The Next Mountain Podcast

What if the most important investment you'll ever make isn't in a business plan — it's in people?In this episode of The Next Mountain Podcast, Patrick Lor, co-founder of iStockPhoto and Managing Partner of Panache Ventures, shares his journey from bootstrapped entrepreneur to seasoned investor and mentor. We explore how leaving a company behind opened the door to something more meaningful: learning to truly connect with people. From building trust fast to understanding why most mentoring conversations fail, Patrick shows how showing up with genuine curiosity changes everything.✨ Key ThemesWhy the best investments are built on relationships, not business plansHow ego gets in the way of real connection and how to dissolve itThe art of having conversations that create trust in minutesWhy great mentors listen more than they adviseBuilding a community of entrepreneurs a decade before they're ready to pitchLearn more about Patrick LorPatrick Lor on LinkedinPanache Ventures Website

Natasha Freidus calls herself an "accidental founder." While volunteering with refugees in France around 2015, she went looking for a simple tool to match needs with offers in real time, and when she couldn't find one, she used a wedding registry instead. That improvised fix became the proof of concept for Needslist, a software company that went on to match millions of dollars in aid through crises from Hurricane Dorian to the fall of Kabul to the war in Ukraine, before she exited on New Year's Eve, 2024.In this conversation, Tasha reimagines what business for good can actually look like. She's candid about the myths she was taught in accelerators (the unicorn model, the hockey stick), why impact investors often made her jump through ten times the hoops for a tenth of the money, and why she now tells early-stage founders not to lead with their impact when they raise.We talk about her move from global crisis tech to hyper-local, place-based economic development through her work with Shorefast and the Fogo Island Inn. We get into why caring for the places we live is less divisive than the language of "social impact," and the alternative ownership structures (co-ops, employee ownership, steward ownership) that could redistribute wealth instead of concentrating it. Learn more about TashaNatasha Freidus on LinkedinThe Shorefast Institute for Place-Based Economics

Jeffrey Hollender spent 20 years building Seventh Generation into a $150 million pioneer of the sustainable products movement, a decade ahead of the market. Today he teaches social entrepreneurship at NYU Stern, sits on Morgan Stanley's Sustainability Advisory Board, and has just published his seventh book, Built for a Better World.In this episode, Jeffrey makes the case that most of what passes for impact today doesn't go far enough. Sustainability means doing less harm. Regeneration means actively repairing what's been damaged, and that's a much higher bar.We talk about the line between sustainable and regenerative business, the compromises every purpose-driven founder has to navigate (and the one place you never compromise), why systems thinking is non-negotiable, and why selling your company to your employees may be the most meaningful exit you can design.🔗 Resources mentioned:Built for a Better World by Jeffrey Hollender → builtforabetterworld.comJeffrey Hollender's website → jeffreyhollender.comThe Big Myth by Naomi Oreskes and Erik ConwayBookshop.org (independent bookseller alternative to Amazon)The Giving Pledge & The Patriotic Millionaires

Duncan Grossart shares his shift from a successful career as a photography agency owner to a purpose-driven life focused on rewilding, nature conservation and community. We talk about curiosity, the emotional side of transition, and how reconnecting with nature can reshape purpose and impact. His journey shows how following your heart and engaging with the living world can lead to deeper fulfillment.✨ Key Themes in This ConversationCuriosity as a guide for personal and professional transitionRewilding and restoration as meaningful pathways to impactNature as a catalyst for perspective, connection, and identityCommunity and collaboration as the foundation for lasting changeRedefining success through long term environmental stewardshipLearn More About DuncanWebsite: https://www.journeyswithpurpose.orgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncangrossart

After leading global ventures and impact funds, Florian Kemmerich began questioning how success could serve something larger. In this episode, he shares his journey from corporate achievement to a life centered on impact investing, purpose, and personal growth, exploring how vocation, authenticity, and reflection can turn experience into meaningful contribution.🌐 To Learn More About FlorianNew book: On Vocation: How to Align Your Purpose with Your ProfessionFlorian on X (Twitter): https://x.com/flokemmerichFlorian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/floriankemmerich

What happens when a fast-rising corporate leader realizes that success needs a deeper meaning? In the first episode of The Next Mountain Podcast, Nathalia Del Moral Fleury shares her journey from a rapid rise leading a global cosmetics brand to redefining success as a coach and regenerative economist. We explore how she reframed leadership, redefined achievement, and found purpose in contributing to the renewal of systems that sustain life. Full References & ResourcesDonella Meadows – Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System📄 Read the original paper (PDF)Tomas Björkman & Lene Andersen – The Nordic Secret (personal development & social evolution / Bildung)📘 Book on AmazonRobert Sapolsky – Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst (emergence, behavior, complexity)📘 Book on AmazonIain McGilchrist – The Master and His Emissary (divided brain, culture, and meaning)📘 Book on AmazonMartha Beck – Finding Your Own North Star (authenticity, truth, and life purpose)📘 Book on AmazonFrédéric Laloux – Reinventing Organizations (complex adaptive systems & self-management)📘 Book on AmazonMichelle Holliday – The Age of Thrivability (living systems principles & regenerative organizations)🌐 Author websiteZita Cobb – Founder of Shorefast / Fogo Island model🎧 What the Fogo Island Inn Can Teach Us – CBC’s The Current📚 Wikipedia: Zita CobbDark Matter Labs & Shorefast – Regenerative, place-based economy models📄 A Possible Future for Canada: Capitalizing Places for Resilience and Regeneration (Report)🌐 Shorefast Institute for Place-Based Economies