Future Optimist

Hans de Neve is the CEO and founder of Carbyon—a groundbreaking company capturing excess CO2 from the air.

Today we discuss how going against conventional wisdom and the advice of his peers in the science community led to a breakthrough technology that could help us pull carbon from the air and reverse climate change. 

It’s no pipe dream, Hans has already received the prestigious XPRIZE Milestone Award with his company Carbyon, and his work towards helping us achieve negative emissions couldn’t be more important.

➡️ Watch this episode on YouTube

➡️ Episode Highlights: beattheoftenpath.com

➡️ https://carbyon.com

Naveen Sikka is the CEO of Terviva, an agtech company that’s transforming the food landscape.

We rely on just a few crops for our survival, think corn, wheat, etc. But we know that there are many issues with modern agriculture as it's been performed.

Naveen and his team have created a true win/win/win company by creating a regenerative food system based on the Pongamia tree, a tree that grows where many other crops can’t.

In addition to reclaiming “bad” farmland, this tree produces both oil and protein with far-reaching positive implications for our health and the planet.

Terviva has received somewhere in the ballpark of 100 million in funding, and they've been recognized as one of the 25 most innovative ag-tech startups by Forbes several years in a row.

➡️ https://www.terviva.com

➡️ Ep. Highlights: https://rosspalmer.com/naveen-sikka

Lizanne Falsetto is the CEO, Founder, and Chairman of betterland foods™, and the founder of thinkThin®. 

Long before she became an entrepreneur, Lizanne Falsetto had a career as a model.

She developed food for herself on the job, and quickly discovered that her peers were interested in what she was making. She went on to create thinkThin®, the gluten-free protein bars you’ve seen on the shelves of grocery stores since the 90s. She sold that company a few years ago, and now she’s building game-changing, cow-free dairy alternatives.

Just as importantly, Lizanne's career has taken a series of unexpected twists and turns that are genuinely inspirational. She’s been decorated with an impressive array of awards and accolades, and she is well-known for her philanthropy. I'm deeply honored to have her here.

Aliénor Salmon is an author, speaker and consultant. She's the creator of the book Finding Rhythm Bailando Journey.

If ever there was a story that fit the premise of this show, it’s hers: She graduated from King’s College In London with a master’s in War Studies, then she worked as a field researcher in Mongolia and landed her dream job studying happiness for UNESCO in Bangkok, where she lived for many years. As if that wasn’t wild enough, she decided to drop her job in pursuit of her own happiness, setting out to learn the local dances of 8 Latin American countries in 8 months. She called this her "Bailando Journey", and she ended up learning 18 dances over 10 months, forever changing her life.

➡️ Episode Highlights: beattheoftenpath.com

➡️ https://bailandojourney.com/

Dr. Scott Fulbright is the CEO and Co-Founder of Living Ink Technologies, a company that’s developing the next generation of ink and coatings from algae.

His innovative business model replaces the ubiquitous petroleum inks that are all around us, from packaging to clothing tags, to shirts—you name it.

Their inks and pigments are carbon negative, and by switching to their product we can save pounds and pounds of petroleum while removing carbon dioxide from the air. It’s a true win/win/win that’s gotten him millions in funding, several honors, and partnerships with brands like NIKE, Adidas, Patagonia, and more.

➡️ Episode Highlights: beattheoftenpath.com

➡️ https://livingink.co/

Dr. Klein Ileleji is the CEO of JUA Technologies International, and he has dedicated his life to agriculture and engineering.

Discover how his curiosity led him down multiple career paths, ultimately leading him on a journey from his home in Nigeria around the world. He is a professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Purdue University and the co-founder of JUA Technologies, a company that makes solar-powered food dryers for small farmers in the developing world. He distilled his decades of experience into a meaningful product to combat food insecurity, and he has my deep admiration for that. 

➡️ Watch this episode on YouTube

➡️ Episode Highlights: beattheoftenpath.com

➡️ https://juatechnology.com

Quinn Fitzgerald is the co-founder and co-CEO of Flare, a smart, fashionable bracelet that provides 24/7 safety without drawing attention to itself.

The product was designed to prevent sexual assault, but its features are perfect for a range of unwanted situations. The bracelet can call 911, notify friends/family that you’re in distress, help you receive an incoming phone call/text message, and more. By tapping into an unfortunate but very real need, Quinn has seen her business explode, getting her millions in funding and placement in TIME, Fast Company, Forbes, and more. I’m humbled and honored that she’s here with us today to share her story. 

➡️ Watch this episode on YouTube

➡️ Episode Highlights: beattheoftenpath.com

➡️ getflare.com

Lizia Santos is the founder of CityCatt, a tech start-up that provides more unique and authentic travel experiences.

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➡️ Episode Highlights: beattheoftenpath.com

Lizia switched careers from journalism to start-up founder, all while raising three children, making her accomplishments all the more impressive. Her unique perspective on life and travel all led to her founding a better way for us to get connected using technology and explore new destinations. She’s been featured on CNBC and was recently ranked #33 in a list of the 100 best CEOs disrupting tech, so here’s Lizia Santos, founder of CityCatt.

Joining me today is Christina Merrill, President & CEO at the Bone Marrow & Cancer Foundation.

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➡️ Episode Highlights: beattheoftenpath.com

For the last 30 years, Christina has dedicated her life to improving health outcomes and quality of life for transplant and cancer patients. Her foundation has helped more than 100,000 patients and their families, they specialize in people with a cancer diagnosis and those in need of a transplant, and they provide financial assistance, educational information, and emotional support programs at no cost. She’s committed herself to a truly noble cause, so I’m honored to have her on the show today.

Arnold Leitner is the founder, CEO, and president of YouSolar. His innovative approach to solar power and battery storage has gotten him millions in investments.

➡️ Watch this episode on YouTube

➡️ Episode Highlights: beattheoftenpath.com

He’s spent two decades innovating in solar, founding two prominent companies in the space called SkyFuel and ReflecTech before his latest endeavor. YouSolar’s modular battery grid and solar panel combo allows you to dramatically reduce your need for grid power (or eliminate it), and it can keep your house running in the case of a power failure. It’s tech I hope someday all of us can have in our homes.