“Sustainable” isn’t enough, not if we’re still poisoning the planet.

In this episode, I’m joined by Jonathan Appel, co-founder and CEO of Eden, a company developing regeneration tech that turns pollution into clean fuel, water, and fertiliser - with zero waste.

But this conversation goes far beyond the tech.

We dig into the real challenges sustainability founders face when trying to scale something meaningful, including:

💡 Why “sustainability” is broken - and what should replace it

📉 What stops climate tech from scaling, even when the product works

🧠 How to lead through pressure, setbacks, and burnout

⚡ Why mission-aligned capital matters more than fast capital

If you’re building a purpose-led business and trying to grow without compromise, this one’s for you.

🎙 Hosted by Chris Jones

The Plucky Bamboo Podcast - real stories and strategies behind scaling sustainability-focused businesses.

📩 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisg-jones/

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Building a climate or sustainability business and feel like the growth still runs through you?
Take the free Growth Diagnostic - 6 minutes to find the biggest bottleneck holding your growth back, and see how you compare to 300+ climate founders: pluckybamboo.com/growth-diagnostic
The Plucky Bamboo Podcast: sustainability founders on how they actually grow - demand, sales, and the systems behind it. Hosted by Chris Jones.

In this episode of The Plucky Bamboo Podcast, I sit down with Joe Phoenix, founder and CEO of Givinga — a fintech company powering corporate giving strategies from the inside out.

We talk about the stuff most leaders don’t admit publicly:

• Why ESG can’t be a box-ticking exercise anymore

• How to delegate without dropping the ball

• What really builds trust at scale (hint: it’s not just messaging)

• And why growing a purpose-led business always takes 5x longer than you expect

If you’re a sustainability founder stuck between vision and execution, this episode is packed with grounded insight, strategic advice, and hard-earned lessons on building something that lasts.

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Building a climate or sustainability business and feel like the growth still runs through you?
Take the free Growth Diagnostic - 6 minutes to find the biggest bottleneck holding your growth back, and see how you compare to 300+ climate founders: pluckybamboo.com/growth-diagnostic
The Plucky Bamboo Podcast: sustainability founders on how they actually grow - demand, sales, and the systems behind it. Hosted by Chris Jones.

Most sustainability founders are trying to balance two conflicting truths: the pressure to grow and the responsibility to stay true to their values. In this episode, Daniel Walton, founder of OLPRO, shares his hard-earned lessons from building one of the UK’s most recognisable sustainable outdoor brands.

From navigating greenwashing fears to earning B Corp certification and adapting to fast-changing customer expectations, Daniel opens up about what’s worked, what’s failed, and why sustainability is now core to both product and brand strategy.

You’ll learn why their early “loan a tent” initiative didn’t stick, how they’re using recycled materials without compromising quality, and what surprised him most about the B Corp process. If you’re a purpose-driven founder trying to build something that lasts — without losing your edge — this episode is packed with real-world insight.

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Building a climate or sustainability business and feel like the growth still runs through you?
Take the free Growth Diagnostic - 6 minutes to find the biggest bottleneck holding your growth back, and see how you compare to 300+ climate founders: pluckybamboo.com/growth-diagnostic
The Plucky Bamboo Podcast: sustainability founders on how they actually grow - demand, sales, and the systems behind it. Hosted by Chris Jones.

What happens when your sustainability solution works - but the market isn’t ready?

In this episode, Eyal Harel, CEO of BlueGreen Water Technologies, shares how their proven water remediation tech saw explosive success in Israel… and nearly took the company under when they tried to scale too fast into global markets.

We talk about:

• How a single algal bloom caused $2.7B in economic damage

• Why climate founders must learn to sell into conservative, hyper-regulated systems

• The painful lessons of scaling without validation

• Pivoting into carbon credits to unlock growth

• And why 70% success should be “good enough” in environmental innovation

This isn’t a feel-good impact story - it’s a brutally honest breakdown of what it takes to grow when science, regulation, and public perception are all working against you.

If you’re building in climate tech, water, or any mission-driven sector, this one’s for you.

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Building a climate or sustainability business and feel like the growth still runs through you?
Take the free Growth Diagnostic - 6 minutes to find the biggest bottleneck holding your growth back, and see how you compare to 300+ climate founders: pluckybamboo.com/growth-diagnostic
The Plucky Bamboo Podcast: sustainability founders on how they actually grow - demand, sales, and the systems behind it. Hosted by Chris Jones.

Most sustainability companies talk about circularity — but few actually build systems that make it happen at scale.

In this episode, Mikey Pasciuto, Co-Founder of Scrap, shares how his team turned a dorm-room idea into a fast-growing waste data company working with municipalities, brands, and stadiums to reduce landfill, improve packaging, and cut waste at the source.

We discuss:

✅ The real reason Smart Bins failed — and what worked instead

✅ Why most businesses are “waste blind” (and losing money because of it)

✅ How to sell into sustainability functions across wildly different orgs

✅ The truth about SaaS in sustainability — and why white-glove wins

✅ What to prioritize if you’re trying to scale impact and revenue

Whether you’re an ops-minded founder or a systems-savvy sustainability leader, this one’s packed with practical takeaways to help you grow your business and your impact.

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Building a climate or sustainability business and feel like the growth still runs through you?
Take the free Growth Diagnostic - 6 minutes to find the biggest bottleneck holding your growth back, and see how you compare to 300+ climate founders: pluckybamboo.com/growth-diagnostic
The Plucky Bamboo Podcast: sustainability founders on how they actually grow - demand, sales, and the systems behind it. Hosted by Chris Jones.

What happens when a sustainability company stops selling the mission—and starts selling real results?

Thomas Grinnan, CEO of Data Company One, shares how his team transformed their business by connecting purpose to profit.

In this episode, we dive into:

✅ Why apps alone don’t change behavior—and what does
✅ How to build a value proposition that actually leads to ROI
✅ The real reason many sustainability sales fall flat
✅ Fast feedback loops, lean product pivots, and CEO lessons in the trenches
✅ How to qualify the right customers and stop chasing the wrong ones

Whether you’re building a climate tech startup, scaling a purpose-driven business, or trying to sell sustainability in a tough market—this one’s full of lessons you can use right away.

🎧 Follow The Plucky Bamboo Podcast for more conversations with the leaders shaping the future of sustainable business.

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Building a climate or sustainability business and feel like the growth still runs through you?
Take the free Growth Diagnostic - 6 minutes to find the biggest bottleneck holding your growth back, and see how you compare to 300+ climate founders: pluckybamboo.com/growth-diagnostic
The Plucky Bamboo Podcast: sustainability founders on how they actually grow - demand, sales, and the systems behind it. Hosted by Chris Jones.

Scaling a purpose-driven business is hard — but it shouldn’t feel like a constant uphill battle.

In this episode of the Plucky Bamboo Podcast, Chris speaks with Danielle Heward, founder of Optimo and expert in operational strategy for sustainability and social impact businesses.

They dive into what really holds back mission-led companies as they grow - and spoiler alert: it’s not a lack of purpose or passion. It’s the systems, communication breakdowns, and poor processes that slowly drain your team’s energy and stall your impact.

Expect a grounded, practical conversation covering:

- Why passionate teams still get stuck- How to balance your mission with real operational excellence- The danger of chasing tech solutions before fixing the foundations
- What sustainable scaling actually looks like - and how to get there
- How B Corp certification shaped Optimo’s journey (and what Danielle learned from it)
- The real cost of ignoring wellbeing as a founder

Whether you’re running a 5-person startup or scaling a national sustainability brand, this episode is packed with insight to help you grow with clarity, structure, and impact.

🎧 Tune in if you’re ready to build a business that runs as good as it does good.

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Building a climate or sustainability business and feel like the growth still runs through you?
Take the free Growth Diagnostic - 6 minutes to find the biggest bottleneck holding your growth back, and see how you compare to 300+ climate founders: pluckybamboo.com/growth-diagnostic
The Plucky Bamboo Podcast: sustainability founders on how they actually grow - demand, sales, and the systems behind it. Hosted by Chris Jones.

What do you do when your buyers don’t care about carbon, but you’re running a sustainability business?

In this episode of The Plucky Bamboo Podcast, Chris speaks with Stuart Pearce, Founder and Managing Director of SmarTech Energy - a company that helps manufacturers and commercial businesses cut energy use, reduce costs, and meet compliance.

But Stuart’s not just another energy consultant. Over the last decade, he’s built a high-trust, results-driven business in an industry where sustainability is often seen as a “nice to have”.

Together, we explore:

• Why most clients don’t care about carbon (and why that’s OK)

• How Stuart wins and retains large B2B contracts with guaranteed savings

• The painful lesson he learned hiring a marketing agency to drive growth

• Why many sustainability strategies fail without the right implementation partner

• How SmarTech’s shared savings model helps scale revenue without chasing new clients constantly

Whether you're a sustainability founder trying to sell into tough sectors - or a growth leader looking for better ways to scale your impact - this episode is packed with actionable insight.

🎧 Subscribe for more interviews with founders, strategists, and leaders growing sustainability businesses that actually work.

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Building a climate or sustainability business and feel like the growth still runs through you?
Take the free Growth Diagnostic - 6 minutes to find the biggest bottleneck holding your growth back, and see how you compare to 300+ climate founders: pluckybamboo.com/growth-diagnostic
The Plucky Bamboo Podcast: sustainability founders on how they actually grow - demand, sales, and the systems behind it. Hosted by Chris Jones.

Most sustainability businesses don’t fail because of their mission—they fail because they struggle with client acquisition, scaling, and navigating complex sales cycles.Too often, leaders assume sustainability sells itself, when in reality, companies that win don’t just “do good”—they make it easier for customers to choose them.That’s exactly what Kathleen Egan, CEO of EcoMedes, has spent her career solving.Through her work in sustainability tech, enterprise SaaS, and data-driven sales strategies, she’s proving that the real key to growth isn’t just being greener—it’s being smarter, faster, and more customer-centric.In this episode of The Plucky Bamboo Podcast, we dive into:💡 Why sustainability alone won’t sell your product (and what actually does)🚀 The biggest mistake green businesses make in sales & marketing⚡ How data & automation are shaping the future of sustainability sales📢 Why businesses that lead with product & customer experience win more deals🔑 What sustainability founders must do to stay ahead of the competitionEcoMedes is helping companies remove friction from sustainable purchasing, making compliance and procurement faster, easier, and more profitable.Watch now to learn how to build a sustainability business that actually wins—without getting stuck in the “early adopter” trap.🔗 Connect with Kathleen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/egankathleen🔗 Learn more about Ecomedes: https://www.ecomedes.com/📩 Or connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisg-jones/

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Building a climate or sustainability business and feel like the growth still runs through you?
Take the free Growth Diagnostic - 6 minutes to find the biggest bottleneck holding your growth back, and see how you compare to 300+ climate founders: pluckybamboo.com/growth-diagnostic
The Plucky Bamboo Podcast: sustainability founders on how they actually grow - demand, sales, and the systems behind it. Hosted by Chris Jones.

Most sustainability businesses don’t struggle because they lack purpose. They struggle because sustainability isn’t always an urgent priority for their customers.If your clients don’t feel the pain, they won’t take action.That’s exactly what Ian Ormerod, CEO & Founder of Switch to Zero, has learned while helping businesses measure, reduce, and act on their carbon footprint.Through his experience leading digital transformation at major banks and building a sustainability business from the ground up, he’s proving that the key to success isn’t just purpose - it’s strategy, positioning, and commercial value.In this episode of The Plucky Bamboo Podcast, we dive into:💡 Why most businesses DON’T prioritize sustainability (and how to change that)🚀 The biggest mistakes companies make when selling sustainability⚡ How to position sustainability as a business advantage - not just a moral play📢 Why paid ads failed & what actually works for customer acquisition🔑 The mindset shift sustainability leaders MUST adopt to grow fasterSwitch to Zero has helped businesses across industries take meaningful, measurable action toward net zero.Watch now to learn how to sell sustainability effectively, scale your impact, and build a profitable, mission-driven business.🔗 Connect with Ian Ormerod: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-ormerod-switch2zero🔗 Learn more about Switch to Zero: https://www.switch2zero.com/📩 Or connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisg-jones/

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Building a climate or sustainability business and feel like the growth still runs through you?
Take the free Growth Diagnostic - 6 minutes to find the biggest bottleneck holding your growth back, and see how you compare to 300+ climate founders: pluckybamboo.com/growth-diagnostic
The Plucky Bamboo Podcast: sustainability founders on how they actually grow - demand, sales, and the systems behind it. Hosted by Chris Jones.