The Samuele Tini Show - where business, innovation, and sustainability converge

What if everything you do to "live green" makes almost no difference, and quietly makes things worse? Michael Maniates, author of The Living Green Myth and co-author of Confronting Consumption and Consumption Corridors, argues that buying eco products and living lean is a comforting story that commodifies our anxieties and parks conscientious people in dead ends of despair. He explains why technological efficiency only buys time, why the real lever is changing the structures of everyday life rather than nagging individuals, and why it takes only 10 to 15 percent of people to drive change. He reframes the Global South debate around consumption classes instead of geography, noting that the elite in Nairobi and London now consume in the same way. A former Yale-NUS academic Maniates closes with Buckminster Fuller's trim tab idea: find the small leverage points, work with others, move mountains. Listen and rethink where your agency really lies.

What if the obsession driving the global economy is not a strategy, but a religion? In this episode, Professor Tim Jackson (University of Surrey, author of Prosperity Without Growth, Post Growth, and The Care Economy) argues that GDP has filled "the God-shaped hole" left in the 20th century, becoming a creed we recite without questioning. Sam and Tim explore where this obsession came from, why technology alone cannot decouple growth from environmental damage, and how a different organising principle, care, could replace growth as the engine of the economy. Tim makes the case that prosperity was never about income. It was about health, balance, and the ability to thrive within limits. Drawing on Wangari Maathai, Ubuntu, and the autonomic nervous system as a metaphor for governance, he reframes the role of rich countries: not to help the Global South, but to take their foot off the accelerator. A conversation about economics, philosophy, indigenous wisdom, and the kind of business worth building.

Oil above 100 USD. The Strait of Hormuz under pressure.The world scambling for energy. Again. and Again... Every energy crisis sends us looking for the same answers: another pipeline, another terminal, another sanctions package. But what if the real way out is not on Earth at all? Martin Soltau, Co-CEO of Space Solar, returns to the show with a roadmap that has hardened into something impossible to ignore. His UK startup, nine people and £10 million in funding, is building Cassiopeia: a modular solar power satellite designed to harvest energy in geosynchronous orbit and beam it down to receivers on Earth, 24/7, all weather, gigawatt scale. Independent analysts price it at around $10 per megawatt hour, roughly ten times cheaper than today's wholesale energy. A solar panel in orbit produces 13 times more energy than the same panel on the ground. In this conversation we get into the part most people miss. This is not a physics problem, it is engineering the economics, and the milestones are real. First in-orbit demonstration in two years. Minimum viable product by 2030. First commercial 600 MW satellite in geosynchronous orbit by 2033. Martin makes a sharp case for why wind and solar alone cannot scale fast enough, why the UK is now paying the highest energy prices in the developed world despite one of the world's most ambitious clean energy programmes, why orbital data centres are the wrong answer to AI's energy hunger, and why a technology that uses 1000 times less critical minerals than ground-based renewables could finally break the link between energy and geopolitics. If you care about energy security, decarbonisation, or where the next decade of clean power is actually coming from, this is the conversation worth your time.

What if the ethical framework AI needs was coined thousands of years ago in Africa? Wakanyi Macharia-Hoffman is co-director of the Inclusive AI Lab at Utrecht University and founder of the African Folktales Project. She grew up near Ngong Forest in Kenya, where her primary school was literally inside the forest. Today she's on a mission to recover African indigenous knowledge and bring it into the spaces where it matters most: classrooms and technology labs. In this episode we explore: Ubuntu as relational intelligence: from self, to community, to planet The ulimi sana algorithm, designed at the University of Johannesburg, that optimizes AI for cooperation instead of competition How 17 African folktales mapped to the 17 SDGs are reshaping education for 21,000+ teachers worldwide Why AI is a mirror of humanity, and why the real question isn't what AI will become, but who we are becoming Whether you work in tech, education, sustainability or development, this conversation will change how you think about innovation, indigenous knowledge, and what it truly means to be human.

What if the most profitable climate investments aren't sexy at all? Costas Papayconomou, co-founder of Una Terra, spent a career in innovation consulting (including building and selling an agency to Accenture) before turning to circular economy investing. His thesis is simple and counterintuitive: don't disrupt old industries, clean them up. In this episode, Costas walks us through investments that sound boring but are brilliant: a cellulose-based white colorant replacing toxic titanium dioxide (with IKEA as lead investor), smarter food packaging that cuts energy use while making meals taste better, and paper pulp innovations. He shares why founding teams should be obsessed with customers, not investors. Why they literally added "does this violate the laws of physics?" to their deal screening. And why the talent war, not regulation, will ultimately force every industry to go green. His closing advice: look for the smallest problem that affects the most people.

In this episode, I’m joined by Alisa Sydow (Professor of Entrepreneurship at ESCP Business School) to unpack what women founders are really navigating in Africa’s entrepreneurship ecosystem beyond the usual “barriers list.” We discuss: Why purpose is powerful—but can also limit growth if it makes founders neglect commercial fundamentals. The overlooked role of founder identity (and why some women subconsciously place business last). The gap between policy and lived reality in finance access (including stories shared by founders in 2025). A practical, grounded view of product uniqueness, market fit, and why the local market is often underestimated. Why “trendy” international calls for proposals can distort markets and push founders toward the wrong models. If you mentor founders, invest, design entrepreneurship programs—or you are building yourself this is an episode to bookmark.

In this episode, Samuele speaks with Apollo Gabazira—Country Director at CARE International (Uganda) and an award‑winning regenerative farmer—about what it takes to make farming profitable, scalable, and youth‑attractive in East Africa. Apollo shares the Asaba Farm System and its “quad model”: dairy as a foundation agronomy and circularity (turning waste into value) skilling youth through hands‑on learning community extension through local one‑stop hubs (“Farmers Point Outlets”) We also unpack Apollo’s most actionable insight: the 80/20 rule in dairy—focus on nutrition and reproduction to shift the majority of outcomes, from milk yield to economics. Finally, we zoom out to the bigger levers: what must change in policy, access to capital, and public‑private collaboration so regenerative and climate‑smart agriculture can become the norm—not the exception. Key topics: profitable regenerative farming, extension models, youth skilling, policy, capital, SME partnerships.

We talk a lot about tree planting, but far less about what happens to all the agricultural and organic waste we burn or dump. That’s where biochar comes in. In this episode of The Samuele Tini Show, I’m joined by Luisa Marin, Executive Director of the International Biochar Initiative (IBI). After 25+ years in conservation with organisations like Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy, Luisa moved into carbon project development—and discovered biochar: a carbon‑rich “black sponge” made by pyrolysing crop residues, prunings, manure and other organic waste instead of letting them rot or burn. 9th December Luisa Marin (1)_ot… Done well, biochar can: Lock away carbon in soils and materials for hundreds to thousands of years Regenerate soils, boosting water retention, porosity and microbial life Cut fertiliser and irrigation needs for farmers Create new revenue streams through products and carbon credits—especially in the Global South Luisa explains how research suggests biochar could remove up to 6% of global annual emissions—roughly like switching off 800 coal plants for a year—and why just 1 gram of biochar can have the surface area of two tennis courts. She also talks frankly about “good biochar” vs “bad biochar”, the importance of standards and lab tests, and the most common mistake she sees: projects chasing carbon money without proper technical and financial feasibility or patient capital. 9th December Luisa Marin (1)_ot… We also hear real examples from Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Latin America, where farmers and communities are already turning waste into value using both industrial and artisanal kilns—with support from NGOs, digital MRV tools and local governments. 9th December Luisa Marin (1)_ot… If you care about climate action, soil health and future markets in the Global South, this episode is a clear, grounded introduction to one of the most powerful—and underrated—tools on the table.

Special Episode — Recorded live at the Oppenheimer Research Conference 2025.The global conservation debate is loud — but often poorly informed about what people who live with wildlife actually think. In this revealing episode, researchers Dr. Darragh Hare (Oxford) and Dr. Lovemore Sibanda share evidence from multi-country surveys exploring views on militarised conservation, ranger powers, trophy hunting, wildlife crime penalties, and protected area governance. What they found is both nuanced and surprising:• Communities living near wildlife aren’t always opposed to ranger enforcement• Support varies dramatically depending on governance models• Magadi (Kenya) stands out as a case where community scouts foster high acceptance• Assumptions from global media often misrepresent local realities• Sustainable conservation must factor in perspectives of those most affected A crucial episode for anyone designing policy, funding projects or shaping the future of African conservation.

Stop Chasing Sexy Startups: Why Boring Businesses Win in Africa Fifteen years ago, Kyle Schutter had a choice: get a PhD in biofuels or move to Africa and start a biofuel company. He chose the second option — and landed in Kenya after what he calls the “blue cheese test”: if a country could produce local blue cheese, it probably had enough cold chain, middle class and basic infrastructure to build serious businesses. His first venture, a biogas company selling to low-income farmers, raised money and revenue… but never made a profit. His second, a Thai restaurant in Nairobi buying from poor farmers and selling to rich Nairobians, was profitable from month one. That contrast led him to a simple conclusion: a good entrepreneur in a bad business will still lose. Today Kyle runs Kuzana, an investment and acceleration platform that backs what he proudly calls “boring and profitable businesses” — soybean aggregators, agri-SMEs, and other non-flashy companies that feed the economy and can grow without burning cash. Kuzana offers small, fast capital (starting around $20k), plus a 12-week programme focused on focus, professionalisation and community. On average, companies in the programme 2x their revenue and gross profit in just 12 weeks. We talk about why tech in Africa is often overbought, why SMEs face 100% interest locally while the same trade can be financed at 10% in Europe, and what it takes to mint 1,000 millionaires from “boring” businesses. Along the way, Kyle shares concrete stories — like Greenwells, a soybean aggregator that 4x’d in seven months and produced Kuzana’s first on-paper millionaire. If you care about where real, scalable wealth in Africa will come from, this episode is a sharp, honest reality check.

Special Episode — Recorded live at the Oppenheimer Research Conference 2025.What does it really take to make wildlife land use financially sustainable?Veterinarian and impact-investing specialist Dr. Susan De Witt explores the economics behind conservation, from private conservancies to community lands. She explains how revenue models (photographic tourism, hunting, live sales, and wildlife meat) interact with property rights, wildlife user rights, and access to finance. We unpack the successes of Namibia’s community conservancies, lessons from South Africa’s private sector, and what it will take to channel capital toward conservation that pays people fairly and protects ecosystems.

Special Episode 3 — Recorded live at the Oppenheimer Research Conference 2025.South Africa needs more clean energy and raptors need safe skies. Raptor biologist Merlyn Nomusa Nkomo lays out practical ways to make wind farms wildlife‑smart without stalling the transition. We cover how risk mapping keeps turbines out of migration corridors, why blade painting and shutdown‑on‑demand (triggered by radar or trained observers) can cut collisions, and how developers, scientists, and regulators share data to avoid hotspots. It’s a fast, pragmatic conversation about building the grid while protecting endangered species.

Special Episode 1 — Recorded live at the Oppenheimer Research Conference 2025.A scabies outbreak among mountain gorillas sparked a new way of working. Dr. Gladys Kalema‑Zikusoka tells the origin of Conservation Through Public Health and how a One Health approach links gorilla protection, community healthcare, and livelihoods. We discussed Village Health & Conservation Teams, why tourist masking remains standard to protect great apes, and Gorilla Conservation Coffee, which pays farmers a premium and funds local programs. And her story as a leading conservationist in Uganda and worldwide.