46 REAL-LEADERS.COM / FALL 2022 The Real Leaders Eco Innovation Awards honors the companies applying innovative environmental solutions for the greater good. It’s an annual global ranking of companies that drive environmental social impact in all major sectors of the economy. These companies have a new vision of what the world should look like and how the environment should benefit. They show what business can achieve when we align positive growth with responsible custodianship of the Earth. On the following pages we celebrate those contributing to a healthier planet — leaders that are helping grow and inspire the impact movement with game-changing ideas. ECO INNOVATION AWARDS 2022
Companies Creating Positive Environmental Impact ECO INNOVATION AWARDS 2022
48 REAL-LEADERS.COM / FALL 2022 1. SUNWEALTH POWER POWERING GREEN JOBS & ENERGY SAVINGS FOR COMMUNITIES Sunwealth finances community-based solar projects that provide diverse communities with clean power, carbon reduction, cost savings, and green jobs. It partners with skilled local installers, community organizations, businesses, and investors to change who benefits from solar by changing the way it invests in it. Recently, Sunwealth partnered with the New York City Housing Authority to install the largest community solar project in NYC on the largest affordable housing development in the country: 1.8 megawatts of rooftop solar gardens on 27 buildings in Queens, New York. Sunwealth.com 2. PROCTER & GAMBLE KEEPING FORESTS HEALTHY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME Procter & Gamble is putting its purchasing power and clout behind efforts to increase the number of Forest Stewardship Council®-certified lands in the world. Through its Charmin, Bounty, and Puffs brands, P&G collaborates with suppliers, NGO partners and others who source from forests to promote responsible forestry. Its “Protect, Grow and Restore” strategy is designed to increase the number of FSC-certified forests, grow two trees for every tree it uses, and restore areas that have experienced damage through wildfires and other disasters. In three years, P&G doubled its use of FSC-certified fiber to 75%, with the goal of reaching 100% by 2030. us.pg.com 4. GREATVIEW ASEPTIC PACKAGING COMPANY REDUCING THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF BOTTLED WATER Elix Water replaces standard non-renewable oil-based bottles with paper-based bottles 100% sourced from FSC-certified forests. The company supplies paper bottles to the New World Group’s hotels across China, and then recovers and recycles post-consumer paper bottles. To date, New World Hotels have replaced plastic bottles with 314,664 paper-based packages, saving 1,990kg of oil and reducing 7,756kg in CO2 emissions. GreatviewPack.com ECO INNOVATION AWARDS 2022 “YOU MUST FULLY COMMIT TO YOUR GOAL AND INSPIRE YOUR TEAMS SO THAT THEY CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND THEIR INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT.” — HAKAN BULGURLU, ARCELIK FIGHTING MICROFIBER PLASTIC POLLUTION STARTS AT HOME HAKAN BULGURLU, CEO With synthetic microfibers being the most prevalent type of microplastics found in water and a major cause of plastic pollution in our environment, Grundig launched a new washing machine with FiberCatcher® technology that empowers consumers in the fight against plastic pollution — that catches up to 90% of synthetic fibers released during wash cycles, helping to protect waterways, oceans, and marine life. "To enforce a social and environmental transformation within the business community, we need effective and driven leadership," says Bulgurlu. "People are no longer interested in 'star CEOs' of the last few decades. The challenging social, economic, and environmental state of our world today shows that we need a leadership style that values social and environmental justice. What we need is a servant leader — someone who does not stay separate but walks with others, who serves the community, rather than the bottom line. If you do so, the bottom line will follow. This is not always an easy task. The advice I would give to business leaders is to lead by example and be the first one willing to go that extra mile." ArcelikGlobal.com 3. ARCELIK HOW WE RANKED THE TOP 50 Real Leaders seeks to advance the impact company movement — proving that businesses can make a positive impact on the world, while also growing, thriving, and achieving financial success. To determine which companies made the Top 50 list, Real Leaders evaluated each entry based on creativity, innovation, originality, and measurable impact and then used 5-year growth rates to help determine the ranking. We also recognized the Top 10 Ones to Watch, and the Eco Innovation Allies who greatly assist others in making an environmental impact. Additionally, we asked a few CEOs to give their opinions on successful impact leadership, including what makes transformation possible, what advice they have for other CEOs to generate more effective action, and why collaboration is the future of social impact business practice."
FALL 2022 / REAL-LEADERS.COM 49 7. GRADIANT DEVELOPING AND DEPLOYING CLEANTECH WATER SOLUTIONS Gradiant used its Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE) technology to provide sustainable wastewater treatment services in Singapore for GlaxoSmithKline. The goal was to install a zero-liquid discharge wastewater treatment plant to safely process the wastewater from amoxicillin products affecting yields and waste disposal under unique COVID-19 restrictions. Gradiant's CGE process effectively mimicked the rain cycle to treat the industrial wastewater via humidity and resulted in a 96% water recovery rate and 30% capital expenditures and 40% operating expenses savings compared to competitors. Gradiant.com 6. SHARED-X REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE AT ITS BEST Shared-X integrates its soil microbe-nourishing biotechnologies into an impact farming system that improves soil carbon sequestration, farmer income, and farm health. It has improved soil carbon concentration by 3.5x and smallholder farmer incomes up to 5x. Shared-X invents and licenses biology-based regenerative agriculture solutions covering a range of applications including bionutrients, biostimulants, microorganisms, and biofortification agents. It has conducted field trials in over 15 crops in over 10 countries with strong results. It goes beyond organic standards to improve soil-based microbial nutrition, which, in turn, more effectively nourishes crops and lifts smallholder yields. Shared-X.com USING CARBON LABELS ON FOOD TO RAISE CLIMATE AWARENESS NICK KENNER, CEO In 2020, Just Salad became the first U.S. restaurant chain to carbon label its menu — using carbon labels to create its in-store Earth-Friendly menu board, which features lowcarbon, plant-based options, and the “Climatarian" lifestyle filter on its online menus, which creates a list of items with the lowest carbon footprints. After the menu launch, Just Salad saw a nearly 10% jump in sales of these items. "As a leader, it’s about finding talented people who buy into your mission and setting a high bar for successful execution," says Kenner. "My advice to other business leaders looking to make a meaningful difference would be to prioritize the environmental impact that their business will have on future generations, in addition to being fully committed to doing things that are good for the planet across operations. Today, good business means doing good for the environment; there’s no incentive to not make real change. Collaboration is the best way to achieve something truly meaningful for your business. Last year, for example, we partnered with organizations like Mastercard’s Priceless Planet Coalition and Zero Foodprint to fund tree-planting and regenerative agriculture. The support of our partners has helped our team innovate and create impact in ways we couldn’t do as easily on our own." JustSalad.com 5. JUST SALAD ECO INNOVATION AWARDS 2022 KEEPING SHINGLES OUT OF LANDFILLS MIKE FEAZEL, CEO Roof Maxx is a national roof maintenance company that developed a plant-based formula to rejuvenate and strengthen aging asphalt shingle roofs. Its product and service protects homes and reduces construction waste from premature 8. ROOF MAXX roof disposals in a safe and environmentally friendly way. It has treated an estimated 50 million square feet of roof, reducing the unnecessary fiberglass and chemical waste and keeping asphalt shingle roofs out of landfills. "Transformational change comes from setting big audacious goals and leading without authority," says Feazel. "The organic nature and interconnectedness of those working at Roof Maxx is allowed to thrive by having these common goals and by having the autonomy to do what needs to be done and make their own interconnections within and beyond the organization. Company leaders remind and motivate those within the organization and a network of dealers about the impact they have on families in their communities and the environment. An important part of the work is motivating the national network of dealers on the importance of keeping roofing debris out of landfills. Always sell the big picture and rally the troops to action. You have to sell the big picture. People work for passion now — not money — and you have to keep that passion alive. When you give people the freedom to be creative and part of something bigger, more than not, they will rise to the occasion." RoofMaxx.com
50 REAL-LEADERS.COM / FALL 2022 ECO INNOVATION AWARDS 2022 PLASTIC NEUTRAL PET FOOD PACKAGING GREG CYR, CEO In 2020, Nature’s Logic™ premium pet food introduced the first Certified Plastic Neutral product in the plastichungry pet food industry. The company funds women-run micro-businesses in India to pull ocean-bound plastic out of the waste stream and recycle it — recycling at least one pound of plastic for every pound used. "There are a number of factors that impact change within an organization," says Cyr. "A commitment to ongoing education, an openness to new ideas or new ways of tackling issues, clear lines of communication, and the cultivation of strong, positive corporate culture allow transformational change to be possible and impactful. My advice is to focus on doing the right thing. It sounds simple, but by putting the focus on your corporate values, you start moving in the right direction. Then you can build your roadmap to expand more effectively and really start to take action and see results. It's an exciting and rewarding enterprise. We’ve all heard the old adage “it takes a village.” Working together to tackle important issues is key. We’ve seen in our own business that the success we have is because of the collaboration of our team." NaturesLogic.com 11. NATURE’S LOGIC 13. SOLBERG MFG REDUCING HARMFUL POLLUTION FROM INDUSTRIAL EXHAUST Oil mist aerosols are pollutants, noxious to breathe, and create a dangerous work environment. Solberg MFG products are used to capture visible oil mist aerosols before they are freely exhausted. The aerosol goes through the different stages of filtration and in the process oil mist coalesces into a liquid that is drained into either a safe disposal container or back into the engine/equipment to be reused. The oil mist eliminator filters are designed to help ensure environmental compliance while keeping work spaces clean, safe and free of oil mist. Solberg MFG went from capturing 279 millions gallons of oil in 2010 to 499 million gallons of oil in 2020. SolbergMFG.com 12. CARLTONONE ENGAGEMENT FUNDING THE PLANTING OF MORE TREES With over 5 million users across 185 countries, CarltonOne Evergrow eco-action business model funds the planting of millions of trees every year, removing billions of pounds of CO2 from the atmosphere and fighting deforestation and poverty in Madagascar, Nepal, Mozambique, Indonesia and Kenya. This eco-action vision mirrors its product mission to help companies better engage their teams and customers with purpose. It is on track to plant 100 million native trees every year by 2023. CarltonOne.com 9. TERRACYCLE TACKING PPE WASTE Globally, public recycling systems are in decline. As the industry is struggling to process the new influx of PPE waste due to COVID-19, TerraCycle, which specializes in the collection and repurposing of hard-to-recycle postconsumer waste, has developed recycling solutions to address this public health and plastic pollution crisis. Upon collecting PPE waste, it breaks it down and uses the material to create new items such as plastic shipping pallets, railroad ties or outdoor furniture. By providing these turn-key recycling solutions, TerraCycle hopes to demonstrate that recycling can be rewarding while being a win for the environment too. TerraCycle.com 10. MOLEAER COMBATING HYDROGEN SULFIDE WITH NANOBUBBLES In October 2021, residents of Carson, California, and adjacent neighborhoods were impacted by an odor from the Dominguez Channel, as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) levels reached 7,000 ppb. Residents reported headaches, nausea, sore throats, and burning eyes; 3,200 were temporarily relocated. Moleaer was contracted by LA County Dept. of Public Works to use its patented nanobubble technology to increase oxygen levels and combat the H2S production. Moleaer installed 14 nanobubble generators along the Channel, treating up to 60 million gallons of water per day. The technology provides hyper-efficient gas transfer and injects air nanobubbles, 100 nanometers in diameter, into the water. Currently, H2S levels are near pre-incident levels and residents have returned home. Moleaer.com
FALL 2022 / REAL-LEADERS.COM 51 ECO INNOVATION AWARDS 2022 14. ASPIRATION MAKING CHANGE WITH CHANGE Aspiration Bank’s “Plant Your Change” initiative encourages consumers to use their spare change to plant trees. By rounding up each purchase on their linked accounts, any consumer with a debit or credit card can plant a tree, reducing their daily carbon footprint. This initiative — along with the new Aspiration Zero credit card that allows consumers to track their carbon footprint and plant a tree with every purchase — has helped Aspiration plant over 70 million trees in the past year, with a goal of planting 5 billion trees within the next 10 years. Aspiration.com 15. HELPSY MAKING RECYCLING CLOTHING EASY AS RECYCLING A SODA CAN By collecting, sorting, and supplying used clothing to second-hand merchants, HELPSY supplants the need for the production of millions of new garments a year. 95% of what it collects is reused, upcycled, or recycled. The higher grades are resold to thrift stores in North America and other second-hand markets. The lower grades get turned into rags for industrial use or things like stuffing and insulation. With over 2,000 collection partners across the Northeast United States, HELPSY currently collects and processes more than 29 million pounds of clothing a year and is on track to double this amount next year. Helpsy.co 16. ETTITUDE SLEEP SUSTAINABLY WITH BAMBOO BEDDING ettitude is a sustainable lifestyle brand offering bamboo bedding, bath, and sleep essentials that are gentle on the skin and the planet. Its CleanBamboo fabric is breathable like cotton and produced in a closed-loop system that recycles and reuses water up to 200 times. The bamboo comes from FSC-certified bamboo forests, which use only rainwater to grow. Based on a product life cycle analysis, the CleanBamboo sheet set uses 500x less water and creates 52% less carbon emissions. ettitude is Climate Neutral certified, and 1% of all sales are donated to environmental nonprofits. ettitude.com 17. GREEN PLAINS CREATING LOW-CARBON INGREDIENTS FOR A GROWING WORLD Green Plains Inc. is a biorefining company that develops fermentation, agricultural, and biological technologies that make annually renewable crops more sustainable. To improve the energy efficiency at all of its biorefineries, it began implementing its Project 24 initiative in 2019. Three of its 11 biorefineries were already built with technology to ensure peak energy efficiency during round-the-clock operations. For the remaining facilities, it developed an engineered solution that increased beer column and reboiler efficiency, lowered operating costs, significantly reduced energy usage, and improved carbon intensity scores. The system reduces the energy consumption used in distillation. gpreinc.com 19. AEROFARMS GROWING PLANTS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF HUMANITY AeroFarms is an indoor farming company that utilizes the latest in vertical farming, artificial intelligence, and plant biology to improve how fresh produce is grown and distributed. It uses up to 95% less water than field-farmed food and up to 99% less land with zero runoff and zero pesticides. Currently, AeroFarms offers 11 varieties to over 500 retail stores in addition to online grocery platforms. Its indoor operation allows it to grow fresh greens 365 days per year, and turn its crop over 26x per year (vs. 12x in high-tech greenhouses and 1-3x via traditional farming.) AeroFarms.com 18. FLOR DE CAÑA RUM CARBON-CONSCIOUS RUM In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint, Flor de Caña Rum implemented a series of projects such as capturing and recycling all CO2 emissions during the fermentation process and using 100% renewable energy during the distillation process. It worked alongside Carbon Trust to make sure that the entire lifecycle carbon footprint was measured and certified, that a carbon management plan was in place to reduce emissions, and that any remaining emissions were offset. In 2020, Flor de Caña was certified as a carbon neutral company, and is working toward becoming carbon positive. FlordeCana.com “AFTER THE ACQUISITION OF A STRATEGIC COMPANY, WE APPOINTED ITS CEO TO A NEWLY CREATED ROLE OF SENIOR VP OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, WHICH HAS OPENED NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR US.” — GREG CYR, NATURE'S LOGIC
52 REAL-LEADERS.COM / FALL 2022 ECO INNOVATION AWARDS 2022 21. NO EVIL FOODS PLANT BASED & PLASTIC NEGATIVE In 2020, No Evil Foods expanded its focus from what its products are made from, to what they're packaged in. It became the world's first plant-based meat brand to offset 200% of its plastic packaging and became Certified Plastic Negative. The new packaging is printed using 100% renewable wind power and uses vegetable-based inks that have 40% fewer volatile organic compounds than conventional inks and are composed of 100% natural and renewable oils. In 2022, it transitioned to Sustainable Forestry Initiative-certified paperboard. To date, No Evil Foods has diverted over 16,000 lbs of plastic from landfills and avoided over 10,000 lbs of CO2 emissions. NoEvilFoods.com 20. CLOVER SONOMA FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION IN DAIRY PACKAGING Clover Sonoma is a thirdgeneration, family-owned and operated conscious dairy based in Petaluma, California. This certified B Corp recently announced the first fully renewable plant-based milk carton and the first post-consumer recycled (PCR) gallon milk jug in the United States as part of its focus on sustainability and packaging innovation. Packaging will continue to be a big part of its focus as it tries to find sustainable ways to decrease the use of fossil fuels, utilize less plastic, and encourage recycling. Clover Sonoma’s fully renewable milk carton and PCR gallon milk jug will be transitioned to its entire organic fluid milk line by 2025. CloverSonoma.com KRISTINA SKIERKA, CEO FAST, AFFORDABLE, CLEAR ENERGY ACCESS FOR ALL Utilities 2.0 is Power for All’s strategic initiative that builds the case for the integration of centralized utilities and decentralized microgrid companies as an innovative and eco-friendly route to universal energy access. By catalyzing the research, engineering, regulation, and political will to realize the utilities of the future, the U.2.0 pilot will lead to Uganda’s first interconnected mini-grid. "We can’t change businessas-usual with more business-as-usual; if we want to transform systems, we must change the leadership of those systems," says Skierka. "Leaders who concentrate power or focus on empirebuilding are limiting their organization’s impact. Transformational change — especially transforming a global energy system that has left millions without power — requires movement-building. Don’t get too comfortable. Challenge your assumptions, proactively expand your knowledge base, and regularly seek out opinions different from your own. Work across teams to encourage diversity of opinions and experiences; creativity and innovation will grow organically from this kind of collaboration. If we choose to work with people just like ourselves inside or outside of our companies, we will only have mirrors of our behavior, not windows to how we impact those around us." PowerForAll.org 22. POWER FOR ALL TECH THAT TURNS WASTE INTO A RESOURCE ALBERT DOUER, CEO UBQ™ is a bio-based thermoplastic converted entirely from unsorted household waste, including all organics. The novel cost-competitive raw material is a sustainable substitute to petroleum-based plastics, concrete, and wood in 23. UBQ MATERIALS the production of thousands of durable applications. It is a relatively small change — a material formulation — that can result in a significant carbon footprint reduction and enable manufacturers to meet their sustainability goals. "Transformational leadership is not limited to the Bezoses or Musks of the world," says Douer. "Perhaps, there is no better example of impactful leadership than the immigrant family. What is more transformational than a family picking up their entire lives, leaving familiar surroundings, and building a new life in an unknown and unfamiliar place? True leadership is like leading the way through a dark and dank swamp. It is tough and comes with many challenges. The best thing to do to generate effective action: Stop talking. Stop describing the problem. Stop explaining why solving the problem is difficult. Work on finding solutions. Society comes together when working to actualize important goals and endeavors. The larger the goal or the larger the risks (such as in climate change), the more important collaboration becomes. Businesses are particularly suited for societal collaboration because they are already organized and have resources to achieve concrete results. In fact, they are, themselves, examples of societal collaboration. The bigger challenge is how to organize these collaborations so that it does not stifle competition, and the emergence of new ideas and solutions." UBQMaterials.com
FALL 2022 / REAL-LEADERS.COM 53 ECO INNOVATION AWARDS 2022 24. GREEN ANTZ BUILDERS TURNING WASTE INTO CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS Green Antz Builders Inc. processes almost all types of plastic, as well as organic, inorganic, construction, industrial and other types of waste. Utilizing its in-house innovation center, it developed over 20 types of proprietary solutions, which include bricks, pavers, pre-casts, plastic-infused roads, and many more. It has 40 community-based upcycling centers and hundreds of collection points across Philadelphia. GreenAntz.com 25. PATH TACKLING PLASTIC WATER BOTTLE WASTE PATH sells bottled water in a sturdy and refillable aluminum bottle, aiming to revolutionize the industry and lead it towards a more sustainable future. The bottle is meant to be refilled and reused by the customer multiple times. When it comes time to be recycled, the aluminum particles do not break down like plastic particles do. To date, PATH has prevented over 163 million plastic bottles from landfills and has set an ambitious goal to prevent 10 billion single-use plastic bottles from entering a landfill over the next few years. DrinkPATHWater.com 26. BENEFICIAL STATE BANK A BANK WATCHING ITS CARBON FOOTPRINT To Beneficial State Bank, being carbon neutral in its operations is important for slowing climate change, but it is not enough. The majority of a bank’s carbon footprint does not come from its branches or other offices; rather, a bank’s contribution to greenhouse gases occurs indirectly, through loans and investments. Beneficial State Bank engages third-party evaluators to calculate its carbon footprint. In addition, it has begun using Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials methodology to measure and disclose the carbon footprint of its loans so that it can set targets to reduce its own portfolio’s emissions and achieve net-zero. It seeks industry-wide disclosure and radical transparency. BeneficialStateBank.com 27. VIVOPOWER INTERNATIONAL SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR HARD-TO-DECARBONIZE SECTORS VivoPower is an international battery technology, electric vehicle, solar, and critical power services company, founded by Arowana. Since January 2021, VivoPower has secured commitments for 7,825 electric light vehicle conversion kits. Furthermore, it partnered with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club to organize the world’s first net-zero carbon match in elite-level football. In addition, it was awarded a contract to complete all electrical works for the Blue Grass Solar Farm, creating about 400 local jobs and avoiding over 320,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Vivopower.com 29. LOGICAL BUILDINGS REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM BUILDINGS Logical Buildings’ GridRewards and SmartKit AI use smart meter data to provide energy savings. Clean energy conversations tend to focus on the supply side: replacing fossil fuels in our energy mix with carbon-free. Logical Buildings’ idea was to focus on one thing building owners and utility customers can control: their energy demand. By empowering people with the tools to monitor and respond to their energy data in real time, it enables action on the demand-side of the building emissions problem. As a result, in just two years, it has helped New York and Westchester residents prevent more than 200 tons of carbon from entering the atmosphere. LogicalBuildings.com 28. CLEAR BLUE COMMERCIAL SAVING WATER THROUGH TURF CONVERSIONS Clear Blue Commercial is a property management services company focused on making its buildings as sustainable as possible. It specializes in turf conversion, a process of replacing waterhungry grass with mulch-based, droughttolerant landscaping as a way to reduce water usage at the buildings it manages. It calculates that its turf conversions save over 3 million gallons of water annually. ClearBlueCommercial.com “RESEARCH CONSISTENTLY FINDS THAT ACHIEVING LARGE-SCALE, ENDURING SOCIAL CHANGE REQUIRES COLLECTIVE AND COORDINATED EFFORTS.” — KRISTINA SKIERKA, POWER FOR ALL
54 REAL-LEADERS.COM / FALL 2022 ECO INNOVATION AWARDS 2022 33. GREENHOPE ADDRESSING PLASTIC WASTE AND IMPROVING FARMERS LIVES Greenhope manufactures biodegradable technologies to address hard-to-recycle items that are too small, contaminated, or not economically viable (i.e. snack bags, garbage bags). Its Ecoplas product sources cassava starch from local farmers and turns it into sustainable packaging for apparel, food, and non-food applications. Ecoplas is reusable, bio-based, and biodegradable. Naturloop was also invented using bio-based (cassava starch) material and is designed to be compostable in various commercial and home conditions. Greenhope.co 32. SMARTER SORTING PRODUCT INTELLIGENCE IN THE HANDS OF RETAILERS & BRANDS Smarter Sorting’s Back of Store System (BOSS) displays the best way to dispose of unsold or damaged products, or whether they could be donated to charity. Employees scan the product barcode, weigh the item, and follow easy on-screen instructions. The BOSS accesses its cloud-based decision engine, the Product Intelligence Platform™, to provide instant and accurate answers on what to do with every product. Through its partners Costco and Wegmans, it has diverted 22,885 tons of waste from the landfill and is being deployed across Albertsons Companies stores in 2022. SmarterSorting.com 34. GREEN HAMMER BUILDINGS THAT PROMOTE HEALTH AND PROTECT THE PLANET Green Hammer has led the design and/or construction of more than 70 residential homes, and three commercial buildings that have received and/or are pursuing Passive House, LEED, Living Building, Zero Energy and/or Earth Advantage certification. Many of its projects produce more clean energy than they consume, eliminate harmful toxicants, emit little-to-no carbon, and provide healthy interior environments. GreenHammer.com 35. MPOWERD HARNESSING THE SUN’S POWER FOR SAFER CYCLING Biking in cities has become much more common to lessen dependence on fossil fuels and reduce transmission rates by avoiding public transportation during the pandemic. Amidst a looming climate crisis and the global pandemic, MPOWERD decided this was the perfect time to promote healthy and safe commuting practices. Its product provides consumers with a sustainable option to other products in the market–a solar-powered bike light. The Luci® Bike Light Set has helped contribute to the 250 million tons of carbon dioxide averted by MPOWERD’s solar powered products. Mpowerd.com 31. PROPAGATE CLIMATE-SMART SOLUTIONS FOR FARMERS Through its analytics and project development platform, Propagate makes it easy for farmers and landowners to increase profitability while helping investors fund low-risk regenerative agroforestry projects. Its design and development product, Overyield, enables farmers and service providers to analyze farmland so they can plant faster–turning supply chains into carbon sequestering machines. Propagate currently advises nearly 20,000 acres of agroforestry in the United States, supporting 600,000 trees and shrubs, and also manages 480 commercial acres through its regional agroforestry hubs. PropagateAG.com 30. SCALE MICROGRID SOLUTIONS ENERGY MICROGRIDS THAT RAPIDLY DEPLOY IN EMERGENCIES Scale Microgrid Solutions’ proprietary modular microgrid system, the Rapid Response Modular Microgrid, facilitates rapid access to cheaper, resilient, and sustainable energy by reducing project development times. Areas with a high risk of wildfires, hurricanes, and other extreme weather events can particularly benefit from this system because it can be deployed quickly. In 2019, Scale worked with Bowery Farming, a prominent vertical farming company in Kearny, New Jersey, to develop a more reliable renewable energy solution for its state-of-the-art facility, reducing their carbon dioxide equivalents by over 450,000 lbs per year. ScaleMicrogridSolutions.com “I'D RATHER HAVE A SMALL COLLABORATIVE TEAM THAN A LARGER TEAM OF INDEPENDENTS.” — HAL HINKLE, BAMCORE
FALL 2022 / REAL-LEADERS.COM 55 ECO INNOVATION AWARDS 2022 SEAN COMBS, CEO CURBING WASTE AT LIVE EVENTS This year and next, the business world will begin to fully embrace the return to live events, conferences, and trade shows. Steelhead Productions seeks to significantly reduce the amount of trade show marketing waste that ends up in landfills. Its solution is to divert what would otherwise be landfill-bound waste and invest in structural environmental components which are reused/shared from brand to brand. Since 2018, Steelhead has converted over 80 brands to its access over ownership model. "Leadership that places more value on the vision and where you want to be as a group, and is less specific about “how” you get there, opens infinite possibilities," says Combs. "Explaining the purpose, and consistently communicating ‘why’ we are headed in the direction we are, creates the clarity and freedom others need to be innovative and execute. Leading is ultimately about achieving results and productivity through others. Be clear about the vision, the objectives, and the purpose of each. Then, get out of the way and support the efforts of those executing. There is strength in numbers. Collaboration allows for more ideas, diverse opinions, and more creativity to solve problems." ExhibitHappy.com 36. STEELHEAD PRODUCTIONS 37. HYDROPOINT DATA SYSTEMS CONSERVING WATER WITH REAL-TIME LEAK DETECTION HydroPoint provides onsite smart water management solutions to address systemic water waste. Its WaterCompass leak detection and water use analytics service provides customers with real-time visibility to their onsite water usage. Utilizing sensors, analytics, and a full-time team of water experts, WaterCompass enables customers from retail to multi-family housing, government entities and others, to achieve their water and sustainability goals. HydroPoint.com 39. GREEN CANOPY NODE HIGH-QUALITY, SUSTAINABLE & HEALTHY HOMES Green Canopy NODE focuses on reducing urban sprawl, decreasing vehicle miles traveled, increasing neighborhood resilience and inclusivity, and protecting surrounding wildlands. In partnership with the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, it built seven Net Zero Energy Ready, all-electric homes that are rented to families earning 60% to 80% of the area median income. These homes feature advanced building science and ultra-efficient systems and tools and earned the project a 4-Star Built Green Certification. Over a 20-year lifespan, the energy savings of these homes compared to a typical Seattle home is equivalent to 26,663 lbs of carbon. GreenCanopyNode.com 38. GROGURU GOOD FOR FARMERS, GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT GroGuru focuses on strategic water management for commercial farmers, helping them make more money by increasing crop yield and utilizing scarce resources, such as water, in a more efficient and sustainable way. With food security and water conservation in mind, it provides hardwareenabled software as a service. This software collects data from soil sensors at the root zone of the crop, passes that data up to the Cloud, applies machine learning and artificial intelligence, and then provides insights to farmers about when and how much to optimally irrigate their crops. Each year, farmers typically experience a 10-20% increase in crop yield and decrease in input costs. GroGuru.com 40. CUBICFARM SYSTEMS DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY TO FEED OUR CHANGING WORLD CubicFarms is an ag-tech company founded by farmers. Its products enable farmers to maximize cubic square footage, minimize natural resource use, and support food security by maximizing crop yield. The CubicFarm System uses patented Crop Motion Technology for indoor growing of fresh produce. A new high-density FreshHub with 96 stacked modules on one acre of land will grow the same amount as 100 acres of outdoor growing. HydroGreen, a division of CubicFarms, produces a commercial scale Automated Vertical Pastures that allows farmers to grow fresh, nutritious livestock feed year round. CubicFarms.com “THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. COLLABORATION ALLOWS FOR MORE IDEAS, DIVERSE OPINIONS, AND MORE CREATIVITY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.” — SEAN COMBS, STEELHEAD PRODUCTIONS
56 REAL-LEADERS.COM / FALL 2022 ECO INNOVATION AWARDS 2022 41. GREEN BADGER EMPOWERING CONTRACTORS TO BUILD MORE SUSTAINABLY Green Badger is a software platform that streamlines and automates green construction compliance — from jobsite ESG tracking to LEED certification. Its cloud-based platforms let project teams collaborate in the office or in the field while eliminating spreadsheets, instantly verifying green products, validating sustainable construction practices, providing transparency, and offering corporate data analytics. In April 2022, Green Badger registered its 1,000th project, averaging a 65% reduction in the labor hours which can be reinvested into constructing sustainable buildings. GetGreenBadger.com 42. BIO RAW PLANT BASED AND ON THE WAY TO ZERO WASTE BIO RAW delivers plantbased, gluten free, certified organic, nutritionist-crafted meals in eco-friendly packaging across Toronto, Canada. Through its waste diversion project, it has partnered with a local waste collection agency to ensure that any waste produced in the production of its meals is responsibly diverted from landfills and transformed into resources whenever possible. Since it has started the project, it has increased its waste diversion rate from 41.35% in April 2021 to 85.18% in March 2022, and is working to become one of the first facilities in North America to be Zero Waste Certified. BioRaw.ca 44. ECOLOGIC SOLUTIONS CLEANER SOLUTIONS FOR CLEANING EcoLogic Solutions' Electro-Chemically Activated (ECA) cleaning and disinfection technology is an alternative to everyday products that are polluting, toxic, and mass-used across many market verticals– from indoor hydroponic farms to cruise ships, food production to healthcare. Its clean-technology detergent and disinfectant decontaminate the air and surfaces while reducing plastics, toxics and carbon emissions. It uses an environmental calculator to deliver a metric of how many pounds of plastic, hazardous chemicals and emissions its program eliminates. EcoLogicSolutions.com 45. NATUREPEDIC ORGANIC, NON-TOXIC BEDDING FOR INFANTS Infants spend a large part of their days in contact with their crib mattress. Naturepedic manufactures certified organic kids and adult mattresses, without using toxic chemicals, while meeting the strict chemical standards from the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). The inside of the crib mattress is coated with polyethylene made from sugarcane using its patented process, instead of toxic chemicals such as flame retardants and polyurethane foam. Naturepedic also works with environmental organizations to advocate for the elimination of toxic chemicals from consumer products and from the environment. Naturepedic.com LUTHER GARCIA, CEO HELPING BUILDING OWNERS INCREASE EFFICIENCIES Animated Insights™ is an AI platform that helps building owners eliminate waste and increase operational efficiency. Its deployment can contribute to a 50% increase in sustainability and resiliency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint to lessen environmental impact. Animated Insights has deployed it platform in approximately five million square feet of commercial real estate, including New York City’s iconic Chrysler Building. "If a single human being can imagine just about anything, then a group of human beings can be assembled with the right talents and skills to come together and turn that vision into reality," says Garcia. "That’s really what entrepreneurial leadership is all about, and there is nothing more transformational than that. Face your problems head on. Don’t hide from them. If you miss the mark with a customer one time, and the customer is kind enough to let you know, thank that customer and face the problems that got you there and correct them and ensure they never happen again. One of our mantras is only make new mistakes, don’t keep repeating old ones. Surround yourself with people that are smarter than you, that you don’t have to micromanage, then empower them, and set them up to succeed." AnimatedInsights.com 43. ANIMATED INSIGHTS “YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CLEAR VISION OF WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE OR CREATE, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT VISION IN A WAY THAT INSPIRES OTHERS TO BELIEVE IN IT, WHETHER EMPLOYEES, PARTNERS, CUSTOMERS, OR INVESTORS.” — LUTHER GARCIA, ANIMATED INSIGHTS
FALL 2022 / REAL-LEADERS.COM 57 ECO INNOVATION AWARDS 2022 STEVE MELLER, CEO SOLUTIONS FOR DECREASING LIVESTOCKLINKED METHANE CH4 Global™, Inc. provides seaweedbased Asparagopsis products to farmers worldwide so they can dramatically reduce the methane emissions of their livestock and realize significant value in the process. By supplementing up to 1% of daily cattle food intake with Asparagopsis, methane production can be reduced up to 90%. "Today’s leaders face the challenge of meeting high expectations while adapting to rapid change," says Miller. "To make transformational changes, leaders must combine a vision of a new future that can inspire change, plus display optimism and action for progress with their own organizations and beyond. Collaboration is at the heart, and the key to success, for any business practice. For social impact, it is especially important to inspire people with the vision for the future and then enable the right people with the right tools and capabilities and skills to create that future. Leaders must have the courage and trust to let them do it. Social movements are inherently about change and effective (and successful) leaders truly understand that to effect change in a meaningful systemic and sustainable way, they must do things differently." CH4Global.com 46. CH4 GLOBAL 49. THE REFILL SHOPPE REDUCING WASTE IN THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY The Refill Shoppe was founded on the premise that we should all be able to get just what we need without anything we don't need – such as trash, waste, unhealthy ingredients, destructive ingredients, or synthetic fragrances. The Refill shop offers in-person refills or zerowaste bath, body, home, and beauty refills shipped directly to customers thanks to its Sudscription™ and refill program. It donates to environmental non-profits, and plants one tree for every order shipped. TheRefillShoppe.com 48. PEARL CERTIFICATION INCREASING ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND VALUE FOR HOMEOWNERS Pearl certifies homes with efficient appliances, heating and cooling systems, insulation, solar and batteries, smart home devices, and other features that make them efficient, resilient, and healthy. Pearl incentivizes homeowners to make these improvements through its third-party certification, which helps them capture the value of these investments in a future appraisal. Its platform creates a network effect to drive scale and enhance relationships with contractors, real estate agents, appraisers, lenders, insurers, and utilities. The certification system and platform create a sticky relationship between homeowners and network partners, impacting the existing home, new build, real estate, and energy markets. PearlCertification.com HAL HINKLE, CEO DRIVEN TO DECARBONIZE THE BUILT WORLD BamCore is pioneering climatepositive building materials, methods, and designs that reduce and remove greenhouse gases, turn buildings into carbon sinks, and also mitigate the housing crisis, skilled labor shortage, and global rural poverty 47. BAMCORE -- all while saving the builder cost, labor, and time. "Change is about moving us from where we are, to where we aren't," says Hinkle. "Transformational change will bring about uncertainty and discomfort. Your idea has to make fundamental sense for humanity (or at least portions of it), or it's not truly transformational. You have to believe your idea is valuable enough that you'll make huge life-sized sacrifices for it, or others won't follow. And when doubt hits, you have to figure out how to press on, or vital momentum will dissipate. The leader is the keeper and sharer of the vision over all this, showing over and over again that where we can be, is better than where we are now. Start here: Embrace that it is not easy. If it was easy, somebody else would have already done it. Most things that aren't easy can be broken down into smaller parts and smaller steps until they are more obviously doable. It's our job to listen and then break down the total problem, allocate out the smaller threads, follow those single threads and then weave them back together. This is exhausting, but it's the only way you end up with a whole fabric solution that will hopefully advance the vision. Today's world is too complicated for single-path solutions. Until all the players in the game believe that collaboration is needed to win, you'll limp along with sub-optimal results and incomplete solutions. I'd rather have a small collaborative team than a larger team of independents." BamCore.com
58 REAL-LEADERS.COM / FALL 2022 ECO INNOVATION AWARDS 2022 50. FLOREON TRANSFORMING THE ENGINEERING PLASTICS INDUSTRY Floreon offers brands a low-carbon alternative to the materials they use today and allows them to move away from halogen-containing flame retarded materials by switching to its patented plant-based plastic. The plant-based plastic has a low carbon footprint, the durability necessary to compete with engineering plastics used today in the electronics and electrical industry, and meets the rigorous safety and performance criteria. The base material of Floreon (the polymer PLA or polylactic acid) has a carbon footprint that is up to six times lower than competing oil-based plastics such as ABS. Floreon.com TOP 10 ONES TO WATCH Ando Digital banking that allows consumers to deposit money without having it used for fossil fuel investments. AndoMoney.com Bioastra Technologies Using its Smart Polymer Platform to produce all-compostable surgical face masks. BioastraTech.com Climate First Bank Provides central Floridians with financial resources to invest in cutting-edge clean energy solutions and proactive climate adaptation. ClimateFirstBank.com eLeapPower Tech solutions that will help electric vehicles go farther, charge faster, and be more cost effective. eLeapPower.com NYC Plover Project This all-volunteer effort was founded in March 2021 and partnered with the National Park Service to protect the Piping Plover and its habitat. NYCPloverProject.org Pali Institute Educating students on the impact that food waste has on the environment. PaliInstitute.com Relocalize Seeks to eliminate the “chain” in our food and beverage supply chain through automated micro-factories that produce products hyper-locally. Relocalize.com Rise An online store of vetted, sustainabilityfocused products that allow homeowners to make planet-friendly home choices. BuildWithRise.com Vayda Aims to increase the number of regeneratively farmed acres in the world. Currently farming on 3,500 acres in Missouri and Mississippi. Vayda.com World Centric®Leaf+ An all-natural, 100% plant-based, fully compostable, alternative to fluorinated chemicals in disposable fiber tableware. WorldCentric.com THESE ECO INNOVATIONS ARE FROM OLD AND NEW COMPANIES ALIKE – WITH PROJECTS, PRODUCTS, OR INITIATIVES THAT ARE VERY RECENTLY OR SOON-TO-BE LAUNCHED. REAL LEADERS LOOKS FORWARD TO FOLLOWING THEIR PROGRESS IN THE MONTHS AND YEARS AHEAD. WANT TO BE RECOGNIZED BY REAL LEADERS NEXT YEAR? Real Leaders is currently accepting entries for the fifth annual Real Leaders Impact Awards honoring the world’s top impact companies, and using Real Leaders Force for Good formula which takes into account 5-year growth rate, revenue, and impact score. Scan the QR code below to apply on behalf of your organization before August 31, 2022. Real-Leaders.com/Impact-Awards-Application
ECO INNOVATION ALLIES ECO INNOVATION AWARDS 2022 JOIN THE MILLION TREE CHALLENGE While some leaders talk about sustainability, you can actually get trees in the ground. Join the Million Tree Challenge to support reforestation in our iconic National Forests. ONETREEPLANTED.ORG/MILLION 800-408-7850 JOIN THE CHALLENGE Arnerich Massena Arnerich Massena’s intention investing initiative is focused on crafting unique, custom investment portfolios that align investors’ investments with their values. ArnerichMassena.com Ceres The Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets educates and engages regulators, financial institutions, investors and other capital market influencers to act on the climate crisis as a systemic financial risk through four key initiatives. Ceres.org Ecotone Analytics GBC Ecotone Analytics GBC helps corporations, nonprofits, and governments measure, model, and manage the impact they've had and the impact they have yet to create. EcotoneAnalytics.com Guardian US News publisher Guardian US leverages its global platform on behalf of partners and climate-related topics – such as its "Power of Green" renewable energy series with Ørsted. TheGuardian.com/us Impak Finance Impak Finance works to ensure that asset managers integrate transparent, comparable, measurable, and rigorous environmental and social data into their decision-making processes. impakFinance.com Impakt IQ Impakt IQ guides senior management teams through the ESG and impact journey, arming them with data-based insights and strategies to help them run more responsible, resilient and profitable businesses. ImpaktIQ.com My Green Lab My Green Lab develops internationally recognized sustainability standards for science laboratories and laboratory products. MyGreenLab.org Quest2 Consulting Quest2 Consulting, LLC developed the Clean Water Partnership's Mentor-Protege Program that has delivered over $35M to small diverse businesses over the past five years. Quest2Consulting.com THESE ORGANIZATIONS EMPOWER OTHERS TO REALIZE THEIR MISSION AND PURPOSE THROUGH STRATEGIC BUSINESS DECISIONS THAT CREATE POSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.
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