Innovate Eco
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© Rob Wreglesworth
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Green pioneers with bold ideas! Each episode brings an interview with visionary ecopreneurs and innovators who are building businesses and taking action to help solve the climate and nature crises. From cutting-edge technology to revolutionary thinking, our guests are actively tackling our biggest environmental challenges. Join us in discovering the stories of these changemakers as we hope to inspire even more people to take action.
If you are interested in being a guest connect with me at www.linkedin.com/in/robwreg
If you are interested in being a guest connect with me at www.linkedin.com/in/robwreg
43 Episodes
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Elena Doms, is the visionary co-founder of Earth Plus, a startup with an audacious goal: to create the largest soil and CO2 cleanup in history, working hand-in-hand with nature.
Elena's journey is a fascinating one which we dive into in detail in this episode. Born and raised in the Arctic, she spent 18 years witnessing the effects of climate change firsthand
From there Elena's impressive career has spanned from being a Director at Mastercard, where she merged digital and sustainable transformations, to becoming a LinkedIn influencer and top voice
Now, with Earth Plus, she's working with her team to develop innovative solutions that not only clean soils from chemical pollution but also capture CO2 using plants. Not only that, but these plants are then transformed into local, circular construction materials, contributing to the decarbonisation of our cities.
Find out more about Earth Plus at https://www.earthplus.eu/
Useful Links:
Pollution Map of Europe
PFAS Map
PFAS Map 2
A guide to safer products
An app to help find safe foods
Book Choices:
Connect - Simon Lancaster
Connecting the dots - Christian Busch
Please connect and message me on LinkedIn
In this episode, I chat to Mikael Hietala the sustainability officer at Croatian startup Earthbound Sneakers. Earthbound (Croatia's first B-Corp) is tackling the many issues caused by fast fashion by creating truly stylish and comfortable shoes.
In this episode, we talk about the issues with fast fashion as well as a wide range of topics from growing a business in a de-growth world, why big brands find it hard to adapt, why its important to still create things people find cool and stylish (not just sustainable), carbon tunnel vision, the power of being an intrapreneur and innovating within a company and much more!
Mikael's book recommendation:
Capital in the Anthropocene - Kohei Saito
To learn more about Earthbound head to their website here.
In this weeks episode I speak to Cameron Dowd, co-founder and CTO of Inverto, a startup who are connecting businesses with local communities to plan, plant and monitor coastal ecosystems at scale.
We talk about all sorts in this episode from Cameron's background in robotics, his work flying drone medical suppliy deliveries in Tanzania, why we shouldn't get 'carbon tunnel vision', the amazing uses of mangroves and why they are so important and his ecopreneur journey so far.
To find out more about Inverto head to www.inverto.earth
In this week's episode, I speak to Lindy Damen founder and CEO of EVRgreen Studio. A gaming company designing bespoke games for sustainability.
We cover all sorts of topics including:
How an early connection with nature and MS Paint started the journey
The potential power of gaming for behaviour change
How different types of games can connect with different types of audience
How there is never a 'right time' to start a company
The decision to bootstrap rather than get investment
Links to things we talk about:
Among Trees
Pollinator Park VR
Post Growth Entrepeneurship
A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson
In this episode, I sit down with Jamie McCallum, the founder of Force For Nature. With experience in F1 marketing and a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, Jamie combines this experience to bring a new perspective to driving private funding into nature projects.
Jamie is the founder of Force For Nature, which aims to empower Rangers, the unsung heroes who work as park wardens, foresters, community scouts, and indigenous guardians. Despite their critical role in delivering nature-based solutions aligned with the UN's 30x30 targets, many Rangers face challenges such as inadequate staff numbers, pay, equipment, and training.
Through strategic business partnerships, Force For Nature provides Rangers with the critical training, earned income, and improved status they need to excel as guardians of our planet's natural resources. In this episode, we explore Jamie's journey, Force For Nature's innovative approach, and the transformative impact their work is having on both Rangers and the natural world they protect.
Find out more about Force For Nature by going to
Their website
Instagram
LinkedIn
In this episode, I speak to Dan Watson, a multiple award-winning Product Design Engineer and the Global Winner of the 2012 James Dyson Award for design engineering. Dan's outstanding work earned him seed funding from Sir Richard Branson, leading him to establish SafetyNet Technologies, where he now serves as the CEO.
At SafetyNet, Dan and his team are working closely with the fishing industry to design accessible and effective precision fishing tools that are helping to keep our oceans healthy and thriving. By reducing bycatch and minimising the environmental impact of fishing, precision fishing plays a vital role in protecting marine biodiversity and ensuring a sustainable future for our planet.
We cover various topics from his award-winning product design to his tireless efforts in making technology accessible to anyone with a problem to solve or an idea to explore. Discover how his groundbreaking work is revolutionising the fishing industry and contributing to a more sustainable future.
To learn more about Dan Watson and SafetyNet Technologies, visit their website at https://sntech.co.uk/.
Book Recommendations:
Let my people go surfing - Yvon Chouinard
The three-body problem - Cixin Liu
In this episode I speak to Elise Van Middelem the founder and CEO of SUGi - a pioneering social enterprise dedicated to greening cities and reimagining urban life through nature-based solutions.
SUGi is at the forefront of creating green infrastructure and restoring the human connection to nature in urban areas. Their signature approach is based on the revolutionary Miyawaki Method of planting ultra-dense, biodiverse pocket forests comprised solely of native species.
In just four years since its launch in 2019, SUGi has conceived, planted and funded nearly 200 of these pocket forests across 42 cities on 6 continents worldwide. Their work has reconnected over 52,000 youth and community members to nature through hands-on forest-making.
What started as a grassroots movement has evolved into a leading global voice for civic rewilding and ecosystem restoration. SUGi has earned prestigious recognition from the World Economic Forum, inclusion in the 1t.org trillion trees initiative, and backing from the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
Along the way, they've forged powerful partnerships with iconic brands to execute high-visibility public projects that inspire environmental action. Elise's pioneering vision integrates her deep passions for contemporary art and global ecology into a unifying purpose - to empower, inspire and activate what SUGi calls "The Rewilding Generation."
To learn more about SUGI head to www.sugiprojects.com
Book Recommendation:
The Messy Middle - Scott Belsky
Email me with any comments or guest suggestions hello@innovate-eco.com and add me on Linked In - www.linkedin.com/in/robwreg
In this episode, I speak to Dan Sherrard Smith the founder and CEO of My Mother Tree.
Not every innovation needs to be shiny new technology or groundbreaking scientific advancements, sometimes it is creating something simple that can have a huge impact. That is what My Mother Tree are doing with tools such as the Money Carbon Calculator, which helps individuals and businesses find out where there money is invested and how they can have a big impact simply by switching banks.
In this episode we cover lots of topics from how Dan was involved in the biggest ever deal on Dragon's Den, how the calculator works, why it is so hard to change banks, why this is a powerful lever for change, advise for other ecopreneurs and much more!
Find out more about My Mother Tree
Follow Dan on LinkedIn
Dans Book Recommendations:
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Shoe Dog
Total Recall
In this week's episode I chat to Pooja Paul the founder of Habitable Earth. Habitable Earth plans to be the 'Duolingo of Climate Action' combining the best scientific insights about human behavior with the power of immersive gameplay to make planet-friendly lifestyle choices easy, fun and rewarding
Habitable Earth's mission is to empower the growing majority of climate-concerned consumers worldwide to meaningfully contribute to the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss, while improving health, saving money, and having a bit of fun.
Pooja is a fascinating person bringing a global perspective after spending parts of her life in India, the US and the UK. As you will hear in the episode she studied and researched in the field of cognitive science before making the leap into climate tech, which brings a fascinating perspective.
We cover a lot of topics including the importance of habits, the perception gap, the intention-action gap and much more besides.
Useful Links:
Rad Rabbit (the 5 a day app Pooja mentions)
Books:
Regeneration - Paul Hawken
Tiny Habits - BJ Fogg
Atomic Habits - James Clear
In this episode, I speak to Max Runzel the cofounder and CEO of the company HiveTracks.
HiveTracks creates technology to help beekeepers manage their hives. Started back in 2010 at the intersection of computer science and beekeeping and now supports over 40,000 beekeepers across more than 150 countries.
That is cool on its own but what they are working on now is even cooler (well to me it is anyway) and that is using environmental data collected by bees and beekeepers to monitor biodiversity.
To find out more about Hivetracks head to https://www.hivetracks.com/
Book Recommendations:
The Invention of Nature - The Adventures of Alexander Von Humboldt - Andrew Wulf
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity - Peter Attia
Please do follow me on LinkedIn and Twitter for podcast updates and send any feedback you have or ideas for future guests
A short clip from episode 19 of the podcast where I spoke to Mart Drake-Knight founder of tshirt company Teemill.
We talk about how creating a circular company actually makes business sense whilst being much better for the planet.
If you enjoy it do check out the full episode and subscribe for more.
In this episode, I chat to Carlos Terol.
Carlos is a serial ecopreneur and around a year ago launched his latest venture Good Ripple which is a community platform for connecting passionate changemakers who are ready to make a difference in the world and take action.
We cover all sorts of topic including the plan for Good Ripple, thinking locally in an increasingly global society, our communication issue in climate, starting to act like an ecopreneur without quitting your job, the power of LinkedIn and how things change when you grow.
As Carlos mentions everyone out there who is a changemaker or wants to become one should join Good Ripple so head to https://nas.io/good-ripple to sign up.
You can connect with Carlos at https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-terol/
Carlos book recommendation, a Gift For Conversation can be bought directly here:
https://www.agiftforconversation.com/shop/
How could we leverage blockchain technology in interesting ways to help nature?
That is what Pete Howson focuses his research on and he highlights some companies leading the way with some out-of-the-box thinking, like getting a forest to own itself!
The full episode was episode 13 from back in 2019 and you can listen to it here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Il0ztA4ITuyfB8eux7Vw9?si=0b51e79167d84876
In this episode I speak to Chris D’Agorne, the founder of How to Rewild – the UK’s most popular rewilding advice website, and is currently developing Life to Land – a nature recovery advisory service for smaller landowners. Chris is one of the most influential voices in the growing rewilding movement in the UK.
Chris took the bold step of re-mortgaging his house to purchase 3.5 acres of land that he has been managing for about two years now and sharing his story in the open, inspiring thousands of people with his direct action.
In this episode we talk about everything from filming polar bears in the Arctic, to how Chris decided to buy the land, putting a price on nature, how we deal with increasing polarisation and much more.
The best way to find out more about what Chris is working on is to head to the Life to Land website.
You can also follow Chris on LinkedIn to see updates from his project
The episode of The Wilder podcast can be found here
Chris’ book recommendations:
Rooted – Sarah Langford
Please do subscribe and rate the podcast if you have time, it really helps!
Follow Innovate Eco or Rob Wreglesworth on LinkedIn for all updates.
Please like and subscribe and follow me on LinkedIn or Twitter
In this episode I speak to Oliver Dauert the founder of Wildya, a platform that helps users understand their own complex minds and transform their eco-anxiety into action. They then use 15% of the revenue to protect & restore nature. People just show up and work on themselves, nature is restored as a consequence.
To learn more head to Wildya.earth and make sure you download the app to start working on your mental fitness whilst restoring nature!
Olivers Book recommendations:
Atomic Habits - James Clear
Rewilding: The Radical New Science of Ecological Recovery - Cain Blythe and Paul Jepson
The Social Lives of Animals - Ashley Ward
Please do subscribe and rate the podcast if you have time, it really helps!
Follow Innovate Eco or Rob Wreglesworth on LinkedIn for all updates.
Topher White is the founder of Rainforest Connection (rfcx.org) and is known for his work since 2012 protecting rainforests using a device he invented called the "Guardian"— made from upcycled Android smartphones. His original Ted talk can be found here.
His latest undertaking, called Squibbon, harnesses 10 years of experience creating technology for protecting rainforests to explore wilderness areas much closer to home – your own backyard. This includes a reimagined new device, Delta, which looks like a brushed aluminum mini spaceship you might imagine traversing through the galaxy, yet fits snugly into any space in your backyard, easily mounted on a tree or in your garden, allowing you to explore the wilderness just outside your door.
Weatherproof, rugged and powerful enough to capture the sounds of every living creature (including sounds the human ear cannot even detect), 24 hours a day, streaming them to your phone and home electronics to entertain, protect, educate and advise you and your family about the animal activities beyond your walls.The product will launch on March 28th on Kickstarter, with the first devices shipping in 2023.
Head to www.squibbon.com for more info
If you like the podcast please subscribe so you get the next episodes as soon as they are released. And please follow me on Twitter (www.twitter.com/robwreg) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robwreg)
As more people move to live in cities, the disconnect between where food comes from and our plate seems to be growing all the time. But today's interviewee is hoping to change that by helping design alternative food solutions from the very heart of London. The amazing place that is the focus of today's podcast is called Green Lab. Founded by Andrew Gregson as a maker space with the belief that design is the most effective way to tackle big challenges, they have set out on a mission to radically change the way we produce and consume food Whereas many people might see our ever-expanding cities as concrete jungles devoid of life, they see them as places with opportunity, to experiment and develop food systems that make people and spaces healthier For more information and info on open days and courses head to www.greenlab.org
Please like and subscribe and follow me on Twitter @robwreg or follow me on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/robwreg
With approximately 90% of the world's freight moved about by large ships, it's perhaps not surprising the industry has a big impact on the environment. In this episode, I interview someone who is on a mission to change that. Danielle Doggett is one of the founders of SailCargo Inc who are currently building a large sailing vessel called Ceiba in Costa Rica. The idea is that once finished it will not only have a positive impact but act as a model for others to copy around the world as they hope to #seashippingchange To find out more about this amazing project and info about how to invest head to https://www.sailcargo.org and watch some videos of the construction at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-oMwu50sTk
Please like and subscribe and follow me on Twitter @robwreg or follow me on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/robwreg
There are certain topics amongst environmentalists that seem particularly controversial. One of these is Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). In this episode, we explore the topic of ‘beliefs’ within the environmental community and whether those beliefs are no different to ones of religion such as creationism. So I’m stepping out of the realms of environmental scientists and innovators once again to speak to Stefaan Blanke is a philosophy professor at The University of Tilburg, who has taken his work looking at matters such as creationist beliefs in humans and applied that thinking to look at pseudoscience, particularly around GMOs.
Please like and subscribe and follow me on Twitter @robwreg or follow me on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/robwreg
Biochar is a product created by applying lots of heat to plant matter in the absence of oxygen. This creates a form of pure carbon, not that dissimilar to what you would put on a bbq, but much purer. This substance that is created can then be stored in soils which locks away this carbon for hundreds, potentially thousands of years. It also has the added benefit of holding moisture and nutrients within its pores, potentially boosting crop growth too. It sounds like an interesting idea but I wanted to speak to someone in the know to find out a bit more. My guest today is Jamie Bakos from Titan Projects. After graduating as an environmental engineer student, Jamie worked his way through jobs where he had to figure out what to do with waste streams. This is what eventually lead him to set up Titan Projects and to focus on biochar as a solution to many organic matter waste streams and also as a solution to climate change. We also chat about some of Titan Projects other projects all trying to find a use for carbon. For more info on TitanProjects check out www.titan-projects.com and for more on carbon-based products go to https://carbon4climate.com/
Please like and subscribe and follow me on Twitter @robwreg or follow me on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/robwreg
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