Primal Soles | B Corp

The world is f*cked. What we define as normal, if there were, in our collective human memory, ever a normal, has been twisted, turned and smacked against a brick wall. Like a dirty old towel that smells a bit too much like wet dog. Pugnant, I believe, is the correct word. The beginning of 2025 - and specifically 20 January 2025 - is a stark reminder of the unpredictability of normal. Whereas 2023 started off rather well: with a Financial Times award in Davos and hope, aspiration and - dare I say - motivation to do better, this year started off not with the motivation to do better but rather the imperative, the if-we-don’t-we-will-all-die dire need to do better. Not for our planet, of course, but rather for our future generations. Of that, there is no doubt. Davos 2025 is already yesterday. It’s already yesterday where André Hoffmann’s wise words of “It is not how you spend money, but how you make it” seems even more distant than Paul Polman’s wise words of “Our current economic system has two fundamental weaknesses: it’s based on unlimited growth on a finite planet, and it benefits a small number of people, not everyone”. In short: wealth is individual and immediate, prosperity is collective and distant. How do we approach this, somewhat inherent and primal, very human trait? I think the quest for this answer might bring us closer to the central tennet of a, if any, solution. It’s been a pleasure to once more be invited to the Innovate 4 Nature Dinner at the World Economic Forum by Barbara Dubach and her phenomenal team. A big thank you as always to the InTent team, specifically Jean Hauss and Stéphanie Janet Renggli. Without you and your support nothing we do at Primal Soles | B Corp would have any chance of succeeding. Our next project will be to bring all documentaries on WaterBear Network and to create a co-production for our next episode with the team of Sam Sutaria and Simon Cachera at V&S - Victor & Simon. We plan to visualize our impact through real-world clients, beginning with Hotel Jakarta Amsterdam by WestCord and Hunter Amenities International Ltd. Good to see, in no particular order, some familiar and new faces: Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Mirjam Staub-Bisang, Marco Lambertini, Simon Zadek, Frederic Hoffmann, Alexander Hoffmann, Jonathan Normand, Rudolf Hilti, Dr. Amelie Schoenenwald, Nadja Skaljic and clifford okoth. Thank you to Financial Times, Andrew Jack and Jonathan Moules, for my mention this issue: https://lnkd.in/duNcWt2j Alessandro Cristiano, we can’t wait to add you to our team once the opportunity arises. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. Onwards!

Primal Soles | B Corp Launches the First Fully Recyclable Slippers with Cork by Amorim Cork Solutions Committed to presenting the most sustainable and innovative solutions for the footwear industry, Primal Soles has launched the Primal Slippers, sustainable and recyclable slippers for the hospitality sector. Primal Slippers offer an eco-friendly alternative to traditional disposable slippers, significantly reducing waste in this sector. Sustainable and innovative, the cork Primal Slippers are the latest revolution in the hospitality sector promoted by Primal Soles, a company focused on questioning and finding sustainable solutions for the footwear industry, with the contribution of Amorim Cork Solutions, a business unit of Corticeira Amorim that develops products, solutions, and applications for some of the world's most sophisticated activities. Traditionally, hotel slippers are single-use products, discarded after each guest's departure. After use, they end up in landfills, contributing to increased environmental pollution. Even biodegradable slippers end up being thrown away, wasting the resources they are made from. To solve this problem, Primal Soles has developed the first 100% recyclable hotel slippers: Primal Slippers. The slippers are collected after use and sent for recycling, from which material will be reused in the production of new slippers. The insole of the slippers is always made of virgin cork, but other parts of the slipper use recycled material, giving new life to this material and avoiding waste. Cork is a 100% natural, renewable, and recyclable material, sourced from the bark of the cork oak, and harvested without causing any harm to the tree. This sustainable process aligns with Primal Soles' mission to create products that respect the environment. In addition to sustainability, cork slippers offer additional benefits, such as excellent thermal insulation, ensuring feet remain comfortable at any temperature. Primal Slippers have generated significant attention since their presentation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and more recently, won the Most Innovative Product of the Year award at the Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam. Since then Primal Soles has achieved B Corp certification by B Lab Benelux, solidifying its position as a responsible business. This prestigious designation is awarded to companies meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Primal Soles, together with the cork expertise of Amorim Cork Solutions, seeks to change the reality of the hospitality sector with this innovative product, improving the guest experience and helping hotels reduce their environmental impact. Hunter Amenities International Ltd. and Hotel Jakarta Amsterdam by WestCord are the first partners in this sustainable journey that aims to challenge the notion that “we’ve always done it this way” is a valid reason to resist change.

✨ Exciting news for our #IHA24 Pitch Live winners, Primal Soles | B Corp In partnership with Hunter Amenities International Ltd., who they pitched alongside at #IHA24, they have secured a two-year, 60,000-unit deal with Hotel Jakarta Amsterdam by WestCord. From Febuary, their unique slippers will be availiable in their rooms. In celebration of this milestone, the team recently hosted a launch party at the Malabar in Hotel Jakarta. There will be a range of exhibitors showcasing their products and services at #IHA25 secure your ticket here https://lnkd.in/e9xa653J. Hoteliers and designers go free! Get in touch with the team at independenthotelshow@montgomerygroup.com to secure your code. #IndependentHotelShowAmsterdam #Hoteliers #HospitalityEvent #HotelIndustry #Networking #Innovation

Primal Soles | B Corp, 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 Amorim Cork Solutions, 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱’𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟬𝟬% 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿, setting a new standard for eco-friendly innovation. Designed with cork, a natural, renewable and recyclable material, these slippers embody the future of sustainable hospitality. The virgin cork insoles provide unmatched comfort and thermal insulation, while the recycled components ensure minimal waste. ♻️ Primal Slippers have already made waves, winning the "Most Innovative Product of the Year" award and achieving B Corp certification – a testament to their dedication to responsible business practices. The message is clear: sustainability is no longer optional. Let’s walk the path to a greener future, together. 🌱 📲 Discover more about this transformative product and its impact here: https://lnkd.in/d5Mh8Adj? #PrimalSlippers #CircularEconomy #AmorimCork #SustainableByNature #Innovation

We're proud to announce our collaboration with Primal Soles | B Corp to bring you Primal Slippers – the world's first circular hotel slippers, crafted with unmatched strength and sustainability. While many eco-friendly alternatives exist, Primal Slippers stands out by introducing a truly circular model that prioritizes sustainability at every stage of its life cycle. Crafted through a collaborative effort with industry experts, designers, and sustainability leaders, Primal Slippers embody the pinnacle of eco-friendly innovation. Explore all the details here: https://bit.ly/3ZEapXj #PrimalSlippers #PrimalSoles #AmorimCorkComposites #Cork

It has been quite the struggle 😵💫 After having been denied numerous times - not in the least by the client itself, but also by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) | Partner in Sustainable Development government funding for circular supply chains - we have come a far way. This is a testament to perseverance 🚀 This past Friday evening, November 29th 2024, we hosted a Launch Party at Hotel Jakarta Amsterdam by WestCord 🌴 The first hotel in the world to fully implement circular hotel slippers. The hotel is part of WestCord Hotels, a family owned hotel group run in part by Michael Westers, Nico Evers, Edo Garretsen and Frank Tuhusula. This is a testament to their vision 🔭 It all started in Davos, January 2023, after winning the Financial Times Responsible Business Education Awards for top student-led project with an impact on society and the environment with Primal Soles | B Corp. Shortly after my panel discussion on stage, during which I made a plea for the funding of circular startups, Jean Hauss from InTent sat me down and shared that they had chosen to back us. Moments later Barbara Dubach sat down next to me in the same chair and planted the idea of circular hotel slippers in my mind 💡 Long story short, van Velzen Accountants & Adviseurs connected us with Hunter Amenities International Ltd. who loved the idea and received first hand feedback from major players such as Marriott Hotels. The team of Marielle ter Haar, Yvonne Duindam-Snaterse, Nick Hagen and Joop have been instrumental in the development of Primal Slippers 🩴 Come January 2025, as the Financial Times is about to publish an article of where we have come since that fortunate day two years prior, we have made great strides and joined forces not in the least with Rabobank, Innovate 4 Nature, WaterBear Network, B Lab Benelux, 1% for the Planet, Amorim Cork Composites, Corticeira Amorim, Green Key International and Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam 🌱 We look forward to years of making measurable, reportable and monetizable impact as we avoid landfill, sequester CO2 and uplift biodiversity of the cork forest ecosystem - just one of 36 biodiversity hotspots left on our planet today 🦋 🌳 🐝 Thank you to all that joined us in celebration: family, friends, partners and guests. We are extremely grateful and value everyone's contribution to making our shared vision a reality 🙏 André Hoffmann Paul Rose Carmen Tal Brenda Katz Stefano Pogutz Alessandro Cristiano Dennis Dijkstra HERMAN MULDER Evelien de Kort Liselore Holman Miranda Ruigrok-Koomen Thea R. Harald Friedl

♻️ Circular slippers: finally! 🩴 We waste 2 billion (!) per year 😳 As circular "start up/scale up adviser" and anchor for Amsterdam Circular, am super proud to present: ➡️ A useful alternative to 'shopping on Black Friday". 🗣️ Join us and fellow change-makers at a product launch party in Hotel Jakarta Amsterdam by WestCord. 💚 Primal Soles | B Corp  is set to transform the wasteful hotel industry. How? ♻️ Did you know? About 2 billion single-use slippers end up as waste every year in hotels ? ♻️ Hotels are in search of really innovative & sustainable solutions; sports retailers are following. ♻️ This startup is not just talking; they're walking. Making the slipper from a renewable material: cork! 🎫 Limited tickets ARE available. If you feel it, DM me or CEO David Even to secure yours 🙏🏽 See you? #circulareconomy #Innovation #circulartourism

🚀 Launch Party Alert: Primal Soles | B Corp x Hotel Jakarta Amsterdam by WestCord 🌿 This Friday, November 29th, we’re proud to host the Launch Party of Primal Soles | B Corp in our iconic Skybar Malabar. Together, we’re breaking new ground as we, Hotel Jakarta by WestCord Hotels becomes the first hotel in the world to fully implement 100% circular hotel slippers in all our rooms. 🌏✨ Not only are these slippers circular, but they’re also CO2 negative and nature positive, setting a new standard for the hospitality industry. By collaborating with Primal Soles | B Corp we’re not just enhancing guest comfort—we’re championing sustainability. Over time, we’ll measure the environmental and financial benefits of this partnership, comparing it to industry norms and showcasing what’s possible when innovation meets bold action. 💡🌿 Interested to attend the event? Please contact David Even or Jeremy E. and they will distribute the remaining tickets accordingly.

We tend to communicate a lot through visualization, just have a look at what you're looking at right now. You are reading a text I wrote moments prior: putting thoughts to visuals through words. Well, I believe that pictures - and stories - make for infinitely better communication. However, I believe that visualization is just one - dare I say "overused" - part of our biological communication tools. That is why I struggle to even begin to convey what I am about to convey. Last week, Jeremy E. and I were invited by Joël Dori from StartupAmsterdam and Guy Vincent from Amsterdam Circular to join the Dutch delegation at Slush in Helsinki, Finland. As one of the biggest startup events in the world, we thought it would be great to join as founders of Primal Soles | B Corp. And it was. But as usually the case - and more so as I get older - the magic lies in the periphery. And we chase the periphery. We search it like hungry hounds on a mission powered by the most primal of senses: starvation. And so, after skipping the Slush afterparty to see our years long anticipated Gladiator 2 at Helsinki's most beautiful and intimate movie theater, Riviera Theatre, we woke up early the next day to head north: into the wilderness of Lapland. As I am writing this passage, out of nowhere, on Monday morning back in my apartment in Amsterdam, it all seemed so unreal. It's hard to put it into words and to communicate this feeling of overwhelming beauty, of raw nature, of a pure spirit in the people that live up there. Lapland delivered on our expectations and sprinkled this unexplainable magic throughout every experience. Our host, Sirly Ylläsjärvi from Aurora Estate - which we booked last minute so as to be as flexible as possible - was the best person we could have imagined connecting with up there in the far north. Besides being a Masterchef celebrity in Finland and owning several businesses, she is a wonderful human being who has come a long way and will go an even longer way. We have been introduced to the Finish sauna, the outdoor jacuzzi for 1 pm sunset. We have been introduced to her exquisite restaurant, Elsa, where we met Kim Väisänen and his buddies. We chased the Northern Lights and got to sled with her two "goofy" huskies on our last morning. The only thing we failed to see was a wild reindeer. Which we got to see on our way to the airport. Lapland, selfishly, I hope nobody goes to visit you so that you may remain wild and free - as nature is meant and will be. But in the meantime, we have a Launch Party at Hotel Jakarta Amsterdam by WestCord to prepare as the first hotel in the world to completely implement fully circular, nature-positive hotel slippers throughout their operation. We are on a good path, an enjoyable path. This week alone we have talks with Rabobank, Financial Times, several interested investors, partners and - most important of all: we have our family and friends join us to celebrate. Wishing all a good week 🙏

We’re proud to share that Primal Soles is now officially B Corp Certified! 🥳 This milestone holds special meaning for me, as my very first project at Primal Soles was completing the B Corp application. It all started 13 months ago on the beaches of Sri Lanka, where David Even took me through every detail of Primal, helping us both to grasp the full 360-degree impact of our business. We’re grateful to have first connected with the B Corp community thanks to Jonathan Normand, who introduced us in Davos in January 2023. For startups considering the B Corp journey, my advice is to start right away! With the high demand at B Lab, each phase can take time, but it’s an invaluable process to evaluate your internal practices, challenge your operations, and show a true commitment to doing business for good 💡 I highly recommend it to any entrepreneur passionate about making a positive impact through their business! Finally, a huge thank you to B Lab Benelux for guiding us through this rigorous process. Ian Enserink, Mattia Miccichè, Tessa van Soest, Daan van Apeldoorn, and many more. We’re excited to join the inspiring B Corp community, including our friends: Tenue Soleil ®️ Sun Protection | B Corp, Daniel Kadouch, ID Genève Watches, Nicolas Freudiger, Naïf Good Care (B Corp), Jochem Hes, Zoku, The Social Hub, Charlie MacGregor, The Good Roll | B Corp, Sander de Klerk