

Disruptors for GOOD | Social Entrepreneurs and Social Enterprises
Causeartist
Disruptors for GOOD is a podcast that showcases global social entrepreneurship and social enterprises committed to ethical fashion, impact investing, climate mitigation, sustainable travel, and businesses generating positive global impact. Through in-depth interviews, Grant Trahant, the founder of Causeartist, engages with innovative and impactful startups and brands worldwide.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 31, 2023 • 19min
Finding Ethical and Sustainable Manufacturers and Suppliers - Kimberly Shenk // Co-founder and CEO of Novi
---------------------------------------- Disruptors for GOOD is powered by PIF Advisory — a global services firm empowering startups and enterprises with expert guidance, tailored solutions, and measurable results. Whether you’re launching your first venture or scaling globally, PIF Advisory delivers full-cycle support across every core function of your business:Financial Management: Full-cycle bookkeeping, accounting, and tax compliance.Growth & Marketing: Data-driven strategies to maximize your reach and revenue.Investor Readiness: Preparing you for capital raises with pitch decks, financial models, and due diligence support.HR & Administration: Streamlined hiring, payroll, and benefits management.Technology & Security: Expert IT support, platform integration, and cybersecurity.As a sister company to PIF Capital Management, they also offer clients direct insights into venture capital and access to a global investor network—ranging from individuals to sovereign wealth funds.👉 Learn more or schedule a discovery call at pifadvisory.comIn this episode of the Disruptors for GOOD podcast I speak with Kimberly Shenk, Co-founder and CEO of Novi, on connecting brands, manufacturers, and suppliers to help launch sustainable products faster.Technology is fundamentally changing the way we live, work, connect with each other and with the outside world. Current breakthroughs are challenging every sector in every country, with a speed and depth previously unseen. Now, more than ever, the emergence of new technologies has the potential to transform our lives, make the planet a better place, and transform our path from unsustainable to sustainable.No one knows better how to harness the power of technology for the greater good than Kimberly. Her mission in life is to replace unsustainable products with sustainable ones, a way of life she reflects in both her home and business. When Kimberly became pregnant, her constant questioning of chemical ingredients in beauty and personal care products culminated in a tech company start-up, Novi, a groundbreaking platform for researching, sampling and sourcing raw ingredients and packaging that has enabled a new era of sustainable, transparent consumer products.Today, Novi’s vast dataset and Artificial Intelligence has had a hand in the formulas and packaging of thousands of beauty and personal care products that are clean and sustainable, and better for people and the planet.Kimberly’s earlier days saw her graduating top of her class from the United States Air Force Academy with a double major in Mathematics & Operations Research. When stationed at Pearl Harbor as a Captain in the Air Force with a highly coveted Top Secret security clearance and working directly for the Pacific’s 3-star General running intelligence models, she won the 2013 Richard H. Barchi Prize for her work in “Analytics on Improving Integrated Air & Missile Defense in the Pacific Area of Responsibility.”She then attended graduate school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on a full-ride scholarship to study Data Science, and graduated with a Master’s Degree in Operations Research.After the Air Force, she started a second career in the tech industry. She built and led the Data Organization at Eventbrite and led the Product Organization at tech startup Domino Data Lab. With a passion for clean products, she co-founded NakedPoppy in 2017, raising $4 million to use data to bring clean and sustainable products to market.
Spotlighting impact startups, brands, and founders.We feature social impact startups, conscious brands, and visionary founders shaping the future of business. Join thousands—subscribe to our weekly newsletter for exclusive interviews, the latest funding rounds, digital tool reviews, and curated products fueling the impact economy.To learn more, please visit causeartist.com

Jan 24, 2023 • 31min
Bringing Accessibility to Impact Investing - Josh Hile // Founder and CEO of Citizen Mint
---------------------------------------- Disruptors for GOOD is powered by PIF Advisory — a global services firm empowering startups and enterprises with expert guidance, tailored solutions, and measurable results. Whether you’re launching your first venture or scaling globally, PIF Advisory delivers full-cycle support across every core function of your business:Financial Management: Full-cycle bookkeeping, accounting, and tax compliance.Growth & Marketing: Data-driven strategies to maximize your reach and revenue.Investor Readiness: Preparing you for capital raises with pitch decks, financial models, and due diligence support.HR & Administration: Streamlined hiring, payroll, and benefits management.Technology & Security: Expert IT support, platform integration, and cybersecurity.As a sister company to PIF Capital Management, they also offer clients direct insights into venture capital and access to a global investor network—ranging from individuals to sovereign wealth funds.👉 Learn more or schedule a discovery call at pifadvisory.comIn Episode 163 of the Disruptors for Good podcast, we speak with Josh Hile, Founder and CEO of Citizen Mint, on connecting investors with private market opportunities that have the potential to make real positive impact on society and our planet.Citizen Mint is a startup company dedicated to making impact investments accessible to everyone. By leveraging technology and an extensive network of contacts, Citizen Mint seeks to bridge the gap between private market investors and those that are interested in making an impact with their investments.The team behind Citizen Mint is made up of experienced professionals from different areas such as finance, technology, and sustainability. Each team member has extensive experience in the industry, allowing them to thoroughly research each potential investment for both its financial return and positive social or environmental impact.By uniting private capital, society has the opportunity to make a real difference in areas like renewable energy, affordable housing and development of underserved communities to create lasting sustainability.To further ensure success for this mission, Josh Hile, CEO of Citizen Mint and former Director of Investment Strategy & Research at a $16B RIA--brings more than 10 years of experience working closely with ultra high net worth individuals and Fortune 100 companies to his post at the forefront of sustainable finance innovation.After seeing these trends, it became clear – private capital is needed to solve global challenges.Prior to Citizen Mint, Josh was the Director of Investment Strategy & Research at Laird Norton Wealth Management, a $16 billion registered investment advisor (RIA) headquartered in Seattle, WA.He was instrumental in developing, maintaining, and improving LNWM’s impact and sustainable investing capabilities for both public and private markets. He was further responsible for worldwide sourcing, ongoing due diligence, and the monitoring of all equity asset managers as well as real estate, private equity, private debt, and venture capital opportunities.Prior to this, Josh worked at Russell Investments performing due diligence on fund managers for Russell’s mutual fund and consulting divisions (Russell advised on $2.2 trillion). Josh has a B.A. in Business Administration and an M.B.A. from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. In addition, he is both a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Spotlighting impact startups, brands, and founders.We feature social impact startups, conscious brands, and visionary founders shaping the future of business. Join thousands—subscribe to our weekly newsletter for exclusive interviews, the latest funding rounds, digital tool reviews, and curated products fueling the impact economy.To learn more, please visit causeartist.com

Jan 17, 2023 • 39min
Creating Sustainable Aerospace for Startups and Beyond - Sascha Deri // Founder and CEO of bluShift Aerospace
---------------------------------------- Disruptors for GOOD is powered by PIF Advisory — a global services firm empowering startups and enterprises with expert guidance, tailored solutions, and measurable results. Whether you’re launching your first venture or scaling globally, PIF Advisory delivers full-cycle support across every core function of your business:Financial Management: Full-cycle bookkeeping, accounting, and tax compliance.Growth & Marketing: Data-driven strategies to maximize your reach and revenue.Investor Readiness: Preparing you for capital raises with pitch decks, financial models, and due diligence support.HR & Administration: Streamlined hiring, payroll, and benefits management.Technology & Security: Expert IT support, platform integration, and cybersecurity.As a sister company to PIF Capital Management, they also offer clients direct insights into venture capital and access to a global investor network—ranging from individuals to sovereign wealth funds.👉 Learn more or schedule a discovery call at pifadvisory.comIn Episode 162 of the Disruptors for Good podcast, we speak with Sascha Deri, Founder and CEO of bluShift Aerospace, on empowering humanity’s access to explore and develop our economy to Space while safeguarding life on our home planet.In 1999 Sascha co-founded the altE Store, a national renewable energy product distribution and light manufacturing company, where as CEO he is responsible for setting the company’s market and product development strategy for the $29M/year organization.In 2014 he founded bluShift Aerospace.The company made history on January 31, 2021 with the first commercial rocket launch powered by bio-derived fuel in the world, using a proprietary modular hybrid rocket engine that is also unique to the aerospace industry. Their series of small rockets will be able to lift 30-kilogram payloads suborbitally to space and then to low Earth orbit for academic research and commercial customers.Sascha grew up in Maine. He earned a degree in physics from Earlham College and a second degree in electrical engineering from University of Southern Maine. He lives in Brunswick, Maine, with his wife and two daughters.About bluShiftIn 2021, blueShift launched Stardust to great success - now their sights are set on 2023 for suborbital launches and 2025 for low-Earth orbits!With MAREVL™'s non-toxic fuel blend leading the charge, bluShift will revolutionize skyward trajectories while fostering an environmentally conscious future.The bio fuel is also non-toxic, and the oxidizer is non-cryogenic. No hazardous materials means a safer and healthier team, and a rocket that will not poison the air, or the water when it splashes down.A stable, renewable, non-toxic, non-cryogenic fuel reduces many of the costs associated with handling liquid rocket fuel or synthetic solid fuel.The company has also succeeded in the commitment to perform most manufacturing in-house by using CNC milling machines and 3d printers, and manufacturing their own fuel grains.In the long term, blueShift expects to save 60% of our manufacturing costs as a result.
Spotlighting impact startups, brands, and founders.We feature social impact startups, conscious brands, and visionary founders shaping the future of business. Join thousands—subscribe to our weekly newsletter for exclusive interviews, the latest funding rounds, digital tool reviews, and curated products fueling the impact economy.To learn more, please visit causeartist.com

Jan 9, 2023 • 46min
The Amazing Story and Journey of the Ethical Fashion Brand Parker Clay - Founder & CEO at Parker Clay // Ian Bentley
---------------------------------------- Disruptors for GOOD is powered by PIF Advisory — a global services firm empowering startups and enterprises with expert guidance, tailored solutions, and measurable results. Whether you’re launching your first venture or scaling globally, PIF Advisory delivers full-cycle support across every core function of your business:Financial Management: Full-cycle bookkeeping, accounting, and tax compliance.Growth & Marketing: Data-driven strategies to maximize your reach and revenue.Investor Readiness: Preparing you for capital raises with pitch decks, financial models, and due diligence support.HR & Administration: Streamlined hiring, payroll, and benefits management.Technology & Security: Expert IT support, platform integration, and cybersecurity.As a sister company to PIF Capital Management, they also offer clients direct insights into venture capital and access to a global investor network—ranging from individuals to sovereign wealth funds.👉 Learn more or schedule a discovery call at pifadvisory.comIn Episode 161 of the Disruptors for Good podcast, we speak with Ian Bentley, Founder & CEO of Parker Clay, on building a powerhouse ethical fashion brand and becoming one of the largest employers of women in Ethiopia.Ian is the Co-Founder and CEO of Parker Clay, TEDx Speaker, and Social Entrepreneur.Parker Clay is a powerhouse in ethical fashion, delivering sustainable style with no compromise. Boasting its own vertically integrated supply chain and loyal customers who provide industry-leading eCommerce metrics, it has become one of the largest employers of women in Africa's rapidly growing economy.Parker Clay is on a mission to bring sustainable change - transforming communities through trade and creating social and economic empowerment. Believing that potential lies in places where others may only see problems, they were founded in Ethiopia with the goal of giving back.With every purchase from Parker Clay, customers join this movement to empower individuals within local communities as well as partnering with non-profit Women at Risk for impactful support towards women living in Ethiopia who have yet to realize their true potential.Check out all of Parker Clay's impact here.The 12 Best Parker Clay Bags for Everyday Life and Travel - Read more
Spotlighting impact startups, brands, and founders.We feature social impact startups, conscious brands, and visionary founders shaping the future of business. Join thousands—subscribe to our weekly newsletter for exclusive interviews, the latest funding rounds, digital tool reviews, and curated products fueling the impact economy.To learn more, please visit causeartist.com

Dec 30, 2022 • 38min
Meet the Food Entrepreneur in the Middle of a Military Conflict Zone to Address Peacekeeping Through Business - Hasan Siber // Co-founder and CEO of Colive
---------------------------------------- Disruptors for GOOD is powered by PIF Advisory — a global services firm empowering startups and enterprises with expert guidance, tailored solutions, and measurable results. Whether you’re launching your first venture or scaling globally, PIF Advisory delivers full-cycle support across every core function of your business:Financial Management: Full-cycle bookkeeping, accounting, and tax compliance.Growth & Marketing: Data-driven strategies to maximize your reach and revenue.Investor Readiness: Preparing you for capital raises with pitch decks, financial models, and due diligence support.HR & Administration: Streamlined hiring, payroll, and benefits management.Technology & Security: Expert IT support, platform integration, and cybersecurity.As a sister company to PIF Capital Management, they also offer clients direct insights into venture capital and access to a global investor network—ranging from individuals to sovereign wealth funds.👉 Learn more or schedule a discovery call at pifadvisory.comIn this episode of the Disruptors for GOOD podcast I speak with Hasan Siber, Co-founder and CEO of Colive, on becoming a food entrepreneur in the middle of a conflict zone to address peacekeeping through business.Colive was born out of a passion for quality and equality. Hasan and Alex met in their first days at a university in the UK and discovered they were both from the same island but on different sides of a border. Their friendship grew with time for more than a decade. When Hasan realized Cyprus could be the birthplace of the world's rarest olive oil, he knew that with Alex's help, they could not only create an amazing product but also help their island thrive. Thus, Colive Oil was born. They bring high-quality, locally grown indigenous Cypriot olives from groves in northern and southern Cyprus to be pressed together into the rarest olive oil in the world. In crossing the demilitarised zone dividing Cyprus, these olives create a truly and wholly Cypriot, globally unique olive oil with the social mission of bringing people together despite conflicts. Alex and Hasan are leading by example.Colive is the first company in Cyprus for over 50 years to operate truly island-wide and directed jointly by Greek and Turkish Cypriots.Colive is the first Cyprus company to operate across the division in more than 50 years and only Cypriot olive oil brand available in the U.S. at retail - is using its high-quality extra virgin olive oil made with hand-picked olives to pursue peace on the divided Mediterranean island, bringing new meaning to food with purpose.After the division of Cyprus into northern and southern parts in 1974 following civil unrest, war and displacement, families and friends have been divided on the island, unable to cross the border. Hasan Siber, co-founder and CEO of Colive, decided to collect the one-of-a-kind Cypriot olives from both sides of the line and combine them into one extra virgin olive oil that offered not only a unique taste, but also a unique social mission.To help foster peace and a united Cyprus, the company has committed to donating 10% of profits from each bottle sold to organizations dedicated to that cause. Colive works with ~15 family farms across the conflict zone to harvest its olives, and educates farmers on how to utilize sustainable and climate-friendly farming practices, including hand-picking the olives, regenerative farming and water conservation.
Spotlighting impact startups, brands, and founders.We feature social impact startups, conscious brands, and visionary founders shaping the future of business. Join thousands—subscribe to our weekly newsletter for exclusive interviews, the latest funding rounds, digital tool reviews, and curated products fueling the impact economy.To learn more, please visit causeartist.com

Dec 27, 2022 • 42min
Ending Extreme Poverty With The Anti-Poverty Version of the Dollar - Co-founders of Glo
---------------------------------------- Disruptors for GOOD is powered by PIF Advisory — a global services firm empowering startups and enterprises with expert guidance, tailored solutions, and measurable results. Whether you’re launching your first venture or scaling globally, PIF Advisory delivers full-cycle support across every core function of your business:Financial Management: Full-cycle bookkeeping, accounting, and tax compliance.Growth & Marketing: Data-driven strategies to maximize your reach and revenue.Investor Readiness: Preparing you for capital raises with pitch decks, financial models, and due diligence support.HR & Administration: Streamlined hiring, payroll, and benefits management.Technology & Security: Expert IT support, platform integration, and cybersecurity.As a sister company to PIF Capital Management, they also offer clients direct insights into venture capital and access to a global investor network—ranging from individuals to sovereign wealth funds.👉 Learn more or schedule a discovery call at pifadvisory.comIn Episode 160 of the Disruptors for Good podcast, we speak with the Co-founders of Global Income Coin(Glo), on using blockchain to end extreme poverty through a fully backed stablecoin.Glo is a nonprofit that thinks and operates like a startup.Glo has raised a $2 million seed donation from a personal donation by Sid Sijbrandij (co-founder and CEO of GitLab Inc.). Their operational costs and employee salaries run on philanthropic donations.With Glo, you can make a powerful impact on ending extreme poverty.Simply by owning money in the form of Glo, you generate new money which then goes to people living in extreme poverty.The US dollar-pegged stablecoin not only gives back to those in need but also allows you to put your money where it matters most: directly into the hands of impoverished people around the world.How it works:You send us $1000.In return, we create 1000 Glo and send it to you.Glo is a cryptocurrency, so we send the 1000 Glo on the blockchain and you receive it in your crypto wallet. We don't like crypto for the sake of crypto—it's just the only viable way to create a new currency.We put your $1000 in the Glo reserve. Keeping it there is how we make sure your 1000 Glo stays worth $1000. Every Glo that exists is backed by one US dollar in the Glo reserve.You can always convert your Glo back to regular US dollars if you need the money, so you're not losing any money in the process.So how does Glo generate basic income? The trick is that we don't literally keep your $1000 sitting in a bank account. We invest a part of it in 3-month T-bills, a type of US government bond.3-month T-bills are about the least risky investment you can think of. For that reason, they are often categorized as "cash or cash equivalents".Still, they generate a small interest. This varies, but our rough assumption is that the Glo reserve will return about 2.5% per year on average. That means every $1000 in the Glo reserve generates $25 per year of profit.We give 100% of this profit away as basic income to people living in extreme poverty.Each recipient gets $1 a day, which is often enough to lift them above the extreme poverty line.
Spotlighting impact startups, brands, and founders.We feature social impact startups, conscious brands, and visionary founders shaping the future of business. Join thousands—subscribe to our weekly newsletter for exclusive interviews, the latest funding rounds, digital tool reviews, and curated products fueling the impact economy.To learn more, please visit causeartist.com

Dec 19, 2022 • 37min
Inventing a New Category of Food From Animal Cells - George Peppou // Founder and CEO of Vow
---------------------------------------- Disruptors for GOOD is powered by PIF Advisory — a global services firm empowering startups and enterprises with expert guidance, tailored solutions, and measurable results. Whether you’re launching your first venture or scaling globally, PIF Advisory delivers full-cycle support across every core function of your business:Financial Management: Full-cycle bookkeeping, accounting, and tax compliance.Growth & Marketing: Data-driven strategies to maximize your reach and revenue.Investor Readiness: Preparing you for capital raises with pitch decks, financial models, and due diligence support.HR & Administration: Streamlined hiring, payroll, and benefits management.Technology & Security: Expert IT support, platform integration, and cybersecurity.As a sister company to PIF Capital Management, they also offer clients direct insights into venture capital and access to a global investor network—ranging from individuals to sovereign wealth funds.👉 Learn more or schedule a discovery call at pifadvisory.comIn Episode 159 of the Disruptors for Good podcast, we speak with George Peppou, Founder and CEO of Vow, on inventing a new category of food from animal cells and disrupting food production around the world.Prior to founding Vow in 2019, George founded GrowLab in 2017, an Australian accelerator for agrifood tech startups. From 2015 - 2017, he was a design innovation practitioner at the UTS Design Innovation Research Center where he led the development and delivery of design innovation programs for Federal Government clients facing complex, sector-level challenges.In-between these jobs, George also worked as a course director, lecturer, and tutor at the University of Technology Sydney where taught topics like the process and methods of inventions, as well as how to approach sector-level transformation and strategy.Earlier in his career, he worked as an inventor for a company called Intellectual Ventures and later as a research analyst for the University of Technology Sydney.About VowVow is built on a diverse, cross-functional team of innovators, engineers, scientists, artists and most importantly, foodies! They’re reinventing food from the ground up to make it more delicious and sustainable for everyone.Vow is a cultivated meat company working to make the food industry more progressive in environmentally sustainable ways. George and co-founder Tim Noakesmitha launched Vow in April 2019 after previously bonding over wanting to find a solution to replace animal agriculture with a more sustainable method of food production.Vow has recently experienced tremendous company growth using state-of-the-art cultured meat technology—where new meat products are produced directly from the cells of animals instead of the animals themselves. The Potential of This on the WorldFeeding ten billion people becomes reality. Fast.No more ethical headaches around meat.Mother Earth gets some much-needed R&R.More options for different consumers, with different needs, anywhere in the world.A cell library to fit any culture and diet.More delicious and nutritious food options for everyone.Getting food down to an exact science means reliable and delicious quality every time, everywhere.The prevention of food illness pandemics with a safer solution to food.
Spotlighting impact startups, brands, and founders.We feature social impact startups, conscious brands, and visionary founders shaping the future of business. Join thousands—subscribe to our weekly newsletter for exclusive interviews, the latest funding rounds, digital tool reviews, and curated products fueling the impact economy.To learn more, please visit causeartist.com

8 snips
Dec 6, 2022 • 39min
Using the Power of Nature to Recycle the World's Most Used Plastics - Eleonore Eisath // Co-founder of beworm
---------------------------------------- Disruptors for GOOD is powered by PIF Advisory — a global services firm empowering startups and enterprises with expert guidance, tailored solutions, and measurable results. Whether you’re launching your first venture or scaling globally, PIF Advisory delivers full-cycle support across every core function of your business:Financial Management: Full-cycle bookkeeping, accounting, and tax compliance.Growth & Marketing: Data-driven strategies to maximize your reach and revenue.Investor Readiness: Preparing you for capital raises with pitch decks, financial models, and due diligence support.HR & Administration: Streamlined hiring, payroll, and benefits management.Technology & Security: Expert IT support, platform integration, and cybersecurity.As a sister company to PIF Capital Management, they also offer clients direct insights into venture capital and access to a global investor network—ranging from individuals to sovereign wealth funds.👉 Learn more or schedule a discovery call at pifadvisory.comIn Episode 158 of the Disruptors for Good podcast, Causeartist contributor, Rafael Aldon, speaks with Eleonore Eisath, co-founder of beworm, on using the power of nature to recycle the world's most used plastics.After graduating from the Wirtschaftsoberschule H. Kunter Bozen with an emphasis on business, management and marketing, Eleonore Eisath completed her Bachelor in Industrial Design at the Università IUAV di Venezia.In 2019 she rounded out her knowledge with a Master’s degree from TUM.Since she began her studies at TUM, Eleonore Eisath has been conducting research on a highly innovative recycling system.In 2019 this led to the spin-off beworm, which is developing a biotic/biocatalytic recycling process to break down oil-based plastics such as PE (polyethylene).PE is the world’s most commonly used plastic material, which is used in many everyday goods. However, in contrast to the more familiar PET (polyethylene terephthalate), the other main chemical component for consumer goods, it is to date hardly ever being recycled.In addition to beworm, only a handful of other companies worldwide are working on this important task for the future.Eleonore Eisath is hoping for a revolution in recycling and she encourages each and every one of us to join: on beworm.org she provides instructions on how to raise waxworms, who will then munch on plastic waste in a small jar in your kitchen at home.About bewormBeworm uses the power of nature to recycle the world's most used plastics. Beworm is developing a biocatalytic recycling process that decomposes plastic waste into natural raw materials.They isolate plastic-degrading bacteria from our beloved be(e)worms to degrade polyethylene, the world's most used plastic material.The enzymes produced by this bacteria split the plastics up into basic chemicals for the production new (bio)plastics or other petrochemical products - creating an infinite, closed-loop system.
Spotlighting impact startups, brands, and founders.We feature social impact startups, conscious brands, and visionary founders shaping the future of business. Join thousands—subscribe to our weekly newsletter for exclusive interviews, the latest funding rounds, digital tool reviews, and curated products fueling the impact economy.To learn more, please visit causeartist.com

Nov 29, 2022 • 35min
Rodney Williams // Co-Founder of SoLo Funds
---------------------------------------- Disruptors for GOOD is powered by PIF Advisory — a global services firm empowering startups and enterprises with expert guidance, tailored solutions, and measurable results. Whether you’re launching your first venture or scaling globally, PIF Advisory delivers full-cycle support across every core function of your business:Financial Management: Full-cycle bookkeeping, accounting, and tax compliance.Growth & Marketing: Data-driven strategies to maximize your reach and revenue.Investor Readiness: Preparing you for capital raises with pitch decks, financial models, and due diligence support.HR & Administration: Streamlined hiring, payroll, and benefits management.Technology & Security: Expert IT support, platform integration, and cybersecurity.As a sister company to PIF Capital Management, they also offer clients direct insights into venture capital and access to a global investor network—ranging from individuals to sovereign wealth funds.👉 Learn more or schedule a discovery call at pifadvisory.comIn this episode of the Disruptors for GOOD podcast I speak with Rodney Williams, Co-founder of SoLo Funds, on building a non-predatory FinTech startup for underserved communities in America.Rodney has been recognized with numerous awards, including Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 in 2012; the Ernst & Young EDGE Award in 2013; Cannes Gold Lion award in 2015; Tech Entrepreneur of the Year by Black Enterprise, 2016; NAACP Inspiring Innovation list 2017; 25 Inspiring Entrepreneurs Under 40 by Entrepreneur Magazine 2016; Entrepreneur of the Year in Connected World Communications in the Ohio Valley Region by EY in 2017; Ebony’s Power 100 in 2018 and CNBC Disruptor 50 List in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.Rodney attended West Virginia University, where he earned his BBA in finance, his BA in economics, and his MS in integrated marketing communications.Rodney also holds an MBA in finance & supply chain management from Howard University. He is a member of the 2019 Class of Henry Crown Fellows within the Aspen Global Leadership Network at the Aspen Institute.SoLo Funds is a mobile lending exchange that connects lenders and borrowers for the purpose of providing more affordable access to loans under $1,000. SoLo was created to disinter-mediate the predatory payday lending system. Today, SoLo is one of the fastest growing fintech companies in the country.SoLo’s story starts the way every SoLo request begins: with someone needing a hand. Co-founders Travis Holoway & Rodney Williams were noticing that family members, friends, and roommates were asking for financial help here and there, and they understood why. There weren’t any fair, reputable options for small, short-term loans.They decided to create one by harnessing the power of community. SoLo was formed in 2018 to create a viable, non-predatory option for moments when life happens. SoLo tap's into the power of community and generosity to form an online safety net that is mutually beneficial to all of its members.Travis and Rodney know that SoLo is needed because they needed it. Our loved ones needed it. And they know that SoLo makes a difference because nearly 80% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.Today, SoLo is driven too new heights, but grounded in the same hope and mission: to build a community that enables financial autonomy for all.
Spotlighting impact startups, brands, and founders.We feature social impact startups, conscious brands, and visionary founders shaping the future of business. Join thousands—subscribe to our weekly newsletter for exclusive interviews, the latest funding rounds, digital tool reviews, and curated products fueling the impact economy.To learn more, please visit causeartist.com

Nov 22, 2022 • 40min
The Clean Future of the $1T Shipping Industry - Danielle Doggett // Founder and CEO of Veer
---------------------------------------- Disruptors for GOOD is powered by PIF Advisory — a global services firm empowering startups and enterprises with expert guidance, tailored solutions, and measurable results. Whether you’re launching your first venture or scaling globally, PIF Advisory delivers full-cycle support across every core function of your business:Financial Management: Full-cycle bookkeeping, accounting, and tax compliance.Growth & Marketing: Data-driven strategies to maximize your reach and revenue.Investor Readiness: Preparing you for capital raises with pitch decks, financial models, and due diligence support.HR & Administration: Streamlined hiring, payroll, and benefits management.Technology & Security: Expert IT support, platform integration, and cybersecurity.As a sister company to PIF Capital Management, they also offer clients direct insights into venture capital and access to a global investor network—ranging from individuals to sovereign wealth funds.👉 Learn more or schedule a discovery call at pifadvisory.comIn Episode 157 of the Disruptors for Good podcast, Causeartist contributor, Rafael Aldon, speaks with Danielle Doggett, Founder and CEO of Veer, on the clean future of the $1T shipping industry.Danielle has dedicated her life to the sea, she was named by the Royal Institute of Naval Architects as one of the most influential women of the past century. Her mission is to be the clean shipping generation leader. Danielle accepted a gold medal from the governments of Canada and Costa Rica on behalf of SAILCARGO INC., a company she founded. From the Great Lakes of Canada, Danielle began sailing at age 13. A graduate of the ‘’Enkhuizer’’ Sea Academy, she learned Dutch to graduate.She holds a 200T masters ticket which empowered her to captain the flagship of Barbados, schooner Ruth. Danielle wrote and implemented the successful launch of Ruth, which was the largest ship built in the history of the country.She is also co-founder of a Costa Rican non-profit, AstilleroVerde, that plants thousands of trees and creates jobs in a vulnerable coastal community. Each year Danielle’s company sponsors a young lady to sail on the St. Lawrence II – a ‘’thank you’’ to the ship that first inspired her.She is graduate of the Enkhuizer Nautical College of the Netherlands. As a result of her work across the Caribbean, Danielle is an adviser to the Caribbean Sail Training Association.About VeerVeer delivers a solution for the future fleet: clean, resilient shipping. A series of fast container vessels with a modular design that are cost competitive. In order to implement the next generation of innovative coastal and ocean tools and services that reduce social and environmental risk to oceans, Veer provides clean shipping using DynaRig sail technology paired with green hydrogen fuel cells.The global fleet, valued at $1.2T USD, has pressure to innovate. The essential service uses the world’s least refined fuel, causing up to 3% of global emissions. Fuel costs are 50-60% of ship operating costs, a volatile expense.Veer Youtube video
Spotlighting impact startups, brands, and founders.We feature social impact startups, conscious brands, and visionary founders shaping the future of business. Join thousands—subscribe to our weekly newsletter for exclusive interviews, the latest funding rounds, digital tool reviews, and curated products fueling the impact economy.To learn more, please visit causeartist.com