Business of Sustainability

Sustainability criteria now account for up to 20% of tender scores, often the difference between winning and losing contracts. In this episode, FuturePlus CEO, Alex Smith speaks with Celestine Ekpenyong, Head of Bids and Business Development at LMAC Group , about how procurement is driving business sustainability forward. With nearly 20 years of experience, Celestine explains why evidence matters...

Our host Alex Smith speaks with Paul Hayes, CEO of Cornerstone Health Group, a specialist care provider serving people with complex needs. Paul Hayes has turned sustainability into a competitive advantage in one of the UK's most challenging sectors. While most care providers struggle with staffing shortages and thin margins, Cornerstone Health Group improved its FuturePlus sustainability score fro...

Our host Alex Smith speaks with Saira Khan , founder of SAIRA Skin, a Certified Organic skincare brand focused on ethical beauty practices. What You'll Learn: Saira Khan has built a successful skincare business by putting sustainability first. Drawing on business lessons learned early in her career (including her appearance on The Apprentice), she created SAIRA Skin as a Soil Association certified...

In this episode of The Business of Sustainability, we speak to Phil Hails‑Smith Managing Partner at Joelson, a forward-thinking law firm helping businesses grow with purpose. We explore how sustainability is being redefined in sectors not traditionally seen as green, why environmental and social factors are now a key part of mergers and acquisitions, and how internal culture can be a company’s str...

In this episode of The Business of Sustainability , hosts Alex Smith and Mike Penrose sit down with Alexandra Berry, Executive Assistant and Head of Sustainability at Strand Palace, and Jordan Hughes, Hotel Manager at the iconic Cliveden House. Together, they explore how two very different hotels, one nestled in the luxury of the English countryside and the other in the heart of London, are embedd...

In this episode of the Business of Sustainability by FuturePlus, Alex Smith and Mike Penrose are joined by Mark Rushmore, co-founder and COO of SURI, the electric toothbrush brand that’s giving a traditional industry a fresh, sustainability makeover. They discuss and explore SURI’s origins, the innovations behind its sustainable design, and what it takes to challenge legacy industries. From bristl...

In this episode of the Business of Sustainability from FuturePlus, co-hosts Alex Smith and Mike Penrose sit down with Julia Groves, Investment Partner at Sustainable Ventures, to explore the evolving landscape of sustainable investing. With a background in renewable energy and startups, Julia shares her insights on the opportunities and challenges in making sustainable investment more accessible....

In this episode of The Business of Sustainability from FuturePlus, hosts Alex Smith and Mike Penrose sit down with Glenn Mandziuk, CEO of the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. With a network spanning over 300 brands and 8 million rooms worldwide, the Alliance is driving change across the hospitality industry, tackling key environmental and social challenges. Join us as we explore the most im...

In this episode, Alex Smith and Mike Penrose welcome Laura Ayres, Managing Director of Clipper Ventures, the company behind the Clipper Race, the world’s longest yacht race. They explore Clipper Ventures' mission to drive positive change through sport, adventure, collaboration, and innovation, while also addressing the challenges faced by the business and the wider industry. Discover how Clipper V...

FuturePlus co-founders and show co-hosts, Alex Smith and Mike Penrose are joined by Sophia Kesteven, General Manager at TechZero, the climate action group for tech companies. This episode explores and highlights the importance of transparency and planning in achieving sustainability goals, and the role of technology in facilitating these efforts. Sophia showcases the success stories of TechZero me...

FuturePlus Co-founders and Business of Sustainability co-hosts Alex Smith and Mike Penrose are joined by Grind's Founder and CEO, David Abrahamovitch, for a very special podcast recorded live at Sustainable Ventures. David will take us on a journey through his entrepreneurial evolution, from the opening of his iconic Shoreditch café in 2011 to building a brand synonymous with sustainability throug...

FuturePlus co-founders, Alex Smith and Mike Penrose are joined by Malin Berge, SVP, Sustainability Innovation at Mastercard to explore how to tackle the transition to more sustainable consumption and production. The discussion comes as Mastercard this week announced at Climate Week NYC , a new dedicated set of sustainability-focused start-ups are joining its Start Path’s Emerging Fintech program....

On this episode of the ‘Business of Sustainability’, FuturePlus co-founders Mike Penrose and Alex Smith, are joined by Matt Bullivant, Director of ESG Strategy at OakNorth Bank. In this episode, we’ll be discussing sustainability and what its value is to SMEs, as well as exploring OakNorth’s work and expertise. The Business of Sustainability podcast is created in partnership with FuturePlus and Ci...

In this episode of Business of Sustainability, FuturePlus co-founders Alex Smith and Mike Penrose are joined by Managing Director of Zeno, London, Jo Patterson. We’ll be exploring Zeno’s mission, objectives, what sets them apart from competitors in terms of how they value sustainability as well as advice for businesses on how to communicate its sustainability. The Business of Sustainability podcas...

In the latest episode of the Business of Sustainability podcast, Alex Smith and Mike Penrose are joined by Jim Higginson, Chief Operating Officer at Dr. PAWPAW and Laura Frankland, Dr. PAWPAW’s Head of Marketing. In this episode, we discuss a range of topics, including supply chain management, changes in consumer demand and how to communicate sustainability credentials. This podcast is produced in...

In our latest episode, Alex Smith and Mike Penrose are joined by Andrew Wordsworth, Managing Partner at Sustainable Ventures to explore Sustainable Ventures’ mission and objectives and what makes its ecosystem truly unique. -- This podcast series is for anyone looking for valuable insights on sustainability in business. We’ll be hearing from a range of experts in the ESG and sustainability sectors...

Alex Smith and Mike Penrose are joined by award-winning comic, podcaster, and climate speaker: Stuart Goldsmith to talk 'Climate Comedy'. Stuart discusses the inspiration for his climate crisis comedy show ‘Spoilers’, one of the best-reviewed shows at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, and how he's taking it to businesses. Click here to find out more about Stuart. To discover how FuturePlus can help...

On a very special episode FuturePlus Co-Founders, Alex Smith and Mike Penrose, introduce and discuss one of the most inspiring stories to come from the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine. Sergii Kovalchuk, Founder of the Ridne Consortium kindly joined Alex and Mike remotely from Ukraine to share his and the group's story. The Ridne Consortium is a group which brings together food and agricultural ent...

In a very special episode of the Business of Sustainability podcast, we celebrate International Women’s Day, by highlighting the excellent work being done by the England and Wales Cricket Board to inspire inclusion. Alex Smith, Co-Founder of FuturePlus and Polly Milne, Project Director at FuturePlus are joined by Tessa Whieldon, Head of Female Participation and Growth at the England and Wales Cric...

FuturePlus co-founders, Alex Smith and Mike Penrose are joined by Jessica Bonner, Director at Capita Scaling Partner and Jonjo Hobbs, Managing Director at Capita Procurement Solutions. In this episode, they explore how supply chains and businesses best manage sustainability and procurement. Find out more about FuturePlus: https://www.future-plus.co.uk/ Find out more about Capita: https://www.capit...

FuturePlus co-founders, Alex Smith and Mike Penrose are joined by Dr. Kyle Grant, founder of Oxwash, the world's first truly sustainable commercial laundry cleaning service. In this episode, they explore Dr. Kyle's journey from a space engineer at NASA to a founder of Oxwash, a company intent on disrupting one of the most traditional industries and making it more sustainable. To find out more abou...

In the latest episode of the Business of Sustainability, Alex Smith and Mike Penrose are joined by CandidateX Co-Founders Man Wong and Sunil Dial to discuss the importance of adding Diversity, Equality & Inclusion to business' talent acquisition strategies. - This podcast series is created by FuturePlus in partnership with City AM. - CandidateX is the first talent platform with a DEI (diversit...

In our latest episode, Alex Smith and Mike Penrose from FuturePlus are joined by Danny Lowe, founder of startup BLOCKHEAD and Jess Pritchard, BLOCKHEAD's Head of Commercial Operations & Finance. They explore what it means to be a 'functional chewing gum', the company's story and vision including the business’ commitments to inclusivity, creativity and integrity as well as the challenges that f...

In our latest episode, we’ll be exploring the current sustainability challenges facing the hospitality industry, how the industry might look in the future and what innovations are being created in business. Alex Smith and Mike Penrose are joined by Tristin Swales, L+R Hotels' Asset Management Director and Operations Director, Francisco Macedo. L+R Hotels, owns and manages an extensive hotel portfo...

In this episode, Alex Smith and Mike Penrose are joined by Damien Stork, founder of CHX Performance and his colleague Jonathan Hook, Director of Learning. Alex and Mike draw upon Damien’s and Jonathan’s knowledge and expertise to explore ‘People Sustainability’ and what that means for individuals, businesses and organisations. -- The Business of Sustainability podcast from FuturePlus is the latest...