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 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. Learn more about these amazing young ladies.
#quaranteam #community #elephant #knowledge #madeinafrica #africantea #handmade #ajiritea #elephants #teasofinstagram #selfisolation #teaforthesoul
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 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 passion that carries over into the construction of their clothing line. Two Blind Brothers focuses on quality, comfort, and "sense of touch."
#MindfulBusinessesPodcast #vidhyaiyer #TwoBlindBrothers #clothingcompany
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.
#gifts #artisans #empoweringwomen #mindfulbusinessespodcast #desipodcast #vidhyaiyer
With Valentine's Day around the corner, why not make your partner feel special while also empowering women with Phool.co ?
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It was the day of Makara Sankranti, an ancient Indian festival marking the end of the winter solstice, celebrated by bathing in the sacred waters of the river Ganges. On that cold winter morning in 2015, Ankit Agarwal, founder of Phool Co took his friend Jakub, who was visiting him from the Czech Republic to see Ghats of the River Ganges. They watched as truckloads of temple flowers were being dumped in the river, and at that very moment, they saw sunlight hit the water and an oily chemical film float onto the surface of the water. Ankit struggled to explain to Jakub, why a river so revered was ignored and polluted and why he couldn't do anything about it. Ankit visited the temples the next to assess and understand the magnitude of the problem. That day he decided to be the change to create a movement. He founded Phool Co and became the genesis of the 'flowercycling' technology. Through innovation, they began to offer products made from temple flowers.
#handcrafted #womenempowerment #essentialoils #roses #allnatural #indiainnovation #organic #templeflowers #phool #agarbatti #india #pure #madefrom #mindfulbusinesses #mindfulbusinessespodcast #VidhyaIyer
Latest episode out now! In conversation with @fibre.52 about dye cotton and more...
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. The dyes in itself are harmful and their effluence further pollute our environment. Fibre 52 replaces these toxic chemicals with bio-products that do the job more sustainably and efficiently. Their patent - pending process reduces the processing time by up to 25%, up to 70% reduction in water consumption and up to 40% reduction in electricity without reducing the quality or dyeability of the cotton. Fibre 52 prepares cotton – knit, woven, non-wovens or raw fiber - for a perfect dye job without using harsh, toxic chemicals AND without stripping the unique properties that make everyday cotton resilient, naturally soft and breathable. It can be done using existing machinery and without additional capital investment. In this episode we chat with Graham Stewart, Executive Vice President of Fiber 52 who shares how their product helps the cotton mills consume less heat, energy, water and time. Learn more about this unique product on this episode of Mindful businesses.
https://www.fibre52.com/
Link to episode in bio
https://mindfulbusinessespodcast.com/
#cottondye #fibre #product #dye
Latest episode out now! In conversation with @fibre.52 about dye cotton and more...
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. The dyes in itself are harmful and their effluence further pollute our environment. Fibre 52 replaces these toxic chemicals with bio-products that do the job more sustainably and efficiently. Their patent - pending process reduces the processing time by up to 25%, up to 70% reduction in water consumption and up to 40% reduction in electricity without reducing the quality or dyeability of the cotton. Fibre 52 prepares cotton – knit, woven, non-wovens or raw fiber - for a perfect dye job without using harsh, toxic chemicals AND without stripping the unique properties that make everyday cotton resilient, naturally soft and breathable. It can be done using existing machinery and without additional capital investment. In this episode we chat with Graham Stewart, Executive Vice President of Fiber 52 who shares how their product helps the cotton mills consume less heat, energy, water and time. Learn more about this unique product on this episode of Mindful businesses.
https://www.fibre52.com/
Link to episode in bio
https://mindfulbusinessespodcast.com/
#cottondye #fibre #product #dye
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 eco-friendly. SaveSorb is a totally natural, sustainable plant material. Using sphagnum peat moss in a proprietary method, it is dried, sieved, blended and pH balanced to create the most effective absorbent of hydrocarbons (oil based compounds) and chemicals available.
SaveSorb absorbs almost all hydrocarbons, chemicals and their vapors. It encapsulates them within its molecular structure and will not leach contaminants into the environment, even under pressure. SaveSorb is very safe to handle. In its natural state it partially absorbs the fumes, making it useful for cleaning up small spills containing flammable liquids.
SaveSorb is available as a loose product in bags and in a variety of manufactured products from Spill Kits, absorbent mats and socks. Listen to the world renown jockey turned entrepreneur, Ronnie Ebanks who seized the opportunity when he was introduced to this “miracle-product”.
https://savesorb.com/
https://mindfulbusinessespodcast.com/
#oilspill #sustainablesolutions #ecofriiendly #ecofriiendlycleanup #sphagnumpeatmoss #mindfulbusinesses #savesorb
As we open our kitchen faucet and fill our glass with drinking water we probably don’t realize that around 2 billion people globally do not have access to clean and safe drinking water. Clean and safe potable water is such a basic necessity but it is still inaccessible to one-fourth of the population in the world. Bottled water is not a luxury but a necessity for a healthy and disease-free living. In the United States, municipalities are equipped with water treatment plants and the water is tested regularly, but old and often crumbling pipes tend to leech contaminants into the water.
Link https://mindful-businesses-213bb18e.simplecast.com/episodes/open-water-more-ocean-less-plastic
In this episode we chat with Ben Wan, Principal at RODE Architects about the roles architects can play in reducing the impact of climate change on our planet. Given that over 40% of all energy produced is used to run the buildings, how can architects reduce the energy consumption of these structures is the question we asked Ben. One of the goals is to use sustainable materials, may they be ones made out of recycled materials, easily recyclable, or far more durable than conventional products. We talked in detail about the Brucewood homes, a series of three single-family homes in West Roxbury, nestled into a rocky hillside overlooking the V.F.W. Parkway, - Boston’s first internationally certified Passive Houses and designed by RODE Architects. Massing, orientation and a compact design are the starting points of designing an energy efficient home. The Brucewood homes are airtight and have heavily-insulated shells with the facade R values of 40 with roof R Values of 60 - thus significantly reducing energy usage for heating and cooling all year round.
Fair and just transition is crucial. Sustainable solutions and in this context housing needs to be accessible. RODE Architects, a mission driven firm is now developing 106 units of family-oriented housing in their 52 New Street Project, that plans to be Passive House certified. Learn more in the latest episode of Mindful Businesses.
#sustainableliving #ecofriendly #sustainability #desipodcast #DesiPodcast #Mindfulbusinessespodcast #greenpractices
#housing #architecture #sustainablebuilding
Catch the episode at https://mindfulbusinessespodcast.com/all-episodes/
Sustainable products are priced out of reach of most Americans. They cost the consumers more due to a variety of reasons - higher costs of inputs and innovation, demand is higher than supply and sometimes…just because.. people are willing to pay more. If we are on this global journey to make our world sustainable we need everyone on board. Our guest on this episode Reid Edgar, Owner of Spot Detergent Sheets Spot Detergent is committed to making his sustainable products accessible to everyone. His eco - friendly detergent sheets cost 12.5 cents per load comparable with conventional laundry detergents and clean just as well. Spot detergent sheets are made in Sweden with a plant-based formula that is paraben, phosphate and 1-dioxane free. The product has plastic free packaging and since the detergent sheets weigh around 90% less than liquid detergent it reduces their transportation carbon footprint substantially. Their sheets are environmentally-friendly but without the traditional “eco” price markup. With Spot’s unique entry to market strategy by targeting Dollar Stores and large discount stores like TJMaxx and Marshalls their green product will reach consumers who are often left out by sustainable brands. Learn more in the latest episode of Mindful Businesses.
Catch episode at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindful-businesses/id1473858782
#ecofriendly #sustainability #zerowaste #gogreen #climatechange #spotdetrgent #mindfulbusinesses #sustainableliving #sustainableliving #ecofriendlydetergent
As formula companies’ productions are limping back to normal, after the recall, a question some people ask is why can't mother "just" switch to breastfeeding their infants. As most mothers know that it is not that easy to make that switch. Breastfeeding a baby can be hard - it needs support from the family, spouse, pediatrician and most importantly the medical community. Breast milk can be stored up to four days in the refrigerator giving the mothers some flexibility to return to work or even sometimes even share some of their milk with other mothers. This breast milk needs to be stored in a safe, convenient, and long-use product. Our guest in this episode, Nickey Ramsey, Founder & CEO of Junobie does just that, empowering women with a convenient pouch made of silicon. Learn more in this episode of Mindful Businesses.
Catch episode at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/re-air-of-junobie-eco-friendly-reusable-breast-milk/id1473858782?i=1000618623905
#breastmilk #formaulashortage #vidhyaiyer #mindfulbusinesses #desipodcast
Repairing an item is an achievable and straightforward path to achieve sustainability goals. This "concept" is becoming more and more apparent with Right to Repair legislations being passed as laws in some states in the US and countries worldwide. In January 2023, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Digital Fair Repair Act, a law that will increase the consumers ability to repair some electronics and reduce the e-wastes that end up in the landfills. In this context, we wanted to share an episode that we had aired earlier to showcase this business that in their CEO Gordon Smith's words "we don't manufacture - we re-manufacture." Learn more in this episode.
#mindfulbusinesses #digitalfairrepairact #ewaste #landfill #mindfulbusinesses #repairability #righttorepair #sagent #VidhyaIyer #DesiPodcast
Link to episode in Bio
"No Mow May..." in Buffalo and Western New York, was a cooperative effort by neighbors, municipalities, and counties to stop residents from mowing their lawns for a month to help pollinators such as bees survive and help their population grow. Pollinators are an integral part of the global food supply. This episode delves into how the bee population has been affected by commercial and large scale farming practices. This summer, as we work in our gardens and pesky bee buzzes around you, if possible, take a pause to think about the role they play in our environment and food supply. Learn more about bees and beekeeping practices in this episode.
Pass The Honey
#mindfulbusinesses #regenerativeagriculture #beekeeping #nomowmay #sustainbleagriculture #passthehoney #VidhyaIyer #DesiPodcast
Catch episode at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindful-businesses/id1473858782
With summer fast approaching, sipping a glass of wine, we wondered about the practices of vineyards - a highly competitive and commercialized industry. Around the same time we were pitched for an interview by Ehlers Estate for an interview with their General Manager and Winemaker. In our conversation with several of the mindful business leaders, we sought insights into the economics of running a sustainable and profitable business. The strategies that they use to achieve sustainable goals and still be profitable.
In this episode we talk with Laura Díaz Muñoz, Winemaker and GM of Ehlers Estate about her journey from a food scientist to a winemaker and a sustainable one at that. Ehlers is one of the oldest wineries in North America established in 1886 by a German immigrant Bernard Ehlers. On July 1, 2008, after three years of verifiable organic farming, Ehlers Estate was awarded organic certification from the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). But that was not enough - they went on to implement steps to include regenerative farming practices. Using nature to help solve nature's problems with minimal or no intervention. Interventions whether it be in the yeast or sulphurs in their heritage wine, use of fungicide or pesticides. They employ innovative techniques to reduce water consumption during irrigation and reuse the water used in the wine making process. In addition, with the use of technology, such as sensors in the soil they can determine accurately how much to irrigate the vines, further conserving water, a scarce resource. In this enjoyable conversation with Laura Díaz Muñoz, her passion for saving the heritage vines and artistically creating wine blends that bring out the flavor and aroma of each fruit in the blend. But for me, the cherry on the top of this business is that this for - profit business is part of Leducq Charitable Trust - an international grant making organization to support research in cardiovascular disease and stroke. Learn mor
When Jodi Bakst and Cor Rademaker, co - founders of Circular Design Consultants had the opportunity to develop on a 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 ( Circular Design Consulting) and bring to market a twelve lot neighborhood on 60 acres, in picturesque Orange County, North Carolina. In this episode they share how their homes are energy efficient and the challenges that they faced in creating this project. They sell individual lots to buyers who can build custom homes abiding by the neighborhood’s covenants. They believe developments like their net-zero neighborhoods will be the neighborhood of the future and they are excited to be the first of its kind in North Carolina. Listen to this lively and passionate couple on this episode of Mindful Businesses.
#netzero, #mindfulbusinesses, #solar, #GAF, #sustainabledesign, #aarayliving #vidhyaiyer #desipodcast
Catch the episode at https://mindfulbusinessespodcast.com/podcast/8-circular-design-consultants-net-zero-homes/
#netzero, #mindfulbusinesses, #solar, #GAF, #sustainabledesign, #aarayliving #vidhyaiyer #desipodcast
A Bird, came down the Walk -
by Emily Dickinson
A Bird, came down the Walk -
He did not know I saw -
He bit an Angle Worm in halves
And ate the fellow, raw,
And then, he drank a Dew
From a convenient Grass -
And then hopped sidewise to the Wall
To let a Beetle pass -
He glanced with rapid eyes,
That hurried all abroad -
They looked like frightened Beads, I thought,
He stirred his Velvet Head. -
Like one in danger, Cautious,
I offered him a Crumb,
And he unrolled his feathers,
And rowed him softer Home -
Than Oars divide the Ocean,
Too silver for a seam,
Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon,
Leap, plashless as they swim.
#Earthday #Nature #Mindfulness #Greenpractices #Mindfulbusinessespodcast #VidhyaIyer #DesiPodcast
Energy systems need to decarbonise to prevent climate change. There are many solutions to generate energy without using fossil-fuels, but renewable sources of energy are intermittent, depending on how long the sun shines, number of windy days per week - leading to a mismatch between supply and consumer demand. Energy needs to be stored to match the demand with the supply. Presently energy produced is stored in hydroelectric pumps by pumping it up and releasing it as demand. RheEnergise is bringing innovation to pumped energy storage, with a solution called High-Density Hydro®. They use a fluid with 2.5x the density of water, that means they can generate 2.5 times the energy generated by water and they can be installed on small hills instead of mountains. This opens up a number of feasible locations to store this energy - sites where you are not dependent on rainfall or a water source and hills instead of mountains. Learn more of this fascinating invention that will help us decarbonize energy production from Stephen Crosher, CEO of RheEnergise.
#energystorage, #decarbonising, #sustainablenergy, #renewableenergy, #mindfulbusinessses #vidhyaiyer #desipodcast
Catch the episode at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindful-businesses/id1473858782
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 eco-friendly. SaveSorb is a totally natural, sustainable plant material. Using sphagnum peat moss in a proprietary method, it is dried, sieved, blended and pH balanced to create the most effective absorbent of hydrocarbons (oil based compounds) and chemicals available.
SaveSorb absorbs almost all hydrocarbons, chemicals and their vapors. It encapsulates them within its molecular structure and will not leach contaminants into the environment, even under pressure SaveSorb is very safe to handle. In its natural state our product partially absorbs the fumes, making it useful for cleaning up small spills containing flammable liquids.
SaveSorb is available as a loose product in bags and in a variety of manufactured products from Spill Kits, absorbent mats and socks. Listen to the world renown jockey turned entrepreneur who seized the opportunity when he was introduced to this “miracle-product”.
#mindfulbusinesses #oilspill #sustainablesolutions #ecofriiendly #ecofriiendlycleanup #sphagnumpeatmoss #savesorb #vidhyiyer #desipodcast
Catch episode at https://mindfulbusinessespodcast.com/all-episodes/#!
The risk assessments that governments and corporations make to encourage marginalized to uplift communities, have themselves become a hurdle to the assistance that they wish to provide. Honnold foundations Honnold Foundation wishes to fill that gap by partnering closely with nonprofits in a space where their needs are too small for governments and not profitable enough for businesses. The Honnold Foundation was founded by professional rock climber Alex Honnold in 2012. After a rock climbing expedition around the world, he decided to focus his giving on solar energy - as it was so tangible.
They engage and collaborate with these communities to expand equitable solar access. The Honnold Foundation is a proud partner with community-based organizations all over the world who are using solar energy to improve lives and reduce environmental impact. They partner with communities in Africa, Americas, Asia and in th eNative AMerican communities in North America. Native Renewables empowers Native American families to achieve energy independence by growing renewable energy capacity and affordable access to off-grid power. To learn more about this truly mindful and giving philanthropy listen to Emily Teitsworth, Executive Director of Honnold foundation, in our latest episode.
Catch the episode at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindful-businesses/id1473858782
#mindfulbusinesses #marginalizedcommunities #solarenergy #honnoldfoundation #sustainable #mindfulbusinessespodcast #desipodcast #VidhyaIyer
