Nature Tech and the Future of Business w/ Handprint Tech founder Simon Schillebeeckx - EP223

Economics Explored

In this episode, host Gene Tunny sits down with Simon Schillebeeckx, co-founder of Handprint, a nature tech startup. Handprint aims to help companies profitably and seamlessly integrate planet-positive actions into business activities. Simon shares examples of companies that have gone above and beyond regulatory requirements to contribute to the environment positively. Among other questions, Gene asks Simon about the scalability of Handprint’s approach and the role of consumers in driving profit-maximizing businesses to make positive contributions.

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About this episode’s guest, Dr Simon Schillebeeckx

Simon is co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Handprint Tech. Published author, former sustainability consultant, TEDx speaker. Strategic Management Professor at Singapore Management University (SMU), specialising in Digital Sustainability. He holds a PhD in Innovation Management from Imperial College London.

What’s covered in EP223

• [00:01:18] Regenerative economy and business activities.
• [00:04:33] The concept of Handprint.
• [00:11:28] Capturing value through sustainability.
• [00:16:02] A-B testing to determine how consumers respond to sustainability measure.
• [00:18:30] Linking ads to social impact.
• [00:23:06] Gamifying sustainability initiatives.
• [00:26:31] The potential for Handprint.
• [00:32:45] Plastic pollution and its impact.
• [00:36:03] Regenerative practices in agriculture.
• [00:41:28] Trust in carbon crediting.
• [00:48:49] Large-scale mangrove conservation and afforestation.

Takeaways

1. According to Simon, companies are increasingly looking to go beyond just reducing their negative environmental impacts and instead create positive impacts through initiatives like planting trees or restoring coral reefs.
2. Done right, these types of regenerative initiatives have the potential to improve business metrics like sales, click-through rates, and employee engagement.
3. Handprint is working to make it easier for companies of all sizes to integrate positive impact actions into their business activities in a profitable way
4. Handprint offers a marketplace for companies to invest in credible positive impact projects, such as mangrove restoration and carbon sequestration, and provides tools for companies to visualize and capture value from their positive impact initiatives.

Links relevant to the conversation

Handprint Tech website:

https://handprint.tech/

Companies/organisations mentioned by Simon:

https://www.sevencleanseas.com/

https://plasticbank.com/

https://oxcarbon.org/

https://globalmangrove.org/

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Thanks to Obsidian Productions for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au.

Full transcripts are available a few days after the episode is first published at www.economicsexplored.com.