The COVID-19 pandemic has created a massive global shortage of PPE. Similarly, the increased usage of PPE has led to an unprecedented rise in single-use plastic pollution from the medical sector. Lifecycle Revive is an Ontario-based company that specializes in recycling PPE waste. Joining us today is the company’s VP of Business Development, Andy Straisfeld. Andy has over a decade of experience in the medical supply sales space, and he is now using his knowledge in alignment with a cause he...

Von Wong shares his reactions after his conversation with Andrea Demichelis, founder and CEO of Elliot For Water

Water scarcity is one of the greatest problems faced by the world. When people do not have access to clean, safe drinking water, all aspects of their lives — from health, to education, to safety — are negatively impacted. Andrea Demichelis is a young Italian entrepreneur who has come up with an ingenious way to chip away at this global issue. Andrea founded Elliot For Water, a search engine that gives over half of its profits to finance clean water projects.  In this episode, we hear more...

Von Wong shares his reactions after his conversation with Social Justice Activist, Choreographer and Changemaker Susan Slotnick. 

Most people would not see a connection between dance and prison. But today’s guest, Susan Slotnick, is different. Susan is a visual artist, a choreographer, a dancer, a writer, an advocate for social justice, and for the last 16 years, she has volunteered in various correctional facilities teaching dance to inmates. She recently released a book called Flight: The Dance of Freedom, as a guide for those who want to find ways to use their skills to support inmates. In this episode, Susan talks...

Von Wong reacts to his conversation with motivational musician Jurgis DIDSubscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Google PodcastsSubscribe on Apple Podcast 

In the world we live in, where only things that can be marketed and sold are deemed valuable, we lose opportunities to express ourselves authentically. Music has been heavily commoditized, and as a result, many of us feel excluded from participating in this art form. Yet music exists all around us and once we tap into this profound realization, music will be a tool for transformation in our lives. Jurgis Didžiulis, or Jurgis DID, is an award-winning musician who brings the magic of...

Von Wong reacts to his conversation with Philip Raub - the CEO of Model No. and co-founder of B8ta.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Google PodcastsSubscribe on Apple Podcast 

If you look at the furniture industry as a whole, it has always been predicated either on design or functionality, and these two ends have largely ignored the environmental impacts of what it takes to make furniture. One company looking to address both the customization needs of customers and sustainability concerns is Model No. Furniture, who believe that one size does not fit all. They produce custom 3D-printed pieces made from food waste. The company’s CEO, Phillip Raub, joins us to share...

Von Wong reacts to his conversation with Kim Bryden, founder of Cureate, which exists to shift the dollar back into our local communities by building an empowered food & beverage supply to meet a changing consumer demand.  Subscribe on...

The food system is set up to keep consumers purchasing in a way that perpetuates inequality. Today we speak to Kim Bryden, Founder, and CEO of Cureate, about how she is trying to change this by creating an empowered supply chain through food. Cureate is a woman-owned business that exists to shift dollars back into local communities by building a supply to meet changing consumer demand. They do this by helping entrepreneurs start successful, ethical food businesses and then connecting them to...

Von Wong reacts to his conversation with Leyla Acaroglu, UNEP Champion of the Earth, Founder of the Unschool of Disruptive Design. Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Google PodcastsSubscribe on Apple Podcasts

When it comes to sustainability and related issues, many of us might feel hopeless and like there is nothing for us to do. This is, in part, due to the negative messaging around these challenges. Today’s guest, Dr. Leyla Acaroglu, has an entirely different way of thinking about these obstacles. Not only is it imbued with hope, but it draws on systems thinking and holistic views of sustainability to show that change is possible. Leyla is a sociologist, Founder of the UnSchool of Disruptive...

Von Wong reacts to his conversation with Mohammad Modarres, TED resident, NPR How I Built This Fellow, and founder of Abe's Eats.  Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Google PodcastsSubscribe on Apple Podcasts

In a world that is becoming increasingly polarised by differences in political ideologies, race, sexuality, and faith, there are a special few who go against the grain to create positive, lasting change. Today we speak with Mohammad Modarres, an award-winning social entrepreneur, TED resident, and NPR ‘How I Built This’ Fellow. He is also the founder of Abe’s Eats, a company that brings the Muslim and Jewish faiths together over the shared meals and conversations at the dinner table. A large...

Von Wong reacts to his conversation with Matthew Barrett, founder of Goal Click, and how his skepticism slowly shifted to understanding over the course of the conversation.  Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Google PodcastsSubscribe on Apple Podcasts

In an ever-changing world with so many different cultures and life experiences, sport can offer us an entry point through which we can understand broader social contexts and dynamics. Goal Click is a storytelling organization that uses soccer as a lens to amplify stories of people around the world. They have worked with adidas, FIFA, UNHCR, and many more. The organization partners with people across the globe and gives them a platform to tell the story of their lives and football community...

Von Wong reacts to his conversation with Wilson Griffin after he shares the movement he hopes to kick off with Recurate.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Google PodcastsSubscribe on Apple Podcasts

Recurate is minimizing fashion’s environmental footprint by streamlining the sale and purchase of second-hand goods. Today we speak with Recurate co-founder and COO Wilson Griffin for insights into how their incredible platform is innovating the resale industry. We open our conversation with Wilson unpacking the state of the resale market. After walking us through the pain points that people have when accessing this industry, he explains Recurate standardizes buying and selling while making...

Von Wong reacts to his conversation with Anjali Nayar after she shares her crazy journey from scientist to journalist to filmmaker, to now founder and CEO of TIMBY and the amazing impact it has had on the world. Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Google...

Our guest today is the ultimate jack of all trades. A scientist, journalist, award-winning filmmaker, and most recently, tech entrepreneur — Meet Anjali Nayar. Anjali began her career as a scientist before realizing that it wasn’t the lack of facts that prevented change, but the lack of hope. This led her first into journalism, and then documentary filmmaking for award-winning films like Gun Runners and Silas, which demonstrate the human potential for transformation. One of Anjali’s latest...

Von Wong reacts to his conversation with Nasreen Shiekh after hearing her amazing escape from modern-day slave to social entrepreneur and shares a few lessons and takeaways.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Google PodcastsSubscribe on Apple Podcasts

Modern-day slavery affects over 40 million people around the world and its byproduct can be seen throughout society in the clothes you wear, the phone you use, and the coffee you drink. Today we speak with Nasreen Sheikh, an ex-slave who escaped her sweatshop to change the lives of others. Born undocumented in a village on the Indian-Nepalese border, Nasreen’s fate would have her forced into an arranged marriage by the age of twelve. Not accepting her future, Nasreen tells us how she, as an...

Von Wong reacts to his conversation with Reed Berkowitz on the intentional consumption of fiction, what it means to the lives that we lead, instances of Apophenia in his own personal life, as well as how he plans to discover more narratives of hope in...