Life Ensemble

Welcome back to part two of this special project, where we recap some of the strongest moments from our guests recorded throughout the year to close out 2021!

Featured in this two-part series are ten impact business leaders who are changing the course of business for the good of the planet and people everywhere. 

First up is Laura Vicaria, CSR manager of MUD Jeans, to talk to us about circularity in the context of sustainability, and how sustainability should extend to dispel the power dynamic in the fashion industry and ensure that everyone benefits across the supply chain. 

Next, we hear from Corey Kohn about how her Buddhist upbringing informs how she does business and the deeper purpose of her tech agency, Dojo4. 

Another guest committed to using business as a force for good is tree farmer, Aram Terry, who explains why reforestation should be made into a business and why wood is the most sustainable building material. 

Amy Hall follows with a definition of true sustainability and some insightful solutions to address fast fashion. 

Finally, we welcome Eleven Radius’ Asheen Phansey and Monica Park, veterans of corporate sustainability and the fashion industry, respectively. Asheen points out the opportunity of circularity, while Monica identifies its greatest barriers and their respective solutions.

-- --   💌 BETTER WORLD WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: The Better World Weekly is a weekly newsletter written and published by Grow Ensemble Founder and Podcast Host, Cory Ames. For the latest insights, analysis, and inspiration for building a better world, join the 1000s of changemakers and social entrepreneurs from all sectors all over the globe who get this email in their inbox every Monday.    Subscribe >>> https://growensemble.com/newsletter/   -- --   📄 Full Show Notes - Links, Transcript, & More   📣 SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

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In this special two-part project, we're recapping some of the strongest moments from our impact business leader guests throughout the year – the ones who are changing business for the good of the people and the planet – to close out 2021!

First up is Madeleine Shaw, who gives us her expansive definition for social entrepreneurship, and tells us all about her aim to help people feel empowered to enact change. 

Next, we hear some pearls of wisdom from Giancarlo Marcaccini, from Yogi Tea, about bouncing back from failure, loving what you do, hiring good people, and facilitating success. 

Carol Sanford talks us through her three Cs of leadership, which include capability, culture, and consciousness.

Christopher Marquis, who recently produced a book called, Better Business, on the role of the B Corp in reinventing capitalism, comes in next. He is a believer that when both structure and intent have the correct aim, business has the ability to be a force for good. You’ll hear the two things that set the B Corp apart from other forms of business. 

And lastly for this first-of-two parts, we ask Faith Legendre about her views on fashion and sustainability, and she shares some unexpected statistics with us.

Tune in again in a couple of days for the second episode on these inspiring Impact Leaders!

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💌 BETTER WORLD WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:

The Better World Weekly is a weekly newsletter written and published by Grow Ensemble Founder and Podcast Host, Cory Ames. For the latest insights, analysis, and inspiration for building a better world, join the 1000s of changemakers and social entrepreneurs from all sectors all over the globe who get this email in their inbox every Monday. 

Subscribe >>> https://growensemble.com/newsletter/

-- --

📄 Full Show Notes - Links, Transcript, & More

📣 SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

• Leave a Review (on Apple Podcasts!)
• Subscribe to the Newsletter
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GROW ENSEMBLE:

We still have a long way to go in terms of sustainability in fashion, but there are solutions!

Not only that, there is an increasing number of brands and organizations actively working towards change.

Today we’re back with another installment of our series on the impact of fashion. Joining us is Lucy Shea, CEO of the change agency, Futerra, to talk about sustainability in the fashion industry and why the fashion industry matters.

Lucy is an expert in the business of climate action and sustainable lifestyles and has advised clients such as Tommy Hilfiger, Unilever, Sky, and the World Wildlife Foundation. She radically reimagined garment recycling over a decade ago by creating the global clothes swapping movement, Swishing.

In our conversation with Lucy, She shares her thoughts on what she believes to be the most effective and respectful route towards change, and why she considers a living wage to be an absolute necessity for the future of our planet.

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💌 BETTER WORLD WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:

The Better World Weekly is a weekly newsletter written and published by Grow Ensemble Founder and Podcast Host, Cory Ames. For the latest insights, analysis, and inspiration for building a better world, join the 1000s of changemakers and social entrepreneurs from all sectors all over the globe who get this email in their inbox every Monday. 

Subscribe >>> https://growensemble.com/newsletter/

-- --   📄 Full Show Notes - Links, Transcript, & More 📣 SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

• Leave a Review (on Apple Podcasts!) 
• Subscribe to the Newsletter
• Share the Podcast on Twitter or LinkedIn

Mandeep Soor is one of the co-founders of bendi, a company helping businesses to measure, manage, and communicate their impacts and become sustainability leaders. 

In this episode we pick Mandeep’s brain about the progression of bendi as they delve deeper into measuring and defining sustainability, the challenges and roadblocks her clients face, and her predictions for the future of fashion and technology. 

You’ll hear why even the statement ‘sustainable fashion’ is fraught with challenges, why the only truly sustainable product is a fully circular one, and why she thinks of sustainability as a spectrum rather than a goal. 

Hear all about how bendi works, what she envisions for its future and the future of fashion as a whole, and why she talks about footprints and journeys in the sustainability space in this new episode in our series on The Impact of Fashion, with our partners at Dhana.

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💌 BETTER WORLD WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:

The Better World Weekly is a weekly newsletter written and published by Grow Ensemble Founder and Podcast Host, Cory Ames. For the latest insights, analysis, and inspiration for building a better world, join the 1000s of changemakers and social entrepreneurs from all sectors all over the globe who get this email in their inbox every Monday. 

Subscribe >>> https://growensemble.com/newsletter/

-- --   📄 Full Show Notes - Links, Transcript, & More 📣 SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

• Leave a Review (on Apple Podcasts!) 
• Subscribe to the Newsletter
• Share the Podcast on Twitter or LinkedIn

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Andrew Morgan is an internationally recognized filmmaker, and the director of The True Cost, a documentary about the global impact of the fashion industry. First released in 2015, the film took Andrew and his team on a journey around the world, from documenting brand-name factories in Bangladesh, characterized by disgraceful working conditions and human rights violations, to the elite catwalks of Paris Fashion Week. 

This episode continues our series on The Impact of Fashion, where we explore the social, environmental, and economic challenges facing the fashion industry with our partners at Dhana. 

In this conversation with Andrew, we discuss his love of filmmaking and storytelling, how he first decided to pursue this documentary without any prior interest in fashion, and how his understanding of the world has shifted in the years since it was first released. We delve into the systemic changes necessary to influence the future of fashion to be more equitable, sustainable, and humane, and unpack how to remain hopeful when change doesn’t happen fast enough.

Andrew also shares how he continues to stay informed of the fashion world, how his work has influenced the way he parents and why he wants to remind listeners of the unseen impact of their lives. Tune in for an honest and thought-provoking conversation on the impact of the fashion industry and the challenge of optimism.

🗣 TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• Welcome *back* to our Impact of Fashion series.
• Introducing today’s guest, Andrew Morgan, the director of The True Cost.
• Andrew shares what originally drew him to storytelling and filmmaking as a medium.
• The documentary that Andrew made in response to the sudden loss of his father.
• The healing power of film and how Andrew discovered his role in the filmmaking process.
• How Andrew discovered his skill for bringing together an exceptional team of people.
• How a newspaper article prompted Andrew’s research into the true cost of fashion.
• Andrew’s experiences filming The True Cost and his continuing journey with its content.
• The huge scope of the film and why editing was the most difficult part of completing it.
• The ongoing changes that have happened in Andrew’s life since making the film.
• How making The True Cost has impacted Andrew’s parenting and how he discusses difficult topics with his kids.
• Andrew’s thoughts on the film after eight years since starting production.
• How Andrew has continued to stay informed of the fashion industry and what has been taking place.
• The mix of optimism and disappointment that Andrew feels about the fashion industry and its impact.
• How awareness and consumer consciousness have shifted and what it means for the future of fashion and waste.

The exchange of wedding rings is a centuries-old tradition, and most wedding ring makers have remained stuck in the past, utilizing environmentally-unfriendly materials, and leaving a whole cohort of modern-couple ‘typographies’ out of their branding scope. But not Holden!

Holden is a custom wedding ring company built on the principles of sustainability, transparency, and inclusivity.

In today’s episode, host Cory Ames is joined by Holden’s cofounder, Andrew Lim, and its content marketing lead and first full-time employee, Carrie Adams. Tuning in to this conversation, you’ll hear the ins and outs of Holden's origin story, how the company differentiates itself in an all-around positive way, and the exciting plans they have for the future.

Cory's wedding band is from Holden, so from personal experience, he can vouch for the way they put into practice everything that they stand for!  

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Choose a wedding ring through Holden using this link here, and Grow Ensemble receives a small commission at no extra cost to you. Those commissions help support the production of The Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation Podcast!  

🗣 TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• Andrew and Carrie explain what Holden’s mission is. 
• Where the idea for Holden originated, and the company that preceded it.
• Growth that Holden has experienced since Carrie joined the company 2 years ago. 
• How Holden gives back. 
• Cory's personal experience with Holden. 
• The transparent process of customizing a Holden ring. 
• Customer service that Holden provides. 
• How Holden puts its commitment to sustainability into practice.
• Accessibility of Holden products.
• Holden’s exciting plans for the future.
• Book recommendations from Carrie and Andrew. 
• Brands that Andrew and Carrie are inspired by.
• Valuable advice from Carrie and Andrew around being an entrepreneur.

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📄 Full Show Notes - Links, Transcript, & More

📣 SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

• Leave a Review (on Apple Podcasts!) 
• Subscribe to the Newsletter
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While the fashion industry is overwhelmingly known for its environmental exploitation and social injustice, the culprits and structures behind these atrocities remain largely under wraps.

In order to address the issues within the fashion industry, corporate transparency is key. After all, how are we to create change when we don’t even know what is happening and who is responsible?!

In this episode, we discuss the critical role and current state of transparency in fashion with Fashion Revolution's founder, Orsola de Castro.

In our Episode with Orsola, we discuss: 

• What is transparency in the fashion industry?
• The importance of transparency
• Where transparency and fashion activism meet
• What is fashion activism?

Full Show Notes & Episode Bonuses:

https://growensemble.com/transparency-in-fashion/

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On the Goodmakers Podcast, Grow Ensemble Founder Cory Ames was interviewed to talk about how he got into social entrepreneurship, why & how he founded Grow Ensemble, and what his thoughts and opinions are around the latest emerging trends in social enterprise today.   Check out this episode to hear about Cory's story of dropping out of college, becoming a 22-year-old CEO, and founding Grow Ensemble, the impact-driven media and education company it is today.

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Fast fashion brands lead us to believe it’s as easy as buy, buy, buy. There’s no time to wonder about the humans behind T-shirt production because we’ve found a good deal. 

Now, as we learn more about the human cost of garment production, we know fast fashion cannot continue. Garment workers are facing food insecurity, poverty, and unsafe working conditions. Changemakers everywhere have the power to work collectively and spark lasting change. 

Sure, regulating labor rights and protecting garment workers won’t be easy. But Ayesha Barenblat, founder and CEO of Remake, shows us we can all play a part in advocating for garment workers. In a conversation with Cory on the Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Podcast, Ayesha explains why workers' rights are central to the future of fashion.  

Fast fashion can’t continue distancing itself from the people behind the products. In this post, we’ll dive deeper into factory working conditions and provide a roadmap for protecting garment workers and advocating for a better future together.

In our Episode with Ayesha, we discuss: 

• What are the Conditions Like in Fast Fashion Factories?
• Why is Fast Fashion Labor Hard to Regulate?
• How Should the Fashion Industry Treat Workers?
• The Roadmap to Garment Worker Protection 

Full Show Notes & Episode Bonuses:

https://growensemble.com/fast-fashion-factories/

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Even if you’re not interested in fashion, the fact is everyone wears clothes. As social entrepreneurs and changemakers, it’s important to recognize how far we’ve come in the fashion industry. Reflecting on our progress gives us the motivation to keep going.

Cory spoke with eco lifestyle expert and serial social entrepreneur Marci Zaroff on the Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation podcast. They discussed fast fashion, its environmental impacts, and how brands are joining the momentum to disrupt the fashion industry as we know it. 

Disrupting the fast fashion industry may be a slow process, but the good news is we’re moving in the right direction. In this post, we’ll cover why eco fashion matters, how eco fashion has evolved, and what’s next for the fashion industry.

In our Episode with Krystle, we discuss: 

• What Does Eco Fashion Mean?
• Why is Eco Fashion Important?
• When did the Eco Fashion Movement Start?
• Eco Fashion Today

Full Show Notes & Episode Bonuses:

https://growensemble.com/eco-fashion/

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