a default, not a disruption. You'll learn how brands like Walmart Canada, Cotopaxi, and Chamberlain Coffee are using this frictionless plugin to build loyalty, drive repeat purchases, and make impact scalable, without slowing down conversions.
Most food waste solutions focus on consumers. Freshr took a different path—embedding antimicrobial technology directly into packaging film to extend salmon shelf life by days without touching the food. In this episode, CEO Mina Mekhail shares how they pivoted from produce to proteins, turned customer objections into product breakthroughs, and built a biotech startup that's scaling faster than you'd expect—all from inside a Montreal condo lab.
Price. Convenience. Taste. Can your brand deliver? Annalea Krebs, founder of Social Nature, joins the show to unpack the brutal balancing act every sustainable CPG founder faces. In a world where consumers demand it all — low prices, easy access, great taste, and environmental impact — building a brand that scales isn't just hard, it's war. With insights from over 3 million product reviews and a decade leading shopper-driven marketing, Annalea shares data-backed strategies for thriving in a high-cost, low-margin, impact-driven industry. A must-listen for founders breaking the old retail rules to build something better.
For Earth Month, we're spotlighting a browser turning everyday internet use into climate action. Marco sits down with Neil Henderson and Mahum Azeem from Shift to explore how they're reimagining the web browser as a tool for reducing digital emissions. From email and streaming to Slack and beyond, Shift is tackling the hidden climate cost of our online lives—without compromising performance. A must-listen for product builders, climate tech founders, and anyone curious about weaving sustainability into software at scale.
In this week's episode, we welcome Miguel Calatayud, a social entrepreneur in the alternative proteins, agriculture, food, tech and nutrition industry and CEO and director of iwi, an innovative and sustainable algae-based nutrition company. Iwi produces a microscopic algae strain rich in omega-3 with 50% more absorption of omega-3 than fish and krill oil. Iwi uses saltwater and the sun for minimal environmental impact and grows algae on non-arable land, creating jobs in the rural communities of Texas and New Mexico. Dubbed as "The New Farmers," iwi is reinventing the wheel of farming by reaping the benefits of nature without doing any harm to the environment; and as a reward, producing nutrient-dense food with more essential amino acids and vital nutrients using fewer resources per acre than traditional farming. Follow us on Instagram @someonelikeyoupodcast and visit https://unlessbrands.com/podcast.
Lithium demand is skyrocketing, but traditional extraction methods are water-intensive, expensive, and slow. That's where Lithios comes in. In this episode, founder Mo Alkhadra reveals how his breakthrough technology is making lithium extraction faster, cleaner, and more cost-effective—unlocking new resources to power the EV revolution. Tune in to learn how innovation is reshaping the global supply chain and why investors are betting big on lithium's next frontier. Follow us on Instagram: @someonelikeyoupodcast
What happens when a Google engineer walks away from a high-paying career to fight the climate crisis? He discovers a massive, overlooked problem: there aren't nearly enough people working on climate solutions—yet millions want to be. In this episode, Eugene Kirpichov, co-founder and executive director of Work on Climate, shares how he's helping thousands transition into impactful climate careers and why this workforce shift is critical to solving the climate crisis. Whether you're looking to pivot your career, launch a climate-focused business, or invest in the green economy, this conversation is packed with insights on the biggest opportunities and how you can get involved today. Follow us on Instagram: @someonelikeyoupodcast
In this episode, we explore the cutting-edge science helping farmers fight back against extreme weather. Marco sits down with Sue Abrams and Jerome Konecsni of ABAzyne Bioscience, the brilliant minds behind a revolutionary plant-based solution that helps vineyards and orchards withstand cold temperatures and drought. With climate change putting our global food supply at risk, this conversation dives into the science, the market potential, and what it takes for a sustainability-driven startup to succeed in an industry dominated by agricultural giants. Follow us on Instagram: @someonelikeyoupodcast
Stripe, Shopify, and Google are some of the world's most innovative companies that are working with Carbon Run. Why? Because temporary solutions to climate change, like tree-planting credits, aren't enough anymore. Carbon Run has stepped up with a revolutionary approach that delivers permanent carbon removal, restores ecosystems and improves biodiversity through enhanced rock weathering and river restoration. Join us as we speak with Luke Connell, Carbon Run's CEO and Co-Founder, and Colton Dirksen, their Chief Business Officer. Hear how they've gained the trust of global brands, overcome massive challenges, and scaled a model that blends ecological restoration with financial sustainability. Whether you want to be a sustainability-driven builder, an investor, or a climate-innovation enthusiast, this episode is packed with insights you won't want to miss. Follow us on Instagram: @someonelikeyoupodcast
In this eye-opening episode of Someone Like You, Mitchell, founder of The Better Butchers, opens up about his extraordinary entrepreneurial journey. Learn how he helped scale The Very Good Butchers to a near-billion-dollar valuation, only to face the harsh realities of rapid growth, public markets, and eventual insolvency. Now focused on The Better Butchers, Mitchell reveals his lessons learned, innovative strategies for tackling the future of food, and his vision for sustainable business growth. This episode is packed with insights on resilience, innovation, and the evolving plant-based protein market—perfect for dreamers and doers alike. Follow us on Instagram: @someonelikeyoupodcast