In today's episode, I speak to Matt Semmelhack, the co-founder and CEO of Boox, reusable boxes, and shipping bags, eliminating single-use plastic and cardboard from eCommerce shipments. 

The rise of eCommerce has been massive in the last few years and further accelerated by the pandemic. We'll dive into some of the most sustainable options to reduce the negative environmental impact of shipment.

• [01:00] Matt's Personal Journey (How he started Boox)
• [08:09] Comparing the environmental impact of Boox to other solutions
• [09:41] Boox's initial market segment
• [12:33] How does Boox work? (Customer Experience explained)
• [14:39] Boox's value proposition for the retailer
• [19:16] Key strategies Boox uses to increase box return rates
• [23:23] Matt's biggest entrepreneurial lessons
• [29:22] Founding vs Operating - Where are you on the spectrum?
• [32:40] Boox's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “Part of my entrepreneurial journey is finding something I really love to think about and & will outlive me” [01:42]
• “One of the special things about restaurants is that you get to see the customer's reaction to your product in real-time. I’m trying to apply in most of what I do ” [04:43]
• “Getting real-time feedback is a pretty unique angle into product development.”
• “There's ~200 billion shipments globally every year. If our solution works correctly, we have the potential to reduce the overall environmental impact of that shipment by 70% or more” [8:25]
• “When I was a kid, it wasn't cool to be sustainable. People weren't seeking out brands because of it but now they are” [11:48]
• “Switching to Boox improves your bottom line because of customer retention, acquisition, and loyalty.” [12:11]
• “If you approach a brand with an environmentally friendly solution but it drastically affects their bottom line, they're gonna say no; it’s just a reality of business today” [15:35]
• “Getting consumers to shift behavior is probably the biggest challenge we've had and will continue to have” [18:23]
• “An important thing about working on an impactful challenge is that we see other companies like that as partners, not as competition. Unless we all win, none of us win” [22:30]
• “Take care of your employees. There is no other greater resource that you have as a company” [24:13]
• “When you start to think of employees as expenses, your priorities are in the wrong order” [25:04]
• “As a startup, make decisive actions. You don't have to solve the future state yet. Just get over the next hump. [32:00]

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In today's episode, I speak to Khyati Sundaram the CEO of Applied, a platform helping businesses to take bias out of their recruitment processes through anonymized recruiting, and algorithms that help them predict which candidates will be performing best in their roles, based on objective criteria rather than anything subjective and any biases.

The company also offers AI-based tools to help write job descriptions that are likely to attract a diverse set of candidates rather than biasing towards a certain set of candidates. 

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [00:38] Khyati's Personal Journey
• [05:22] Most common recruitment biases in companies
• [07:33] Solutions for Debiasing Recruitment
• [11:27] Understanding how to test for skillsets in a non-biased way
• [14:56] Integrating Predictive Algorithms &Machine Learning into the Recruitment Process
• [17:42] Best way for early-stage startups to integrate debiased recruiting
• [21:45] Job descriptions 101: How to recruit more diverse talent
• [24:50] Biggest challenges for companies trying to adopt diverse hiring practices at scale
• [26:59] Applied in Action
• [31:09] Applied's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “Working as a Developer in Google doesn't automatically mean you'll translate all those skills well in any other company” [06:08]
• “As an employer don't just screen based on the CV” [09:55]
• “We know that AI can aid in adding bias to the recruitment system.  We are working towards achieving the opposite; harm reduction” [16:41]
• "Most founders neglect the recruitment system - you're only as good as your team." [18:43]
• "Every company is a recruitment company & until they realize that, things will only get worse" [21:39]
• "We see Applied as an expression of a fairer society where there's level access to jobs" [31:48]

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In today's episode, I speak to Erin Davis, co-founder, and COO of Enduring Planet, which is a revenue-based financing platform for climate tech startups. The platform allows climate tech companies to raise funding without dilution, without giving away equity, and without any personal guarantees and collateral.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [00:45] Erin’s Personal Journey
• [06:49] What Enduring Planet is all about
• [09:13] How Enduring Planet lets founders do what they do best
• [11:13] Enduring Planet's Value Proposition to Investors
• [13:57] How Enduring Planet implements diversity & inclusion into their product
• [15:07] Key requirements for founders to get funding from Enduring Planet
• [17:21] Erin's take on the Macro Environment
• [18:54] Types of companies Enduring Planet invests in
• [20:08] Biggest challenges Erin faced as a first-time founder
• [21:24] Advice for founders in the current climate tech environment
• [22:56] Changes in the fundraising environment
• [24:36] Enduring Planet's funding framework
• [26:21] Enduring Planet's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• "I'm not really scared of failing and if I did, I know I'd land on my feet & find something else to do" [06:27]
• "There's fewer impact in climate-focused investments that are a fixed income return" [11:39]
• "As a first-time founder, don't get bogged down in too many details. Done is better than perfect" [20:34]
• "Ultimately, investors invest in people. If you have that passion & drive to move something forward, they're willing to trust that." [21:14]

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Tom Foster-Carter, the founder of Lollipop, (online shopping assistant ) is on a mission to help solve the health and obesity crisis and reduce the food plastic waste on the planet.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [00:13] Tom's personal background & journey
• [6:26] Lollipop business setup and purpose
• [12:08] Food waste control mechanisms
• [15:34] Mistakes and lessons learned
• [20:57] Reading and not applying
• [23:43] Intentionality of business build-up
• [30:18] Sacrifices of “Change the world” entrepreneurs
• [35:02] Advice for financially scared start-ups
• [38:52] Tom's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “An improving next generation expects much bigger, better things, out of the products that they use and the businesses that they support.” [12:29]
• “You can validate your product by speaking to customers, designs, simple prototypes without an integration, Wizard of Oz style and so on. Those principles were absolutely golden for me.” [16:01]
• “Fall in love with the problem, not the solution” [21:36]

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Amee Richie and Jake Elliot-Hook, the co-founders of S'wheat Bottle. S'wheat Bottle has developed a reusable plant-based water bottle made from sustainably sourced bamboo and wheat straw For every bottle sold. The company plants a tree and removes plastic from the ocean.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [0:34] Amee & Jake's personal background & journey
• [2:52] S'wheat Bottle’s crowdfunding campaign
• [3:54] How Amee & Jake promoted their crowdfunding campaign
• [4:57] S'wheat Bottle’s PR opportunity
• [5:54] How Amee & Jake spent the funding step by step
• [7:27] S'wheat Bottle’s production process and materials
• [8:23] S'wheat Bottle’s material transformation
• [9:03] How does S'wheat Bottle work?
• [9:48] Lessons learned in the entrepreneurship journey
• [14:20] Amee & Jake bottle product development experience
• [15:21] Product development phase and working with manufacturers
• [16:09] Lessons learned working with manufacturing partners
• [18:20] Benefits and differences of working as co-founders
• [20:27] Dating and co-founding relationship experience
• [22:35] How to differentiate your product to competitors
• [25:34] Challenges faced against larger companies
• [27:07 ] Amee & Jake's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “When we first started we were very, very stingy with our money, so my bit of advice would be not to cut too many corners” [10:44]
• “I think it's really important to have the same vision and the same goal for the company as a couple co-founding together and communication skills ” [21:16]
• “We really want to fight against deforestation, so we always plant trees where they're needed most in the world” [27:18]

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Robin Saluoks, the CEO and co-founder of eAgronom, a platform helping farmers adapt to sustainable farming practices and increase revenue through the voluntary carbon market.

In today’s episode, we discuss how he built his company from the ground up.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [00:27] Robin's personal background & journey
• [5:02] Farmers management app
• [6:37] Using farming to capture carbon and greenhouse gasses
• [9:33] Impact of farming in battling climate change and farmer’s solutions
• [12:10] How can farmers impact carbon sequester
• [14:58] eAgronom’s approach to measurement and verification of carbon emissions
• [17:21] Barriers eAgronom’s clients face adopting the technology
• [19:47] Global expansion and lessons learned as an entrepreneur 
• [21:54] eAgronom’s market expansion
• [24:28] eAgronom’s current markets
• [25:31] Product translation and customization for different markets
• [27:25] Robin's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• "Soil after the ocean is the second biggest carbon bank on earth" [10:20]
• “Farmers need to implement full air crop coverage to help curb carbon sequester” [12:27]
• “For many farmers, it seems unbelievable that they will get money for selling air but our carbon program covers them” [17:37]

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In today's episode, I speak to Anna Maybank, co-founder of Break Room, a platform with a mission to improve working conditions for low-income jobs by creating transparency, sharing salaries, working conditions, and employee ratings publicly. Break Room has raised more than 7 million dollars in funding from the likes of Pro-founders Capital and North Zone, has about 65,000 members, and more than 600,000 jobs rated on its platform.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [00:32] Anna’sPersonal Journey
• [03:45] Anna’s Founder’s Journey
• [06:27] How Anna started Break Room (Identifying the biggest problems that need solving)
• [08:40] How Break Room works 
• [10:35] Break Room's Core Business Model
• [11:39] How Break Room is working toward solving the societal divide
• [15:14] Is the treatment of frontline workers improving?
• [17:37] How Break Room is incentivizing companies to make positive shifts in worker pay & job flexibility
• [20:16] Biggest lessons in Anna's journey as a founder
• [23.46] Importance of face-to-face conversations when collecting feedback
• [25:01] Big Room's main role in the recruitment industry
• [27:46] Break Room's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “We started Break Room from the perspective of ‘What’s the biggest problem we could try to solve?’ Then talked to lots of people who had the problem that we cared about” [06:43]
• “Don't just seek to solve problems that you’ve personally experienced. Go beyond that & listen to others” [08:52]
• “77% of people who use Breakroom tell us that their head office doesn't understand what's going on on the front line; just a reflection of the divide” [13:08]
• "Pay is a huge problem. 70% of those who took our survey say that the cost of living increase is the main factor in them looking for a new job" [13:39]
• "45% of people who use break room report that they get their schedule for work less than a week before they do that work. That makes organizing your life incredibly hard" [14:14]
• “In the future, I want to see us being able to prove that a company with a higher Break Room rating, with data that shows they are a better quality employer, is able to map that to better financial results and better financial outcomes for a company.” [19:33]
• "Better quality jobs result in better business outcomes.” [19:50]
• “Always remember to keep talking to the people who are using your product.” [20:40]
• “Companies need to realize that, the quality of jobs matters for the health of their business.” [26:17]
• “The future will see businesses start to value and measure the impact of the quality of their jobs in terms of improving business performance” [28:01]
• “Break room will be one of the sources of information & data that proves that better quality jobs are not just better for workers, but also for companies.”

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Peet Denny, the founding partner at Climate VC, which is a new venture fund investing in climate tech ventures, and the fund is based in the UK. Climate VC is planning to actually fund a hundred startups over the next three years.

In today’s episode, we discuss how he built his company from the ground up.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [00:55] Peet's personal background & journey
• [3:28] How the machine learning model works to track rainforest destruction
• [5:03] Climate VC journey and thesis
• [7:22] The SEISEIS fund impact on Climate VC
• [9:22] Peet's climate tech funding opinion
• [11:27] Peet's advice to climate tech founders currently fundraising
• [13:14] Climate tech startups space
• [16:05] Focusing on the promiseland not the problems
• [18:08] Biggest rules for success in funding a startup
• [20:12] Peet's Investment decision-making process
• [22:04] Managing vision & division in a startup
• [23:20] Characteristics of a great founder and team
• [25:33] Peet's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

“Being quite on top of your game in understanding where your impact is coming from. And having the long-term view of making that more and more sophisticated over time, will make it easier for you to raise money.” [12.11]

“We wanna see a team that will just roll over all of the rocks in the road without breaking the pace. Typically founders are amazing problem solvers and that's why we love them and need them in our lives. ” [16.22]

“ If a potential customer is excited about a product, then that's so much of the problem solved. ” [18:19]


“If you look at a founding team as a team and not as a set of individuals, it doesn't really matter who you are as long as you're great in some way” [24:37]

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Martin Holden-White, the founder of Grubby, (one of the highest-rated recipe kits in the UK) is on a mission to make plant-based cooking more accessible across the world.

In today’s episode, we discuss how he built his company from the ground up.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• [00:30] Martin's personal background & journey
• [02:30] The inception & launch of Grubby (Before COVID hit)
• [04:20] The relaunch of Grubby
• [05:56] Competing with big players in the D2C space
• [07:39] Weaving sustainability into your business operations
• [09:30] Giving investors an idea to buy into
• [11:56] Getting the right investors for your startup
• [13:02] How to use angel fundraising & investment crowdfunding effectively
• [15:00] How to keep crowdfunding investors involved as advocates for your business
• [16:07] Grubby: From initial growth to profitability
• [18:39] Identifying your initial customer segment & scaling further as an early-stage founder
• [21:43] Marketing & Positioning: Messaging for different customer segments
• [22:40] The biggest challenge Martin faced as a founder
• [25:00] Importance of having a support system as an early-stage founder
• [26:25] Martin's advice on how to structure your life as a founder
• [30:35] Martin's advice for startups looking to become a B Corp
• [33:10 ] Grubby's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

• “Relentlessly seek feedback” [3:08]
• “Look for investors that you really get along with. They don’t just care about the money - it’s more about how they can help and be a mentor to you” [3:42]
• “Sustainability isn’t the cheapest thing to do, but customers hold value in it - that’s why they buy into our product & mission” [7:55]
• “The early stages as a founder is just about getting as much traction as you can ” [10:21]
• “In that early stage, when there’s very little traction & revenue, angels invest in you as an individual - a lot of it comes down to personality fit.” [11:19]
• “Bootstrapping 101 - Be unbelievably conscious about what you’re getting out of every pound you're spending.” [12:32]
• “The whole thing with crowdfunding is that the crowd follows. So if you have some angel investors already involved already it’ll be easier for them to  believe in your products” [14:25]
• "Word of mouth is the cheapest way to grow your business. Obvious, but overlooked" [15:47]
• “Have really clear pillars - spend time creating that on-page document with all the priorities you had at the start of the year. Look at it every so often to reorient yourself accordingly.” [27:40]”

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With the increasing severity of the climate problem, thankfully, there are organizations like Cervest that offer their climate intelligence program to empower companies and individuals to analyze their climate risk and make climate-informed decisions. For this reason, Cervest’s Founder and CEO Iggy Bassi joins us today to educate us on why we need to quantify and act on climate risks. 

Some of the highlights of this episode include the extremely useful advice that Iggy shares on building a mission-driving business, hiring the right people, finding the right investors, cultivating great relationships with both your staff and investors, and getting through the dark days. He also talks about why you need to marry method with conviction, which he emphasizes a lot, as it has a big role to play for founders when building a company. This is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Iggy’s key lessons and quotes from this episode were:

• “Conviction needs to be high on mission, but also needs to marry with method as well, because the real impact you're looking to make has to be scalable.” (27:17)
• “There'll always be dark days… The question is, who do you want around your board when times get dark, and do they believe in the same thing that you believe?” (27:52)
• “You may be very strong on vision, but you've got to surround yourself with the right talent, and you have to build the right culture, because [...] for every power you have, you have a corresponding weakness as well.” (31:43)

In this episode, we also talked about:

• Cervest and how it works (6:32)
• Why people use Cervest (17:54)
• Iggy’s hardest lessons learned (26:47)
• Finding mission-aligned investors (34:55)

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