Futurist

Welcome back to the Futurist podcast. This conversation was created in collaboration with the episode’s sponsor, Primark.   Primark is committed to making more sustainable fashion affordable for all. Through Primark Cares, the retailer’s sustainability strategy, they have made nine commitments focused on their products, the planet, and the people who make their clothes. These commitments rang...

Today’s guest is James McManus, founder of Earth’s Edge and a B Corporation Ambassador. When he’s not scaling mountains or helping others to do so around the world, he’s busy establishing the B Corp community here in Ireland. James shares his own background and connection with nature and how that has inspired the work he does with businesses on a path to becoming B Corp certified. ...

Today’s guests are Dorothy Maxwell and Brian Minehane, two leading figures in the sustainability movement both professionally and personally here in Ireland.  They joined me to share their experience of switching from fossil fuel transport to electric-powered vehicles. Dorothy speaks about her experience moving to a fully electric car while Brian, a long-time biker, shares his insights into s...

Today's guest is Global D&I (diversity and inclusion) Keynote Speaker & Founder of Clothing brand Human Collective Conor Buckley.  I know I say this all of the time, but Conor’s passion, commitment and positivity made this conversation one of my all time favourites. We cover so much in this episode from the challenges to diversity and inclusion in the workplace, to how Conor and his t...

Today’s guest is pioneering an unplug staycation experience here in Ireland. Matthew Parkinson is behind the Irish expansion of Slow Cabins , an off-grid staycation destination in hidden locations across the country. While just the first destination only launched this summer, Slow Cabins is already becoming a go-to for those in need of a digital detox or simply to reconnect with themselv...

Today’s guest is Natura&Co’s Vice President of Sustainability, Marcelo Behar. As the world’s largest B-Corp, Natura&Co owns The Body Shop, Avon, Aesop and Natura, brands many of us interact with every day. Marcelo shares what it means to be a B-Corp and how its brands are implementing circularity through its supply chain and helping to protect biodiversity around the world.  Host...

Today’s guest is Irish designer Aoife McNamara . Based in thatched cottage in Adare, Co Limerick, Aoife is creating a brand that in my opinion encompasses everything exciting about sustainable design. Inspired by nature, Aoife creates beautiful pieces with innovative materials, bringing a whole new meaning to cottage industry. Today, we talk about what started her journey in design and her unique...

Today’s guest is Emmet Bosonnet, founder of Kopper Kreations . A former engineer, Emmet left a successful career to follow a passion he had to live a more creative and fulfilling life. Today, he creates one-of-a-kind pieces, including lamps and bookends from reclaimed copper, and heads up Raw Materials , an Irish design store in The Chocolate Factory Dublin.  Emmet shares his own personal jou...

Trying to find out what wellness meant to me, both mentally and physically, is what led me to start living a more sustainable life. I’m fascinated with the connection between our own personal happiness and health and how it intersects with finding harmony with nature and the planet. That’s why these next episodes of the podcast will focus on finding balance through nature, beauty, and self-care.&n...

Today I’m joined by Ronan Farrell, founder of Winelab , Ireland's first wine on tap specialist. WineLab offers a range of over 60 high-quality wines and cocktails packaged in one-way kegs. In a bid to lower their carbon footprint, they have created their own closed-loop recycling system in collaboration with OneCircle, offering keg collection and recycling services. WineLab, by its very nature, is...

Graham Stonadge is the UK Sales Director at Veg of Lund U.K, a Swedish company whose latest creation is making waves in the plant-based milk space. DUG is a potato-based drink that was launched in the Irish market earlier this year and has major plans to disrupt the dairy market.  Today, Graham explains why DUG is yet another great alternative to traditional milk, what the challenges have bee...

Today's episode is a conversation with Katie Lopes, Creative Director of Stripe & Stare . Katie spent 6 years creating the world’s comfiest and most sustainable knickers, and in my humble opinion, she succeeded.  Stripe & Stare’s biodegradable underwear is redefining industry standards and offering a zero-waste solution to a product that can’t be recycled or bought secondhand. Katie s...

Dr. Helena McMahon is the co-founder of new skincare and supplement collection called Seabody, which harnesses the power and potency of one of Ireland's most exquisite and abundant resources - seaweed. In this episode, she explains the science behind the brand, its ambitious sustainability agenda, and how she and her team are using world-first technology in Kerry for our skin’s benefit. Hoste...

For many of us, finding calm, serenity and sometimes sanity comes in the form of being creative. This is certainly a story for Stefanie Bailey Clifford, founder of Glow Circle, an Irish wellness brand that offers inclusive and conscious self-care packages and plant-powered wellness products to enhance your glow from within.  Stefanie shares her very personal journey with us today, and I know...

Today’s guest is Lex Kiefhaber , founder and CEO of United by Zero and co-host of the Who's Saving the Planet podcast.  Like many of us in the sustainability field, Lex didn’t begin his career in climate action, but today he finds himself at the helm of one of the most exciting tech developments for consumers who want to shop in a more sustainable, transparent way.  Find out more about Lex&ap...

Today’s guest is Luke Henning CFO of Circ , the only start-up in the world right now that can recycle and recover both polyester and cotton from fabrics. The technology Circ is using could be one of the solutions to textile waste, which as we know is a major contributor to carbon emissions and pollution.  Luke explains why we haven't figured out how to recycle textiles yet, and what it will t...

When it comes to creating manageable and meaningful change at a grand scale, sometimes the businesses you least expect can be the most forward-thinking. Cue Jane Abernethy, Chief Sustainability Officer at Humanscale . Having begun her career as a designer, Jane recognised how design could directly impact both human and environmental health. At Humanscale, an award-winning designer of ergonomic off...

Stillgarden is not your run-of-the-mill distillery. Homed in Dublin 8, the team here has cultivated a community-led garden from which they are proudly sourcing botanicals for their range of fresh and sustainable libations.  What began as gifting a handful of out-of-work bartenders some grow kits during the first COVID-19 lockdown has blossomed into their Social Botanists Project , with herbs, frui...

Today's episode offers a deep dive into Dublin’s first net-zero hotel, Wren Urban Nest. Tucked away on St Andrews Lane in Dublin’s city center, this sustainable safe haven, offers guests a holistic, carbon-neutral experience, from the sustainably sourced wine, food, and coffee, to the high-tech systems that allow energy to flow freely and efficiently throughout the building.  To learn more ab...

In 2020, the Agriculture sector was responsible for 37.1% of national Greenhouse Gases emissions in Ireland. Globally, agriculture and agricultural practices consistently come under fire for their role in the climate crisis. But as one of the most impactful players in the emissions reductions race, isn’t it time we worked with the sector to change, rather than shame them into resistance? Enda Buck...

Aoife Scott is a Dublin-based artist, and in her very own significant way, an eco-activist. Aoife’s work, in particular her latest collection, Collide , is inspired by climate change, the ocean, and the environment around us. Aoife believes that beauty can inspire behavioural change, and uses her art to help bring needed attention to the climate crisis in a hopeful, exquisite way,  In this episode...

This new series kicks off with Lynne Walker, Director of Primark Cares. As Director of Primark Cares, Lynne is responsible for transforming Primark Cares from a label to a value, leading a dedicated team, and working closely with multiple others across the business to accelerate Primark’s decade-long sustainability journey. Lynne and I discuss everything from fashion waste and circularity, the cha...

Amit Hooda, co-founder of Secteur 6, shares his unique and inspiring insight into regenerative farming and fashion. More about Secteur 6 here Amazon Prime show featuring Secteur 6 and Amit: This Giant Beast That is the Global Economy, Episode 4  available here Follow Secteur 6 and Amit's work here   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author Emma Gleeson shares her insights on decluttering (both mentally and physically), the psychology of shopping, learning to want less stuff, and how she managed to formulate her first book in the midst of a pandemic. Order Emma's Book Stuff Happens i s available to order HERE . Follow Emma HERE .  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eunice Pais is a Portugal-based photographer and founder of the Pais Agency. Eunice saw the need for an ethical, sustainable way of image-making and set about establishing an agency that could help brands create their press and campaign imagery in a more ethical way. In this episode, she shares the steps she’s taken in building the new company, she explains how she brings people with her in making...