Green Disruptors: Scaling the Future

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n this episode of Green Disruptors, host Megan Kjar sits down with Derrick Emsley, co-founder and CEO of Tentree and Veritree. Derrick shares his journey from launching his first carbon-offsetting project at age 15 to building Tentree, a global apparel brand planting over 100 million trees, and spinning out Veritree, a climate tech company ensuring transparency in global reforestation.

We dive into: 🌱 How Tentree turned sustaina...

In this episode of Good Distractors, host Megan Kjar sits down with Joley Michaelson, founder and CEO of The Sun Company. From her early career in healthcare to leading national sales at Tesla and SolarCity, Joley's path to renewable energy has always been driven by values and vision.

She shares why she left Tesla to launch The Sun Company, how her team is pioneering long-duration, non-lithium energy storage, and why she believes b...

In this episode of Green Disruptors, host Megan Kjar speaks with Anton Espira, co-founder of Eco2Librium, about reimagining conservation through a for-profit lens. Anton shares his journey from tropical forest ecologist to entrepreneur, explains how Eco2Librium develops financially sustainable projects like energy-efficient cookstoves, sustainable bamboo, and biochar, and explores the challenges and opportunities of blending conser...

In this episode of Green Disruptors, host Megan Kjar sits down with Barry Westbrook, founder of DocAir, to explore the hidden world of indoor air quality. Barry shares his journey from engineering and construction to becoming a building scientist and leading DocAir for over 20 years. Together, they dive into why most homes and buildings lack proper ventilation, the myths around mold, the overlooked ROI of healthy air, and how DocAi...

Adam Boucher is no stranger to clean energy innovation. From launching one of the first solar finance companies in the U.S. to now leading Molecule Systems, Adam has always been ahead of the curve. Molecule’s platform enables developers and businesses to rapidly deploy energy management systems and optimize participation in virtual power plants — unlocking two to four times more value compared to traditional approaches.

In this epi...

When landfills began to overflow in West Michigan, entrepreneur Dan Tietema saw an opportunity — and a responsibility. What began as a simple hauling service in 2011 evolved into Organicycle, a company that now collects, processes, and transforms food, paper, and yard waste into nutrient-rich compost for local farms and landscapes. In this episode of Green Disruptors, Dan shares his path from bottled water to medical waste to compo...

In this episode of Green Disruptors, we sit down with George Kelly, founder of Earth Recovery Partners and a veteran of environmental markets. With decades of experience in policy, mitigation banking, and nature-based solutions, George shares how ERP is filling the critical funding gap for emerging enterprises in carbon, water, and biodiversity. From unique joint ventures with nonprofits to leveraging impact capital for maximum fle...

Motorsports might not be the first place you look for climate innovation—but that’s exactly where today’s guest, Martin Popilka, found a powerful proving ground for synthetic fuels.

In this episode, Martin shares how P1 Fuels decarbonized everything from Formula One engines to historic rally cars using synthetic gasoline made from captured CO₂ and renewable energy—no modifications needed.

We explore:

• Why existing cars—not jus...

Agroforestry may not be the flashiest climate solution—but it just might be one of the most effective.

In this episode of Green Disruptors, Cate O’Kane of Trees for the Future shares how the organization has spent 35 years transforming degraded land into vibrant Forest Gardens across sub-Saharan Africa.

Cate breaks down how this simple yet powerful model creates cascading benefits—from increased food security and income for farmers...

In this episode of Green Disruptors, we sit down with Brando Crespi, founder of Global Biocarbons, a company turning wildfire-damaged biomass into biochar and sustainable biocarbons that could replace fossil-fuel-based carbon black in cement, plastics, and even electronics.

Brando shares his incredible journey—from launching luxury brands on Rodeo Drive to leading biodiversity missions across the globe—and how a moment of clarity a...

Can a home battery help fight climate change and cut your electricity bill? In this episode of Green Disruptors, Megan sits down with Robin, CEO of PowerVault, to explore the role of behind-the-meter energy storage in building a more resilient and intelligent power grid. From the evolution of battery tech and AI-driven algorithms to customer empowerment and market trust, Robin shares insights on what it takes to scale a clean tech ...

In this episode of Green Disruptors, host Megan Kjar sits down with Mark Lillis, SVP of Engineering at SKYRE, to unpack how his team is tackling one of industry’s best-kept secrets — wasted hydrogen. With a background in electrochemical systems dating back to the Gemini space program, SKYRE is using breakthrough membrane tech to recycle hydrogen in metal manufacturing, semiconductor production, and even emerging geologic hydrogen p...

What does it say about your business if you're supporting veterans and the environment? According to Jim Holland, it says you're a business that cares. In this inspiring episode of Green Disruptors, host Megan Kjar sits down with Jim — co-founder of Carma, a veteran-founded B-Corp that’s planted over 1.3 million trees while supporting mental health and social mobility for veterans. Learn how Carma leverages technology, partnerships...

In this episode of Green Disruptors, host Megan Kjar sits down with Mike Riley, CEO of NextGen, a Utah-based materials startup tackling one of clean tech's biggest challenges: where—and how—we get our critical materials.

From pioneering a low-impact method of extracting lithium from waste piles and seawater, to innovating in graphite and flame retardants, Mike and his team are engineering cleaner, smarter alternatives to convention...

In this episode of Green Disruptors, host Megan Kjar sits down with Tom Chepucavage, co-founder and CEO of Flow Aluminum — an innovative battery startup out of the University of New Mexico. Flow is developing a carbon-negative, aluminum-based battery that’s safer, more sustainable, and longer-lasting than conventional lithium-ion technology.

Tom breaks down how their batteries store energy, capture CO₂, and could play a vital role ...

In this episode of Green Disruptors, we sit down with Robert, Sales Director and worker-owner at Rust Belt Riders, a Cleveland-based composting co-op transforming food waste into a force for good. Learn how they’re diverting tons of organic waste from landfills, supporting regenerative farming, and creating dignified green jobs—all while modeling a community-owned business structure. From hauling food scraps by bike to serving 4,00...

How do you scale a clean energy platform that works behind the scenes of everyday businesses — from supermarkets to water pumping stations?

In this episode of Green Disruptors, host Megan Kjar sits down with James Muraca, CTO of N-Response, to talk about how their cloud-based automation software is reshaping energy demand management across 30,000+ commercial sites in the U.S.

We explore:

• What a virtual power plant really is —...

In this episode of Green Disruptors, host Megan Kjar speaks with Pavel Hejsek, CEO of BC Biocarbon, a Canadian cleantech startup turning wood residuals into Blackberry Biochar — a soil amendment that both boosts plant health and traps carbon from the atmosphere. Pavel shares what makes their biochar unique, why scaling sustainable solutions isn’t just about the tech, and how customer-focused innovation can transform a product from ...

Nearly half the food we grow is wasted—but not if Jessica Regan has anything to say about it. In this episode, host Megan Kjar sits down with the founder and CEO of FoodMesh, a Vancouver-based company that’s building a digital marketplace for surplus food.

Jessica shares how her team is now saving over a million meals a month, how the company’s data and logistics platform is helping retailers, farmers, and charities rethink food di...