Primal Soles

💃 🕺🍾 We have a few more tickets available to the Launch Party at Hotel Jakarta Amsterdam by WestCord in 4 weeks time at their iconic Malabar. We will celebrate the implementation of the world's first circular hotel slippers ♽ Interested to attend the event? Please contact us and we will distribute the remaining tickets accordingly. Jeremy E. and I at Primal Soles couldn't be more proud to invite our family, our friends, our partners and our fellow gamechangers to this historic event. Hotel Jakarta will be the first hotel in the history of the world to fully implement 100% #circular #hotel #slippers in all of their rooms. Not only are the slippers circular, they are also CO2 negative and nature positive. Together we will measure the environmental and financial benefit that this implementation will have for the hotel, and we will compare these findings with the industry standard, the historic status quo: no recycling, CO2 heavy, and a direct opposition towards biodiversity uplift and nature positivity. We thank our courageous (out of the Halla Tomasdottir book) collaborators: Hunter Amenities International Ltd., WestCord Hotels, Rabobank, InTent, Innovate 4 Nature, Amorim Cork Composites. Without your trust, vision and commitment we could have NEVER pulled this off. Special thanks to the people that made it happen: Marielle ter Haar, Yvonne Duindam-Snaterse, Nick Hagen, Michael Westers, Nico Evers, Evelien de Kort, Liselore Holman, Miranda Ruigrok-Koomen, Frank Grootnibbelink, André Hoffmann, Jean Hauss, Barbara Dubach, Jose Dias, Catarina Ribeiro da Cunha, Joana Casais, Francisco da Silva, Alexandre Carneiro. We can't wait to celebrate this step towards a more circular hotel industry, and to set these steps as the example for a more circular planet where we live in accordance with nature 🌍 V&S - Victor & Simon WaterBear Network Amsterdam Circular City of Amsterdam AMS Institute Guy Vincent Harald Friedl Navojit Dastidar André Knol Rick Boeijen Titilope Bukunmi-Omidiran PhD John Hunter Stefano Pogutz

A topsy-turvy world 🙃 🥷🏽Circulator: We flip the script - waste on top👇🏽🪱 I am so proud to mentor founders within the Amsterdam Circular start-up programme 'Circulator'. [Btw: For me the most progressive programme for circular ventures. Full stop.] In this topsy-turvy world, waste isn't just something we toss aside—it's our gold and most valuable resource. This week had the pleasure to work with 2 amazing teams on "circular value creation": 1. Primal Soles: Crafting slippers and insoles from sustainable cork. The value story I see: Working with often wasteful industries like hotels and the sport industry to design out waste and design-in longevity thinking. 2. Grow It Away: Providing composting subscription services in city centres. The value story i see: Giving cities like Amsterdam an opportunity to turn its bio-waste piles into opportunities - and engage citizens. Together we can flip the script on waste. And create business opportunities in it. DM if you want to support these founders?! #CircularEconomy #Innovation #zerowaste Jeremy E. David Even Guy Vincent Navojit Dastidar

We proudly announce the 12 startups joining the Amsterdam Trade Mission to Slush! Congrats to SilicoGene orq.ai Clear.bio FLTRD Vini Mini Mamamoon Health Solaq Primal Soles Droppie Sparqle Awesome Compliance Technology Roboat, see you in Helsinki!

“It is not how you spend money, but how you make it” André Hoffmann writes in his newly released book: The New Nature of Business - the path to prosperity and sustainability. I am reminded of this as I take the train back from visiting the cooperative Rabobank in The Hague, from which Primal Soles has not only received backing through their Innovation Impact Fund but also an invite to share our story on stage during one of Europe’s largest impact events: ImpactCity on November 7th. Circularity is a business model. Sustainability or “eco-friendly” alone is not circular per definition. Circularity in many cases also means building with the end of lifecycle in mind, taking responsibility for what you create, and finding value in its reuse. Circularity is one of nature’s most simplistic laws. Yet humans seem to still have a difficult time adjusting from a linear mindset to a circular one. It requires change after all. And change is unpleasant. It forces you out of your comfort zone and into the unknown. Circularity is natural: water evaporates from the oceans into the skies. Clouds rain down the water into rivers that in turn return the cycle back into the ocean. There is no end. Perhaps that’s what circularity is: no end. It means living in harmony with the natural environment, only taking what can be given back, in balance with the cyclical and regenerative cycles nature depends on. But starting a business is risky. Forget the financial risks and opportunity costs of one’s time invested, the biggest risk is having to take yourself out of what’s expected of you by society - by our peers, parents, teachers, bosses and politicians - and into the deep unknown. It’s mental. It’s f*cking scary and there is absolutely no structure, manual or guarantee for success whatsoever. But it is only here, in the deep unknown, that we can even begin to fathom how to invent and innovate something that benefits both people and planet. And sometimes, miraculously, it works. That’s why it’s only logical that it’s entrepreneurs, such as the creative minds in Amsterdam Circular, by Guy Vincent and Harald Friedl, as well as the GO!-NH accelerator and the Dutch Slush delegation, that will spearhead the immediate systematic implementation of circularity. Governments provide vague 2050 timelines far outliving their 4-year terms, and even business put pen to paper for 2030 or 2040 net zero targets. Targets that some inject into their DNA, some are born with, and most will only pay lip service to. But at least we’re on the same page. In theory. If anything became ever more clear from the past few refreshing weeks of events it would be that the wave that is circularity is only growing. And not all that far in the distance. Those who enter the water with the right board and slowly start pedaling towards the forming waves will be the ones that will be looked at as examples as they ride those newly formed waves with courage, determination and confidence 🏄♂️🤙

We proudly announce the 12 startups joining the Amsterdam Trade Mission to Slush! Congrats to SilicoGene orq.ai Clear.bio FLTRD Vini Mini Mamamoon Health Solaq Primal Soles Droppie Sparqle Awesome Compliance Technology Roboat, see you in Helsinki!

Exciting times ahead! The Amsterdam Circular Edition #3 has officially kicked off! 🎉 We’re thrilled to have met the amazing founders of the innovative startups selected to be part of this year’s program. These visionaries are shaping the future of the circular economy in the Netherlands, working on solutions that will create a sustainable impact for generations to come. ♻️ Over the coming months, they will: - Grow through chain partnerships - Explore circular revenue models - Gain invaluable knowledge through hands-on workshops - Build connections across the industry Together, we’re moving towards a more circular and resilient future. Stay tuned for updates as these startups embark on their journey! Amsterdam Circular in partnership with: AMS Institute, City of Amsterdam, CiSe Network, Harald Friedl, Invest-NL Edition #3 Startups: Alex in Wonderland, Circulair Hout Centrum, De Tweede Jeugd, Droppie, Food for Skin | B Corp , Grow It Away, MycoFarming®, Primal Soles, Unwaste. & VEZA Ioannis Ioannidis Guy Vincent Navojit Dastidar Florina Daniela Ungureanu Akash Jayakumar #CircularEconomy #Startup #Amsterdam #Sustainability

Exciting News! 🌟 Our Kickstarter is Live! After a long journey, I’m excited to introduce Methods – our circular sneaker concept – now launching on Kickstarter! 🌱 Our sneakers are designed for *disassembly*. You can swap out soles, change colors, and keep them feeling fresh for years. Plus, they’re made of just 5 recyclable or biodegradable components produced in Portugal. ♻️ Check out our Kickstarter page here: https://lnkd.in/ekmuCzSu Excited for what's ahead – and grateful for the journey so far. With special thanks to all the great people supporting me on this journey! Anna-Lara Sigron, Patric Rupp, Nicole lots, Eric Weterings, Sjoukje Goldman 🌿, David Even, Jeremy Even, Jan-Willem Pustjens, Ceyla Ruypers and many many more.. :)

Some events hit different than others. Over the past few days Innovate 4 Nature hosted the I4N Awards in partnership with InTent at LUMA Arles in the beautiful Provence 🪻🪻🪻 🏚️ The LUMA Foundation produces, supports, and funds artistic projects that aim to deepen the understanding of issues related to the environment, human rights, education, and culture. 🦩Out of over 400 applications the I4N team, along with their expert jury, chose 20 nature-positive solutions to present throughout the day. We had a day full of inspiration filled with panels, pitches and keynote speakers. 🏆 Congrats to all the winners, participants and visitors. We have all gained another integral piece of knowledge - alongside connections - towards building a more inclusive and prosperous future for all. Thank you Barbara Dubach and the Innovate 4 Nature team: Dr. Philipp Staudacher, Franck Barroso, Sibylle Grass, EMBA, Katharina Reblitz, Benedikt Schwab. Thank you as always to André Hoffmann, Jean Hauss and Stéphanie Janet Renggli for your continued support and belief. Congrats to Waldo Soto Bruna, Dr. Ulrike Pfreundt, Will O'Brien, Olivia Gumbel, Drea Burbank, Celia Padziorny, Andrea Silva, Adrien Labaeye, Dr. Barbara Weber, Charles Gerike-Roberts, Kathy Meney, Amr Shalan, Alireza Parandian, Hélène Iven, Fabian Roger, Nick Zumbühl, Laetitia Vuillemenot, Kidist Amedie, Alexandre Dheilly, Ilaria Reale, Carole Fonty, clifford okoth, Eugène Riconneaus, Patti Chu. Special thanks to Primal Soles partner Francisco da Silva from Amorim Cork Composites for joining and showing support 🙏

❌⭕️ We're proud to announce the top 10 companies selected for Edition #3 of the Amsterdam Circular programme, focused on organic residual flows 🍄🪱 These innovative ventures are set to accelerate their circular value chains, contributing to the City of Amsterdam's mission to halve its raw material use by 2030. Congratulations to: - Alex in Wonderland Offering healthy, environmentally friendly catering via smart fridges around town - Circulair Hout Centrum Upcycling and recycling used wood with a focus on construction - De Tweede Jeugd: Turning discarded bread into delicious toasties - Droppie: Innovating a brick-and-click recyclable "waste" deposit and return system for consumers - Food for Skin | B Corp : Creating skincare products from real, "ugly" fruits - Grow It Away: Providing organic waste pick-up and composting subscription services - MycoFarming®: Utilizing biological systems to break down and collect nutrients from water bodies - Primal Soles: Crafting slippers and insoles from sustainable cork - Unwaste.: Transforming coffee grounds and orange peel into soap and shampoo bars - VEZA: Enabling "Buy Now, Pay Later" for produce wholesalers, with a focus on ugly fruits and vegetables 🚀 These ventures will receive tailored support, capital-raising opportunities, and valuable connections to strengthen their circular value chains. 👀 Stay tuned as they embark on this exciting journey toward a more sustainable future! 🌱 Amsterdam Circular in partnership with: AMS Institute, City of Amsterdam, CiSe Network, Harald Friedl, Invest-NL Ioannis Ioannidis Guy Vincent Navojit Dastidar Florina Daniela Ungureanu Akash Jayakumar #CircularEconomy #AmsterdamCircular #Sustainability #Amsterdam #Valuechain

One of the major privileges of being an entrepreneur is to be able to bring people together. I, for the better part of the last two years, have been able to do just that. In fact, sometimes I feel like it’s all I do: I puzzle pieces together, bring people together to create something new, something of value to more 🧩🧩🧩 It’s taken a while - and lots of trials, errors and failures, and then more failures - but through Primal Soles, we have been able to bring ideas to life. What started out as “just another” ordinary student project during my MBA at SDA Bocconi turned out to be one of the Financial Times’ top student-led projects of 2023. It brought my absurd idea to the world stage 🎙️ Today, we have the privilege to connect InTent, the impact accelerator set up by André Hoffmann and backer of Primal Soles, with the WaterBear Network, the largest platform for impact documentaries. This did not come easy. Back in January, during the annual World Economic Forum held in #Davos, we stumbled upon the #ClimateHub - a kilometer by walk or so from the SDG Tent where we were guests for the week. As we were about to leave, we noticed this poster about the screening of Life on Our Planet and a Q&A afterwards with someone named Jonnie from SILVERBACK FILMS 🦍 Jonnie Hughes is the co-producer and co-author of Life on Our Planet together with David Attenborough. He is also a very humble, genius and good person. He also liked our documentary. And so he introduced me to Ellen Windemuth, founder of The Waterbear Network. Now, six months later, we are streaming on the world’s number one platform for impact documentaries. You can find the faces of my brother and I on the homepage, right next to Greta Thunberg. It’s all still pretty unreal. Meanwhile, we have plans to make a series of impact entrepreneurs, starting with our pilot documentary: One Step at a Time. Many times in life we just do what’s expected of us. That what is regular. That was is familiar. That what is normal. But our “normal” way of life is flawed. Sure, we can live our lives the way we do. Maybe even buy a pair of Veja’s or some other “sustainable” product to feel good, to follow the crowd, and to, maybe, just maybe, reduce our own negative impact on this planet. But it is the crazy ones, the abnormal ones, the entrepreneurs that put it all on the line, that risk their normal lives to do the extraordinary. We are the ones that risk no income, no pension and the mental sanity that is needed to resist all the scared people around us telling us we’re crazy, telling us “that will never work”. We, this special group of crazy entrepreneurs, are at the tip of the spear of change. I hold a big debt to all the people that have been with me along the way - from family and friends to suppliers, customers, partners, investors and, especially, all the people that doubted me. I thank you infinitely. Now enjoy the show while we work on tomorrow’s change: https://lnkd.in/d28AD3xh 🍿🎥🎬