Susanne Kadner's journey from climate science to circular economy pioneer reveals a profound shift in how we approach environmental challenges. Rather than focusing on restrictions, circular economy offers a positive vision of innovation and redesign that gets people excited about change.

"Coming from climate mitigation, it was always about what we shouldn't do," Kadner explains. "The positive vision of circular economy—how to do things differently while being innovative—is a much better way to get people into action." This refreshing perspective helped her build the Circular Economy Initiative Germany at Acatech, bringing together over 120 experts to create Germany's first circularity roadmap.

Despite this policy success, Kadner grew frustrated with the slow pace of top-down change. Her transition to Unternehmertum, Europe's largest entrepreneurship center, marked a strategic shift toward implementation. As co-founder of Circular Republic, she now focuses on creating lighthouse projects that demonstrate circularity in practice through three pillars: Enable (capacity building), Act (implementation projects), and Inspire (communication).

The conversation explores the tensions between pilot projects and scaling, between theory and practice, and between sustainability and geopolitical arguments for circularity. Munich emerges as a uniquely positioned ecosystem for circular innovation, combining manufacturing heritage with startup culture and global corporate presence.

What distinguishes Circular Republic is its role as a neutral platform where companies, startups, academics, and policymakers collaborate without prioritizing any single stakeholder's interests. This ecosystem approach addresses the complex, interconnected challenges that no organization can solve alone.

Ready to move beyond theory and implement circular solutions in your organization? Connect with Circular Republic to explore how our ecosystem can accelerate your journey toward circularity and resilience.

Contact Us

This is interactive content - send us your questions to the guests and we record another session just focusing on your questions!

You have suggestions for new guests or want to sponsor the show?

• Contact Carl via LinkedIn

Thanks for listening and keep podcasting!

Lisa Morales-Hellebo takes us on a captivating journey from her DIY beginnings in the Bronx to becoming a pioneering force in reshaping global supply chains. Her story reveals how necessity and curiosity led her through roles in design, tech startups, and eventually to founding Refashion Ventures – a fund uniquely positioned to transform how we think about manufacturing and materials.

After experiencing firsthand the challenges of being a Latina woman raising capital in the male-dominated tech world, Lisa chose a different path. Rather than following traditional venture capital models, she built a community-first approach that now connects over 5,000 members across 148 countries. This network became the foundation for a distinctive investment strategy focused on localization, circularity, and distributed manufacturing.

What sets Lisa's approach apart is her hands-on involvement with portfolio companies. She shares a remarkable example of helping Mothership Materials – a company that can extract valuable biomolecules from waste – pivot from beauty ingredients to becoming "the unlock for the bioeconomy." By reframing their story and connecting them directly with major corporations, she helped generate a $100 million pipeline in just weeks, demonstrating how venture capital can create value beyond simply writing checks.

The conversation explores why national security concerns and resource constraints may ultimately drive supply chain transformation more effectively than sustainability goals alone. As global competition for raw materials intensifies, technologies that can extract value from waste streams or create bio-based alternatives to petroleum products become strategically essential, not just environmentally desirable.

For entrepreneurs working in industrial transformation, Lisa offers invaluable guidance: deeply understand your customers' challenges, embrace the messiness of working with small businesses, and design technologies that feel like "magic" rather than homework. The future belongs not to those building one-size-fits-all AI solutions, but to those who can build trust with the businesses that collectively drive 70% of our economy.

Curious about transforming supply chains or the future of materials? Book office hours through Refashion Ventures' website and tap into Lisa's wealth of knowledge and connections.

Contact Us

This is interactive content - send us your questions to the guests and we record another session just focusing on your questions!

You have suggestions for new guests or want to sponsor the show?

• Contact Carl via LinkedIn

Thanks for listening and keep podcasting!

What if the most sustainable business model was also the most profitable? In this eye-opening conversation with Mazze Ballweg, we dive deep into why circular economy has evolved from an environmental nice-to-have to an economic imperative for businesses across Europe.

Mazze takes us on his journey from traditional consulting at McKinsey and strategy work at Volkswagen to the moment sustainability "hit him" in 2019, prompting his career pivot toward circularity. With refreshing clarity, he explains why material circularity tackles multiple planetary boundaries simultaneously - revealing how 90% of biodiversity loss and 50% of climate impacts stem from material extraction and processing.

The heart of our discussion centers on CIRCULAR REPUBLIC's groundbreaking work transforming supply chains by connecting large corporations with innovative startups. Their battery recycling pilot perfectly exemplifies this approach: combining startups specializing in reverse logistics, automated disassembly, and advanced recycling technologies to create a more profitable alternative to traditional processes. This isn't just theory - it's practical implementation that's changing how businesses operate.

What makes this conversation particularly compelling is Mazze's economic framing of circularity. "No one needs to care about planetary health to invest in circular economy - the business case alone is compelling," he explains. As global supply chains fragment and resource security becomes increasingly uncertain, circular approaches like urban mining and regenerative materials become essential for Europe's competitiveness.

Whether you're a business leader seeking new opportunities, an entrepreneur developing circular solutions, or simply curious about how our economy is evolving, this episode offers valuable insights into how circularity is reshaping business models across industries. Listen now to understand why circular economy isn't just good for the planet - it's vital for future business success.

Contact Us

This is interactive content - send us your questions to the guests and we record another session just focusing on your questions!

You have suggestions for new guests or want to sponsor the show?

• Contact Carl via LinkedIn

Thanks for listening and keep podcasting!

What if our old clothes could become the foundation of an entirely new industry? Cindy Rhoades, a filmmaker who pivoted to become a textile entrepreneur, takes us on her remarkable journey from music videos to pioneering circular solutions for the fashion industry.

Rhoades' story begins with creative nightclub events that made social and environmental issues accessible and engaging. When one such event focused on ethical fashion, she discovered her passion for solving textile waste challenges, leading her to found Worn Again in 2005. The company's evolution from upcycling discarded airline seat covers into handbags to developing groundbreaking molecular recycling technology perfectly illustrates the learning curve of circular innovation.

But technology alone doesn't solve systemic problems. As Rhoades discovered, even the most promising recycling methods face a critical infrastructure gap. Her newest venture, Circle 8, addresses this challenge through automated sorting facilities designed specifically to prepare non-rewearable textiles for chemical and mechanical recycling. What makes her approach unique is the emphasis on ecosystem building – creating collaborative relationships between brands, recyclers, and existing sorters that connect waste streams with future manufacturing needs.

The most compelling insight Rhoades shares is reframing textile waste as an economic opportunity. For countries that don't produce traditional textile raw materials, circular systems enable "urban mining" – transforming domestic waste into valuable resources and establishing entirely new industries. With Circle 8's automated sorting line arriving in March and plans for a 25,000-ton facility underway, Rhoades is turning this vision into reality.

Whether you're fascinated by sustainability innovation, circular business models, or the future of fashion, this conversation offers a masterclass in how ecosystem thinking can transform waste challenges into economic opportunities. Listen now to discover how your discarded clothes might fuel tomorrow's textile revolution.

Contact Us

This is interactive content - send us your questions to the guests and we record another session just focusing on your questions!

You have suggestions for new guests or want to sponsor the show?

• Contact Carl via LinkedIn

Thanks for listening and keep podcasting!

How do you build a circular textile system in a country that lacks the infrastructure to collect, sort, or recycle at scale?

In this deep dive conversation, Carl is joined by Rachel Kibbe, founder of American Circular Textiles and Circular Services Group, to unpack the complexities of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in the U.S. and draw sharp comparisons with Europe’s more established systems.

Together, they explore:

• The current white spots in U.S. textile collection and why Europe’s 20+ year head start matters
• How the California SB707 EPR bill could redefine circularity—if implemented with the right incentives
• Fee structures, eco-modulation, and the need to finance not just design, but also infrastructure
• The risk of monopolization in Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) and what it means for innovation
• Why voluntary, collaborative blueprints—like the one Carl is helping pilot in Germany—could shape future regulation

This is not just another podcast on sustainability. It’s a rare, behind-the-scenes dialogue between two people on the front lines of system change—blending entrepreneurial urgency with deep policy knowledge.

If you’re working in fashion, waste management, policy, or investing in circular solutions, this episode will challenge your assumptions and offer a grounded roadmap for what real circularity looks like at scale.

Contact Us

This is interactive content - send us your questions to the guests and we record another session just focusing on your questions!

You have suggestions for new guests or want to sponsor the show?

• Contact Carl via LinkedIn

Thanks for listening and keep podcasting!

Fernanda Drummond brings a refreshing perspective to the textile industry's sustainability challenges as Head of Collective Action at the H&M Foundation. In this illuminating conversation, she dismantles common misconceptions about philanthropy's role in creating systems change and reveals how the foundation operates as an orchestrator—not just a funder—of transformative collaborations.

Diving deep into the foundation's unique approach, Fernanda explains how they identify critical gaps where philanthropic funds can spark innovation and collective action. Unlike project-based interventions that create limited impact, the H&M Foundation implements comprehensive programs that simultaneously address multiple barriers.

The shocking revelation that the textile industry is only 0.3% circular serves as a sobering backdrop to the conversation. Fernanda emphasizes that no single solution—whether circular business models, recycled materials, or sustainable fibers—will move the needle significantly when implemented alone. Only through orchestrated, multi-stakeholder approaches can we hope to transform this deeply linear system.

Perhaps most compelling is Fernanda's expanded definition of "just transition" beyond merely reskilling workers. Through programs like Operadita in Bangladesh, the foundation recognizes that garment workers facing automation need more than technical training—they need childcare, family support, safe transportation, and shifts in community perception to truly advance. This human-centered approach acknowledges workers as complete individuals with dreams, needs, and aspirations beyond their job functions.

For entrepreneurs and businesses developing circular solutions, Fernanda offers invaluable advice: recognize and include the millions already working in circular economies through informal sectors. These waste pickers, sorters, and collectors possess generations of knowledge that should be built upon rather than bypassed in our rush toward formalized circularity.

Connect with Fernanda on LinkedIn to share insights or learn more about the H&M Foundation's work in catalyzing inclusive circularity across the textile ecosystem.

Contact Us

This is interactive content - send us your questions to the guests and we record another session just focusing on your questions!

You have suggestions for new guests or want to sponsor the show?

• Contact Carl via LinkedIn

Thanks for listening and keep podcasting!

Alex Kremer takes us on a journey through the rapidly evolving world of branded resale, sharing hard-won insights from his pioneering work launching Patagonia's Worn Wear program and his current role as VP at Archive, which recently secured $30 million in Series B funding.

What truly sets branded resale apart from generic marketplaces is the trust factor. Customers consistently pay premium prices when buying secondhand directly through a brand they trust, knowing the items have been properly inspected and authenticated. This creates a powerful value proposition for brands looking to capture revenue that would otherwise flow through third-party platforms like eBay or Poshmark.

One of the most fascinating insights? Resale attracts customers nearly a decade younger than the typical buyer. These “aspirationalists” find an entry point to premium brands they couldn’t otherwise afford — and often become long-term loyalists. At the same time, existing customers use resale to responsibly manage and refresh their wardrobes, creating a truly circular ecosystem where community and commerce intersect.

We also dive into the operational reality: from product identification and pricing models to warehouse processing, software integration, and returns management. Archive’s technology is helping brands treat resale not as a side project, but as a profitable business channel — and the results are proving it.

Surprisingly, Alex shares that even smaller brands with strong communities are seeing success in resale. It’s not only about scale — it’s about engagement, product quality, and brand trust.

We close with a global perspective: why Germany’s existing sorting and collection infrastructure gives it a unique head start, how return culture and customer expectations vary sharply between regions, why the U.S. is leading in resale innovation and brand adoption, and how Asia’s vintage obsession may unlock a different type of circular opportunity altogether.

Ready to discover how branded resale can drive growth, loyalty, and real environmental impact? This episode is a masterclass in turning circularity into a competitive advantage.

Contact Us

This is interactive content - send us your questions to the guests and we record another session just focusing on your questions!

You have suggestions for new guests or want to sponsor the show?

• Contact Carl via LinkedIn

Thanks for listening and keep podcasting!

Fashion has a dirty secret: brands routinely produce 30% more clothing than they'll ever sell. This deliberate overproduction is baked into a global supply chain that hasn't fundamentally changed in 75 years—one that pollutes watersheds, wastes resources, and disconnects production from actual consumer demand.

Trine, founder and CEO of Rodinia Generation, is rewriting these rules with a revolutionary concept called the O-Factory. Housed in just 200 square meters, this "Omni Factory" transforms digital designs into finished garments in as little as 48 hours, all without using a single drop of water in the production process. The secret? A proprietary software "brain" that coordinates every step of manufacturing with unprecedented precision.

When fashion brands work with traditional offshore manufacturers, they must forecast trends a year in advance, wait months for production and shipping, then warehouse excess inventory that frequently ends up discounted or destroyed. The O-Factory eliminates these inefficiencies by producing exactly what's needed, when and where it's needed. The technology uses biodegradable nano-pigment inks that require no washing or steaming, cutting CO2 emissions by up to 40% while producing zero wastewater.

Most remarkably, this isn't just an environmental win—it's economically viable. While per-unit costs may be 20% higher than Asian manufacturing, Rodinia eliminates the substantial "shadow costs" of global production: shipping, tariffs, warehousing, and waste. A single production line can generate €12M in annual revenue with healthy margins, making sustainability profitable.

Beyond economics, the O-Factory enables true mass customization, giving consumers garments tailored to their exact measurements rather than standardized sizes. Each piece can include a digital product passport via QR code, offering complete transparency about its production.

Could this technology finally break fashion's addiction to overproduction and constant sales? Follow Rodinia's journey as they scale from proof-of-concept to a network of distributed factories, potentially transforming not just how our clothes are made, but our entire relationship with fashion.

Contact Us

This is interactive content - send us your questions to the guests and we record another session just focusing on your questions!

You have suggestions for new guests or want to sponsor the show?

• Contact Carl via LinkedIn

Thanks for listening and keep podcasting!