A study of fish sold around Australia, by Minderoo Foundation, found that more than one in ten products didn’t match their label. And with 65% of seafood consumed in Australia being imported - to the shock of many Australians - poor labelling was more likely to conceal the sale of threatened or overfished stocks. So, what exactly is on our plates? We chatted to Dr Chris Wilcox about the study, Fair Catch Alliance, and how consumers can help change seafood labelling in Australia. → Shownotes: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast/how-sustainable-is-your-seafood-with-chris-wilcox → Website: https://www.faircatchalliance.org.au → Seafood Mislabelling Study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-37066-4 https://www.minderoo.org/global-fishing-index → Global Fishing Index: https://www.minderoo.org/global-fishing-index less

There’s a big chance the items you’ll find in your bathroom make up some of the 120bn units of packaging produced by the beauty industry annually. And those single-use amenity bottles in hotels? According to The Wall Street Journal, an estimated 5bn of them are thrown away yearly. But Nohbo, Winner of The Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2022, has developed a solution to help CPGs and the hospitality industry ditch single-use plastic. Encapsulating your favourite personal care products into plastic-free single-use or full-size ‘serves’ that disappear with water. → Shownotes: http://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast/ben-stern-helping-cpgs-ditch-single-use-plastic → Nohbo: https://nohbo.com/ → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nohboinc/ → Ben on Shark Tank (age 16): https://youtu.be/bMFfxDUG-jE less

Did you know that the equivalent of one garbage truck’s worth of plastic ends up in the ocean every minute? And with 40% of global plastic waste coming from packaging, sustainable packaging options have never been more important. Better Packaging Co. is a carbon-neutral BCorp creating sustainable packaging that doesn’t just do less harm, but also delivers some good. Founders Kate Bezar and Becs Percasky are no strangers to the podcast either, with BPCo. being two-time Pitchfest Finalists! → Shownotes: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast/sustainable-packaging-better-packaging-co → Website: https://www.betterpackaging.com/ → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterpackagingco/ → BPCo’s other episode: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast/rebecca-percasky-and-kate-bezar → OBP Certification: https://www.au.betterpackaging.com/pages/certifications less

The humble potato is endlessly useful and almost universally beloved. But Netherlands-based startup BESE is taking it up a notch, recycling the waste from potato chip manufacturing (as well as materials like oyster shells, and waste wood chips) into biodegradable ocean ecosystem restoration products. Karin Didderen and Peter Vodegel from BESE chatted to us about their mission to restore degraded coastal ecosystems, and to replace current restoration products that use plastics or concrete. → Shownotes: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast/peter-vodegel-karin-didderen → Website: https://www.bese-products.com/ → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bese-products%C2%AE/?originalSubdomain=nl → Pitch Video: https://youtu.be/BKeyyEzPDoQ less

Did you know the industry standard coating for marine vessels, antifouling paint, is toxic? Often containing solvents, biocides to prevent growth, and designed to self-erode when organisms eventually take hold. With the commercial shipping fleet growing to over 90,000 vessels in 2022, this global problem is hidden below the water. But one German startup is bringing it to the surface. We chatted to Christina Linke, Co-founder and CEO of Clean Ocean Coatings, about their innovative biocide-free coating, and the challenges involved in disrupting this unwavering industry. → Shownotes: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast/christina-linke → Visit their Website: https://www.cleanoceancoatings.com/en/clean-ocean-coatings → Follow them on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleanoceancoatings/?originalSubdomain=de → Watch their Pitch Video: https://youtu.be/Lyix0UlkHV4 less

Wet trade slurry (eg. cement slurry) is generated on building sites daily. Angus Hudson, an experienced builder and founder of SLURRYTUB, has seen first-hand the issues and difficulties around the wash-up and disposal of slurry. Including shortcuts that can result in chemical-laden slurry getting into waterways. Angus tells us how SLURRYTUB’s innovative - but deceptively simple - solution makes job site cleanup quick, easy, cost-effective, and better for the ocean. Their filtering system has been used by everyone from bricklayers to tilers, landscapers to plumbers, and even contestants on The Block! → Shownotes: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast/angus-hudson → SLURRYTUB Website: https://www.slurrytub.com/ → SLURRYTUB’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/SLURRYTUB/ → SLURRYTUB’s ’No Wucking Slurries’ Music Video: https://youtu.be/HHq3Aegi94k less

Not only do coral reefs promote biodiversity, provide vital ecosystems for life underwater, and benefit economies, they also provide natural coastal protection. But coastal erosion is getting worse, with climate change impacting reef health and contributing to sea level rise, stronger waves, and more severe storms. Luckily, ocean impact startup CCell has developed a solution to grow digitised living reefs through a process called mineral accretion. CEO Dr Will Bateman tells us how CCell is helping combat the impacts of coastal erosion. less

How do you monitor catch on fishing vessels at sea? Managing catch, bycatch, and adherence to laws & regulations is often done via camera footage from boats being manually reviewed. An archaic process that isn’t scalable, is expensive, and can be inaccessible in many countries around the world. But early-stage Canadian startup OnDeck Fisheries AI is trying to change this, by automating sustainable fisheries monitoring with artificial intelligence in a way that is both scalable and accessible. → Shownotes: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast/alexander-dungate → OnDeck’s Website: https://www.ondeck.fish/ → Careers with OnDeck: https://www.ondeck.fish/copy-of-careers → OnDeck’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ondeck-fisheries-ai/ less

Around 700,000 microfibres are released doing an average load of washing. Mocja Zupan (Founder and CEO of PlanetCare) compares this to an average household dumping one plastic bag per week into the ocean, just by doing laundry! It’s a big problem; after all, microplastics have been found in the Mariana Trench, in our food, and even in our blood. But PlanetCare is on a mission to stop microfibres from your washing finding their way into places they shouldn’t be. And they want other ocean impact entrepreneurs to follow suit. → Shownotes: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast/mojca-zupan → PlanetCare Website: https://planetcare.org/ → PlanetCare Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planetcare.solutions/ → Plastic Soup Foundation: https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/ → Study on the release of synthetic fibres from washing machines: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X16307639 less

What if we could predict how the removal, reefing, or installation of an offshore energy structure could impact fisheries? That’s where spatial planning tool FishLAT by Blue Latitudes comes in. With the decommissioning of thousands of offshore oil and gas platforms imminent, and renewables like offshore wind on the way in, co-founder Amber Sparks tells us how their web-based platform can provide data for financially and environmentally sustainable decision-making. → Shownotes: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast/amber-sparks → FishLAT Website: https://www.fishlat.com/why-we-do-it → Blue Latitudes Website: https://www.rig2reefexploration.org/ → Research mentioned in intro: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969723016339?via%3Dihub less

Did you know that biofouling - the growth of organisms on ship and boat hulls - can contribute to a 20-55% increase in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per vessel? An increased carbon footprint is just one of the consequences of this pesky problem. Welcome to the first episode of our Pitchfest 2022 series with Hullbot CEO and co-founder Tom Loefler. Hullbot builds robots for healthy oceans and is working on creating the world’s most sophisticated underwater drone. → Shownotes: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast/tom-loefler → Hullbot Website: https://hullbot.com/ → Hullbot LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hullbot/posts less

If the ocean was a country, it would be the 8th largest economy in the world! Martin Koehring, head of Economist Impact’s World Oceans Initiative, joins us for part two of our conversation. Picking up from SDG 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth, Martin discusses how the export value alone of the blue economy is 3% of global GDP, and how the ocean is a key solution to achieving each of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. → Episode show notes: https://www.ocean-impact.org/blog/ocean-un-sustainable-development-goals → “The Ocean and the UN Sustainable Development Goals” Feature: https://impact.economist.com/ocean/ocean-sustainable-development-goals/ → World Oceans Initiative: https://ocean.economist.com → Follow Economist Impact on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/economist-impact/ less

Did you know that UN SDG 14: Life Below Water is the most underfunded? Or that the economic value of a great whale in the ocean is $3 million US dollars? Martin Koehring, head of Economist Impact’s World Oceans Initiative, joins us to chat about how the ocean and emerging blue economy is a solution to achieving all 17 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. → Episode show notes → World Oceans Initiative: https://ocean.economist.com → “The Ocean and the UN Sustainable Development Goals” Feature: https://impact.economist.com/ocean/ocean-sustainable-development-goals/ → Follow Economist Impact on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/economist-impact/ less

Dr Tony Worby is the Director of the Planet Portfolio and Flourishing Oceans at Minderoo Foundation and is a global leader in advancing positive actions to improve ocean health. In this far-reaching conversation, Tony shares fascinating insights into his career and passion for protecting Planet Ocean with a focus on the remarkable work Minderoo Foundation is doing to support their bold mission: ‘to return the oceans to a flourishing state’. We learn about the incredible breadth of work being supported by Minderoo Foundation and the ways in which Tony believes Minderoo can make its biggest impact, and fast. OIO recently announced a 3-year partnership with Minderoo Foundation to build the team and scale our impact. The partnership will empower OIO to double its previous goal of accelerating 100 ocean impact startups and entrepreneurs in five years, with the organisation now targeting a total of 200 startups and entrepreneurs supported and accelerated by 2027. We thank Tony Worby for his time in sitting down for this podcast and for all the work Minderoo Foundation is doing to support improvements to ocean health. → Connect with Tony on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAAAM4H8sBsA-PSRM1hWR7tm8wpRNHeIcW_gQ → Follow Minderoo Foundation on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minderoofoundation → Visit the Minderoo / Flourishing Ocean Website: https://www.minderoo.org/flourishing-oceans/news/partnership-to-accelerate-ocean-health-startups-and-entrepreneurs → Get the show notes: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast less

Sam Elsom is the co-founder and CEO of Sea Forest, a Tasmania-based startup cultivating asparagopsis seaweed for use as a feed supplement in livestock industries to drastically reduce methane emissions and fight climate change. Through small additions of Sea Forest feed supplements, methane emissions can be reduced by up to 98%. Sea Forest were the overall Winner of The Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2021 and also received the Climate Spotlight Award funded by OIO’s philanthropic community. Sam appeared previously on Episode 38 of The Ocean Impact Podcast where he provided deeper context on the origin story of Sea Forest and the technology they are pioneering. In this episode we focus on what has been happening in the past 14 months in what is a rapidly growing business moving at the fastest possible rate it can. Since winning Pitchfest 2021, Sam and the Sea Forest team have made great strides with advancements in research and development, production, new locations, new team members, awards and customers. Sea Forest isis ready to make their greatest impact but still require macro settings to motivate more farmers and primary industries to take up this incredible solution. → To learn more visit: https://www.seaforest.com.au/ → Follow Sea Forest on IG: https://www.instagram.com/seaforestaustralia/ → Follow Sea Forest on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sea-forest-australia/ → Get the show notes here: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast less

An inspiring and moving conversation with the co-founders of Saathi; a groundbreaking impact startup based in Ahmedabad, India that manufactures 100% biodegradable and compostable sanitary pads made from banana and bamboo fibres. Saathi is also an OIO overachiever! Finalists, Runners Up, and Plastic Pollution Spotlight Award Winners in the Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2021, as well as Ocean Impact Accelerator Program 2022 participants. The only startup in our ecosystem to achieve this so far. Driven by their personal experiences and backgrounds, Kristen Kagetasu and Tarun Bothra built a startup with both social and ocean impact. Kristin - a graduate of MIT - was passionate about making a product that impacted women and was sustainable, using natural materials. Tarun - deeply influenced by his mother’s experience facing menstrual hygiene taboos in India - was driven to use his business background in renewable energy and materials to make people’s lives better. Saathi's mission is to create hygienic products that are good for the body, community and environment in a sustainable and responsible way. Addressing the combined challenges of plastic pollution, circular manufacturing solutions, accessibility to sanitary pads, education around menstrual hygiene, female empowerment and even helps alleviate poverty - by employing women and providing farmers with an additional income stream. Did you know: Saathi Pads degrade within only six months – 1,200 times faster than conventional pads, which take around 600 years to degrade and contribute to the approx. 8 million tons of plastic entering the ocean each year. → To learn more visit: https://saathipads.com → Follow Saathi on IG: https://www.instagram.com/saathipads/ → Follow Saathi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saathipads → Get the show notes here: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast less

An insightful chat with Syrine Chaalala, co-founder and Managing Director of nextProtein, a Tunisia/France-based insect technology startup producing insect-based protein for animal feedstocks using food waste - returning protein to the food cycle. nextProtein was the Winner of the Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2022 Sustainable Harvesting Spotlight Award presented by Austral Fisheries. Founded in 2015 with her partner Mohamed Gastli, nextProtein is helping to tackle land and resource scarcity using insect protein from Black Soldier Flies as feedstock for a range of industries - including poultry, pork, pet foods and of course, aquaculture. In this inspiring episode Syrine shares her deep knowledge, passion and experience for tackling the big issues of food security and land scarcity with a rapidly growing global population. Syrine also doesn’t hold back in sharing lots of great words of advice and wisdom for others embarking on an ocean impact startup journey. Fascinating fact: 1kg of nextProtein’s feed used in aquaculture can prevent 3kg of fish meal harvested from the ocean. Now that’s ocean impact! To learn more visit: https://nextprotein.co/ Follow nextProtein on IG: https://www.instagram.com/nextprotein_/ Follow nextProtein on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nextprotein/ Get the show notes here: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast less

A dynamic discussion with Jesse Baines, Chief Marketing Officer for Atlantic Sea Farms and a proud Maine native with deep connections to the local lobster fishery. Atlantic Sea Farms is a Maine-based startup - and Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2021 Finalist - creating craveable, innovative products made from sustainably farmed sea greens, all while expanding opportunities for Maine's fishing communities. Despite a long legacy of sustainable management, Maine’s lobster industry is unable to fight the impacts of climate change with warming waters spelling disaster for the future of this proud fishery. In a bold and forward-thinking approach, the original founders of Atlantic Sea Farms recognised a huge opportunity to help local lobster fishers diversify their businesses to encompass the prime conditions and rich future for… kelp. In this fascinating and inspiring episode we learn about the challenges and successes in helping to transform a deeply historical industry into a modern, thriving, future-proof and regenerative practice. Spoiler alert - it’s working! And that’s with thanks to the incredible work of Jesse and the Atlantic Sea Farms team. A key call to action from this episode: get more sea greens in your diet and vote for the future! To learn more visit: https://atlanticseafarms.com/ Follow Atlantic Sea Farms on IG: https://www.instagram.com/atlanticseafarms/ Follow Atlantic Sea Farms on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atlantic-sea-farms/ Get the show notes here: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast less

Adam Root is the founder and CEO of Matter, a UK based microplastic technology company pioneering innovative solutions for the capture, harvest and recycling of microplastics. Matter’s mission is to improve the health of our oceans by capturing microplastics from source. On a mission to change our relationship with water and the environment, Adam set-up Matter to provide solutions to the colossal challenge of microplastic pollution. A trained mechanical engineer and keen scuba diver, Adam worked on gas turbines at GE before moving to Dyson, where he worked in New Product Innovation. He was awarded Innovate UK’s Innovator of the Year in 2018 and 2019 and represented the UK at the G7 Summit in Canada. In this far reaching and revealing conversation, we learn the unique origin story of Matter and the tremendous efforts Adam and his team have invested in building this pioneering startup and their brilliant innovations - including GULP - a game changing filtration unit that enables the capture and harvesting of microfibres from washing machines. The passion and commitment that Adam and his team bring to the mission of Matter is inspiring and powerful. We are thrilled to have been able to recognise their great work as a Finalist of The Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2021 and look forward to their future success. To learn more visit https://matter.industries/ Follow Matter on IG: https://www.instagram.com/hq_matter/ Follow Matter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/matterindustries/ Get the show notes here: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast less

Jack Hurley is the Founder of Firetail Robotics, Winner of The Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2021 Ocean Monitoring Spotlight Award for their pioneering work using technology to increase ocean knowledge. A commercial helicopter pilot and aerial surveyor by trade - Jack is driven to help businesses ‘think outside the box’ when it comes to solving problems. Based in Albury in regional Australia, (quite a long way from salt water) Firetail Robotics are an Australian startup delivering full cycle services to help customers ride the wave of digital transformation. From workplace safety AI systems; robotic road safety ‘witches hats’ and unmanned surface vehicles delivering coral spawn - Firetail Robotics don’t mind tackling a problem with new ideas and big thinking. For the Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2021, Firetail were awarded the inaugural Ocean Monitoring Spotlight Award sponsored by Dicker Data for their Lagoon AI technology that is helping marine scientists to quickly, accurately and cheaply assess fish populations. The AI solution developed in conjunction with Griffith University can replace existing BRUVS methodology to bring down costs and increase accuracy in bringing hidden undersea knowledge to light. To learn more visit https://firetailrobotics.com/ Follow Firetail Robotics on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/firetail-pty-ltd/ Get the show notes here: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast less

Declan McAdams is the co-founder and Chairman of Pinovo, a Norwegian startup on a mission to transform the $12bn environmentally destructive sandblasting industry. As Declan eloquently shares in this podcast - the vast majority of paint used in the world today is actually plastic. And when painted infrastructure is routinely maintained or degrades over time - enormous quantities of microplastic paint particles enter the environment. Pinovo have pioneered innovative grit blasting technology and methods to ensure the servicing and maintenance of infrastructure, particularly that in or close to the oceans (eg. bridges, offshore rigs, vessels etc) doesn’t have to cost the earth. Pinovo’s patented front end tools enable the capture of microplastic pollutants whilst creating cost and carbon emission savings by repurposing sand and grit. A key opportunity for Pinovo’s continued growth is changes in policy that will ensure industries capture microplastic contamination from their operations and as such, Pinovo actively engages in research and thought leadership to further this agenda. We are always amazed by the variety of startups working on ocean impact innovations globally and Pinovo’s work to address the previously misunderstood issue of microplastic paint pollution is fascinating and critical. To learn more visit https://www.pinovo.com/ Follow Pinovo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pinovo/ Get the show notes here: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast less

Rebecca Percasky and Kate Bezar are the co-founders of Better Packaging Co., a New Zealand based startup on a mission to design revolutionary packaging solutions for the new eco-nomy. Better Packaging Co. commenced their journey pioneering world first home compostable packaging solutions for the burgeoning eCommerce courier industry before diversifying into reusable mailer solutions, garment bags, tape, labels and other packaging items. Recently, the fast growing startup launched their ‘Pollastic’ range made from 100% recycled ‘ocean bound’ plastic in a coordinated effort to create a net positive impact from their products. In this conversation with Rebecca and Kate we dive deep to discover the unique ingredients and circumstances that have helped start and shape this inspirational startup. Driven by a burning desire to build a better future and leave a positive legacy, the pair have created a company that not only succeeds in supplying transformative packaging solutions but in being certified across the board from the way they ‘do business’ to the supply chain and life cycle of their products. In this wide ranging conversation we learn the power of a great team, great products and great relationships - especially between co-founders. We loved diving in to the Better Packaging Co. story and hope you do too! To learn more visit https://www.au.betterpackaging.com/ Follow Better Packaging Co. on IG: https://www.instagram.com/betterpackagingco/ Follow Better Packaging Co. on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-better-packaging-co/ Get the show notes here: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast less

Julia and Jordy Kay are the founders of Great Wrap, an Australian startup tackling the enormous problem of plastic pollution and waste generated by the stretch wrap industry. Great Wrap replaces petroleum based stretch wrap with a compostable alternative derived from food waste. Great Wrap were the 2nd Runners Up in The Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2021. Julia and Jordy weren’t always ocean impact entrepreneurs - Julia is an architect and Jordy was a winemaker before they both leapt into the world of compostable stretch wrap and the range of applications they are pioneering for transport/ shipping, hospitality and home uses. In this episode, Jordy and Julia inspire us with their down-to-earth attitudes and commitment to innovation in order to protect Planet Ocean. They share insights into their significant growth over a short period, their openness to help other startups and founders, and their plans for the future - including their expansion into the US. To learn more visit https://www.greatwrap.co/ Follow Great Wrap on IG: https://www.instagram.com/great_wrap/ Follow Great Wrap on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greatwrap/ Get the show notes here: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast less

Simeon Pieterkosky and Liane Thompson are the founders of Aquaai, an innovative startup using robotics and biomimicry to gather critical data from the ocean and waterways. A unique feature of Aquaai’s technology is a nature-inspired, ‘fish like’ design that moves seamlessly through the ocean allowing for accurate data collection and reduced stress in certain settings, eg. aquaculture. Aquaai have also pioneered ‘FaaS - Fish as a Service’ and a control system that showcases real time data and quality video for rapid and precision decision making. Simeon and Liane are genuine and enthusiastic ocean impact entrepreneurs and share plenty of valuable insights from their journey to date and future ambitions. To learn more visit https://www.aquaai.com/ Follow Aquaai on IG: https://www.instagram.com/aquaaicorp/ Follow Aquaai on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aquaai/ Get the show notes here: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast less

Nathan Pyne-Carter is the CEO of Ace Aquatec, an award-winning aquaculture technology company specialising in in-water electric stunners; automated waterjet bleeding; gentle contactless pumping; biomass cameras and Sea Lice removal systems. There are many challenges in ensuring fisheries attain a high standard of ethical and sustainable practices. One often overlooked challenge is the ethical and humane treatment of fish in aquaculture and wild-caught fisheries. Thankfully, businesses like Ace Aquatec exist, helping operators maintain ethical standards and become more profitable. In this episode of our Pitchfest 2021 Series, Nathan talks about how Ace Aquatec has pioneered new technologies and approaches and navigated the long road of building and leading a successful ocean impact startup. To learn more visit https://aceaquatec.com/ Follow Ace Aquatec on IG: https://www.instagram.com/aceaquatec/ Follow Ace Aquatec on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ace-aquatec-ltd/ Get the show notes here: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast less

Crowdsource Cleaning the Planet: Jeff Kirschner from Litterati | EP01 Pitchfest 2021 Series Jeff Kirschner is the founder and CEO of Litterati, a startup on a mission to identify, map, and eliminate the world's litter. A former world backpacker turned bartender, Jeff is a serial entrepreneur with a love for storytelling. When his 4-year old daughter saw a plastic tub lying in the woods, little did Jeff realise that it would be the spark for creating Litterati - a data-science company empowering people to create a litter-free world. Jeff's work has been featured by Rolling Stone, National Geographic, and CNN. He is a Global Good Fund fellow, and former resident at TED. In this first episode of our Pitchfest 2021 Series, Jeff talks about how Litterati found a business model that worked, how integrating machine learning made the app even better, and how data is driving change. To learn more visit https://www.litterati.org Follow Litterati on IG: https://www.instagram.com/litterati Follow Litterati on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/litterati/ Get the show notes here: https://www.ocean-impact.org/podcast less

Mike Smith is the Founder and Chief ‘Used Pouch Salesman’ of Zero Co, an Australian startup on a mission to untrash the planet by stopping the production of new single use plastics in the home cleaning and personal care industries. An experienced entrepreneur and founder, Mike zeroed in on developing a solution to the plastic pollution problem after an 18-month adventure around the globe with his now wife, Alyssa. No matter where Mike and Alyssa trekked they couldn’t escape the scourge of discarded plastic. With a fire ignited in Mike to develop a solution to the plastic problem it was in depth analysis of supermarket aisles that led him to the glaring opportunity of innovation in the home cleaning and personal care product categories. Mike, Alyssa and a new recruit Kate set about building Zero Co in April 2019, launching a Kickstarter campaign to launch the business in October 2019 that raised $740k in pre-sale orders. Fast forward to October 2021 and Zero Co launched an equity crowdfunding campaign on Birchal that raised $5m in 7 hours - the fastest and biggest equity crowdfunding campaign in Australia’s history. Disrupting a product category fuelled by multinational corporations with household brands that have existed for decades is not an easy task. Nor is building a business built on circular economy principles and supply chains that don’t exist yet. Through his tenacity, intellect and the right support structures Mike is doing what others might have considered infeasible, even impossible. Mike is the first to put up his hand and admit to the mistakes he’s made and also the first to nominate himself to try something new and bold. At OIO we are fuelled by the growing urgency and opportunity to tackle the enormous challenges facing Planet Ocean through inspiration, innovation and ‘good business’. When you come across entrepreneurs like Mike and startups like Zero Co, you can’t help but be inspired and optimistic at the potential for this emerging ocean impact ecosystem to truly help transform the future. For more information on Mike and Zero Co visit: https://www.zeroco.com.au/ To follow Zero Co on Instagram visit: https://www.instagram.com/zeroco.com.au/ To read more about Zero Co’s Birchal campaign please visit: https://www.birchal.com/company/zeroco less

Lisa Blair is an Australian adventurer, author, keynote speaker and multi world record holding sailor. After the passionate and rapid adoption of open ocean sailing and solo ocean sailing, Lisa set off from Albany, Western Australia in January 2017 in a bold effort to break the world record for a solo circumnavigation of Antarctica. 72 days into the adventure tragedy struck when a storm dismasted her vessel - Lisa was stranded 1000 nautical miles from land with no mast and enormous challenges ahead. Limping back to land for repairs in Cape Town, South Africa it was clear Lisa wouldn’t break the speed record but by persevering through the remainder of the leg to set the record as the first woman to sail solo around Antarctica with one stop. Lisa’s competitive spirit and ambitious goals to break the speed record have led to her repeating the adventure, Lisa will depart Albany again in December 2021 for ‘Antarctica 2.0’ with a goal to break the solo speed record of 102 days. OIO will be closely following the journey and reporting back to our community as one of Lisa’s community partners. For anyone who has experienced sailing or traversing vast stretches of the open ocean, Lisa’s efforts to undertake these enormous adventures solo is viewed as either an amazing feat or just plain crazy. What makes Lisa so unique and inspirational is that her efforts are not just for the fame and glory of setting world records but to raise awareness of the critically important issues facing Planet Ocean. Lisa’s boat, aptly named ‘Climate Action Now’, is blazoned with graphically designed images of post it notes from people across the world pledging their messages of support for action to restore our majestic planet. Members of the public can head to her website (https://lisablairsailstheworld.com/) to add their own pledge and support the project. At OIO we are constantly in awe of Planet Ocean and the brave people who boldly persevere through adversity to bring awareness and action to restore ocean health. If you are as inspired by this conversation and Lisa’s efforts please consider supporting the project through a tax deductible donation or by sponsoring a degree of the voyage. The Antarctica 2.0 expedition is proudly sponsored by Canva, Laurus Projects and Red Sky Insurance and a diverse range of in-kind partners. For more information on Lisa and the Antarctica 2.0 expedition please visit: https://lisablairsailstheworld.com/ To follow Lisa on Instagram visit: https://www.instagram.com/lisablairsailstheworld/ To sponsor a degree of the voyage please visit: https://lisablairsailstheworld.com/360-degree-sponsors less

Dr. Clinton Schultz is a surfer, psychologist, proud Gamilaroi man and the co-founder of First Nations owned and operated business Sobah. Sobah are pioneers of the Australian non-alcoholic craft beer industry with a distinctive unique selling point in the use of Australian native plant ingredients in their growing range of beverages. In this podcast recorded live on Instagram, Clinton shares some of his unique backstory that sets the stage for the mission behind Sobah. Having battled through his own challenges with alcohol and substance abuse, Clinton was driven to build a business that would enable bold positive impacts on the lives and livelihoods of many. In this first Ocean Impact Podcast episode recorded with a First Nations owned and operated startup we discuss some of the challenges associated with the flourishing Australian native foods sector where increasing demand is placing pressure on supply chains and the First Nations businesses and communities that are positioned to capitalise on opportunities whilst caring for country and caring for community. Clinton also talks about the future ambitions of Sobah and how, by building a successful beverage business, they plan to initiate broad positive impacts in a range of areas, including: protecting coral reefs and the Daintree Rainforest. Having just closed a successful $1m equity crowdfunding campaign through Birchal, the future is looking bright indeed for this homegrown First Nations led startup. Clinton, his wife Lozen and the entire team at Sobah are a brilliant example of how a business can be built on passion and a commitment to make positive impacts. We look forward to seeing where the journey takes them, keep up the great work Clinton and team! For more information on Sobah please visit: https://sobah.com.au/ To follow Sobah in Instagram please visit: https://www.instagram.com/sobahbeverages/ To review the recent equity crowdfunding campaign on Birchal please visit: https://www.birchal.com/company/sobahbeverages less

Dr Vanessa Pirotta is a wildlife scientist, science communicator and ‘Superstar of STEM’. Vanessa’s achievements in wildlife conservation, research and science communication have led to wide acclaim in recent years, including being the national Winner of FameLab (and 2nd globally); recognised as a Top 100 Women of Influence by the Australian Financial Review and a Superstar of STEM with Science and Technology Australia. Vanessa’s research efforts include a focus on whales, and how novel technologies can help capture new information about the biology and behaviour of these magnificent creatures. Vanessa has received global awareness and acclaim through a pioneering methodology that uses drones to capture whale ‘snot’, a technique that can replace more invasive approaches and lead to a range of new insights otherwise difficult to ascertain. In this podcast recorded live on Instagram, Vanessa shares her inspirational story about how a young woman from regional Australia can embark on a passion-fuelled journey to become a globally recognised and celebrated ocean researcher and science communicator. For anyone driven to make a positive difference on Planet Ocean this is sure to captivate and motivate. With Vanessa’s passion for ocean science, communication and innovative technologies you can bet we’ll be keeping close tabs on her future efforts. Keep up the great work Vanessa! For more information please visit: Vanessa Pirotta website: https://www.vanessapirotta.com/ Vanessa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drvanessapirotta Vanessa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drvanessapirotta/ Footage of Vanessa discussing whale snot capture using drone technology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PXgFoTtwi0 Vanessa’s TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PXgFoTtwi0 Footage of humpback whales ‘bubble’ feeding in Southern NSW, Australia: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-13/whales-filmed-feeding-off-nsw-sapphire-coast/100457078 less