Disruptors for GOOD | Social Entrepreneurs and Social Enterprises

The technology for harvesting critical minerals from the ocean floor has barely changed since the 1960s. Big tracked vehicles.

Vacuum dredges. Sediment plumes. 

The same architecture, decade after decade.

Oliver Gunasekara looked at that and saw an opportunity.

He's the CEO of Impossible Metals, a deep tech startup building a fleet of autonomous underwater robots designed to collect polymetallic nodules from the seafloor with a fraction of the environmental disruption of conventional methods.

On this episode of Disruptors for Good, Oliver walks through the technology, the regulatory landscape, the environmental tradeoffs, and why he thinks the first commercial deep sea mining operations are closer than most people realize.

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Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.

Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.

By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.

Grove Collaborative is one of the most ambitious experiments in mission-driven consumer commerce of the past decade. Founded in 2012, it started as a subscription delivery service for eco-friendly cleaning products and grew into a publicly traded company with a $1.5 billion peak valuation.

Along the way, it became the world's first plastic-neutral retailer, earned B Corp certification, and pioneered transparency tools no other retailer in the category had attempted.

Then it nearly fell apart.

From 2022 onward, Grove faced declining revenue, a delisting threat, an executive overhaul, and the painful acknowledgment that its flagship environmental commitment, 100% plastic free by 2025 — would not be met.

The company has spent the past two years rebuilding: operationally, financially, and strategically.

This case study covers the full arc.

The founding thesis, the growth decisions that worked, the ones that didn't, the financial turbulence after going public, and how Grove is attempting to rebuild as a leaner, more durable business without walking away from its core mission.

Full Case Study

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Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.

Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.

By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.

B Corp certification is a third-party credential issued by B Lab, a nonprofit, that verifies a company meets defined standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

It is not a legal structure.

It is not a tax designation.

It is a certification, similar in nature to LEED for buildings or Fair Trade for supply chains.

To earn it, a company completes the B Impact Assessment (BIA), a scored evaluation across five areas: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers.

A minimum score of 80 out of 200 is required to qualify.

The median score for companies that complete the BIA without certification intent sits around 50.

Certification also requires signing the B Lab Declaration of Interdependence, submitting to a verification review, and in most U.S. states, amending your governing documents to protect the consideration of stakeholders beyond shareholders.

As of early 2025, there are roughly 9,000 certified B Corps across 90+ countries.

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Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.

Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.

By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.

Tony's Chocolonely transformed from a Dutch journalist's investigative project into a $200+ million chocolate company by making supply chain transparency its core competitive advantage.

Founded in 2005 after journalist Teun van de Keuken exposed slavery in West African cocoa production, the company built a vertically integrated model that pays farmers 40% above Fairtrade premiums while maintaining competitive retail pricing.

The business operates on three strategic pillars:

• direct relationships with 8,942 cocoa farmers across Ghana and Ivory Coast
• aggressive transparency including publishing full supply chain data and acknowledging when slavery is discovered in their chain
• and a consumer brand built on storytelling rather than traditional food marketing.

Tony's reached profitability in 2013 and has grown revenue at approximately 25-30% annually since 2016. The company holds 18% market share in Netherlands chocolate and expanded to the United States in 2015, where it now generates roughly 20% of total revenue.

Unlike most mission-driven food brands that exit to CPG conglomerates, Tony's remains independent with a governance structure designed to prevent acquisition by companies that do not meet their sourcing standards.

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Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.

Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.

By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.

In episode 238 of the Disruptors for GOOD podcast, Brittany Christenson, the CEO of AidKit, shares her journey from studying applied math to leading a tech company focused on social impact. AidKit aims to deliver aid with dignity, providing access to emergency relief and public benefits through innovative technology.

Brittany discusses the challenges and opportunities in the nonprofit and government sectors, emphasizing the importance of customization in technology solutions. She also highlights the role of AI in enhancing their services while maintaining data privacy. Looking ahead, AidKit aims to expand its reach and impact, striving to serve millions and improve the efficiency of aid distribution.

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Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.

Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.

By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.

Aspiration was a California-based neobank founded in 2013 that positioned itself as the sustainable alternative to traditional banking. The company built its value proposition around fossil fuel-free deposits, automatic tree planting for every transaction, and a "pay what is fair" pricing model that allowed customers to set their own fees.

At its peak in 2021, Aspiration claimed more than 5 million customer accounts, had raised over $870 million in funding from venture and celebrity investors including Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr., and Orlando Bloom, and announced a $2.3 billion SPAC merger.

The company earned B Corp certification and was named "Best for the World" five times between 2017 and 2022.

However, the company's trajectory took a dramatic turn when federal investigations revealed extensive fraud by co-founder Joseph Sanberg.

In March 2025, Aspiration Partners filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after Sanberg was arrested on wire fraud charges. He later pleaded guilty to defrauding investors of $248 million.

The consumer banking brand was spun off in 2024 and continues operating under new ownership as GreenFi, while the Aspiration story serves as a cautionary tale about governance failures in mission-driven companies.

Full Case Study

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Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.

Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.

By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.

The modern retail landscape is currently defined by a structural tension between consumer demands for convenience, the escalating necessity for sustainable practices, and the persistent inflationary pressures affecting household food security.

Thrive Market has emerged as a seminal case study in resolving these tensions through a membership-based, digital-first model that integrates social impact directly into its financial architecture.

Founded in 2014, the organization was conceptualized not just as a commercial enterprise but as a movement to democratize access to healthy living, specifically targeting the geographic and monetary barriers that have historically rendered organic and non-GMO products the exclusive domain of affluent, urban demographics.

By operating as a hybrid of a wholesale club and a specialty health store, frequently articulated as "Costco meets Whole Foods", Thrive Market has successfully bypassed traditional retail markups, offering a hyper-curated catalog of over 6,500 products at prices 25% to 50% below traditional retail.

Full case study

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Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.

Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.

By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.

Eileen Fisher is an American fashion brand founded in 1984 by designer Eileen Fisher, known for its minimalist women’s apparel and pioneering commitment to ethical and sustainable practices.

Over four decades, the company has grown from a small startup (launched with just $350) into a medium-sized global enterprise with hundreds of millions in annual sales.

The brand is particularly recognized for its use of organic and natural fibers, timeless designs, and innovative programs that promote circular fashion and social responsibility.

Uniquely, Eileen Fisher (the person) still owns about 60% of the privately held company, while roughly 770 employees own the remaining 40% through an employee stock ownership plan.

This shared ownership structure reinforces the company’s people-centered ethos. In 2015, Eileen Fisher became a certified B Corporation, voluntarily meeting high standards of social and environmental performance; as of 2025 it has been recertified four times, reflecting continuous improvement in its sustainability score.

This case study examines how Eileen Fisher has integrated sustainable and ethical practices into its business model, its expansion beyond the U.S., and the latest developments up to 2025 that position the brand as a leader in responsible fashion.

Full case study

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Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.

Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.

By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.

This Sundance, you’ll have the chance to experience a first look at the film’s sizzle — and to sit with other creators, funders, civic leaders, and artists wrestling with these questions at Power House, a warm and intentional gathering hosted by Powerlines.org just steps from Main Street.

Over hot food and drinks, these conversations go beyond festival noise into how stories truly intersect with democratic life, citizen power, depolarization, and collaborative problem-solving.

The Fight For Power isn’t just a film to watch, it’s a lens on what’s at stake for communities, for accountability, and for civic engagement in 2026 and beyond.

To watch the sizzle and be part of this Sundance experience, RSVP at www.thefightforpowerfilm.com

Full post here.

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Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.

Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.

By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.

In a fashion industry built on shortcuts, KENT has taken the harder road on purpose.

Founded by Stacy Grace, KENT is a super natural basics brand focused on one simple but radical idea, underwear and essentials should be made entirely without plastic.

No spandex. No polyester. No hidden synthetics.

Just organic, plant based materials that are healthier for people and capable of returning to the earth at the end of their life.

While many brands claim sustainability, KENT operates with a stricter definition.

Every product is designed from fabric to thread to elastic using 100 percent natural materials, with the explicit goal of creating basics that can be composted instead of sitting in landfills for centuries.

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Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.

Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.

By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.