Doing Hope Podcast

Dani is a sustainability advocate and founder of Natural Rebel. With 15+ years in the field, she brings heart and depth to conversations about our connection to the planet and ourselves. Her work creates space for reflection, emotional healing, and community through mindfulness and women’s circles. Dani’s mission is to help people trust their inner voice and build a more authentic, sustainable world together.

In this soulful conversation, she shares the challenges of mainstreaming sustainability, why burnout is a growing issue, and how embracing feminine values like pause, connection, and trust could reshape how we lead and work for change.

In this episode, I talk with Dani Baker about:

* What 15+ years in sustainable business have taught her about collaboration, burnout, and balance

* Why mainstream sustainability risks losing its soul—and how we can bring it back

* How her Natural Rebel women’s circles are creating space for deeper connection, purpose, and intuition

* The power of pausing, storytelling, and embracing “failure” as part of real change

* How feminine energy, not hustle culture, might just be what sustainability needs most

🔊 “The women’s circles aren’t just helping individuals—they’re shifting workplace cultures.” - Dani Baker

💬 Dani will join us this week in the Subscriber chat. What do you want to ask Dani about working in sustainability?

👉 Connect with Dani and Natural Rebel:

* Natural Rebel Website

* Join a Sustainable You Circle - join the waitlist for this coming September!

* Explore Mindfulness and Meditation - take a step back and enjoy taking some time for yourself!

* Connect with Dani on LinkedIn

🙋 Want to connect with me or share feedback?

* Email: [email protected]

* Website: claudiageratz.com

* LinkedIn: @claudiageratz

📍 Nominate a guest for the podcast: Submit your idea here

🎵 Music by Alberto Gariglio Instagram | YouTube

What if rewilding wasn’t just for landowners or scientists, but for everyone — in cities, gardens, and rented plots? This week on Doing Hope, I speak with Jon Conradi, founder of Wild Mosaic, about making rewilding radically accessible. Through his project, people become Rewilders: subscribing to a 3x3m patch of land and following its transformation into a flourishing habitat — while rediscovering their own relationship with the wild.

This is a story of loneliness and belonging, tiny insects and big ideas, and finding hope by reconnecting with life.

In this episode, we talk about:

* Why rewilding offers a recoverable Earth vision

* What Jon learned chasing hoverflies and planting leaky dams

* How grief over biodiversity loss led to his social impact startup

* Making biodiversity personal, participatory, and joyful

* Rewilding as micro-learning, habit, and everyday noticing

🔊 "Each little 3x3m patch is a tile in a wider mosaic. You become a Rewilder, and you also become someone who sees more." — Jon Conradi

💬 Jon is joining us for a one-hour live Substack Chat Q&A this week! Bring your questions about starting small, joyful climate action, and his unexpected journey into land-based learning. Check the Chat tab for details and drop your reflections in the comments below.

👉 Connect with Jon and Wild Mosaic:

* Wild Mosaic Website

* Jon on LinkedIn

* Jon’s Substack

🙋 Want to connect with me or share feedback?

* Email: [email protected]

* Website: claudiageratz.com

* LinkedIn: @claudiageratz

📍 Nominate a guest for the podcast: Submit your idea here

🎵 Music by Alberto Gariglio Instagram | YouTube

🎙 Guest: Laila JB MartinsIn this deeply moving conversation, I speak with Laila JB Martins — a Brazilian strategist, facilitator, and regenerative thinker based in Bonn, Germany — about what it means to live and lead in service of the planet, starting right where you are.

Laila shares how her journey from corporate sustainability roles (like DHL and the UN) to local regenerative work has taught her that hope is not something we find — it's something we practice.

🌍 In this episode, Laila reflects on:

* What trees have taught her about grief, resilience, and belonging

* Why understanding ourselves as biological beings shifts everything

* How she blends corporate strategy with grassroots regeneration

* Why being “famous in your city” may be the most powerful climate impact

* The link between chronic pain, planetary health, and interdependence

* Why music, joy, and Brazilian dance songs are tools of hope

💬 Join us for a live Q&A chat with Laila on Substack this weekShe’ll be answering your questions about creative climate work, finding your purpose, and leading from wherever you are.Check the Chat tab or subscribe below to join in.

🌱 Links & Credits

Connect with Laila:

* Website: LailaMartins.com

* Community: RegenBeings.com

* LinkedIn: Laila JB Martins

* Instagram: @regenbeings

🎵 Laila’s “dance in your kitchen” song recommendation: 🌱 Links & Credits

🤝 Want to connect or collaborate?

* Email: [email protected]

* Website: claudiageratz.com

* LinkedIn: @claudiageratz

Nominate a guest: Submit your idea here

🎹 Intro music by Alberto GariglioInstagram | YouTube

Subscribe and join a community of people navigating this messy, beautiful unfolding together.

🎙 Guest: Laila JB MartinsIn this deeply moving conversation, I speak with Laila JB Martins — a Brazilian strategist, facilitator, and regenerative thinker based in Bonn, Germany — about what it means to live and lead in service of the planet, starting right where you are.

Laila shares how her journey from corporate sustainability roles (like DHL and the UN) to local regenerative work has taught her that hope is not something we find — it's something we practice.

🌍 In this episode, Laila reflects on:

* What trees have taught her about grief, resilience, and belonging

* Why understanding ourselves as biological beings shifts everything

* How she blends corporate strategy with grassroots regeneration

* Why being “famous in your city” may be the most powerful climate impact

* The link between chronic pain, planetary health, and interdependence

* Why music, joy, and Brazilian dance songs are tools of hope

💬 Join us for a live Q&A chat with Laila on Substack this weekShe’ll be answering your questions about creative climate work, finding your purpose, and leading from wherever you are.Check the Chat tab or subscribe below to join in.

🌱 Links & Credits

Connect with Laila:

* Website: LailaMartins.com

* Community: RegenBeings.com

* LinkedIn: Laila JB Martins

* Instagram: @regenbeings

🎵 Laila’s “dance in your kitchen” song recommendation: 🌱 Links & Credits

🤝 Want to connect or collaborate?

* Email: [email protected]

* Website: claudiageratz.com

* LinkedIn: @claudiageratz

Nominate a guest: Submit your idea here

🎹 Intro music by Alberto GariglioInstagram | YouTube

Subscribe and join a community of people navigating this messy, beautiful unfolding together.

Today we meet Caitríona Kenny, a community officer, environmental educator and one of the co-founders of the Sustainable Energy Community Connecting Cabra in Dublin 7, Ireland. Sustainable Energy Communities are community-led initiatives to empower locals to take climate action at a local level. Cabra was one of the first to establish in Ireland and the community has since expanded their connect-learn-and-share model to also include biodiversity projects, tree planting and growing food together. I spoke with Caitríona to understand how they made this happen and what we can learn from their journey to inspire you to start your own community project.

Recording location: Caitríona’s sun-filled living room in the heart of Cabra, Dublin, Ireland.

Connect with Caitríona:

Website: www.connectingcabra.ie

email: [email protected]

For comments, ideas and collaborations contact me at:

email: [email protected]

website: claudiageratz.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiageratz/

To become a guest on the Doing Hope podcast or nominate someone you know, please complete this short form: https://forms.gle/BzHSz7dNYcKDK8VLA

🎹 Intro Music by the talented Alberto Gariglio.

Listen to more of his piano music here:

https://www.instagram.com/albertogariglio.77

https://www.youtube.com/@albertogarigliomypianomusi1392

Thank you for listening.

Today we meet Caitríona Kenny, a community officer, environmental educator and one of the co-founders of the Sustainable Energy Community Connecting Cabra in Dublin 7, Ireland. Sustainable Energy Communities are community-led initiatives to empower locals to take climate action at a local level. Cabra was one of the first to establish in Ireland and the community has since expanded their connect-learn-and-share model to also include biodiversity projects, tree planting and growing food together. I spoke with Caitríona to understand how they made this happen and what we can learn from their journey to inspire you to start your own community project.

Recording location: Caitríona’s sun-filled living room in the heart of Cabra, Dublin, Ireland.

Connect with Caitríona:

Website: www.connectingcabra.ie

email: [email protected]

For comments, ideas and collaborations contact me at:

email: [email protected]

website: claudiageratz.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiageratz/

To become a guest on the Doing Hope podcast or nominate someone you know, please complete this short form: https://forms.gle/BzHSz7dNYcKDK8VLA

🎹 Intro Music by the talented Alberto Gariglio.

Listen to more of his piano music here:

https://www.instagram.com/albertogariglio.77

https://www.youtube.com/@albertogarigliomypianomusi1392

Thank you for listening.

Today, we are meeting Frederich Verstraete from Belgium, who combines his entrepreneurial spirit and decades of business expertise to build a greener future by bringing back hemp as a sustainable raw material for industries and manufacturing. But that’s not all. The real hopeful story is that he is growing hemp on contaminated land, land that is deemed unusable due to pollution with forever chemicals. Listen to how he and his team is making the impossible possible.

Recording location: Meeting via Zoom in the C-Biotech office in Belgium

Connect with Frederik:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frederik-verstraete/

Earth Plus Website: https://www.earthplus.eu/

C-Biotech Website: https://www.c-biotech.eu/

Restoring 30000 hectares of land in Murcia, Spain - Case Study: https://www.earthplus.eu/projects/bringing-river-quipar-back-in-murcia-spain/

For comments, ideas and collaborations contact me at:

email: [email protected]

website: claudiageratz.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiageratz/

To become a guest on the Doing Hope podcast or nominate someone you know, please complete this short form: https://forms.gle/BzHSz7dNYcKDK8VLA

🎹 Intro Music by the talented Alberto Gariglio.

Listen to more of his piano music here:

https://www.instagram.com/albertogariglio.77

https://www.youtube.com/@albertogarigliomypianomusi1392

Thank you for listening.

Today, we are meeting Frederich Verstraete from Belgium, who combines his entrepreneurial spirit and decades of business expertise to build a greener future by bringing back hemp as a sustainable raw material for industries and manufacturing. But that’s not all. The real hopeful story is that he is growing hemp on contaminated land, land that is deemed unusable due to pollution with forever chemicals. Listen to how he and his team is making the impossible possible.

Recording location: Meeting via Zoom in the C-Biotech office in Belgium

Connect with Frederik:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frederik-verstraete/

Earth Plus Website: https://www.earthplus.eu/

C-Biotech Website: https://www.c-biotech.eu/

Restoring 30000 hectares of land in Murcia, Spain - Case Study: https://www.earthplus.eu/projects/bringing-river-quipar-back-in-murcia-spain/

For comments, ideas and collaborations contact me at:

email: [email protected]

website: claudiageratz.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiageratz/

To become a guest on the Doing Hope podcast or nominate someone you know, please complete this short form: https://forms.gle/BzHSz7dNYcKDK8VLA

🎹 Intro Music by the talented Alberto Gariglio.

Listen to more of his piano music here:

https://www.instagram.com/albertogariglio.77

https://www.youtube.com/@albertogarigliomypianomusi1392

Thank you for listening.

Today we are hearing from Nathan, the Co-Founder of Bold Donut Games and how his fun mobile games help 1000s of people learn about actionable sustainable behaviours in a fun and playful way.

Recoding location: A quiet spot among oaks and beech trees in Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland.

Connect with Nathan:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ncruzcoulson/

Bold Donut website: https://www.bolddonut.com

Play the game at MyWaste.ie "Take a minute before you bin it!" campaign game: https://bolddonut.itch.io/take-a-minute

ESB Networks energy game case study: https://www.bolddonut.com/energy-case-study

KPMG waste game in an office environment case study: https://www.bolddonut.com/office

For comments, ideas and collaborations contact me at:

email: [email protected]

website: claudiageratz.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiageratz/

To become a guest on the Doing Hope podcast or nominate someone you know, please complete this short form: https://forms.gle/BzHSz7dNYcKDK8VLA

🎹 Intro Music by the talented Alberto Gariglio.

Listen to more of his piano music here:

https://www.instagram.com/albertogariglio.77

https://www.youtube.com/@albertogarigliomypianomusi1392

Thank you for listening.

Today we are hearing from Nathan, the Co-Founder of Bold Donut Games and how his fun mobile games help 1000s of people learn about actionable sustainable behaviours in a fun and playful way.

Recoding location: A quiet spot among oaks and beech trees in Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland.

Connect with Nathan:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ncruzcoulson/

Bold Donut website: https://www.bolddonut.com

Play the game at MyWaste.ie "Take a minute before you bin it!" campaign game: https://bolddonut.itch.io/take-a-minute

ESB Networks energy game case study: https://www.bolddonut.com/energy-case-study

KPMG waste game in an office environment case study: https://www.bolddonut.com/office

For comments, ideas and collaborations contact me at:

email: [email protected]

website: claudiageratz.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiageratz/

To become a guest on the Doing Hope podcast or nominate someone you know, please complete this short form: https://forms.gle/BzHSz7dNYcKDK8VLA

🎹 Intro Music by the talented Alberto Gariglio.

Listen to more of his piano music here:

https://www.instagram.com/albertogariglio.77

https://www.youtube.com/@albertogarigliomypianomusi1392

Thank you for listening.