Running a Sustainable Start-up — Interview with Head of GOT BAG North America
Doing business while staying authentic to your mission
Environmentally-friendly consumer goods is a rapidly growing trend. Some estimates project that the global market could be as large as 150 billion USD by the end of 2021. New businesses seem to be popping up every day, offering novel products with green materials. While this quickly evolving landscape is exciting, it is difficult to tell what the experience is like inside these companies. What is it like to steer the ship of a sustainable start-up?
At the close of 2020, I had a chance to talk with Matthias Paisdzior, Head of GOT BAG North America. GOT BAG is a German company that makes backpacks from recycled ocean plastic. We had a candid conversation covering many of the challenges of running a sustainable consumer-goods company. How do attitudes towards eco-friendly lifestyles compare between Germany and North America? Which organizations do you partner with to increase your impact? How does a company grow while standing by its principles? The discussion offers a unique glimpse into the everyday challenges of operating an eco-friendly start-up.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
