The Snail of Happiness: Circular Crafting and Community Wellbeing in Rural Wales

 “The crafting world is full of the idea that more is better. We want to change that, showing that higher quality is better, preloved is better, re used and repaired is better” (Jan, co owner of The Snail of Happiness)…

The Chuckling Goat Story: Healing, Holding and Hoping

“Our goal is to leave things better than we found them”. (Shann Nix-Jones, MBE) The mid Wales town of Llandysul, population circa 1300, is the home of the 2022 World Dairy Awards winner of the Best Probiotic Dairy, Chuckling Goat.…

The School Project that Grew into a Global Eco-Business

“We all need to play our part in protecting the environment and we encourage everyone to join us in reducing plastic waste through greener and cleaner alternatives” (Emilio Rimini, Managing Director, The Green Co) According to Sir Richard Branson, who…

Tetrim Teas: Brewing a Sustainable Future in Wales

“We are resilient, ambitious and committed to working together towards a healthier, happier and more prosperous future for our village and the region. Collaboration and determination are at the heart of everything we do”. (Mari Arthur). Dr Justin John, a…

SunGod: Pioneering Sustainable Eyewear Innovation

 “Something that started off as the two of us grads building sunglasses in our living room, has grown into a global brand built on local community, that’s funded by sustainable innovation” - Zoe Watkiss Ali and Zoe Watkiss graduated from Manchester…

Kwendalo: A Holistic Haven for Wellness, Education, and Sustainable Entrepreneurship

“In a time when we have stopped growing and started simply surviving, our individual dimensions of wellness have become unbalanced and, as such, we need a unique, personalized approach to restoring that balance – that of the harmony of wellbeing”…

Tŷ-Mawr Lime: Reviving Heritage, Crafting a Sustainable Future

“One of the quotes we have used a lot as a business is that ‘you must be the change you want to see in the world'. Firstly, one of our core principles, when we started the business in 1993, was…

Honest Mobile: Balancing Profitability with Sustainability

“We’ve managed  to balance profitability with sustainability whilst scaling a successful company. I’d encourage other founders to explore how they can do the same – profit doesn’t have to come at the expense of the planet” (Andy Aitken). Honest Mobile was…

Ocean Bottle: Tackling Ocean Plastic and Empowering Coastal Communities

“Our ambition is to create a world where the value of a company is measured by the good that it does, as much as the profit it makes”. (Will and Nick, Co-founders of Ocean Bottle). Ocean Bottle is a business…

Green Chef and HelloFresh: Pioneering a Sustainable Future in the Meal Kit Industry

“Changing the way people eat is an ambitious goal and one that can only be achieved with smart, innovative, and driven people”.  (Laurent Guillemain, CEO of HelloFresh). Between 2004 and 2010 Colorado-based Michael Joseph, an Economics Theory graduate of the…

Grounds for Success: Coaltown Coffee’s Journey from Garage to Global

“We believe that planet, people and profit are all equal when it comes to how we run our business” - Coaltown Coffee The former mining town of Ammanford in South Wales, population circa 5500, is probably the last place in…

Beauty with Purpose: Beauty Kitchen & Reposit Leading the Way in Sustainable Skincare

“I started Beauty Kitchen to use business as a force for good with an equal weighting on the community, the environment and profit in every decision we make” (Jo-Anne Chidley) In 1995 Jo-Anne Chidley, the co-founder of Beauty Kitchen, graduated…

Rice Inc: Empowering Farmers, Transforming the Rice Industry

“The very people growing rice are the ones left behind by the industry and society" (Lincoln Lee) It is not just in the rice production sector that the planet and its people are exploited. In the drive to make as…

Bright Futures with Liter of Light

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime" - Lao Tzu, 5th century Chinese philosopher In the Philippines village women are assembling and selling…

Sustainable Seas: The Story of Câr-y-Môr’s Innovative Ocean Farming

“Many are concerned that modern farming practices are reducing our farming land’s productivity and ecosystem health. Creating a sustainable future is a core part of Câr-y-Môr’s aim" (Owen Haines, co-founder Câr-y-Môr [Love of the Sea]) Câr-y-Môr is a Community Benefit…

Tiny Box, Big Impact

“One person can’t change the world but together we can all make our own tiny difference” (Rachel Watkyn). Rachel Watkyn OBE is a Business Studies graduate of De Montfort University in the UK, a serial entrepreneur, and one of the…

Sustainable Indulgence from The Goodwash Company

“I was working for a large pharmaceutical company, and it was all about profit margins and driving more and more for the shareholders” - Mandy Powell The Goodwash Company is the brainchild of two Welsh international sports people, Mandy Powell…

Sustainable Revival: Eco Nubia’s Cultural Renaissance

Our mission is to help local communities to discover their own natural and cultural heritage treasures…put them into action using sustainable tourism practices in order to gain financial and psychological benefits - Ahmed Yehia The small River Nile island of…

Seeds of Change: The Micro Greengrocer Cultivating Community & Sustainability

“I had a yearning to do something completely different with my skill base, something more holistic and community-focused" -Amanda Wood For Amanda Wood, the COVID-19 pandemic was life-changing. Prior to its outbreak in 2020, she was working as a programme…

Oasis Cardiff: Championing Entrepreneurial Spirit for Refugees in Wales

“I wanted people to have a safe space where they could come and tell stories and where they could integrate into the wider community’ - Reynette Roberts Oasis Cardiff aims to facilitate the integration of refugees and asylum seekers into…

Agood Company Turning Profits into Environmental Protection

“I want to be able to look into my kids’ eyes and honestly say, ‘I  did everything I could to hinder climate change” (Anders Ankarlid) Founded in 2019, Agood Company is a Swedish B-Corp that employs 28 people, only 14…

The Sustainable Studio: Empowering Creative Enterprise and Advancing SDG 16

"Innovation and sustainability aren’t just about what we create, but how we create, and who gets to participate in the process." - Sarah and Julia, Co-founders of The Sustainable Studio In Cardiff, a transformative force is reshaping the creative landscape,…

A Pioneer’s Rise and Ethical Dilemma: A Cautionary Tale of The Body Shop

“The business of business should not just be about money, it should be about responsibility. It should be about public good, not personal greed” (Dame Anita Roddick). Possibly the first example of a modern harmonious retail enterprise, The Body Shop…

Zero Waste, Maximum Taste: The Fuel Hub’s Journey to Revolutionise Healthy Eating

“Our focus is on running a company that operates on a completely zero food waste model. Sustainability sits at the core of everything that we do…” (Michelle Laithwaite) The Fuel Hub is an online premium meal preparation business that delivers…

Green Revolution: From Garage to Global with Firefly Green Fuels

“We’re in the fight against climate change. That’s what has driven the business so far. I am proud of what I do; this has never felt like a proper job” - James Hygate James Hygate, the founder and CEO of…

Harmonising Innovation: The RNCM Shaping Tomorrow’s Musical Entrepreneurs and Changemakers

“RNCM mobilises musicians to graduate into the world’s confident risk takers, innovators and changemakers” - (RNCM, 2023) In December 2023, the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), based in Manchester, became the UK’s entrepreneurial University of the Year. Founded in…

Aquacycl’s Vision: Pioneering the Transformation of Water Treatment

“Access to safe water is a human right which almost a third of the planet is being denied. But cleaning polluted waterways requires energy, and we must ensure that our efforts to heal the planet don’t inadvertently create new harm"…

Empowering Echoes: Tales from The (Pop) Factory

bubbles: Sebastian Sørensen  Porth is a town of some 6,000 people located in the Rhonda Valley, the former coal mining region of South Wales. In 1897, two local grocers, William Evans and William Thomas, opened a factory, the Welsh Hills…

Kääpä Biotech: Nature-Inspired Medicinal Mushrooms

“We solve the same problems as regular technology companies. We just look to nature for our inspiration and answers” - Eric Puro NutraIngredients 2021 Start-up Award winner KÄÄPÄ Biotech: ‘Our passion led to the win!’20-Dec-2021 By Will Chu Founded in 2018,…

From Wall Street to Green Street: The Evolution of 1st Hotels

“We’re surrounded by the systems of the natural world that, when left untouched, know exactly how to self-balance, self-regulate, self-cleanse and restore harmony” - 1st Hotels American billionaire Barry Sternlicht graduated in 1982 from Brown University and obtained an MBA from Harvard…

Bee1’s Trailblazing Path Fostering Climate Awareness in School

"At Bee1, we believe that the most sustainable solutions arise at the intersection of education, innovation, and social responsibility." - Bee1 Mark Douglas, former Director of NatWest Bank across Wales and the Chairman/Founder of NatWest Cymru, transitioned from shaping a…

Blooming Sustainability: Electric Daisy Flower Farm

“As artisan growers we are custodians of the land we work on, and we protect it with our sustainable approach to everything” - Electric Daisy Flower Farm The global market for fresh cut flowers is estimated to be US$36.4 billion, with…

Ananas Anam and Pinatex

“We need to be more responsible about the environment, the economy, the people. Because now more than ever it is more than a necessity it is an emergency” - Dr.Carmen Hijosa In India, Fleather, a leather substitute, is being made…

KeepCup: Brewing Change One Reusable Cup at a Time

“We are a business built on the advocacy of individual users. We are at our best when we arrive at decisions that consider all of the perspectives and look forward with optimism and authenticity” - KeepCup Born in Glasgow but…

Baladi Home and Studio Meem: promoting artisan entrepreneurship in Egypt

I’m always intrigued by how creative the people are. When I go home and try to come up with my own designs, I can’t come even close. - Manar Moursi There are an estimated 20 million palm trees in Egypt.…

Love Cocoa and H!P Chocolate

“Love Cocoa and H!P Chocolate are at the forefront of sustainable chocolate innovation” - Richard Koch, British Entrepreneur, Management Consultant and Angel Investor The name Cadbury is world famous, especially in the world of chocolate and confectionery. The Quaker, John…

Avocado Power: Biofase’s Bioplastic Revolution

“Everything that exists on earth is part of a natural cycle. The problem with plastic is that it does not belong to any of these cycles” - Scott Munguia. In 2014 Scott Munguia, a Chemical Engineering student, founded Biofase in…

Nature Friendly Farming, Esgairllaethdy Farm, Myddfai

“Producing high quality food, looking after the environment, managing air and water quality, enhancing biodiversity and wildlife and taking care of our most valuable asset -SOIL – is what we as  farmers should be doing. We are on this planet…

Offploy CIC: Empowering Ex-Offenders for Better Futures

"Having the mindset, ambition and motivation to be an entrepreneur is a gift, and it's important that gift is used in the right way" - Jacob Hill Jacob Hill, an award-winning serial entrepreneur and ex-offender, founded Offploy CIC in 2016.…

Tap Social: Brewing Change Through Beer, Baking & Second Chances

“I used to channel my energies into the wrong things. I was successful but now I know that if I had channelled my energies into something positive I could have succeeded there too”. (Cooper an ex-offender and Tap Social employee)…

The Wellbeing Farm – journey to B-corp

“The sustainable equilibrium of our planet is facing huge challenges. But at The Wellbeing Farm, we are working to create a solution, and to make our green story even greener”. (Celia Gaze) Who would have thought a wedding and corporate…

Reviving Rural Economies: The Inspiring Story of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association

“We have to think big. Who would have thought 20 years ago we'd have got where we are now". (Dr. Matthew O'Callaghan, OBE) In 2015, food historian Dr Matthew O’Callaghan, Chairman of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, was awarded…

Melin Tregwynt: The Revival of Welsh Wool Production and Sustainability

Recently there has been a change in customer buying patterns with many also wanting to buy sustainable and local products” (Eifion Griffiths). While many businesses claim that sustainability does not fit with the business case and consumers do not demand…

Hiut Deim Company, the sustainable denim pioneers

Jean image Source: http://www.albionman.com/ “Companies with a soul are so much more interesting than companies motivated purely by profit" (David Hieatt) In 1995 at the age of 36,  David Hieatt co-founded Howies, a niche active clothing business that wanted to produce…

Crystal Doors Fostering Sustainability and Community Growth

We are a small company with a turnover of £3 million, but we are making an impact way beyond our size. The manufacturing industry is beginning to wake up and take notice of the climate and ecological emergency around us,…

Divine Chocolate that empowers

“We need a future for cocoa farming which is sustainable- not just for chocolate companies and chocolate lovers but for the people growing the crop” (Sophi Tranchell, MBE, Group CEO Divine Chocolate UK, 1999-2020) Each year, some $100 billion is…

Phool and Fleather: India’s transformative biomaterial company

image compiled from images from @ Phool.co FB “Sustainability goes across everything I do….For example, there’s no leather; it’s free from PVC. There are lots of woven materials, which means a lot less waste” (Stella McCartney, fashion designer). The global…

Winds of change – Modvion

“The fact that something has not been done before, does not mean it can’t be done at all” - (Modvion) Modvion, founded in 2015, is the brainchild of two engineers, Joakim Orneblad and Otto Lundman, who graduated from Chalmers University’s…

TerraWaste

“Towards a pollution-free planet with a pollution-free process" - Kristaps Cirius, CMO TerraWaste Largely as a result of man's entrepreneurial innovativeness, we produce 2.01 billion tonnes of waste a year, 86% of which is non-recyclable,  and, as a result of…

Gwinllan Hebron Vineyard’s rare organic wine

“We strive to work within and in harmony with the ecosystem rather than attempting to radically alter and control it” (Jemma Vickers and Paul Rolt) Hebron vineyard, located on the Pembrokeshire/Carmarthenshire border in the foothills of the Preseli mountains in West Wales,…

Flexi-Hex: packaging that protects the planet

“We’re not here to take on big plastic.We’re here to keep making better decisions and to partner with people up for doing the same.” What do a group of designers with a love of the sea and surfing have in…

Sea inspiration for education and eco-tourism

“I’m motivated to live by, and inspire others to live, a sustainable life that helps to preserve the planet rather than deplete it” - Sarah Holden The human population is fascinated by water and each year millions of people flock to…

LabCycle – revolutionising the recycling of Laboratory Plastic Waste

wastes pic: Bath.ac.uk While research is intended to identify solutions to problems, laboratory-based research can also contribute to them, in particular to the current sustainability challenge. Annually some 5.5 million tonnes of single-use plastic is produced by life sciences research…

Ocean Ag startup ALORA unveils ‘the most salt-tolerant terrestrial plants on the planet’

“I would encourage every person, from every age, every colour, religion, gender, location to ask themselves ‘why you are here? Why do you exist?’ It is so important to know the answer to that question”. (Luke Young) Luke’s answer to…

ZeLoop – the app that rewards for not littering

bottle pic: by tanvi sharma “If bottles were made of gold, nobody would litter them in nature” - Eric  Schaffner The damage that plastics can do to the environment is well documented. One million plastic bottles are produced a minute…

Egyptian University ‘Chito-Shrimp’ feeds multiple sustainability projects

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for  a lifetime”. Formerly known a SIFE (Students into Free Enterprise) Enactus is the world’s largest experiential learning platform.…

Pawprint – digital entrepreneurship with purpose

After graduating in 2001 with an M.A. in Modern Languages from the University of Oxford, Christian Arno set up “Lingo24” a B2B technology-enabled translation service which grew into a £10 million business employing 200 full-time staff in the UK, Netherlands, New…

Riding the Wayve for sustainable, accessible, and safer mobility

According to the World Health organisation, 1.3 million people die each year from car crashes caused by human error, while some 4.5 million people are estimated to die from the effects of air pollution and the particulate matter produced, particularly…

Effa – Ukrainian eco-business inspires

Having worked as a multinational company project manager for 10 years, but never having felt that she fitted in there, Dasha Kichuk founded Kyiv-based Effa1 in 2018 in partnership with her industrial designer husband, Ilya, a graduate of Kharkiv State…

Nuddy: One gal. One shower. One big idea.

Nuddy isn’t just a word, it’s a feeling. To feel free + vulnerable, yet empowered. Not just when you’re ‘in the nuddy’, but all day, everyday - Nuddy Nuddy is a female-led startup. It was founded in July 2018 by…

Nexus Power’s bio-organic fast charge batteries

Nexus Power “Entrepreneurship is not only about everything we do physically…it is about the emotional strength the founders possess. It is about having the same enthusiasm throughout. It is about believing in yourself and your team, and most importantly, it…

Vivobarefoot’s regenerative steps

"We believe the closer people are to nature, the more they will protect it" - Vivobarefoot Founded in 2012, Vivobarefoot is an innovative London-based shoe company whose pedigree dates back almost 200 years. In 1825 in the village of Street in…

BoomGrow – saving the planet one vegetable at a time

BoomGrow is an award-winning Malaysian farming company whose mission is to transform farming by producing 100 per cent clean and nutritious vegetables delivered directly to the consumer. It is located in Kuala Lumpur in the Klang Valley and was founded…

Volta Greentech – reducing cow methane omissions

"If all the cattle in the world joined together to start their own country, they would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases” - Bill Gates Globally methane is responsible for 30 per cent of global warming, and the world’s…

The House of Baukjen

“We care deeply about our people, our customers and our planet” (Baukjen de Swaan Arons). The House of Baukjen is a family-run women’s slow fashion business located in North West London. It comprises two branches, the core brand, Baukjen, and their…

Petit Pli – sustainable clothes that grow

Clothes Waste Photo by Tom Fisk from Pexels “We believe that designs which meet real human needs will never be thrown away” - Petit Pli The global fashion market is valued at around $3trillion or 2 per cent of the world’s GDP, and…

Burns Pet Nutrition Ltd. and Parc y Bocs

"I want to see people feeling that they're proud of working for [Burns Pet Nutrition Ltd] and [for them to] put that bit extra in, in terms of the activities we're engaged in" - John Burns In the heart of rural…

Optim Energy – piezoelectric energy harvesting

“Young entrepreneurs and innovators are working hard to create a low carbon energy market” - Jeremiah Thoronka Mankind needs an alternative to fossil fuels. Solar, wind and water-generated energy are all possibilities, but with the present technology, they can be…

The washing machine project improving lives

Humanity is the washerwoman of our society that wrings out its laundry in tears - Karl Klaus, 1874-1936 The handwashing of clothes is a simple but time-consuming and energy-sapping task that has been a significant source of invention for centuries.…

Stella Vita –  world’s first solar powered mobile home

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes" - Marcel Proust (1871-1922) The Coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on international travel in general and international tourism in particular. With the…

GEW2021 interview: the mind behind the investing in others for sustainable futures

Kay Luan Tay, the recent Vice Chancellor of the International University Malaya-Wales and author of three book on Social and Business Sustainability has wide but unique experience in managing and delivering value across both commercial and non-commercial enterprise. A strong…

GEW2021 interview: the mind behind Women in Enterprise in Wales

Bev is an experienced practitioner in enterprise, social enterprise, gender equality and rural development/community. She has been and continues to be instrumental in ensuring that the role of women in Wales is consistently enhanced and progressed. As a special GEW2021 deep-dive,…

Bringing hope back to to the valleys

The extraction of oil, coal, and minerals brought, and still brings, a cost to the environment -- Irish singer/songwriter, Bono, 1960 A HES case study based in Wales to celebrate #GEW2021. Wales, often referred to as “the land of song”…

MarinaTex asking the right questions

MarinaTex, image: licensed to use Plastics waste is a major global problem facing the planet, affecting life on earth both on land and in the sea. The problem is that it is non-biodegradable and can exist in the ecosystem for…

“Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world” (Margaret Mead)

Antur Cymru (Welsh Adventure) is a social enterprise providing support for businesses in Wales. Owned by shareholders in the community who do not profit individually from their investment, they have agreed surpluses should be reinvested in the company. It was…

“May it be a light to you in dark places when all other lights go out” (J.R.R. Tolkein)

Originating in the 16th century, but not becoming commonplace until after William Murdoch’s invention of the gaslight in 1802, street lights are now regarded as an essential feature of modern living. Not only do they aid security but they contribute…

“He was a wise man who invented beer” (Plato, 427-347 BC).

Beer is one of the oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic drinks in the world. Its origin dates back some 5000 years, possibly more, and by 2018 188.79 million kilolitres were being consumed, the equivalent of approximately 298.2 billion bottles. However,…

Notpla: God created seaweed…The seaweed made the world”

Seaweed is an extremely versatile and important product. Amongst others it is a food, a fertiliser, a medicine, a fuel, a cosmetic and, significantly, a vital element in the ocean ecosystem, producing oxygen, absorbing nutrients and providing a habitat for…

“On a bicycle made for two”…or three, or more!

Despite its image of pure, unpolluted mountain air, the air quality in Nepal is one of the worst in the world, particularly in the country’s capital city, Kathmandu. Here the incidence of smog is five times greater than it was…

“There’s a way to do it better – Find it” (Thomas Edison (1847-1931)

Though a profound invention that has impacted significantly on modern society, plastics are a major sustainability challenge as they do not decompose and contribute to environmental problems both on land and in the sea, as well as to the health…

Tred: The Millennials Lead The Way

Water pollution: Brian Yurasits, 2019 How did a meal in Glasgow lead to the UK’s first green debit card made from recycled ocean plastic? Well, it is quite simple, over a meal with a friend, one of the co-founders of…

“Waste not want not” (1772, idiom) or “wilful waste makes woeful want” (1576, idom)

For two student entrepreneurs, Josh Shefner and Claire Friona, long-established idioms are a living reality. Both are students of Engineering at Milwaukee School of Engineering, and both are passionate about poverty elimination and the eradication of waste. They are also…

An Innovative UK solution to the Global Pollution Problem Caused by Urban Trucking

In the USA it is estimated that trucks/lorries (Heavy Goods Vehicles/HGVs) account for 5% of the number of vehicles on the road but 25% of the greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, while in Europe the Environment Agency estimates that HGVs…

The world is green and beautiful, and we are its custodians

(Image credit: North Wales Police) In an attempt to limit the spread of Covid-19, it has become law in many countries for people to wear disposable face masks. 129 billion face masks are being used globally each month and in…

The “Grameen” Bank of Wales

Outside of Wales few people know of Karen Davies but in South Wales, she does what Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank do in Bangladesh. Through her not-for-profit microfinance social enterprise, “Purple Shoots”, which she established in…

Latika Golyan demonstrates the need for graduate entrepreneurs in Nepal

Nepal, population 28.61 million, is a factor-driven economy meaning it relies on its people and natural resources. Over 55% of the population is under the age of 25 and there are some 450,000 students enrolled at different universities in the…

“Oh Food! Magical food! Wonderful Food! Marvellous Food! Beautiful Food!”

Despite Lionel Bart’s “Oliver” eulogy of food, it is a problem. We need it to live, yet both an excess and a shortage can kill us. Some 850 million people, globally, are believed to be undernourished and each day an…

Innovation for Impact: How Gongali Model Company is Changing Lives in Tanzania

In the global knowledge economy, universities have become the catalyst for economic and social development and many have added to their two traditional missions of research and teaching a third mission that involves the transfer and commercialisation of the intellectual…

Gjenge Makers: Build Alternatively, Build Affordably, Build Sustainably

“Build Alternatively, Build Affordably, Build Sustainably” – the motto of Gjenge Makers in Nairobi Between 1950 and 2017 the world produced some 9200 million tonnes of plastic waste, of which only 2700 million tonnes (29%) was still in use in…

Too Good To Go

In 2016, three entrepreneurs from Copenhagen, Leeds and Paris co-founded “Too Good To Go” (http://toogoodtogo.org) a social impact company intended to address the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 12 Sustainable. Consumption and Production, also supporting 13 Climate Action. Globally 1.3 billion…

Solving one global problem but creating others: the need for Harmonious Entrepreneurship

The world population is growing at around 83 million people a year or 1.1 per cent. Apart from needing space to accommodate such a population increase, there is another major problem facing the planet. The topsoil responsible for supplying 95%…