Episodes

In this episode of HappyPorch Radio, Barry O'Kane is joined by Amelia Woodley, a sustainability leader with 25 years of experience across construction, rail, nuclear, and retail, and Vin Sharma, a researcher whose doctoral work examined why the social dimension of circular economy transitions so consistently gets left behind. Amelia introduces her "logic versus magic" framework: strategy, systems, and KPIs are only half the picture. Vin's research adds a structural lens: organisations tend to bolt the social layer onto circular models rather than build it in, and it takes either a crisis or a genuine internal shift to change that.

In this episode of HappyPorch Radio, Barry O’Kane is joined by Lieke van Kerkhoven, co-founder of Green Pulse. Lieke shares how Green Pulse is building a marketplace for medical equipment reuse, connecting hospitals with buyers across Europe and beyond. What started as an operational challenge has evolved into a business model that aligns financial and circular incentives.

In this episode of HappyPorch Radio, Barry O’Kane is joined by David Watson, founder of Circular Connect and Chief Client Officer at RL People and RL Equity. David shares the story behind Circular Connect, which started as a simple newsletter in 2025 and quickly grew into a platform connecting circular economy businesses. What began as a side project became a directory and ecosystem focused on making circular activity easier to find and act on.

In this episode of HappyPorch Radio, Barry O’Kane is joined by Nancy Rhodes, CEO of Alternew, a platform embedding tailoring and repair directly into the fashion shopping experience.
Nancy’s journey into circularity started inside the fashion industry itself, after nearly two decades as a footwear designer. In her words, she realised she was “building a landfill with [her] name on it.” What followed was a shift towards sustainability, and ultimately the creation of Alternew

In this episode of HappyPorch Radio, Barry O’Kane is joined by Cathy Benwell, co-founder of A Good Thing, a UK-based nonprofit platform that connects businesses with surplus physical items to local charities that need them. Cathy shares the story behind A Good Thing, from an idea that sat dormant for over a decade to a platform launched during the first COVID lockdown. Together, they explore the realities of building a circular economy solution in the real world, including the challenges of growing a two-sided marketplace and why technology alone isn’t enough to make it work.

In this episode of HappyPorch Radio, Barry O’Kane is joined by Gerrard Fisher, co-founder of WEFT, a company helping brands understand the circularity of their products and prepare for upcoming Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations. Gerrard explains how EPR works and why it’s becoming a major issue for the textile industry. Together they explore how better product data could help brands design more circular products, reduce future compliance costs, and create more effective circular systems

In this episode of HappyPorch Radio, hosts Barry O’Kane and Jo Weston are joined by Frans Biegstraaten, co-founder of BIYU, a modular rental and subscription platform that helps businesses power circular models with scalable technology. BIYU began as a direct-to-consumer rental service in Amsterdam, complete with physical stores, same-day delivery, and electric cargo bikes. 

In this episode our hosts Barry O’Kane and Tandi Tuakli are joined by Büsra Zanner, founder of Wearr which is a German-based startup reinventing circular fashion rental for special occasions. Büsra shares how her tech background shaped Wearr’s customer-first approach, from prioritising flawless event rental delivery to building a data-driven platform that keeps garments in circulation longer.

In this episode of HappyPorch Radio, hosts Barry O’Kane and Tandi Tuakli are joined by Anna Smoothy and Anders Bergenstrand, co-founders of Cirkel Supply, a Swiss startup pioneering ski wear rental. Cirkel makes ski holidays lighter, easier, and more sustainable by delivering premium ski outfits directly to your accommodation, no more lugging bulky gear for a once-a-year trip.

In this episode of HappyPorch Radio, hosts Barry O’Kane and Tandi Tuakli are joined by Andrew Rough, CEO of Advanced Clothing Solutions (ACS). Based in Scotland, ACS is Europe’s largest circular fashion fulfillment provider, enabling brands and retailers to offer rental, resale, and repair services at scale.