PODCAST

Understory Podcast: Perspectives on Sustainable Innovations

The Understory

The Understory Podcast discusses innovation, insights, and future in sustainability. It features innovators, industry experts, diverse voices in making our world more sustainable. For more insights, please visit www.theunderstory.io.
Start Here
Brian Graff of Solar Forma Design: beautifying solar
Brian Graff of Solar Forma Design: beautifying solar
May 16 2022
18 mins
Brian Graff of Solar Forma Design: beautifying solar
Brian Graff of Solar Forma Design: beautifying solar
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.
May 16 2022
18 mins
Justin Whitehead of Pebble Finance: investing in a greener future
Justin Whitehead of Pebble Finance: investing in a greener future
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.
May 2 2022
23 mins
Rich Mokuolu of Partsimony: sustainable and resilient supply chains
Rich Mokuolu of Partsimony: sustainable and resilient supply chains
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.
Apr 19 2022
15 mins
Christian Mundy of Greencom: rewarding green behavior
Christian Mundy of Greencom: rewarding green behavior
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.
Apr 5 2022
22 mins
Stefan Gönner of Seqana: sequestering soil organic carbon
Stefan Gönner of Seqana: sequestering soil organic carbon
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.
Mar 17 2022
23 mins
Shuchi Nijhawan of Eka Software Solutions: carbon accounting to reach net zero
Shuchi Nijhawan of Eka Software Solutions: carbon accounting to reach net zero
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.
Mar 2 2022
22 mins
Jason Nachamie of Rho Impact: the art and science of ESG impact tracking
Jason Nachamie of Rho Impact: the art and science of ESG impact tracking
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.
Feb 22 2022
16 mins
Joanne Rodriguez of Mycocycle: regeneration powered by fungi
Joanne Rodriguez of Mycocycle: regeneration powered by fungi
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.
Jan 11 2022
20 mins
David Wei of SolarKal: simplifying solar procurement
David Wei of SolarKal: simplifying solar procurement
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.
Dec 14 2021
17 mins
Ed Thomas of Hazel: climate empowerment with a single click
Ed Thomas of Hazel: climate empowerment with a single click
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.
Dec 1 2021
19 mins
Ryan Jeffery of gener8tor: accelerating climate innovation
Ryan Jeffery of gener8tor: accelerating climate innovation
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.
Nov 12 2021
17 mins
Zachary Witman of GrowSquares: transforming the home gardening experience
Zachary Witman of GrowSquares: transforming the home gardening experience
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.
Nov 2 2021
23 mins
Alex Diamond of Descartes Labs: sustainability analysis at planetary scale
Alex Diamond of Descartes Labs: sustainability analysis at planetary scale
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.
Oct 19 2021
27 mins
Nathan Stuck of Ad Victoriam Solutions: demystifying B Corps
Nathan Stuck of Ad Victoriam Solutions: demystifying B Corps
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.
Oct 5 2021
27 mins
Nicole Doucet of Open Water: climate-friendly bottled water
Nicole Doucet of Open Water: climate-friendly bottled water
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.
Sep 20 2021
23 mins
Hetal Parekh of EnerYields: financing green building projects
Hetal Parekh of EnerYields: financing green building projects
Buildings have a surprisingly high impact on energy use and carbon emissions. In fact, almost 40% of energy usage in the U.S. is due to buildings. Many commercial property owners and developers are interested in making their buildings more energy efficient and environmentally friendly, but many struggle to find cost effective capital to cover these projects. The frustrating part? There are billions of dollars that are freely available in green incentives and financing across both the private and the public sector, but they are hard to find and tap. EnerYields, is a resource that helps connect property owners to incentives and discounted financing options to fund green initiatives, accelerating the transition to sustainable buildings. In this episode, we talk to EnerYields’ Founder Hetal Parekh about how her company bridges the financing gap. She educates us on the types of grants, incentives, and financing methods that are available for green building projects. Hetal also shares the three step process that building owners should use to evaluate and transition their buildings. This is a great story of breaking down technical complexity to drive sustainable change. 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.
Aug 30 2021
13 mins
Abby Lyall of Big Idea Ventures: investing in foodtech
Abby Lyall of Big Idea Ventures: investing in foodtech
For Abby Lyall, food touches every area of sustainability and there are many challenges to be solved in the space. Without food and a secure supply chain, we don’t have the basic needs to attack other climate change and environmental issues. And unfortunately, food and agriculture are huge contributing factors to these issues. The good news? Technology and innovation are driving sustainable transformation in everything from alternative proteins to regenerative agriculture. In this episode of The Understory Podcast, we introduce an investor’s perspective to sustainability. Abby Lyall of Big Idea Ventures talks about investment opportunities within the burgeoning foodtech and agricultural space. Abby shares her journey within the venture capital industry and how she was drawn to solving grand challenges. She highlights her firm’s key investment criteria, especially the importance of technology differentiators in the crowded alternative protein space. Listen in to learn a new term and find out what’s trending in this growing sector. 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.
Aug 16 2021
16 mins
Caitlin Drown & Isabella Todaro of Climate Neutral: certifying climate claims
Caitlin Drown & Isabella Todaro of Climate Neutral: certifying climate claims
Climate Neutral is on a mission to reduce global carbon emissions. The independent, nonprofit organization helps companies become Climate Neutral certified by providing a framework and process to measure, offset, and reduce carbon emissions. As a result, the Climate Neutral label makes it easier for consumers to identify and support products that take action against climate change. In this episode, we chat with Caitlin Drown and Isabella Todaro of Climate Neutral. Drown and Todaro share the importance of using a practical and iterative frameworks to reduce emissions so that more organizations can drive impact now, not 30 years in the future. They give a great primer on some of the basic concepts driving their process: carbon footprint, carbon offsets, scope one, two and three emissions, employee advocacy, and more. Tune in to learn more about the Climate Neutral label, certification process, and how they are reducing emissions across industries. 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.
Jul 30 2021
20 mins
Elise Strobach of AeroShield: a clear (and energy efficient) window to the future
Elise Strobach of AeroShield: a clear (and energy efficient) window to the future
The US loses $40 billion each year due to windows. More than 80% of new windows are focused on meeting the bare minimum of building codes and energy efficiency standards, leaving significant room for improvement. In this episode, we chat with Elise Strobach, CEO and Co-founder of AeroShield. Elise shares how her childhood appreciation for our magnificent world inspired her to study mechanical engineering and ultimately develop a new innovation that protects our environment. AeroShield develops super-insulating, transparent inserts for windows, bringing state-of-the-art thermal comfort and energy savings to buildings at an affordable price. This solid material is made up of 95% gas trapped inside pores that are so small, the naked eye can’t see them. Elise explains the technology behind AeroShield’s sustainable windows, the supply chain, and the complexities behind product manufacturing. Tune in to learn more about the builttech, energy efficiency, and developing new materials for the window industry. 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.
Jul 20 2021
15 mins
Sandra Noonan of Just Salad: pioneering zero waste in restaurants
Sandra Noonan of Just Salad: pioneering zero waste in restaurants
Consumer preferences for fast and easy restaurant options have fueled the growth of single use waste. Just Salad, a fast casual restaurant, is a leader in reducing waste in this sector by offering creative solutions such as its reusable bowl program. In this episode, we chat with Sandra Noonan, Chief Sustainability Officer of Just Salad. Noonan shares her personal and inspiring story of how an alarming article in The New Yorker changed her way of life, leading her to eventually head sustainability at Just Salad. From reusable bowls to carbon labels and a climate-conscious menu, Just Salad gives consumers the tools to eat with purpose. The company has pioneered the world's largest restaurant reusable program, saving 75,000+ pounds of plastic every year. Sandra explains the importance of the food waste hierarchy and provides personal insight for a zero-waste 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.
Jul 6 2021
15 mins