The Mix with Mick Liubinskas
W/ Mick Liubinskas
Get your behind-the-curtain peek at the most surprising and hopeful climate tech solutions Australian startups are working on today. Hear from startup teams solving global climate challenges in ways you might not have thought of before.
Learn about their unique startup journeys and get a dose of optimism for a better world.
Hosted by Mick Liubinskas
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Brewing Palm Oil in a Lab: Tom Collier on the Future of Sustainable Ingredients with Levur
🌿 Brewing a Sustainable Future with Lab-Grown Palm Oil – Mick Liubinskas sits down with Tom Collier, CEO and co-founder of Levur, to uncover how precision fermentation is transforming the palm oil industry. Palm oil is found in 50% of supermarket products and 70% of cosmetics, yet its production is a major driver of deforestation, biodiversity loss, and carbon emissions. Levur is tackling this crisis by using synthetic biology to brew palm oil in a lab, eliminating the need for rainforest destruction. Tom shares his journey from molecular biology to entrepreneurship, the challenges of scaling biotech solutions, and why global regulations and corporate demand are accelerating the shift to sustainable alternatives. From waste-to-feedstock innovation to mass fermentation at industrial scale, this episode explores how lab-grown palm oil could reshape the future of food, cosmetics, and climate tech. 💡 Tune in to learn why regulation, consumer pressure, and cost-efficiency are aligning to drive massive change—and why sustainable solutions must not only be greener but cheaper and better to win the market!
Scaling Sustainability: How Enaxiom is Driving Industrial Change with HydroCOOL
💧 Revolutionising Water & Energy Savings in Industry – Mick Liubinskas dives deep with Tia Collings, co-founder of Enaxiom, to uncover how hardware innovation is transforming industrial water and energy usage. Tia shares Enaxiom’s mission to reduce water and energy consumption across industries like mining, data centers, and green hydrogen production through their breakthrough technology, HydroCOOL. Discover how her journey from sustainability consulting to hardware entrepreneurship led her to co-found Enaxiom with engineer Bijan Rahimi, and why they believe building better products is key to driving climate-positive change. From navigating risk-averse industries like mining to tackling the rapid growth of data centers, Tia explains how Enaxiom balances commercial value with environmental impact. Plus, learn how regulations in the EU and Asia are accelerating demand for sustainable industrial solutions, and why Enaxiom is gearing up for global expansion in 2025. 💡 Tune in to explore hardware’s crucial role in climate tech, the challenges of scaling globally, and why sustainable solutions must make financial sense to drive real impact!
Fintech Meets Climate Action: Janet Salem on Scaling Carbon Transparency
🌍 From UN Policy to Climate Finance Innovation – Mick Liubinskas sits down with Janet Salem, co-founder of Footprint Lab, to explore how fintech and environmental data are shaping the future of climate finance. Discover how Footprint Lab is embedding carbon tracking into everyday transactions, making it easier for businesses, institutions, and individuals to measure their carbon footprint. Janet shares her journey from the UN to entrepreneurship, the global shift towards mandatory ESG disclosures, and why fintech solutions are accelerating climate-positive decision-making. From Singapore’s ESG mandates to Vietnam’s lost exports, this episode unpacks how sustainability policies impact global markets and why nature-positive finance is the next big frontier. Plus, get a sneak peek into Footprint Lab’s 2025 roadmap to expand beyond carbon and integrate biodiversity, water, and social impact metrics. 💡 Tune in for bold insights on fintech, climate data, and the future of sustainable spending!
Powering the Future of EVs: How Alchemy Charge is Making EV Charging Smarter
Dive into the world of EV charging innovation with Mick Liubinskas from Climate Salad as he chats with Yasemin, co-founder of Alchemy Charge. Discover how a “monetised PowerPoint” idea sparked a revolution in EV charging, enabling smarter and more accessible charging solutions across Australia and beyond.
The Future of Ethical Shopping: Insights from Good On You’s Gordon Renouf
🌱 Join Mick Liubinskas from Climate Salad as he chats with Gordon Renouf, founder of Good On You, the global platform revolutionizing sustainable consumer choices by rating brands on their impact on people, the planet, and animals!
Building Big Batteries and a Climate-Positive Future: Thomas Nann on Allegro’s Energy Solutions
In this episode, Mick Liubinskas from Climate Salad chats with Thomas Nann, CEO of Allegro Energy, about their mission to transform the energy landscape with sustainable, long-duration batteries. Thomas shares his journey from academia to entrepreneurship, detailing how Allegro Energy evolved from a university spin-out to a pioneering force in battery technology. The discussion covers the challenges of scaling hardware innovations, the role of partnerships with major utilities like Origin Energy, and the global opportunities for renewable energy solutions. Thomas also sheds light on the unique advantages of being based in Newcastle, the importance of collaboration across sectors, and how transferable skills can drive the cleantech revolution. This episode is packed with insights on building impactful climate tech businesses, overcoming industry hurdles, and fostering innovation for a decarbonised future.
Revolutionising Energy Transition: A Conversation with DNA Energy’s Co-Founder Dan Barber
In this episode, Mick Liubinskas from Climate Salad interviews Dan Barber, co-founder of DNA Energy. Dan shares how DNA Energy is expediting the energy transition for businesses and utilities by integrating innovative hardware and software solutions. He discusses the company’s journey from early adoption hurdles to scalable solutions, the pivotal role of economic incentives in driving sustainability, and the nuances of building partnerships with energy retailers. The conversation explores DNA Energy’s global expansion strategy, particularly in the U.S. and U.K., and highlights the importance of business model innovation. Dan also reflects on the challenges of building the right team, fostering industry collaboration, and the power of persistence in scaling climate solutions. A must-listen for anyone interested in climate tech, energy innovation, and the future of sustainable business.
Innovating Sustainable Textile Dyes: A Conversation with Newera Bio's Co-Founder Lucie Semenec
In this episode, Mick Liubinskas from Climate Salad interviews Lucie Semenec, the co-founder and CEO of Newera Bio. Lucie discusses her journey from academic research at Macquarie University to launching Newera Bio with her co-founder Xin Xu through the UNSW Founders 10x Accelerator. She explains how their work focuses on creating sustainable microbial dyes for textiles to replace fossil fuel-based dyes. Lucie delves into the challenges and breakthroughs in developing these dyes, the impact of textile dyes on the environment, their experience with funding and mentorship from programs like Main Sequence Ventures and the Climate Salad Global Growth program, and their plans for global expansion. The conversation also highlights the importance of collaboration, overcoming market resistance, and the regulatory landscape affecting the textile industry.
Growing Solutions: Empowering Farmers and Scaling Climate Tech with Anastasia, Founder of Regrow
Uncover the compelling story of a global citizen’s quest to tackle the climate crisis, as she empowers farming communities around the world and drives the expansion of climate solutions through pioneering technology and collaborative partnerships. In this captivating podcast episode, Anastasia, founder of Regrow, delves into her remarkable journey and valuable perspectives on empowering farmers and scaling climate solutions. The discussion emphasizes the significance of customized approaches for diverse regions and the integration of digital technologies in agriculture. Join Australia’s largest community for Climate Tech founders at Climate Salad.
Unlocking Nature’s Potential: Alex Logan and Cecil’s Holistic Approach to Climate Action
Alex Logan is the CEO and co-founder of Cecil, a company with the mission of helping more teams restore nature. Cecil creates software tools designed to lower the barriers of managing natural assets and building infrastructure that fuels regeneration. In this episode, Alex discusses “carbon tunnel vision”, the tendency to focus primarily on carbon emissions rather than thinking holistically about natural ecosystems, as well as defining “natural capital”, a way of thinking about climate action that goes beyond merely focusing on carbon emissions and takes into consideration other important factors such as biodiversity. Join Australia’s largest community for Climate Tech founders at Climate Salad.
From Food Waste to Climate Solutions: Olympia Yarger and Goterra’s Innovative Approach
Olympia Yarger is the CEO of Goterra, a Canberra-based company using an innovative approach to food waste management to help solve the climate change crisis. Using a combination of nature and automation, Goterra provides businesses with modular, autonomous insect farms which convert food waste into sustainable protein and fertiliser. In this episode, Olympia discusses how better food waste management can be part of the solution for climate change, some of the challenges she has faced as a female founder, and how she takes hope and inspiration from her strong relationships with her team members. Join Australia’s largest community for Climate Tech founders at Climate Salad.
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