PODCAST: Jim Holland on making social and environmental impact simple and affordable
Tools & Resources
Jim Holland is the CEO and Co-Founder of Carma, a business which partners with veterans and service leavers to plant trees in the UK. After serving in the Royal Navy for 13 years, followed by 16 years in large corporations, Jim was moved to create Carma to support fellow veterans while making a positive impact on the environment. In this conversation, Jim shares key lessons and personal insights from his journey to offering customers social impact from the palm of their hand.
Listen below to find out more from Jim Holland about:
- His journey from prematurely leaving the Royal Navy to being an entrepreneur and the vital importance of retaining a sense of family, purpose and identity when leaving the armed forces.
- How furlough and a tragic loss gave Jim pause for reflection and set him on a path to social entrepreneurship.
- The business model Jim and Co-Founder Iain Gurney created to connect customers with tree planting projects that offer employment and nature-based therapy to UK veterans and Kenyan workers.
- Their experience of securing external investment as a social enterprise and the value of being prepared with SEIS and EIS approval, competitor analysis and knowing what you will do with the investment.
- Why the significant investment in applying for B Corporation (B Corp) certification is worth it.
- The company’s plans for Series A investment and ‘Carma Credits’.
Next steps…
- Learn more about Carma’s services including corporate tree planting days, plant on your behalf plans, and tree commerce to plant as you sell.
- Head to our sustainability bundle for more information and tips to help your business go greener.
- Listen to other UMicast episodes to hear from other amazing guests and learn more about business success.