Business of Circularity with Stewart Hillhouse

Over the course of a 40 year career, it will be typical for a single employee to go through over 14 personal computers. That doesn't even include smartphones, monitors, mice, keyboards, or any other accessory that's required in a modern workspace.  Enter Stephen Haskew from Circular Computing. For the last 25 years Circular Computing has been remanufacturing hardware, allowing perfectly good laptops a second life.  In this interview, we cover the standardization of electronic disposal, the challenges of building a new brand, and how he sees supply chains differently than most.  If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to leave a comment on Apple Podcasts. It really helps others see this show and spreads the word of circularity. You can reach out to me on Twitter at stew_hillhouse

I speak with Ani Wells, the founder of Simply Suzette. Simply Suzette is an online boutique curating the best ethically and sustainably sourced denim. She touches on some very important topics being discussed in the denim industry including use of water, end-of-life, and what to do with all the wasted materials.  Instagram Pinterest

Returnity Innovations is the pioneer in the elimination of single use shipping packaging. Returnity builds out solutions and empowers the systems necessary for companies to shift to the new circular economy. I speak with Mike Newman, the CEO of Returnity. They work with leading eCommerce brands like ThredUp, Rent The Runway, and Trunk Club. Reach out to me on Twitter to let me know what guests you'd like in the future. 

On this weeks episode, I speak with Juliette Barre, the Director of Business Development & Marketing at Sourcemap. Sourcemap’s vision is to make supply chains 100% traceable and transparent by offering brand the ability to track the source of every material used in their products.  We discuss how the global supply chain keeps the world's economy chugging, where the areas that need improvement are, and how technology like blockchain is allowing for supply chain mapping like never before. https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliettebarre/ https://www.sourcemap.com/

Stephanie Benedetto is the co-founder and CEO of Queen of Raw, an online marketplace where textile manufacturers can sell what otherwise would have been considered waste. 15% of the $800B textile and fabric market is burned or buried each year. Stephanie founded Queen of Raw in order to reduce the amount of water wasted in this over-production and to allow producers to turn a cost into a new revenue source.  https://www.queenofraw.com/ https://www.instagram.com/queenofraw/ https://twitter.com/queenofraw

Tom Leenders is the co-founder of Gerrard Street, a modular subscription based headphone company. His passion for music encouraged him to build a headphone company that is able to deliver professional audio, all while eliminating waste and ownership along the way.  We discuss how they've been able to combine two business models, how to identify new markets when scaling, and why businesses like his are changing how people use physical products.  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gerrard_street/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/Gerrard_Street

Marco Pesce is a postdoctoral researcher and consultant at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. He’s spent the last 4 years focusing on creating and implementing new tools to facilitate the adoption of circular economy and sustainability principles by Chinese organizations. We discuss how research and academia plays into the circular economy, what indicators you should be paying attention to when quantifying your impact, and what business models Chinese businesses are implementing to kick-start the sharing economy. Twitter: @AskMarcoPesce – www.twitter.com/askmarcopesce Linkedin: marcopesceve – www.linkedin.com/in/marcopesceve

Tabitha Osler is a designer, mother, and founder of Faire Child, an eco-innovative outerwear company for kids. Faire Child produces stylish minimalistic outerwear by using sustainable materials made from recycled water-bottles, and also offer a give-back program once your child grows out of it.  We discuss how her inspiration lead her to start her outerwear business, how she was able to source the proper material for her need, and how she plans to scale her business across the world.  Faire Child ships internationally, available to purchase at https://www.fairechild.com/  To see more, check out their Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/fairechild/

Thanks for tuning in! In this episode Business of Circularity Host Stewart Hillhouse introduces himself and the purpose of this podcast. He discusses the importance of the Circular Economy, how he got involved, and a little story about squirrels.  Important things mentioned: Ellen MacArthur Foundation Stewart's Twitter Please be sure to rate this podcast and share it with friends. It's the best way to spread the word about the Circular Economy and get one step closer to closing the loop.  Let's make circular the only way.