The Seeds

An interview series about innovative climate solutions thoughtfully leveraging technology.

Greening the Built Environment; Anneli Tostar, Tangible Materials 05/03/2023

Greening the Built Environment; Anneli Tostar, Tangible Materials Tangible's mission is to decarbonize buildings. Their software tool helps identify, manage, and track sustainable building materials. Co-founder, Anneli Tostar, walks us through her unexpected journey from Harvard, to Sao Paolo, Sweden, London, and finally to San Francisco. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/26728347

The Grid of the Future: Matt Plante, President & Co-Founder of Voltus 04/13/2021

The Grid of the Future: Matt Plante, President & Co-Founder of Voltus Matt Plante is the president and co-founder of Voltus, a distributed energy resources platform whose mission is to usher in the energy transition. Voltus’s technology platform, VoltApp, connects any distributed energy resource, from energy efficiency to demand response, to any wholesale market in North America. In this episode, we discuss the electric grid of the future, the DER technology and policy to get us there, lessons learned from the Texas and California blackouts, and what makes Voltus special. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/18715508

The API for Controlling Homes and Buildings: Sy Bohy, Co-founder of Seam 01/21/2021

The API for Controlling Homes and Buildings: Sy Bohy, Co-founder of Seam Sy Bohy is the co-founder of Seam, a startup offering a device- and brand-agnostic API for developers to control homes and buildings. Seam’s IoT platform enables organizations to control building devices, like opening door locks, controlling thermostats, turning off lights, and more. Sy and his co-founder Dawn bring years of expertise from Nest and Sonder to progress the burgeoning building management industry. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/17629979

Last-mile connectivity in Africa: Harrison Leaf, CEO of SteamaCo 12/28/2020

Last-mile connectivity in Africa: Harrison Leaf, CEO of SteamaCo SteamaCo enables utilities to sell energy anywhere on the planet. Their data-efficient energy management system helps overcome cost and infrastructure barriers to underserved energy customers in 10 African countries. This episode covers why last-mile connectivity is such a challenge, how SteamaCo augments and automates preexisting smart metering and cloud technology, and three frameworks around limiting beliefs, procrastination, and motivation to succeed as an entrepreneur. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/17344973

Renewable Energy Access and Resilience in a Box: Angelo Campus 12/22/2020

Renewable Energy Access and Resilience in a Box: Angelo Campus Angelo Campus is the founder of BoxPower, a startup offering small scale renewable microgrids in 20-ft shipping containers. They are expanding energy access to rural, often-low income, communities that are off-grid or recovering from a natural disaster. They also provide back-up power to critical infrastructures like hospitals in California that are experiencing more blackouts than ever before. Angelo started learning about solar PVs and battery systems as a kid when homeschooled and never looked back. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/17286368

A Conversation on Sustainable Biomaterials: Wendy Owens, Hexas 10/01/2020

A Conversation on Sustainable Biomaterials: Wendy Owens, Hexas Wendy Owens is the founder and CEO of Hexas, a clean-tech startup producing and distributing sustainable, plant-based biomass. Wendy brings over a decade of materials and biotech experience to Hexas and shares insights on the future of sustainable construction and renewable energy sectors, her experience as a founder, and her philosophy for success. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/16237832

Marketing Your Climate Start-Up & Zero Waste Living: Bettina Grab 09/12/2020

Marketing Your Climate Start-Up & Zero Waste Living: Bettina Grab Bettina Grab, founder of Impact B2B, helps climate tech start-ups have a bigger, impact faster through growth and effective sales & marketing strategies. She is also a Zero Waste blogger, speaker & activist. We first discuss Bettina’s shift from corporate marketing to climate-marketing, why there is such a need for it today, and tips for founders. Next, we turn to zero waste living, what she has learned from living a plastic-free life, and some surprising facts about why recycling is really the last resor /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/15980735

Climate Positive Building with Bamboo: Troy Carter, Rizome 08/27/2020

Climate Positive Building with Bamboo: Troy Carter, Rizome Did you know that Bamboo Engineered Lumber is stronger, more fire-resistant, and more sustainable than wood, steel, and concrete? /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/15785111

Climate Bonds and Mobilizing Capital for Change: Sean Kidney 06/03/2020

Climate Bonds and Mobilizing Capital for Change: Sean Kidney Sean Kidney is the CEO of the Climate Bonds Initiative, an international NGO working to mobilize debt capital markets for climate solutions. The Climate Bonds Initiative works to create standards and transparency in the green bond market such as by creating a certification scheme, advising the EU, and working with China's central bank to grow green bonds. Sean discusses the climate crises from a holistic perspective, especially as relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/14685824

Investing, Impact, and Leading a Meaningful Life: Deb Kemper 05/16/2020

Investing, Impact, and Leading a Meaningful Life: Deb Kemper Deb Kemper is an impact investor and experienced advisor with cross-cultural leadership. She is an angel investor in Golden Seeds Venture Group and the Clean Energy Venture Group and supports innovation in clean-tech, med-tech, and women’s empowerment. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/14445323

Impact Investing for Climate: Gina Foote 04/03/2020

Impact Investing for Climate: Gina Foote Gina Foote is the Director of Fund Development at Conservation Law Foundation Ventures, where she helps cultivate market-based solutions to environmental issues. Gina has woven a fascinating career in international economic development and finance, working in China, Latin America, and the US, serving as COO for a private equity fund investing in clean energy, the CFO for an international education company, a consultant for Accion International, and a professor of Finance and Business at Boston University. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/13838729

Strategic Consulting for NYC's Food Aid Network: Sam Greeneberg, Redstone Strategy Group 09/07/2019

Strategic Consulting for NYC's Food Aid Network: Sam Greeneberg, Redstone Strategy Group Redstone Strategy Group is a boutique consulting firm that helps leading philanthropies, non-profits, and governments solve the world's most urgent social problems. Listen to Sam Greenberg explain how they facilitated a collaboration of New York City’s top food assistance providers to get more food more efficiently to where it is needed most. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/11160617

Our Climate Future: A Panel Discussion 08/03/2019

Our Climate Future: A Panel Discussion This episode is a recorded panel discussion held during a seminar program on Climate Change and the Environmental Humanities at the Delphi Academy for European Studies in Greece. In this excerpt, we hear from three distinguished professors sharing their different disciplinary perspectives. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/10759859

Helping Farmers and Reducing Food Waste in India: Cool Crop, Kendall Nowocin 07/16/2019

Helping Farmers and Reducing Food Waste in India: Cool Crop, Kendall Nowocin Cool Crop is a start-up in India with a mission to improve small and marginal farmer livelihoods and reduce food waste. Its on-farm cold storage technology can reduce crop wastage from 20% to less than 5%, extend produce life up to 6 times, and allow farmers to sell their produce later when the prices can go up to 10 times higher. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/10423970

The Politics of Actually Existing Unsustainably: John Barry 06/30/2019

The Politics of Actually Existing Unsustainably: John Barry John Barry is a Professor at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland and a former politician in Ireland’s Green Party. On this episode, we discuss the age of the Anthropocene, whether a free market economy can achieve environmental goals, and how human development and poverty alleviation are connected to decarbonization and combatting climate breakdown. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/10346195

This Ride Sharing Service is Different: Eleanor Joseph, Via Transportation 06/06/2019

This Ride Sharing Service is Different: Eleanor Joseph, Via Transportation Eleanor Joseph serves as the Director of Business Development at Via, the leading developer of on-demand transit systems. She previously founded Ubuntu Capital, a company assisting small businesses and their customers within urban, emerging markets. On this episode you’ll get a comprehensive understanding of Via, why it is different from sharing services, and how it is working to transform the public transportation industry today. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/10076585

Charitable Capital for Carbon-Reducing Innovation: Sarah Kearney 05/31/2019

Charitable Capital for Carbon-Reducing Innovation: Sarah Kearney Sarah Kearney is the founder of PRIME Coalition, a Cambridge-based 501c3 public charity working to combat climate change. PRIME partners with philanthropists to place charitable dollars into market-based solutions for reducing carbon emissions. They in turn fund start-ups offering innovative technologies in this space. Listen to learn about impact investing, philanthropic capital, and innovation tackling climate change. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/10000898

Taking on Trash from the Netherlands to India: Silvia de Vaan 04/20/2019

Taking on Trash from the Netherlands to India: Silvia de Vaan Silvia de Vaan is the founder of SweepSmart, a Dutch-Indian start-up offering a better way to sort and dispose of trash. Their waste management model works to create smaller landfills but also jobs to be proud of. We discuss the challenges and opportunities of working in cross-cultural contexts as well as when to know it’s time to start your own company. (Hint – you will never feel ready!) Silvia has a background in systems engineering and management consulting in the Netherlands and East Africa. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/9466751

Finance for Good not Evil: Amrita Vir 02/04/2019

Finance for Good not Evil: Amrita Vir Amrita Vir helps us untangle the complicated web of finance – across the dimensions of inclusion, development, access, scoring, and health reform. Our conversation spans the micro-macro and international-domestic spheres as she shares on her experiences creating her own micro-finance start-up, working for the fin-tech social enterprise, Cignifi, and researching financial health in the United States. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/8512910

BRÜZD Foods at your door and an end to food waste: Parker Hughes 01/21/2019

BRÜZD Foods at your door and an end to food waste: Parker Hughes Parker Hughes founded BRÜZD, a start-up company tackling food waste. Their twist on the farm-to-table model rescues “ugly” or surplus fruits and veggies and delivers them directly to the doorstep of subscribers in Boston and Cambridge for less than retail price. Their innovative model invites consumers to connect with their food and support local farmers in a meaningful way. Since its founding in 2017, BRUZD has been winning competition after competition and scaling rapidly. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/8332925

Systems Thinking & Medical Diagnostics in Nigeria: Genevieve Barnard-Oni 12/22/2018

Systems Thinking & Medical Diagnostics in Nigeria: Genevieve Barnard-Oni Genevieve is the Co-Founder of MDaaS Global, a start-up providing convenient, affordable, and high-quality diagnostics and primary care for Africa’s next billion, starting in Nigeria. In this episode, learn how Genevieve immersed herself in the world of public health and noticed one major flaw in the way the system was working. You'll also hear about her experience as a female founder, why having a systems mindset is so crucial, and what it’s like when your partner in business is also your partner in li /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/8015840

A Smart Device Start-Up Empowering Women in STEM: Eva Olbers 11/30/2018

A Smart Device Start-Up Empowering Women in STEM: Eva Olbers Eva Olbers is the co-founder of STEMgem, a smart-device company dedicated to engaging young women in the STEM fields. Prior to her degree, she worked in the strategy consulting, technology and venture capital space in over 15 countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. On this episode, learn from Eva about the exciting new apps girls are making through STEMgem, how friends and connections reappear in your life in surprising ways, and how Eva has managed to learn 7 languages! /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/7747286

Food Security through Closed Loop Modeling: Cara Myers 11/19/2018

Food Security through Closed Loop Modeling: Cara Myers Cara Myers is the co-founder of the Mozambique School Lunch Initiative, a comprehensive solution to ending food insecurity while promoting education, nutrition, and farmer livelihoods. On this episode, hear how the initiative started out as a 30-day pilot project, the benefits and challenges of cross-sector collaborations, particularly working with a post-communist government, and also how Cara’s go-getter attitude is manifested in all of her life endeavors, including being a polyglot and an iron woman! /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/7609172

West Africa's entrepreneurship and tech success: Meghan McCormick 11/18/2018

West Africa's entrepreneurship and tech success: Meghan McCormick Meghan McCormick lives and breathes entrepreneurship. As the CEO and co-founder of OZÉ and Dare to Innovate, she combines her strong business background and passion for increasing financial opportunities in emerging markets. Dare to Innovate is francophone Africa’s most active social business accelerator and OZÉ is the platform empowering entrepreneurs. In this episode, Meghan explains the pivotal service OZÉ provides, cultural considerations for scaling up, and her personal path to entrepreneurship. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/7599233

Financial Inclusion and Tech in East Africa: Emma Morse @ Accion Global Advisory Solutions 11/02/2018

Financial Inclusion and Tech in East Africa: Emma Morse @ Accion Global Advisory Solutions Emma is a senior specialist at the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion, an action-oriented think tank committed to advancing financial inclusion. A former Fulbright Scholar, she has worked in Tanzania, Jordan, Kenya, and Uganda and holds a MPP from HKS. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/7407464

Coming Soon: The Seeds 10/28/2018

Coming Soon: The Seeds Welcome to the Seeds: Growing Ideas into Impact, hosted by Julia Bunte-Mein. The show highlights social innovation, for-profit-for purpose business, and sustainability all through the lens of inspiring leaders. /episode/index/show/theseeds/id/7344773

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