Understory Podcast: Perspectives on Sustainable Innovations

Bambuksa is a company committed to spreading awareness and new ideas about the use of bamboo as a sustainable construction material. They aim to make bamboo more common and widely known to both the public and businesses. Why use bamboo? Not only is it natural and biodegradable, but bamboo is also incredibly strong, and depending on location, easy to find and plentiful. Though it grows faster than most trees, bamboo still maintains a wood-like appearance. In this episode of The Understory Podcast, we speak with Jorge Bonilla about how Bambuksa aims to develop the bamboo market in local economies, starting with smaller farms and local construction businesses. By providing construction advice and design ideas, Bambuksa increases the adoption of bamboo in building structures while creating self-sustaining communities in South America. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

There is more need now than ever for sustainability in business. With many companies seeing the benefits of adopting more ESG practices, it is important that these initiatives are integrated properly. A lack of standards and digital tools have historically made it difficult and inaccessible for some companies to achieve these goals. A new platform Ecolytics helps businesses measure, report, and integrate their environmental impacts. In this episode of The Understory Podcast, we speak with Hazel Horvath, CEO and Founder of Ecolytics. Hazel shares how she discovered an ESG educational gap for companies after spending many years working in the environmental sector. She talks about current challenges that companies face when trying to become more sustainable, and how the Ecolytics method for measuring and sharing impact makes it easier for businesses to achieve certifications and other impact recognition. Tune in to learn more about net zero strategies, B Corps, and ESG tools. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

The renewable energy market is growing globally. As solar products become less expensive to operate and set up, more emerging markets are able to finance these installations and generate renewable energy. Eternum Energy is a company created to help navigate the renewable energy space and provide resources to reduce carbon footprints of Latin American companies. Today, The Understory Podcast hosts Marcelo Lando, the CEO of Eternum Energy. Marcelo’s career in energy began in 2010, and he has worked in sustainable energy development in Europe, the US, and Latin America. In this episode, he discusses the differences in growth and financing between these markets, common finance practices, and expansion techniques into Latin America. Marcelo paints a clear picture of the growth opportunities in the region and Eternum Energy’s role in the Latin American renewable energy market. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

Around $800 billion flows through the sustainability sector per year. This seems like a lot, but an estimated $4 trillion is required to meet country wide climate change mitigation goals. Raising capital has always been important, but with a looming climate crisis, Raise Green aims to fill the large cashflow gap. Raise Green is an investing marketplace solution that connects sustainability focused businesses that need funding to individual investors who want to contribute a conscious investment. Franz Hochstrasser is the CEO and Co-Founder of Raise Green. As a lifelong climate warrior, Franz has a diverse background in climate, community, and entrepreneurship. Franz shares how his time on the White House Council on Environmental Quality led him on the path to founding Raise Green. Raise Green is a fintech corporation focused on sustainability focused start-ups seeking capital and investors who want to financially back the green revolution. Join us to learn about how Raise Green is democratizing access to capital and allowing investors to back sustainability. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

Chattanooga, Tennessee is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. While the city was historically an economy-first industrial hub, recent focus has shifted toward sustainably rebuilding the city. In this episode, we learn more about the city’s history and transition to the ‘Gig City’ with the fastest internet speeds in the country. One organization green|spaces is at the forefront of the city’s sustainability transformation by championing initiatives, community engagement, and other community empowerment projects. Michael Walton, the Executive Director of green|spaces, describes the work that his organization is doing to inspire change. We discuss the numerous community projects that green|spaces provides – everything from NextGen Homes to reducing carbon footprints to promoting electric cars with youth. green|spaces creates value for the Chattanooga region through partnership and focus on greater social impact. Tune in to learn more about their work and how to potentially scale these initiatives to a city near you. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

Solar panels and solar farms are a great way to implement renewable energy, but they take up valuable land and can be an eyesore (depending on the beholder). Solar Forma Design turns solar panels into art by creating aesthetically pleasing solar installations. Using biomimicry principles, the company brings beauty and aesthetics to solar energy, creating welcoming environments while reducing carbon footprints all at the same time. In this episode, Brian Graff, the CEO of Solar Forma Design, discusses the hidden value within Solar Forma Design products. Brian explains the importance of creating a sense of place and broadcasting a statement of sustainability, in addition to the typical ROI calculations of solar installations. Tune in to learn more about the art, heart, and data behind Solar Forma Design’s products. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

Individuals are taking control of their own investments and care who they support. Retail investors are now empowered to invest themselves, no longer reliant on financial advisors or mutual funds to create the portfolios they want. As individuals increasingly start their own portfolios, many are critical of who and what companies they support financially, aligning with firms that share their personal views. This is where Pebble Finance comes in. Pebble Finance is an investment and indexing fintech application that allows investors to support sustainable companies and divest from those that aren’t. In this episode, we chat with Justin Whitehead, the Co-Founder and CEO of Pebble Finance, about the role that Pebble serves in ESG investing. Justin informs us about the rise of the retail investor, trends he’s seeing in the marketplace, and how technology innovation is making it easier to invest in what matters. Tune in to learn about self-guided investing and conscious divestment. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

The last few years have shown that our global supply chains are relatively fragile and opaque. Between Covid, labor shortages, war, and sanctions, it has been difficult to source goods both large and small, let alone sustainable. In this episode of The Understory Podcast, we dig into the complexities of our global supply chain and how these challenges can be overcome with better sourcing insights and practices. Partsimony is helping companies build sustainable and cost-effective supply chains using its intelligent sourcing and management platform. We are joined by Rich Mokuolu, CEO of Partsimony, who explains how the industry is ripe for modernization. Partsimony uses artificial intelligence and data analytics to optimize distributed manufacturing decisions such as where and from whom to source product components. The platform allows sourcing managers to make data-driven decisions while adjusting for ever-changing environments. Tune in to learn more about how we can make our supply chains more resilient. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

Consumers want to be more sustainable. In fact, 80% of consumers are already making sustainability-based purchase choices. Unfortunately, consumers often encounter many barriers, including findability and affordability, to adopting sustainable behaviors and purchases. A new app from Greencom overcomes these challenges by rewarding consumers for going green. In this episode of The Understory Podcast, we talk with Christian Mundy, Greencom’s Managing Director. Christian shares how consumers can use the Greencom app to earn cash back on daily purchases and spend it to fund environmental projects in their community. Greencom bridges commerce and sustainability, making it easy to make purchases and positively impact the environment all at the same time. The platform also creates opportunities for businesses to showcase their support for the environment and local initiatives. Listen in to hear how Greencom is making it easier to live a sustainable lifestyle. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

What can we do to combat climate change and promote sustainability on a global scale? In this episode of The Understory Podcast, we deep dive into the satellite-based software enabling farmers, project developers, NGOs, and large corporations to drive carbon sequestration practices. As soils are the largest portion of available carbon on earth, carbon sequestration is a key component in the fight against climate change. We are joined by Stefan Gönner, CEO and Co-founder of Seqana, which enables communities around the world to identify, manage, report, and even monetize carbon sequestration practices. Stefan explains the voluntary carbon markets – who are the players, what are the challenges, and what the future can look like. Stefan talks about how Seqana can unlock regenerative farming practices for farmers by streamlining the process of soil organic carbon sequestration and monitoring. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

A net zero strategy starts with understanding, measuring, and monitoring carbon emissions. This process, now being called carbon accounting, is complex and challenging for organizations. When we consider multinational and multi-tier supply chains and the myriad of disclosure standards, the task of understanding carbon emissions and footprint of an organization becomes overwhelming. We talked to Eka Software Solutions to better understand how they are addressing this problem. Eka Software Solutions, leveraging its expertise in procurement, supply chain, and treasury, has expanded its capabilities to help organizations by aggregating, visualizing, monitoring, and reporting on key sustainability initiatives. In this episode of The Understory Podcast, we talk to Shuchi Nijhawan, Eka Software’s Chief Sustainability Officer and CHRO. Shuchi has a unique founding story - her role as the head of HR led her to develop relevant sustainability solutions for Eka’s customers. She discusses how supply chains and sustainability are interconnected which creates both opportunities and challenges for organizations. Shuchi offers insights into different types of carbon emissions, evolving disclosure standards, and how technology can enable net zero enterprises. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

Are you or your business on a collective journey toward a more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable future? In this episode of The Understory Podcast, we dig into the planning, tracking, and reporting process for your organization’s ESG strategy and why it's important to take action now. As climate change and social inequalities continue to intensify, Rho Impact works to democratize and scale access to ESG expertise, tools, and networks. We are joined by Jason Nachamie, Senior ESG Advisor at Rho Impact, who explains the company’s mission to empower every organization to take environmental, social, and governance action. Their purpose-built software and modelling tools allow companies to engage and build consensus with their stakeholders through data transparency for ESG reports and regulatory bodies. Implementing ESG initiatives is important not only to meet regulatory and investor requirements, but it also drives a competitive value proposition. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

Do you know how powerful mushrooms are? In this episode of The Understory Podcast, we dig into mycology – the study of fungi. Fungi are the planet’s natural remediators that eat and break down complex carbons and other waste. Inspired by nature, Mycocycle converts toxic waste to value using natural, mushroom-based processes. We are joined by Joanne Rodriguez, CEO of Mycocycle, who explains in depth the power of the mushroom. Joanne talks us through her journey to reduce waste in the construction and real estate industry which resulted in harnessing this natural technology. Listen in to hear more about use cases, future applications, and bootstrapping a sustainability startup. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

Solar is now one of the cheapest sources of electricity, however the market for solar panels is still underpenetrated and underutilized by businesses. Procuring and installing these panels can be a very lengthy and cumbersome process due to the fragmented market and complex incentives. Enter SolarKal – a company bringing transparency to the process. SolarKal is a B2B marketplace that simplifies the solar energy procurement process. In this episode, we chat with David Wei, SolarKal’s Head of Corporate Development, about how the company accelerates solar adoption by adding value to all sides of the market. He shares more about typical customer pain points, the economics associated with solar energy, and other market observations. Tune in to learn more about renewables, energy transition, reducing energy costs, and more. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

What if you had the power to draw down carbon levels with the click of a button? Would it ease your worries about the state of our planet and the impact of climate change? Climate anxiety is a growing phenomenon where individuals feel overwhelmed, unempowered, and guilty about immensity of the climate change problem. A new app by Hazel is empowering individuals to do their part by taking responsibility for their own carbon footprints. In this episode, we talk to Hazel’s Founder Ed Thomas about his quest to calm climate anxiety by making it fun and easy to make a direct impact on the planet. The Hazel app helps users offset their everyday activities on both a per transaction and monthly subscription basis, providing flexibility for its community. Join us to learn more about what we as individuals can do when we feel helpless about the climate crisis. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

gener8tor is a 10-year old startup accelerator program and fund that gives founders access to capital, connections, and the resources that they need to succeed. One key to its success is uncovering significant opportunities that exist in spaces that are often overlooked – especially in the context of race, place, and gender. The program prioritizes engaging with underrepresented locations and marginalized founders that are passed over by mainstream VCs and accelerators. In this episode, we learn about gener8tor’s newest accelerator program focused on climate tech and sustainability. Ryan Jeffery, the Managing Director of Sustainability, shares more about the intent behind the program. His thesis is that the most impactful startups will also be the most commercially successful. Program applications are now open – check out this episode to gain insight into what the selection committee is looking for and the value participants can expect to receive. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

Vegetable gardening has experienced a strong resurgence, especially during Covid, as new generations value organic, sustainable food and embrace new hobbies. In fact, there are over 18 million new vegetable gardeners in the U.S. alone. And these gardeners aren't necessarily who you would expect – they are urban, they value data, they are climate conscious, and they want guidance at their fingertips. GrowSquares is a platform enabling these savvy gardeners with easy access to unique crops and a mobile-guided experience. In this episode of The Understory Podcast, Zachary Witman, CEO of GrowSquares, shares how a company of data scientists is transforming the home gardening experience. Zachary shares how the GrowSquares platform can help plants thrive according to their microenvironments while nurturing the soil with biodegradable materials. Tune in to learn about undiscovered vegetables, the factors that influence crop yields, and how anyone can develop a green thumb with the right information. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

In this episode, Alex Diamond, the Head of Marketing for Descartes Labs, walks us through the evolution of the GIS industry from mapping to monitoring to advanced analytics. Historically, companies have been geospatially oriented but not geospatially informed. New technologies like cloud computing, sensors, and machine learning are transforming the industry, allowing companies like Descartes Labs to produce insights at planetary scale. Alex explains how Descartes Labs expands the way clients examine their operations. The company’s platform can not only help clients optimize supply chains and sourcing decisions, but it also informs sustainability initiatives such as land use, emissions, and deforestation. Tune in to hear specific examples of how this technology is applied across a variety of industries and future plans for the Descartes Labs platform. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

You may be familiar with C corporations, S corporations, or even Benefit Corporations. But what’s a B Corp? In this episode, we learn that B Corp is short for Certified B Corporation - a label only bestowed to for-profit companies that go through an independent certification process led by the nonprofit B Lab. B Corps represent “the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose”. Nathan Stuck, Director of Culture & Strategic Impact at Ad Victoriam Solutions explains the ins and outs of becoming a B Corp from the rigorous process to the community of likeminded organizations. Nathan was first introduced to the world of B Corps when overseeing his company’s certification. His passion resulted in the founding of B Local Georgia and partnership with the University of Georgia to educate students on B Corps. Discover how B Corps build successful businesses while focusing on all stakeholders, not just shareholders. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.

After stumbling into a documentary on plastic pollution, Nicole Doucet became acutely aware that plastic bottles were destroying our environment. Inspired to take action, Nicole entered the highly competitive bottled water market with a plastic-free solution: Open Water. Open Water is bottled water that comes in an aluminum bottle or can, which is much more sustainable and carbon friendly compared to other alternatives in the market. In this episode, Nicole takes us on her journey to start and scale her company. She educates us on the recyclability of different materials and changing consumer preferences. This is a story of creating practical solutions that work within existing systems to drive change. We talk economics, closed loop processes, sourcing strategies, and more. While a single Open Water bottle drives small impact, the use of truly recyclable materials quickly adds up to immense impact. The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and the future of sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, and diverse voices who make our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.