203: How TOMRA is Rethinking the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Paradigm
What will it take to move beyond the traditional recycling conversation and into a future where circularity is a business imperative, not just a sustainability slogan? In this episode of Nordic Visionaries, I speak with Tove Andersen, President and CEO of TOMRA, a company founded in Norway that has been working on circular economy solutions for over 50 years. With operations in over 100 countries, TOMRA's mission focuses on resource optimization. From reverse vending machines that reward consumers for returning bottles and cans to advanced sorting technologies that help car manufacturers reclaim high-quality aluminum, TOMRA is helping to build the infrastructure for a closed-loop system that works at scale. Tove shares how her background in physics and her 24-year leadership career in global agriculture positioned her to see sustainability and profitability as deeply intertwined. She also explains how TOMRA is collaborating with governments and manufacturers to make circular systems commercially viable and scalable and why timing, transparency, and incentives matter more than ever. What stands out is the reminder that sustainability isn’t just an environmental issue. It is a design challenge, a policy challenge, and above all, an innovation opportunity. From redefining product end-of-life to rethinking local waste infrastructure, Tove offers a compelling vision for turning waste into a resource and circularity into a driver of growth. Is your business truly part of the solution, or are you waiting for regulation to catch up? Let us know what you think. What’s the next right step for companies aiming to build a more sustainable future?
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202: How Nordic Capitalism Prioritizes Profit and Climate for A More
What if the key to creating a more sustainable future lies not in reinventing capitalism entirely, but in looking at how it already works elsewhere? In this episode of Nordic Visionaries, a special series inside the Innovation Storytellers Show, we welcome Dr. Robert Strand, Executive Director of the Nordic Center at UC Berkeley and Associate Professor at the Copenhagen Business School. With one foot firmly planted in American academia and the other deeply connected to Nordic thought leadership, Robert offers a compelling comparison between American and Nordic models of capitalism highlighting how the Nordics are approaching profit, climate responsibility, and long-term societal well-being. Drawing on his research, leadership courses, and real-world corporate experience, Robert shares why many of the assumptions embedded in American business culture deserve to be challenged. He explains why sustainable capitalism is desirable and necessary and how it can be built on models already in practice across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Whether it’s universal childcare, patient capital, stakeholder-driven innovation, or strong democratic institutions, Robert walks us through the policies and cultural mindsets that allow Nordic companies to be both competitive and conscientious. We also explore how sustainability can drive innovation and how American business leaders might need to rethink their relationship with speed, growth, and quarterly returns. Robert calls for a shift in leadership priorities, urging executives to act as advocates for society as much as for their bottom line. From planetary boundaries to AI, from corporate structures to childcare, this conversation challenges long-held ideas about what makes capitalism work. Can we borrow from Nordic approaches to shape a more resilient and just economy? And are American businesses ready to reimagine their role in a changing world? Tune in and share your thoughts.
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201: How Global Hackathons are Accelerating Sustainable Tech
This week I was delighted to sit down with Ann Molin, CEO & Secretary General of Hack for Earth, for an in-depth conversation on how citizen-led innovation can tackle global challenges. Ann, a psychologist by training, first fell in love with hackathons while working on the Swedish Government’s Hack for Sweden initiative, where she realized that bringing people together to solve open-data challenges could spark powerful, real-world solutions in record time. During our conversation, Ann explained how the Hack for Earth foundation evolved from this initial passion, scaling up to engage over 25,000 participants across 125 countries in building tools aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. She emphasized that these events aren’t just about brainstorming; they’re about bolstering projects after the hackathon ends. Ann’s key insight was that sustainable innovation demands an ongoing acceleration program—complete with the leadership support and psychological safety needed for meaningful impact. We also discussed the Nordic countries’ tremendous success in both innovation and sustainability. Ann pointed out how a strong social framework, combined with a flat organizational culture, empowers individuals to take risks without fear of failure. She described the critical role of storytelling in uniting groups around environmental goals, noting that the most memorable ideas emerge when empathy, narrative, and relationships intertwine. One of my favorite takeaways was Ann’s passionate stance on action trumping endless research. While reading and learning have their place, she believes we can’t just wait around if we want to drive change. If you’re curious about the psychology behind hackathons, the importance of genuine follow-through, or how the Nordic approach to collaboration might help solve today’s toughest challenges, you won’t want to miss our conversation. Let me know what you think!
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200: How To Turn Banking Customers Into Sustainability Champions
In this opening installment of Nordic Visionaries, I introduce a fresh series spotlighting entrepreneurs, creators, and advocates at the crossroads of innovation and sustainability throughout the Nordic countries. My first guest, Mathias Wikström, sheds light on how cultural values shape our approach to protecting nature and why weaving sustainability into financial services is a long-term strategy. Together, we examine how transparent banking practices, combined with mindful consumer choices, can boost both human and environmental well-being. Mathias also reveals the importance of storytelling in shifting habits, highlighting a real-life example from Bank of the West, where a new perspective on everyday transactions sparked a surge of interest and retention. This conversation touches on the power of empathy, the need for collaboration across sectors, and how linking every purchase to environmental impact might become a normal part of daily life. This engaging episode sets the stage for a series that probes the Nordic mindset on merging profit with a strong sense of responsibility for people and the planet.
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199: What the US Navy Can Teach us about Executive Leadership
Have you ever considered the role that discipline, trust, and storytelling play in shaping truly innovative leaders? In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I'm honored to welcome Miles Garrett, a veteran leader, author, and former Executive Officer of the nuclear-powered submarine USS Cheyenne. Drawing from his extensive 25-year career spanning both the United States Marine Corps and the Navy, Miles shares powerful insights into leadership, innovation, and the critical role storytelling plays in high-stakes environments. Miles takes us behind the scenes to explore why consistent conversations around leadership are not just beneficial but necessary. He shares his own experience in the military, where peer-to-peer conversations shape organizational culture and instill vital traits like intrinsic motivation, professional trust, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. But what happens when these conversations aren't happening? Miles highlights how ignoring leadership fundamentals can quickly undermine organizational morale and effectiveness, whether in the military or in business. Our discussion also covers the fascinating connection between risk-taking, innovation, and storytelling. Miles vividly recounts historical examples, illustrating why leaders must balance boldness with accountability to inspire genuine breakthroughs. He argues convincingly that innovation thrives when leaders foster trust, enabling their teams to share ideas without fear confidently. Throughout the conversation, Miles challenges conventional perceptions of leadership, pushing us to reconsider what truly drives people internally versus externally. He offers practical strategies for cultivating intrinsic motivation, building professional trust, and pursuing excellence in any organization. Join us for this thought-provoking episode and explore how timeless principles from military leadership can fuel innovation in your own organization. Could a stronger focus on trust, motivation, and storytelling unlock new possibilities for your team? Tune in and share your thoughts.
Did you ever wonder how an innovation got to its finish line? How innovators saw the future, made a product, and created change – in our world and in their companies? I did. Innovation Storytellers invites changemakers to describe how they created their innovation and just as important – THE STORIES – that made us fall in love with them. Come learn how great innovations need great stories to make them move around the world and how to become a better storyteller in the process.
I’m Susan Lindner, the Innovation Storyteller. But I wasn’t always. I’ve been a wannabe revolutionary, an epidemiologist at the CDC and an AIDS educator in the brothels of Thailand helping to turn former sex workers into entrepreneurs. Trained as an anthropologist and the Founder of Emerging Media, I’ve spent the last twenty years working with innovators from 60+ countries. Ranging from cutting edge startups to Fortune 100 companies like GE, Corning, Citi, Olayan, and nine foreign governments, helping their leaders to tell their stories and teaching them how to become incredible advocates for their innovations.
Great innovation stories make change possible. They let us step into a future we can’t see yet. I started this podcast to shine a light on our generation of great innovators, to learn how they brought their innovation to life and the stories they told to bring them to the world.
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