Mindful Businesses

Most US elementary school students learn about photosynthesis in their science class. The process is very simple - chlorophyll in the leaves and green stems absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen back into the atmosphere. It is nature's elegant way of capturing carbon dioxide. Carbon cycle is where humans and human activities put out carbon dioxide and processes such as photosynthesis absorb it. But when the NET carbon dioxide in...

When Jodi Bakst and Cor Rademaker, co - founders of Circular Design Consultants had the opportunity to develop oa piece of land in North Carolina, they had the vision to make it North Carolina’s first net-zero neighborhood. They put this vision to pen and paper to create Array Sustainable Design and bring to market a twelve lot neighborhood on 60 acres, in picturesque Orange County, North Carolina. In this episode they share how th...

In this episode we talk with Greg Johnson, co-founder and CEO of AquiPor. AquiPor's unique permeable concrete material in conjunction with proprietary engineering technology can transform traditional hard surfaces into stormwater infiltration corridors.The technology utilizes inherently low carbon “cement” and upcycled industrial minerals. This new concrete technology eliminates the need for CO2 emitting cement plants.

AquiPor’s pe...

The practice of manufacturing for planned obsolescence seems to be what most manufacturers in the present time follow. This means to make an item that will break down sooner than their earlier versions, lack of how-to-fix information or tutorials and even make it impossible to be repaired. The direct impact of such a philosophy increases the bottom line of the business at the cost of increasing e-waste and its impact on our planet....

Today we talk on our show with Dr. Teresa Pruzner and Nick Langan, co-founders of Cerebelly who as parents of infants wanted to make sure that their kids get the best possible nutrition not only for their physical but also for brain development. They were surprised to learn when they flipped over a packet or bottle of baby food the mismatch between the actual stated ingredients and the nutrients in the baby food. Teresa knew that t...

In the United States, 90% of the lettuce is produced and shipped from California to the rest of the country. When we combine the impact of this long journey on the environment, cost and 30% loss in farm produce - makes vertical farms close to consumption a viable alternative. In this episode, we learn from Eddy Badrina, CEO of Eden Green Technology about Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) where plants are grown hydroponically...

We talk with Ashay Bhave, founder of Thaely, who as a middle-schooler dreamt of becoming a sneaker designer. His journey begins at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, where disenchanted within the first year, he returned back to Dubai to pursue a degree in business at Amity University. As a designer Ashay wanted to solve problems - the problem of plastic grocery bag waste - we consume 3 trillion of them annually. After s...

We talk to Saiful Islam, Managing Director of Bengal Muslin, that has identified the DNA from the fossilized plants to revive and grow the plant again. He talks to us about the challenges that Bengal Muslin faced to find, train and motivate the traditional generational spinners - who still had the collective memory of the fabric to weave 400 count Dhaka muslin. Listen to this passionate Saiful Islam only on Mindful Businesses. Saif...

Africa with its rich arts and crafts have so much to offer to the world. We are excited to find online or in a nearby store a unique, one of a kind piece from a land far away. But we should pause to think as to how much of what we pay actually goes back to the artisans and their communities. Today we talk with Jenny Nuccio, Founder and CEO of Imani Collective - Global Social Enterprise Empowering Artisans, who wanted to not only pr...

What does it take to start a business several thousands of miles away, and that too when you were just 19. Kate Holby co-founded Ajiri tea with her sister Sara Kolby, to create a full cycle of sustainable aid. Because education is a sustainable investment, 100% of the net profits go back to Kenya to pay school fees for orphans. Ajiri Tea Company is now sponsoring 29 orphans in school and is employing four different women’s groups. ...

Bradford and Bryan Manning are two blind brothers on a mission to cure blindness. At a young age, they were diagnosed with an eye disease that causes blindness over time. To fight back, they left their former careers to start Two Blind Brothers, a small charitable clothing company that donates 100% of the profits to drive life-changing research for a cure for blindness. Their condition inspired a special attention for details, a pa...

Swahili Coast partners with artisans in East Africa to craft ethically handmade, fair trade, adventure-ready accessories.It connects them to global markets using principles of fairness, dignity, and respect. Swahili Coast strives to support the creation of worker-owned cooperatives and provide continuing support through fair exchange and promotion of workers' rights in the East Africa region. Be the first to know about our latest e...

Buy handmade, change women's lives. We chat with Joan Shifrin and Catherine Shimony, extremely dynamic and creative women who run this New York-based non-profit brand Global Goods Partners, like a business and with the overall mission to do good and empower women. Their work, resources, and resolve are focused on bridging gaps, opening doors, and providing opportunities for artisan women to join the international marketplace. Be th...

The core of Phool Co business and dear to the vision of the founder is women empowerment. Phool works with the women who worked as manual scavengers, cleaning dry toilets. They are committed to paying them fair wages, provides them with health insurance and retirement benefits. The impact of this can be seen within a few weeks of them working at Phool - from the increase in savings, everyday nutrition, and a life of dignity.

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Natural gas used to heat our homes, cook our meals and sometimes even to move our cars comprises mainly of Methane - a know greenhouse gas. While we go on this journey to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels and green house gasses, there needs to be a sustainable alternative to conventional natural gas. The anaerobic activities in landfills creates Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). RNG is a hundred percent match to conventional natural g...

We like to check in with some of our previous guests to see how their business has  changed, what goals were achieved and the ones that were not. How they may have pivoted or continued the path they had chosen. It is a pleasure to have Shameek Ghosh, CEO of Trustrace -Tracing for Fashion. He joins us once again from Stockholm, Sweden. We talk about fashion traceability and regulations on this industry in Europe and North America. H...

Cotton fiber and fabric is considered to be one of the most natural material. Given that, who would have thought that the process of manufacturing cotton fabric uses materials and techniques that cause environmental damage. Cotton needs to be cleaned and the “trash” removed for the cotton to become white and more absorbent to dyes. Alkaline and other harmful chemicals used to bleach in this process need to be washed out completely....

This episode was previously aired on April 23, 2023.

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Oil spills in our world where engines are omnipresent are almost inevitable. Larger accidental spills on land and water have catastrophic effects on the environment, plant and animal life. Ironically some of the industrial spill clean-up solutions often used may not always be ec...