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Take a look around you—carpets, curtains, sheets, upholstery, the clothes we wear. TeXtiLes aRe evErywheRe! 

Textiles are so embedded in our everyday life that we barely notice them, let alone spend time visualizing all the textiles that exist in the world and those still being created.

For this reason, and because textile pollution is much less visible than other kinds, we don’t usually think of textiles in terms of sustainability. And yet, the fashion industry is the fourth most polluting industry in the world after energy, transport, and agriculture.

As such, considering the development of sustainable textiles and processing systems is central to addressing the climate crisis.

Developing sustainable textiles and in a more sustainable way won’t be easy—the textile industry’s ubiquity and ties to agriculture, science, manufacturing, culture, and so many other fields means we must develop multidimensional solutions that reach across industries and ideologies.

As Materevolve’s Krystle Moody Wood explains to us, it is exactly this ubiquitous and intersectional nature that makes the textile industry so poised to create revolutionary change. 

The sustainable textile movement is key to bringing about a more regenerative world. In this post and accompanying podcast episode, we’ll discuss the current environmental impacts of the textile industry and how we, as both consumers and companies, have the power to ignite systematic change at every level.

In our Episode with Krystle, we discuss: 

• The Textile Industry’s Impact on the Environment
• The Framework of the Textile Industry
• A Consumer's Guide to Sustainable Textiles

Full Show Notes & Episode Bonuses:

https://growensemble.com/sustainable-textiles/

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The dirtiest item in fast fashion sits in most of our closets. With its use of cotton, chemicals, pesticides, and indigo dyes, denim has been making its mark on the environment for decades. But it doesn’t have to be this way. 

Changemakers in the fashion industry are disrupting the denim space. Brands like MUD Jeans are choosing recycled and organic cotton and leading the way in circular, sustainable production. 

We’ve talked to fashion industry leaders about how to reduce textile waste, what to do with unwanted clothes, how to shift from linear to circular fashion, and more. Today, we’re taking sustainable fashion a step further to talk all about denim production. 

Laura Vicaria is the corporate social responsibility (CSR) manager at the first circular denim company, MUD Jeans. On The Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Podcast, Cory and Laura discuss the challenges and opportunities of producing sustainable denim. In this post, we’ll cover how MUD Jeans is leading the way for eco-friendly fashion, and we’ll learn Laura’s tips for sustainable denim production.

In our Episode with Laura, we discuss: 

• The problem with denim production
• The environmental impact of demin
• Can denim be sustainable?

Full Show Notes & Episode Bonuses:

https://growensemble.com/sustainable-denim/

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For this episode of the Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Podcast, Madeleine Shaw joins Cory for a second time as they discuss the journey to becoming a social entrepreneur. 

Madeleine is an incredibly accomplished social entrepreneur herself. She is the Co-founder and Director of Partnership and Impact of Aisle, a B Corp focussed on commercializing reusable menstrual products, the founder of G Day, a national event series for tween girls, and Nestworks, a family-friendly co-working community. She has also just published her first book, The Greater Good: Social Entrepreneurship for Everyday People Who Want to Change the World.

Full Show Notes & Episode Bonuses:

https://growensemble.com/how-to-become-a-social-entrepreneur/

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For this episode of the Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Podcast, Cory interviews Brett Jenks, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Rare, which is an organization that is dedicated to utilizing behavioral insights to effectively encourage individuals to take action to help the environment.

Environmental concerns, such as climate change, can often feel so monumental that one person’s actions seem trivial. However, individual actions can have a major impact, especially when they converge into collective action. This post will explore why individual actions matter and how utilizing behavioral science can improve the effectiveness of sustainability campaigns.

In our Episode with Brett, we discuss: 

• Why is individual action important for sustainability?
• What does it take to actually change behavior?
• Common social science tools that effect change

Full Show Notes & Episode Bonuses:

https://growensemble.com/individual-action/

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Fashion has always been cyclical, reusing older trends and updating them ever so slightly. 

But technology is pushing cyclical fashion to become circular, meaning that the useful life of garments extends indefinitely. Those old t-shirts or jeans you wore 15 years ago, or the ones your parents had way before that, can now become part of your current wardrobe again.

Faith Legendre, the owner of the circular economy advisory company, Afire Consulting, explains to Cory during this episode of the Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Podcast, “...they make 2 million black size two shirts [and] it’s bad for the environment. It’s bad for the psyche.”

Let’s look at how technology and fashion are colliding for a more sustainable future of the fashion industry by decreasing wasteful production and increasing personalization.

In our Episode with Faith, we discuss: 

• What is the role of technology in the future of fashion?
• What are the Environmental Impacts of Fashion?
• How Can Technology Improve Sustainability in the Fashion Industry?
• How Does Technology Change the Fashion Industry Workforce?

Full Show Notes & Episode Bonuses:

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

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The booming field of computer science and technology is full of promise and opportunity. Tech jobs with top companies are highly coveted but what is it really like to work in the tech industry?

A career in tech can mean great perks, hard work, and continuous evolution of new skills. It is also a field that could benefit from more social support. Prioritizing the humanity of the people who consume and create the internet could make it a safer, more fulfilling place to work and to be.

Host Cory Ames sat down with Dojo 4’s Corey Kohn on the Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Podcast as part of our new series on technology. They discussed tech and culture, and how reconnecting with humans and nature is the antidote we need.

In this post, we’ll discuss the modern experience of working in tech, the unique challenges facing women and people of color in a white male-dominated industry, and what we can do to find meaning while working in this field today.

In our Episode with Corey, we discuss: 

• Working in tech: what's it like?
• What's it like to be BIPOC in tech?
• What's it like for women working in tech?
• How technology affects us all

Full Show Notes & Episode Bonuses:

https://growensemble.com/working-in-tech/

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Rethinking textile waste to reduce the impact of fashion

The world is becoming more aware of the negative impact of fashion, and social entrepreneurs are making major moves to turn fast fashion into a sustainable, circular industry.

We’ve talked about the human cost of apparel production and the Rana Plaza disaster, how individuals can avoid fast fashion and responsibly dispose of old clothes, sustainable business, and the circular fashion economy, and more through our Impact of Fashion series.

Today we’re taking a step back in the production process and talking all about textiles. 

Stephanie Benedetto is tackling textile waste through her sustainable deadstock textile marketplace, Queen of Raw. She spoke with Cory on The Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Podcast about the magnitude of textile waste and how technology can reroute unused textiles from the landfill to new customers.

In our Episode with Stephanie, we discuss: 

• What is textile waste, and what can we do about it?
• What are the different types of textile waste?
• Why is textile waste a problem?
• How do we create diverse boards?
• How to Reduce Textile Waste

Full Show Notes & Episode Bonuses:

https://growensemble.com/textile-waste/

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When I think of a corporate boardroom, the image that comes to mind is a long, narrow table, big windows, views of a city skyline, middle-aged or older white men, and maybe a couple white women. And I’m not alone. 

In this episode of The Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Podcast, Cory interviewed Jerusha Stewart and John Replogle of Take Your Seat and discussed the importance of diversity in board membership while reflecting on the current landscape of board diversity in America.

In our Episode with Jerusha and John, we discuss: 

• Board Diversity: What is it & why does it matter?
• What are the benefits of having a diverse board?
• What are the challenges to creating a diverse board?
• How do we create diverse boards?
• Ways you can take action

Full Show Notes & Episode Bonuses:

https://growensemble.com/board-diversity/

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To end out Plastic Free July, we're rounding out our month of plastic-free content with 11 steps to help you kick plastic to the curb (for good!) in multiple areas of your life.

With a little help from our friends over at EarthHero, we put together a helpful list of tips and product alternatives sure to simplify your journey toward a plastic-free future.

In this episode, we discuss: 

• How to set yourself up for plastic-free success
• A complete step by step walkthrough on how to go plastic-free
• Great planet-friendly alternatives to everyday plastic products
• The ways plastic might win and how to stay the course

Full Show Notes & Episode Bonuses:

https://growensemble.com/how-to-go-plastic-free/

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In honor of Plastic Free July, we're reposting our episode with Eric Hudson, CEO of Preserve. 

Preserve is a certified B-Corporation on a mission “to help reduce the harm caused by the industrial age by demonstrating that products can be both fabulous to use and lighter on the earth.”

In this episode, we discuss: 

• The impact single-use plastics have on the oceans
• Unconventional methods for reducing plastic’s environmental impact 
• Innovative Initiatives contributing to the plastic-free cause (such as POPI)
• How Eric foresees Preserve's continued development and mission to rid the world of single-use plastic.

Full Show Notes & Episode Bonuses:

https://growensemble.com/preserve-eric-hudson/

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