-Life as a Green Entrepreneur-
As we plough ahead and through the 21st century, it is hard not to recognize all of the change taking place around us. You could consider social, economic and even cultural transformations occurring.
However, the most talked about issue may very well be the environment.
Research, data and experiential anecdotes all point to a world here on earth that is rapidly deteriorating and will continue to do so until we make drastic changes to the way we live and operate.
Initiatives aimed at sustainability have begun and are underway. Conversations are being had, companies are instituting new business models and awareness is being raised.
However, even the most optimistic would admit we are far, far from a point of turning things around just yet.
On this episode we are joined by a green entrepreneur, who through his company is intuitively leveraging a naturally occurring resource to upend a traditional and environmentally un-friendly manufacturing process and practice to affect positive change.
Introducing
Ryan Hunt is a scientist and technology green entrepreneur commercializing innovative solutions in the fields of material science, biotechnology and sustainability.
He is also the co-founder and COO of Shloop, a sustainable footwear manufacturing and innovation center in Meridian, Mississippi.
Professional Background
With a background in physics and bioengineering from the University of Georgia, he co-founded an enterprise based around converting algae grown from environmental restoration into sustainable materials for use in consumer products.
Mission
Over the past 12 years Ryan has been enabling brands from all over the world to incorporate algae biomass into their products, which improves the sustainability metrics.
Through that process he intimately learned about the challenges and road blocks for commercializing and scaling sustainable materials into the real world via global supply chains dominated by countries like China and Vietnam for footwear and most consumer products.
Frustration to Opportunity
The disappointment over being a green entrepreneur wanting to enact sustainably minded change but being stymied by what he saw as broken supply chains regarding the introduction of new and innovative material, drove Ryan to create an all new enterprise.
One which is focussed on re-shoring sustainable and innovative manufacturing back to the US, so as to enable levers of change to actually be put into action.
His own struggles lead to realizations that other businesses and individuals were probably facing similar challenges when wanting to build in new sustainable /circular materials and technologies into their products.
Shloop – The Shoe Loop
Thus, he founded Shloop, a company and footwear factory built on the ideal of enabling sustainable materials and circularity to be effectively integrated into supply chains in a way that brands can not only access it, but also afford it.
Reasons to Listen
This conversation dives into the weeds of the footwear industry and exposes both challenges and opportunities of working within in it from an entrepreneurial standpoint.
There is also a hefty dose of inspiration by way of hearing Ryan’s own story as a green entrepreneur of founding his company which aims to flip the script on how this industry operates.
This will be a talk worth listening to for:
- those interested to learn about the footwear industry at large and from a sustainability slant
- those wanting a dose of entrepreneurial inspiration
- those within the world of science who may want to explore the world of business
Listeners will come away with insights on:
- How a pure scientist (physicist and bioengineer) transitioned into the world of entrepreneurship
- How worlds of science and discovery are a lot closer aligned to business than one would initially think
- How those with scientific backgrounds can enter the world of business
- How effective algae is as a renewable resource
- How his recognition of the value of algae biomass put him on a path of starting a venture based on it
- Commentary on whether a company can be sustainable when existing supply chains aren’t
- The challenges of introducing new sustainable materials into established supply chains overseas
- Why the decentralization of manufacturing is key to creating more circularity
- How and why the footwear industry operates the way it currently does
- How his company is trying to leverage tech to flip the script on the traditional manufacturing process
- How Ryan sees the footwear industry stepping forward as it pertains to sustainability minded issues
- Much more!
For those with an eye on a life blending both science and entrepreneurship, this conversation will not disappoint.
A Memorable Quote from the Episode:
(speaking on the potential of Shloop as a company)
“There is a decent chance of success here. I wasn’t so sure of that when we started Algix. The chance of success when we started that company was pretty low, right? We were going to disrupt plastic with algae? Seemed pretty far fetched, but twelve years later we have 130 brands using algae in their products. So we’re getting there. We’re not there 100%, but we’re heading in the right direction.”
-Ryan Hunt
Check out the Video Conversation:
For those who desire to view the full video conversation of this discussion, you can do so via Youtube.
Words of Wisdom:
Hear from Ryan as he provides advice to those looking to enter the world of green business.
Discover More
For those interested in learning more about Ryan and his business Shloop, you can explore these links:
Keep Listening!
I hope you enjoyed the episode. For more, check out additional episodes here!
