We're bringing you the stories behind the people and products building a more just, healthy, and regenerative future for us all. Tune in weekly and together, we’ll learn about why these better products and brands were created, how they’re helping fix broken systems, and what you can do to support them. My hope is that you’ll discover some new brands to love, and get some sparks of inspiration that will help you live your best life. // Hosted by: Gage Mitchell, Founder of Modern Species, a sustainable brand design agency helping better brands grow to scale their impact.
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Données mises à jour le 01/09/2026
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More Nutrition, Less Methane with Claire Loudis of Lotus Foods
Épisode 227
jeudi 27 août 2026 • Durée 01:11:21
Claire Loudis shares rice’s impact on water, climate, and farmer livelihoods, and why Lotus Foods decided to change how rice is grown around the world. We talk about the many benefits of heirloom varietals and the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method they’re scaling to grow more rice with less water and lower methane emissions. Claire then shares details on the nature-based practices that go into growing their Regenerative Organic Certified ® (ROC) Basmati Rice, the brand’s commitment to seed sovereignty, and the biggest challenges she sees the food industry facing in the coming years.
Key Topics
The water and climate impacts of rice
Heirloom rice and its benefits
The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) that results in More Crop Per Drop ®
Regenerative agriculture practices in rice farming
Launch of the first ROC Basmati Rice in 2020
Seed sovereignty and biodiversity conservation
Challenges the food industry is facing
Sound bites
“Rice one of the highest emitting crops, after meat and eggs.”
“Heirloom varieties often have better nutrition, flavor, and genetic diversity, so they're naturally hardier, locally adapted, and more resilient to climate disruptions making them a natural fit for regenerative and organic farming practices.”
“Ultimately this pilot is to figure out what works, what we can scale, gauge farmer reception, measure yields of course, return on investment for those farmers, and to to work to understand how these practices impact our farmers on the ground, the people actually growing rice.”
“Over 75% of plant genetic diversity has been permanently lost.”
“The farmer is a is a key piece of hope for me. Their whole job is managing uncertainty and while climate change has made that harder, they remain one of the most innovative and resilient groups of people I know. They're tinkers at heart and always adapting. So I am energized and hopeful because of those people I've met.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Claire Loudis' background
01:14 The importance of heirloom rice and Lotus Foods' mission
03:03 Impact of rice farming on water and climate
04:35 Nutritional and genetic diversity of heirloom rice
09:01 Global rice consumption and cultural factors
13:18 Research on regenerative practices and pilot studies in Thailand
17:18 System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and its benefits
20:44 Farmer-led regenerative practices and community trust
29:15 Innovative regenerative practices observed in Thai farms
42:22 Supporting seed sovereignty and biodiversity through alliances
50:20 Claire Loudis' career path and motivations
55:53 Challenges and hope in the future of food and agriculture
01:00:14 Advice for aspiring changemakers in food sustainability
01:03:26 Personal favorite recipes and books
01:07:13 What a better world means to Claire Loudis
Unconventional Approach with Duke Stump from Tractor
Épisode 226
lundi 17 août 2026 • Durée 01:10:51
Duke Stump shares the origins of Tractor Beverage Co, what they decided to create organic beverages from recognizable ingredients, and their unique focus on moments and ecosystems rather than trying to fit into categories. Discover how their ‘business as unusual’ philosophy drives innovation, unconventional marketing strategy, community engagement, and positive impact. Learn about the five metrics they focus on in their Organic Impact Tracker, and get details on their impact initiatives like their Tractor Beam publication, Mad Farmer Tour, We The Soil movement, and the Farmhand Foundation. We then wrap up with Duke sharing insights learned from his past work helping build brands like Nike, Seventh Generation, and Lululemon, and how he defines a ‘better world’.
Key Topics
Tractor Beverage Co.’s origins and focus
The ’Business as Unusual’ philosophy
Ecosystem approach to branding
Tractor’s organic impact metrics
Community engagement and advocacy
Innovative product development in beverages
Supporting farmers and soil health
Challenging industry categories
Brand storytelling and design
Sound Bites
“Why can't beverages be kitchen ingredients? You know, things you actually know and are familiar with.”
“Right before COVID is when the founders signed a deal with Chipotle, who remains one of our best, strongest partners to date.”
“At Nike, one of the things I learned is if you're competing you've lost the plot.”
“Since day one, the only mandate that he gives to my team and I is ‘make it original’.”
“Tractor isn't a brand strategy, it's an ecosystem strategy.”
“I don't want us to get caught in the trapping of conventional thinking around everything needs to be calibrated around a measurable result.”
“When I was at Lululemon, the invisible hand that drove that brand was community.”
“The idea of sustainability is so abstract. It's a hard, it can be million things to different people. And so for us, we wanted to ground it in what was real but also meaningful for us.”
The Hack for Cutting Sugar with Hank Watt of Nature’s Wild Berry
Épisode 225
vendredi 7 août 2026 • Durée 01:15:25
Hank Watt shares the inspiring story of how he discovered the miracle berry and turned it into a successful business that was featured on Shark Tank and promoted by Jennifer Garner. Learn how the berry makes sour taste sweeter than sugar, how it helped Hank control his emotional eating, how he and his partner built the business, and future potential of this revolutionary product that can transform taste and improve health.
Key Topics
How Hank learned about the miracle berry and its effects
What drove Hank & Juliano to launch the business
Challenges in preserving the berry to scale operations
Innovative freeze-drying process to preserve potency
Market strategy and word-of-mouth growth
Future applications for the berry
Sound Bites
"I swear, I heard the angels and the chorus singing. I felt the whoosh of the gates. I felt like the sunshine come down on me. Like I I had this transformative experience immediately where I became a believer instantly.”
“LA is a type of place where if you're keeping weight off for any period of time, especially a significant amount, people want to know like what's your secret?”
“He was like, I've got a couple conditions. We have to keep the berry pure. It has to stay raw. Like we don't need to add anything to it. We need to also figure out how to preserve it because we cannot deal with a cold chain.“
“The sharks have been phenomenal. The best business decision Juliano and I have ever made.”
“Jennifer Garner put a video up on her Instagram… that put us on the map and it made us legit.”
“These need to be on every table, kind of like butter, salt, and pepper. You know, it's there if you need it and you want it.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Nature's Wildberry
02:57 The Discovery of the Miracle Berry
Purpose-Driven Food System with Les Szabo of Purpose Pledge
Épisode 224
jeudi 30 juillet 2026 • Durée 01:04:20
Les Szabo discusses the Purpose Pledge, a holistic framework for companies aiming to operate with integrity and in alignment with their higher purpose. He discusses why the Purpose Pledge was created, how they decided to focus on companies working in food and agriculture, and how they settled on their 10 commitments. The conversation highlights the need for shared standards, systems of support, and collaboration to drive systemic change in business practices. Tune in to hear how Les and the team plan to scale the pledge in the future, and how your brand can join the movement.
Key topics
Purpose Pledge framework and commitments
Importance of shared standards and transparency
Role of support systems and catalysts
Focus on food and agriculture impact
Balancing ambition with realism in sustainability goals
Collaborative supply chain transformation
Measuring progress and accountability
Industry-specific challenges and opportunities
Sound bites
“Well-intentioned companies highlight where they perform well, but at the same time they ignore parts of the system.”
“Our idea is that we have to have a common framework that's a true operational definition of purpose across 10 commitments.”
“How are you honoring and serving all of your stakeholders? We we use this term ‘right relationship’, which originates from spiritual and wisdom traditions, and it means to be in integrity with somebody and where it's a true kind of reciprocal relationship.”
"The industrial food system is one of the most powerful forces shaping climate change, public health, and social in inequality, often in in ways we fail to see.”
“The goal is to have all commitments achieved within that nine-year period. Anybody can go to the site and and it makes those commitments very visible and easy to track.”
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Purpose Pledge and Dr. Bronner's
Supplements, Soil, & Story with Dr. Jeffrey Burke of Honest Health
Épisode 223
dimanche 26 juillet 2026 • Durée 01:11:39
Join us as Dr. Jeffrey Burke, a pioneer in the natural products industry with over 47 years of experience, shares his insights on the evolution of the industry, the power of plants, the beauty of supplements, the importance of regenerative agriculture, and how storytelling can inspire change. Discover practical advice and inspiration for health, sustainability, and building a better world.
Key topics
Evolution of the natural products industry over 47 years
Dr Jeffrey Burke’s journey into health, medicine, radio, podcasting, and more
Why you should take supplements, even if you have a healthy diet
The regenerative movement and soil health
The power of storytelling in inspiring change
Sound bites
“I did it because I wanted to be on the side where I could help to teach people an easier way to survive our lives in a healthier manner.”
“I was barely even 20 and I was working with Dr. Earl Mindell and he had a radio show. He handed me my first microphone and I just never gave it back.”
“A lot of people now look at things saying, you know, when I want to go organic, I want to start putting some good things in my system, and I think the same thing you're going to start seeing with regenerative.”
“I think we need to takes supplement because there's things way past the soil that affect our health every day, including air quality, pollution, stress, lack of sleep, obesity, etc that are already wearing tearing on our health from top to bottom.”
“We were so focused on the not using chemicals, we did absolutely nothing for our soil. Now we have this regenerative movement where we are actually doing things to rebuild the soil.”
"Don't be embarrassed. Embrace your craziness. Embrace your mistakes because there is no such thing as perfection."
Chapters
03:00 Introduction to Jeffrey Burke and His Journey
Demand for Regenerative with Christopher Gergen of Regenerative Organic Alliance
Épisode 222
vendredi 17 juillet 2026 • Durée 01:12:29
Christopher Gergen shares how his goal of bringing more capital to systems change led him to supporting the regenerative movement in his role as the CEO of the Regenerative Organic Alliance. We talk about the growth of the movement, including the increase in consumer awareness and the in the number of certified brands, as well as all the new data on the benefits of regenerative agriculture. Chris shares how Regenerative Organic Certified® is different from other regenerative certifications, including their role as a Catalyst Partner in the Purpose Pledge. The conversation then shifts into the biggest barriers to growth that the regenerative movement is facing right now, like consumer confusion, lack of a common standard, the cost of farmer’s transitioning, and the cost of regenerative products. We then wrap up with Christopher sharing advice, his favorite regenerative snacks, and what a better world means to him.
Key Topics
Christopher Gergen’s journey to becoming the CEO of the Regenerative Organic Alliance
The growth of the regenerative movement
Regenerative organic certification, and how it’s different from other standards
Consumer demand and market trends for regenerative products
Data that’s proving the value of a regenerative food system and products
Strategies for scaling regenerative agriculture and overcoming barriers
Advice for others wanting to pursue passion and joy in their life and career
Sound bites
“Regenerative organic certification is based on the foundation of organic, and it has three additional pillars of soil health, social fairness, and animal welfare.”
“We're almost at 400 ROC® licensees. So within 18 months, we've gone almost double the number, bringing more ROC® products to shelf, which is super exciting!”
“Customers are finding ROC® because now it's in almost every category.”
“When you have side-by-side comparison, you can just taste the difference in how much more complex the ROC® wine is to the conventional alternative.”
Growth of Regenerative with Evan Harrison of Kiss the Ground
Épisode 221
mercredi 8 juillet 2026 • Durée 01:12:30
Evan Harrison shares his journey from working in radio, digital media, and live events to becoming the CEO of Kiss The Ground, a leading nonprofit championing Regeneration and healthy soil as a solution for human and planetary health. We talk about the organization's innovative content strategies, like their three feature-length documentary films, mini docs, 5 with a Farmer reels, 11 with Evan series, shopping guides, and the brand collaborations that help them reach new audiences. Then we dive into the $500,000 in farmer grants they awarded last year and their new research that shows consumer understanding of regenerative agriculture has increased threefold in just 3 years! We wrap up with some fun personal questions, and Evan shares his vision for a better world.
Key Topics
Evan Harrison's career transition from media to environmental activism
The success of Kiss the Ground films and content strategy
$500,000 in farmer grants and their impact on land regeneration
The threefold growth in consumer understanding of regenerative agriculture
How $100 is the sweet spot for community donations and how they put that money to work
Partnerships with brands and community engagement
Rising awareness and understanding of regenerative agriculture
Sound Bites
“In the early days of the internet, I was the writer, the producer, held the video camera, did the edit – the whole thing. So content creation from the ground up.”
“I'd never heard of regenerative farming. So it was really my daughter that kind of tuned me into it.”
“In this instance, the farmer is really the artist, the farmer is the rock star.”
“The film that was named after our work, Kiss The Ground, absolutely put our organization on the map.”
“We need to meet people where they're at. We need a content approach that can bring new people into the conversation instead of arguing about the details.”
“There are now 200 regenerative products on shelves ranging from Costco to independent retailers across the country.”
The Role of Philanthropy with Kate Williams of 1% for the Planet
Épisode 220
mercredi 1 juillet 2026 • Durée 01:01:58
What is the role of philanthropy, business, and government in creating long-term impact? Kate Williams, CEO of 1% for the Planet, joins us to explores why “either/or” thinking can limit progress, and why the most effective solutions often come from a both/and approach. We talk about how nonprofits are pioneering solutions to problems before there’s a marketplace, how the billionaires bailing on The Giving Pledge are missing the bigger picture, and how the new wave of businesses are deciding that profitability and positive impact can go work together. Kate then tells us about 1% for the Planet, how the membership works, and how the members are giving back and reaping the rewards. Tune in as we discuss how money, power, and responsibility shape the future.
Key Topics
The role of philanthropy in society today
How philanthropy differs from government action
Why nonprofits often address problems outside the marketplace
The “false dichotomy” between investing in businesses and funding nonprofits
The Giving Pledge and why those bailing on the pledge are missing the bigger picture
Why nonprofits are often unfairly judged on efficiency and overhead
How business, nonprofits, and government can work together for long-term impact
How 1% for the Planet operates and why its model matters
The organization’s expanded definition of environmental giving
The connection between climate change, systems thinking, and cooperative action
Sound Bites
“One of the challenges with businesses giving back is that they have to focus on quarterly and yearly financials, not decades or centuries, which are more often the timescale of impact.
“Nonprofits are more willing to get in and do a multi-stakeholder ,long-term approach that focuses on global impact and not just any one entity’s challenges.”
“In an ideal world, we have both businesses and nonprofits working together either directly or indirectly, and all the systems are oriented towards a thriving future.”
“I think the problem with where The Giving Pledge bailers is that they made it into a false dichotomy by saying they’re going to exclude nonprofits to focus on businesses because they think businesses are the ones that build our future.”
Experiments & Feedback with Adam Hiner of Pacha
Épisode 219
mercredi 1 juillet 2026 • Durée 01:00:21
Adam Hiner, CEO of Pacha, shares insights on product innovation, sustainable practices, and the journey of building a healthy and regenerative food brand. We talk about the happy accidents and consumer feedback that lead to making new and better products, like their new gluten-free, sourdough buckwheat tortillas! Adam then shares why Pacha joined the Purpose Pledge, the challenges of building a CPG brand (like cashflow), the benefits of self-manufacturing, and why passion is essential for success in this industry. Tune in to get advice from a leader who’s built multiple successful brands while leading with integrity.
Key topics
Product innovation driven by consumer insights and feedback
Strategic experimentation with new products
The benefits of self manufacturing
Purpose-driven business and sustainability commitments
Purpose Pledge, what it means, and how it works
The importance of focusing on core SKUs and honing recipes
Profitability and cash flow challenges
The importance of passion for success
Inner peace to bring about world peace
Sound bites
“I pulled a batch of crackers out of the oven and they were floppy like little tortillas. Then I started experimenting with tortillas and just said, yeah, the market really needs a better tortilla right now.”
“We had our buckwheat buns, but we rebranded them as English muffins because all of our customers were saying, hey, this isn't a bun, this is an English muffin.”
"Our bread tastes like real bread. It doesn't taste like this thing that was modified to try to imitate the texture of white bread.“
“We've always had a plan to do something more than just be a company that's making money.”
“When we saw Purpose Pledge coming forward, felt like it felt like an opportunity to do something that felt maybe more impactful and less just numbers driven.”
Zero Waste, All Flavor with Chanya Punyakumpol of Taan Thai
Épisode 218
mercredi 1 juillet 2026 • Durée 08:20
Chanya Punyakumpol, co-founder of Taan Thai, shares how a personal frustration when cooking Thai food at home sparked the creation of her brand. Instead of tracking down obscure Thai ingredients only to throw most of them away after one dish, she created perfectly portioned meal kits that contain exactly what you need, eliminating food waste without sacrificing authenticity.
She talks about sourcing real Thai ingredients directly from Thailand and building close relationships with local farms and factories near her production facilities. Chanya also reflects on the growing wave of ethnic foods making their way into mainstream retail, and what it means for communities to see their cuisines represented on grocery store shelves. She wraps up by reflecting on how Naturally Network is a rare space where founders can be honest about their struggles, trade hard-won tips, and remind each other that they're doing better than they think.
Takeaways
Taan Thai was born out of Chanya's frustration with the wasteful experience of cooking Thai food at home in the US.
Each kit is precisely portioned for one cooking session with no leftovers ingredients or food waste.
Thai holy basil — the essential ingredient in Pad Kra Pao — is seasonal and hard to find in the US, so Chanya sources it directly from Thailand and air dries it to preserve its authentic aroma.
The brand sources ingredients from local farms in Thailand and works with certified production facilities, creating a trickle-down economic benefit for local farming communities.
Chanya sees the rise of ethnic foods in mainstream retail as one of the most meaningful trends in the CPG industry, both for accessibility and cultural representation.
Sound Bites
"I don't want to throw the leftover coconut milk or leftover lemongrass that I didn't finish and create more food waste."
"A lot of restaurants don't use Thai holy basil leaves. They use Italian basil or Thai basil, which is completely different."
“One thing I've learned over the years is never bring a playbook, bring a philosophy or principles.”
Chapters
03:00 Introduction to Tractor Beverage and Its Founders
05:47 The Journey of Beverage Innovation
08:56 Product Development and Market Strategy
11:58 The Unique Approach to Marketing and Community Engagement
“We'd like to be able to go from 22 million acres of regenerative organic certified land to at least 30 million acres in the next three and a half years.”
“More consumer awareness, more retail engagement, more brand adoption. And you've got more demand, more supply, more impact, more demand. And therein lies the flywheel, right?”
“I ended up co-authoring a book called Life Entrepreneurs that looks at how people have been able to create meaningful impact in the world and meaningful lives for themselves.”
“Figure out a way that you can connect your strengths and your passions and go after something that you feel like you can dedicate a lot of time and energy into, but don't lose sight of how you can also create a joyful, meaningful, loving life for yourself.
Chapters
03:00 Introduction to Regenerative Organic Alliance
05:54 Christopher Gergen's Background and Vision
08:48 The Growth of Regenerative Organic Certification
11:56 Consumer Demand and Market Trends
14:45 Nutritional Benefits and Flavor of Regenerative Organic Products
17:59 Understanding Regenerative vs. Organic Standards
21:03 The Future of Regenerative Organic Agriculture
38:41 Supporting Farmers in Transition
45:29 The Purpose Pledge and Supply Chain Integrity
46:05 Driving Demand for Regenerative Organic Products
55:37 Barriers to Transitioning to Regenerative Practices
“Nonprofits are not a nice to have. They play a really critical role in addressing those things for which there is not a marketplace.”
“Nonprofits sometimes appear to be held to a higher standard with weird expectations that they can somehow deliver results without paying their staff or having resources to buy computers or whatever the tools of the job are.”
“MacKenzie Scott is a great example. She's done her homework, has made some really sizable unrestricted grants, meaning she's trusting those organizations to allocate the resources where they can to have the greatest impact.”
“Our amazing members at 1% for the Planet donate 1% of their annual revenues to environmental partners. So they're taking these market-driven resources and placing it in the nonprofit marketplace.”
“We're not creating a false dichotomy between the business succeeding in the marketplace and the business contributing to positive outcomes for the future. It's the business saying they go together.”
Chapters
03:00 Intro and Kate Williams introduction
04:04 What philanthropy is for
05:14 Philanthropy vs. government
06:36 What “outside the marketplace” means
08:30 Why time horizons matter
09:39 Nonprofits as innovators in complex systems
10:53 Why business and nonprofit can both matter
12:18 The Giving Pledge and why some are “bailing”
17:19 Nonprofit overhead, efficiency, and unfair standards
21:01 Trusting nonprofits with unrestricted giving
23:34 The role of corporations and impact-driven businesses
25:33 How businesses can use capitalism differently
31:20 Self-funding impact through mission-driven business models
“It's nice to have really great mentors who have been doing it and have done it before.”
“We were really grateful for our DTC channel because we've had so much direct feedback from customers, which we wouldn't have had with just being a retail brand.”
“One of the biggest challenges is just financing the company, you know, just keeping the lights on. 30%-50% of my job is just keeping cash coming in.”
“Sometimes adding more SKUs does generate more revenue immediately, like if Whole Foods puts out six SKUs versus four, but the trade off is the velocity of all the SKUs is now lower.”
“Peace really does start within us and maybe the most impactful thing we can do is to just like to start here and have and find peace with ourselves.”
Chapters
03:00 Introduction to Pacha and Product Evolution
05:57 Innovative Product Development and Consumer Feedback
09:08 Special Releases and Creative Experimentation
11:59 Joining the Purpose Pledge: A Commitment to Impact
14:59 Understanding the Purpose Pledge's Roadmap and Commitments
18:00 Customer Insights: What Consumers Love About Pacha's Products
34:31 The Benefits of Fermentation and Buckwheat
37:07 The Challenges of Regenerative Agriculture
40:02 Navigating the Food Industry: Profitability and Challenges
46:00 The Importance of Focus in Product Development
52:59 Personal Insights and Recommendations for a Better World
"We create a trickle-down economy that helps people locally actually get a part of the value we're creating."
"I see a lot of different ethnic food coming out and becoming available more in this market. I like it because I get to try different cultures, get to try different kinds of food I've never tried before."
"When you get to talk to people who are in the same space as you and being honest about it, we're like, oh, we also struggle on that."
Découvrez des podcasts liées à Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG). Explorez des podcasts avec des thèmes, sujets, et formats similaires. Ces similarités sont calculées grâce à des données tangibles, pas d'extrapolations !
