Disruptors for GOOD | Social Entrepreneurs and Social Enterprises – Details, episodes & analysis

In episode 223 of the Disruptors for GOOD podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Andrew Savage, a founding member and VP of Sustainability at Lime, on growing the companies sustainability efforts alongside its revenue growth.

In 2017, Lime emerged as a fresh face in urban transportation, reimagining how we navigate our cities with electric scooters and bikes. Since then, the company has rapidly expanded its reach, currently operating in over 250 markets worldwide.

At the heart of Lime’s journey is a dedication to sustainability, balancing rapid growth with environmentally conscious practices and innovations in battery technology.

In a our recent discussion, Andrew Savage, a founding member of Lime and its VP of Sustainability, shared insights on how the company has tackled challenges, innovated, and set a vision for greener urban spaces.

About Andrew

Andrew is a founding member and VP of Sustainability at Lime, the world’s largest electric micromobility company. Andrew has been at the forefront of sustainability and innovation, playing a pivotal role in scaling Lime to over 250 global markets and securing more than $750 million in investment.

At Lime, he initially led the company’s market development, government relations, and policy strategy before building and leading its sustainability function, driving the company’s mission to reduce emissions and support clean, efficient urban transport.

Before Lime, Andrew held a leadership role at an Inc. 500 solar manufacturer and renewable project developer, where he championed impactful policies, expanded new business, and drove national growth.

He also served on the board of the U.S. solar industry’s national trade association, representing over 1,000 member businesses.

With a career spanning business, sustainability, and the public sector, Andrew has overseen key initiatives, including co-authoring a $6 billion home energy retrofit program in Congress—backed by President Obama and embedded in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

----------------------------------------

Thrive in the Impact Economy.

Join tens of thousands. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and curated products that drive the Impact Economy. Our mission is to highlight and celebrate the founders, creators, investors, and conscious brands shaping the future of conscious business and philanthropy.

To learn more, please visit causeartist.com

In episode 222 of the Disruptors for GOOD podcast, I had the privilege of speaking with Justin Barad, MD, CEO of Osso VR. We explored how his groundbreaking virtual reality platform is transforming surgical training, improving healthcare outcomes, and setting new standards in medical education worldwide.

Traditional surgical training methods, while foundational, often face limitations in scalability, accessibility, and adaptability to new technologies. Enter Osso VR, a groundbreaking platform that leverages virtual reality (VR) to revolutionize surgical training and assessment.

By providing immersive, hands-on experiences, Osso VR is setting new standards in medical education, ensuring that healthcare professionals are well-equipped to deliver optimal patient care.

The Genesis of Osso VR

Osso VR was founded in 2016 by Dr. Justin Barad, a UCLA and Harvard-trained pediatric orthopedic surgeon. With a background in bioengineering and a passion for video game development, Dr. Barad identified a critical gap in surgical training methodologies.

Traditional approaches often lacked the flexibility and realism needed to keep pace with rapidly advancing medical technologies.

This realization led to the creation of Osso VR, aiming to democratize access to high-quality surgical training through immersive VR experiences.

Transforming Surgical Training Through Virtual Reality

Osso VR offers a comprehensive platform that combines cinematic-quality VR with clinically accurate simulations. This fusion allows healthcare professionals to practice and master surgical procedures in a risk-free, virtual environment.

The platform's key features include:

• Immersive Training Modules: Users can engage in realistic simulations of various surgical procedures, enhancing muscle memory and procedural understanding.
• Performance Analytics: Integrated analytics provide objective assessments of a user's skills, tracking progress and identifying areas for improvement.
• Collaborative Learning: The platform supports multi-user experiences, enabling teams to practice together, fostering communication and teamwork.

----------------------------------------

Thrive in the Impact Economy.

Join tens of thousands. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and curated products that drive the Impact Economy. Our mission is to highlight and celebrate the founders, creators, investors, and conscious brands shaping the future of conscious business and philanthropy.

To learn more, please visit causeartist.com

In episode 214 of the Disruptors for Good podcast, I speak with Hedvig Alexander, Co-Founder of Powered by People, on bridging the gap between artisans and global buyers through modern technology and tools.

Hedvig, the co-founder of Powered by People, shares her journey from being a Danish army captain to becoming an entrepreneur. She discusses how her passion for social change and her background in the military and non-profit sector led her to start her first business, Far and Wide. However, she realized that the business had limitations and decided to start Powered by People with her co-founders.

Powered by People is a marketplace that connects buyers in Europe and North America with artisans and makers in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. The platform not only facilitates the matchmaking process but also offers financing and resources to help makers become export-ready. Hedvig emphasizes the importance of cultivating a long tail of makers to ensure a unique and attractive supply.

She also highlights the role of philanthropy in supporting the training and development of makers, as venture capital is not suited for that purpose. Powered by People is focused on creating a sustainable and unique supply chain by connecting makers from around the world with buyers.

They aim to bridge the gap between the philanthropic and venture capital worlds by creating a hybrid financing model. This model allows for both venture backers and philanthropists to support the business and achieve their respective goals.

The key to making this model work is providing information and understanding to both sides, making them comfortable with each other and leveraging each other's strengths. The maker community is creating handmade, high-quality products with contemporary designs that are being bought by retailers like West Elm and the Smithsonian Institute.

Powered by People aims to scale the business, attract more buyers and makers, and become the default sourcing option for sustainable and unique supply. They also want to build out their technology to make it easier for makers to get online and grow their businesses.

Takeaways

• Hedvig's journey from being a Danish army captain to becoming an entrepreneur was driven by her passion for social change and her desire to create responsible, impactful businesses.
• Powered by People is a marketplace that connects buyers in Europe and North America with artisans and makers in Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
• The platform not only facilitates the matchmaking process but also offers financing and resources to help makers become export-ready.
• Cultivating a long tail of makers is crucial for ensuring a unique and attractive supply on the platform.
• Philanthropy plays a vital role in supporting the training and development of makers, as venture capital is not suited for that purpose. Powered by People connects makers with buyers to create a sustainable and unique supply chain.
• Their hybrid financing model bridges the gap between venture capital and philanthropy.
• Information and understanding are key to making the hybrid financing model work.
• The maker community is creating handmade, high-quality products with contemporary designs.
• Powered by People aims to scale the business and become the default sourcing option for sustainable and unique supply.

Sound Bites

"Powered by People is this amazing sort of network you and your co-founders have built, sprinkling sort of technology on artisans around the world to sort of build this wholesale supply marketplace for retailers, for entrepreneurs building sort of marketplaces."
"Find some great people, co-founders and do this."
"It's a marketplace. It connects buyers, you know, in Europe and North America who wants more sustainable and more unique supply."
"The key to making this model work is information on both sides."
"People have so much more in common than what separates them."
"Language can be the divider, but the outcome is often the same."

Causeartist

Our mission is to empower and inspire social entrepreneurs, impact investors, impact professionals, and conscious consumers, who are dedicated to creating a more sustainable and regenerative world.

⏺ Weekly Podcasts
⏺ Weekly Newsletter
⏺ Deep Dive Interviews
⏺ Community(coming soon)

To learn more, please visit causeartist.com.

----------------------------------------

Thrive in the Impact Economy.

Join tens of thousands. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and curated products that drive the Impact Economy. Our mission is to highlight and celebrate the founders, creators, investors, and conscious brands shaping the future of conscious business and philanthropy.

To learn more, please visit causeartist.com

In this episode of the Disruptors for GOOD podcast, I speak with Wes Hurt, founder of Clean Cause, on facing addiction, becoming sober, and building a company that gives 50% of profits every month to support individuals in recovery.

Wes started by selling CLEAN Cause bottled water out of his truck to local convenience & grocery stores in Austin, Texas. He soon realized how much addiction truly was impacting the lives of Americans when he heard the many stories of addiction from his customers across the country. Finding himself fatigued by the grind of growing his new venture, he needed a source of caffeine - but one that was organic, refreshing & sat well on his stomach, unlike coffee.

Wes saw that the sober living facility experience was a crucial moment for many of his friends who were also pursuing recovery. It empowered them to establish recovery routines, find employment & prepare to re-enter the world. Creating a sustainable source of funds to expand access to sober living would be the solution Wes would pursue.

To Date the company has generated over 2170 scholarships, representing more than $1,085,000.

The Clean Cause Mission

The Clean Cause mission is to support individuals in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction by creating a sustainable source of funding for greater access to sober living facilities. The company achieves this with 50% of profits funding sober living scholarships.

SOBER LIVING "CLEAN Kickstarts" help bridge the critical gap between rehab & reintegration into everyday life. They give people the opportunity to live in high-accountability homes, find jobs, and establish recovery support systems.

If you know someone in your community who is in need, have them apply here for a sober living scholarship today.

Listen to more Causeartist podcasts here.

Check out:

ImpactInvestor.io - Discover impact investors from around the world.

Podcast Made with Transistor
Podcast cover design Made with Canva
Build amazing web platforms with Webflow

----------------------------------------

Thrive in the Impact Economy.

Join tens of thousands. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and curated products that drive the Impact Economy. Our mission is to highlight and celebrate the founders, creators, investors, and conscious brands shaping the future of conscious business and philanthropy.

To learn more, please visit causeartist.com

In this episode of the Disruptors for Good podcast I speak with Sophia Wang, Co-Founder of MycoWorks, on disrupting the fashion industry by creating a biomaterials company that has developed natural alternatives to leather and plastics using mushroom mycelium technology.

In 2013, with artist and inventor Phil Ross, Sophia co-founded MycoWorks, a biomaterials company that has developed natural alternatives to engineered wood, leather and plastics using mushroom mycelium technology.

Her creative practice includes choreography, performance, writing, curation and producing original dance and multimedia works. Sophia has danced for Xavier Le Roy, Tino Sehgal, Jerome Bel, Amara Tabor-Smith and Xandra Ibarra, and co-founder of the Brontez Purnell Dance Company. Since 2015, she has co-produced Heavy Breathing, a discussion and movement workshop series that has featured over 45 presenting artists working at the intersection of performance, visual arts and pedagogy.

Sophia also holds a PhD in English specializing in 20th and 21st century experimental American poetry, and a BA in English and Visual Arts.

MycoWorks create materials at the intersection of art, nature and biotechnology using mycelium, one of the earth’s most regenerative resources. The company's mission is to create a platform for the highest quality materials using Fine Mycelium™. Their first product, Reishi™ offers partners in the fashion industry an option for leather that is neither animal nor plastic, yet uncompromising in quality and aesthetic expression.

The company announced last year the closing of a $45 million Series B financing to scale up and meet demand for Reishi™, the leading natural, non-animal leather material. WTT Investment Ltd. (Taipei, Taiwan) and DCVC Bio co-led the round, with major participation from new investors Valor Equity Partners, Humboldt Fund, Gruss & Co., and others, and existing investors Novo Holdings, 8VC, SOSV, AgFunder, Wireframe Ventures, Tony Fadell, and others.

About Mushroom Mycelium

A breakthrough in materials science and biotechnology, Fine Mycelium is an advanced manufacturing platform for high performance materials in fashion and footwear. The company's proprietary technology has enabled a new class of premium, non-animal materials that are the next evolution in mycelium.

Mycelium is one of the earth’s most powerful agents of regeneration and carbon sequestration. These fine, root-like threads are grown on the byproducts of agriculture and lumber, transforming plant matter into their own biomass.

Unlike “mushroom leather,” which is compressed mycelium, MycloWorks patented Fine Mycelium technology engineers mycelium during growth to create the proprietary, interlocking cellular structures that give our material its superior strength and durability.

Exclusive to MycoWorks, the Fine Mycelium process offers the unique advantage of total control over quality and customization.

Fine Mycelium materials are custom-grown to our brand partners’ specifications for performance, aesthetic features and more. This gives brands creative control to design from the material on up, while minimizing waste and ensuring consistent quality. Actionable traceability of the Fine Mycelium process allows our experts to capture and apply data at defining moments during production, fully optimizing our products from initial growth to harvest.

Today, the team is growing in order to scale and deliver Reishi to an even broader range of partners in fashion, footwear and beyond. Together, they’re working towards a world where mycelium enables resilient, creative solutions for any industry dependent on animal and petroleum-derived products.

----------------------------------------

Thrive in the Impact Economy.

Join tens of thousands. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and curated products that drive the Impact Economy. Our mission is to highlight and celebrate the founders, creators, investors, and conscious brands shaping the future of conscious business and philanthropy.

To learn more, please visit causeartist.com

In this episode of the Disruptors for GOOD podcast, I speak with Lecrae, the multiple grammy award winning artist and New York Times best-selling author on using music, writing, activism, and venture capital to inspire local communities.

The multiple Grammy award winner a New York Times best-selling author Lecrae has evolved from primarily being an artist into an entrepreneur, speaker, activist, thought leader, and philanthropist. Lecrae now influences millions with his socially conscious message and transcendent sound positioning himself as a catalyst for restoration in faith, music, and pop culture.

In 2013, he became the first hip hop artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album, which was awarded to his sixth album, Gravity,and in 2015 became the first rapper to win the BET Award for Best Gospel Artist.

In his new book, I Am Restored, Lecrae shares the never before told story of his loss of faith after the experiences of his past threatened to ruin his career and life. It also chronicles the personal practices he uses in his daily life for mental, emotional, and spiritual health. With powerful prose, he gives an unflinching look at the personal and public spaces that sadly hurt us so often--culture, politics, family, church, personal failure--and reminds us that learning to let go and forgive is the birthplace for the life of creativity and freedom God has for us.

His new music video "Drown" features the eleven time Grammy Award winning artist John Legend. See it here.

Lecrae is also a venture partner at Collab Capital, a $50mm fund that helps Black founders build sustainable businesses.

----------------------------------------

Thrive in the Impact Economy.

Join tens of thousands. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and curated products that drive the Impact Economy. Our mission is to highlight and celebrate the founders, creators, investors, and conscious brands shaping the future of conscious business and philanthropy.

To learn more, please visit causeartist.com

In episode 145 of the Disruptors for GOOD podcast, Causeartist contributor Rafael Aldon, speaks with Giles Hutchins, on regenerative leadership and using nature to enhance executive consciousness.

Giles is a pioneering practitioner, keynote speaker and executive coach at the fore-front of this necessary revolution. He applies advanced consciousness raising techniques, deep-dive nature immersions, embodiment work, ancient wisdom tradition insights, and cutting edge research on leadership consciousness.

Giles has over 20 years business experience in helping all shapes and sizes of organizations transform.

Formerly, over a decade as management consultant, program manager and business practice lead at KPMG, and more recently Global Head of Sustainability for the global technology provider Atos.

He is currently Chairman of the Future Fit Leadership Academy, Lead Partner of The Natural Business Partnership, co-founder of Biomimicry for Creative Innovation, co-founder of Regenerators.co and partner/associate with a number of pioneering organizations, such as The Global Leaders Academy and The Laszlo New Paradigm Research Institute.

He holds an MSc in Business Systems, a BSc in Finance, Valuation and Property, a Post Graduate Diploma in Advanced Leadership, Global Leadership Development GOLD certification, Advanced Coaching certification, Analytic Coaching Network practitioner, Human Emergence Framework trained, Solonomic and 5 Deep Holistic Leadership trained, Way of Council trained, and Reiki Master certification. Giles has also been a member of various professional associations, for example: The Institute of Directors, The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, The Royal Society of Arts.

----------------------------------------

Thrive in the Impact Economy.

Join tens of thousands. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and curated products that drive the Impact Economy. Our mission is to highlight and celebrate the founders, creators, investors, and conscious brands shaping the future of conscious business and philanthropy.

To learn more, please visit causeartist.com

In this episode of the Disruptors for GOOD podcast I speak with Olowo-n’djo Tchala, Founder and CEO of Alaffia on cultivating beauty, equality, and empowerment in West Africa and around the globe through personal care products.

Olowo-n’djo Tchala, founder and CEO of Alaffia, was born and raised in the village of Kaboli, Togo. Growing up and working to support his family, he witnessed firsthand the injustices and inequalities many of the women in his village faced daily. After moving to the United States and going to University, he felt the responsibility to fight the injustices that existed in West Africa.

In 1996, Tchala met his partner Prairie Rose Hyde, who was invited to his village as an environmental volunteer in the Peace Corp. Inspired by a shared calling to do right by the world, Alaffia, a social enterprise, was born. With an understanding of the value of indigenous West African resources and sustainable business ideologies, the two launched Alaffia’s first shea butter collective in 2003 and in 2004 established the Alaffia headquarters in Olympia, Washington.

For the last nearly 20 years, Tchala’s green and fair trade organization has created sustainable programs in West Africa that have improved the lives of over 250,000 individuals. Proceeds from the sale of Alaffia’s beauty and personal care products are returned to communities in Africa, such as those in Togo and Ghana, to fund their multiple empowerment programs including Maternal Care, Reforestation, Regenerative Agriculture, Eyeglass, Bicycle and in 2021 Female Genital Mutilation Eradication.

Since inception, they have built 16 schools, planted over 99,000 trees, provided more than 10,000 bicycles and 30,000 eyeglasses, donated school supplies to more than 37,000 students, and funded over 6,500 births. How does it work? Women’s cooperatives in West Africa handcraft indigenous ingredients, such as unrefined shea butter and African black soap, using traditional African methods. Products are then finished at Alaffia’s U.S. headquarters in Olympia, Washington. Proceeds from the sale of their personal care products are returned to communities in Africa, such as those in Togo and Ghana, to fund their community programs.

Today, Alaffia is available in Whole Foods nationwide and continues to redefine the natural products industry through its values of Beauty, Equality and Empowerment, fair trade, and safe, efficacious hair, face and body care.

----------------------------------------

Thrive in the Impact Economy.

Join tens of thousands. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and curated products that drive the Impact Economy. Our mission is to highlight and celebrate the founders, creators, investors, and conscious brands shaping the future of conscious business and philanthropy.

To learn more, please visit causeartist.com

In episode 144 of the Disruptors for GOOD podcast, I speak with Adam Taubenfligel, Co-founder of Triarchy on the future of responsibly made denim and ethical manufacturing.
 

Adam is an author and co-founder, Creative Director and Sustainability Steward for the fully sustainable fashion brand, Triarchy. In his day job, Adam is innovating fabric technology, traceability and reusability that minimize waste and maintain authenticity, relentlessly reducing waste at every possible juncture. However, the bigger picture shows us a disruptive founder on his journey to discover how his identity as an author, sustainability steward, designer, LGBTQIA+ human in this space is all intersecting at this moment and leading to what's next.

Triarchy was founded by Mark, Adam and Ania Taubenfligel in 2011. Since its inception, Triarchy has become known for its sustainable and ethical practices, as well as its trend-setting design. The brand also uses eco-friendly processes to manufacture its jeans, such as using ozone technology to minimize water waste. In addition to its environmental credentials, Triarchy is also committed to social responsibility.

Triarchy was initially a direct to consumer denim brand with not much but great jeans. However, as the brand continued to grow, the siblings noticed the incredible amount of water waste and chemical harm the denim manufacturing industry was having on the planet. Instead of turning a blind eye, they checked their egos and stopped production, taking their brand offline in 2016 in order to find a better way to make jeans.

Three years later, after what seemed like an endless amount of research, Triarchy was reborn as the denim brand we know and love today. Responsibly made, with ethical manufacturing in mind.

Triarchy is not just a denim brand, it is a vehicle to educate consumers on mindful consumption and the now more than even importance of less is more. With its combination of style, sustainability, and social responsibility, Triarchy is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the world of fashion.

----------------------------------------

Thrive in the Impact Economy.

Join tens of thousands. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and curated products that drive the Impact Economy. Our mission is to highlight and celebrate the founders, creators, investors, and conscious brands shaping the future of conscious business and philanthropy.

To learn more, please visit causeartist.com

In episode 143 of the Disruptors for GOOD podcast, I speak with Greg "G.L." Genco, Founder and CEO at Generation Conscious, on creating zero waste products for students on college campuses.

G.L. grew up near a waste transfer station in Jamaica, Queens, NYC before moving to Long Island with his Trinidadian-Italian family. Seeing the health impacts of the waste station on his community motivated him to found Generation Conscious in order to tackle climate injustice, eliminate plastic waste, and address eco-classism. He was further moved to take action when he found out Trinidad & Tobago was 80% at or below sea level, meaning most of his family was on track to be displaced by rising sea levels.

As a first generation college graduate (Amherst College), G.L. understands the importance of accessibility when it comes to sustainable goods. That's why Generation Conscious collaborates with university administrations to ensure the school subsidizes or finances the full cost of the hygiene refills for all low-income students.

The Generation Conscious system is built on making sustainability simple, accessible, and affordable. Because helping the environment shouldn’t be a luxury.

----------------------------------------

Thrive in the Impact Economy.

Join tens of thousands. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and curated products that drive the Impact Economy. Our mission is to highlight and celebrate the founders, creators, investors, and conscious brands shaping the future of conscious business and philanthropy.

To learn more, please visit causeartist.com