Interviews with Australia's leading people- and planet-positive small and medium businesses and startups.
Our purpose is to inspire and empower SMEs to find their sustainability superpowers, protect the environment, give back to their community and tap into the demand for sustainable products and brands for growth.
What if beer could tackle food insecurity? Co-founders Nick Campbell and Paddy Muston built Local Brewing Co around a different model for business, donating one meal through Second Bite for every four-pack or pint sold since 2019. They’ve also gone further by brewing surplus bread and fruit directly into their beer, recently earning them a Coles Nurture Fund grant to turn rescued bread into a grain substitute other breweries can use.
This episode is especially interesting for businesses looking at how to scale a giving or buy-one-give-one model. Nick and Paddy talk candidly about how their mission opened doors and built aligned partnerships that helped them through the growing pains, along with experimentation inside and outside of the kitchen and even some thermodynamics!
Chapters
(02:42) How an idea and zero experience turned into foundational partnerships
(8:53) Transitioning from a giving model to recycling surplus food into beer
(11:18) The hidden challenges of brewing with rescued ingredients
(14:33) Getting the messaging right
(20:39) Scoring sponsorships with Melbourne Victory and Hawthorn as a small brand
(24:18) How the mission enabled growth and funding
(25:43) Lessons in working with big partners like Coles
(30:37) Advice for small businesses wanting to build a give-back model or rescued ingredients
About Local Brewing Co
Local Brewing Co is an independent, environmentally and socially conscious craft beer label founded in Melbourne in 2019. They also run a taproom and function space in Clifton Hill alongside being available online and through Coles, offering a core range of beers including a lager, pale ale and IPA, plus rotating seasonal and collaboration releases.
Learn more about Local Brewing Co’s impact at https://localbrewing.co/pages/impact (https://localbrewing.co/pages/impact)
You can also find them on Instagram @localbrewingau (https://www.instagram.com/localbrewingau/) and @localbrewingau_taproom (https://www.instagram.com/localbrewingau_taproom/)
Brought to you by Small Mighty CSR
For more tools and resources for small business sustainability, check us out at smallmightycsr.com (https://smallmightycsr.com)
6 Jul 2026
Funding what matters with Red Hat Impact
Traditional finance isn't always the right fit for smaller businesses, leaving many struggling to access the funding they need to grow. Cameron Neil has spent decades helping businesses navigate these challenges through innovative finance, while exploring how investors, governments, communities and businesses can all play a role in building stronger local economies.
This episode is especially interesting for businesses wanting to think differently about growth, success and impact. Cam explores why many SMEs are underserved by today's financial system, how community-based approaches can unlock new opportunities, and why every spending and investment decision shapes the kind of economy we live in.
Chapters
(03:18) Where small businesses struggle to grow
(08:50) What Australia can learn about supporting SMEs
(15:52) The hidden networks that help businesses thrive
(20:56) Thinking beyond profit: who really benefits?
(31:52) Alternative finance models for small ad purpose driven businesses
(39:42) Resources and future opportunities
Further resources mentioned
Australian Anaemia by Ivan Power (https://ivanpower.substack.com/p/australian-anaemia)
Community wealth building and place-based capital in the Australian context (https://medium.com/good-shift/situating-community-wealth-building-and-place-based-capital-in-the-australian-context-28621530a42e)
The Place-Based Capital initiative (https://www.centreforcommunitycapital.org/place-based-capital)
Tim Jackson Towards a ‘Social Psychology’ of Sustainable Consumption (https://timjackson.org.uk/ecological-economics/lifestyles/sustainable-consumption/)
Tractor Ventures (https://www.tractorventures.com/)
The SMBX - Small Business Bonds Marketplace (https://www.thesmbx.com/)
Resources on accessing capital: Business.gov.au (https://business.gov.au/finance/funding) or check your own state government business resources and state Social Enterprise Network (https://www.socialenterpriseaustralia.org.au/our-partners-1)
Innovative Finance Initiative (https://www.innovative.finance/)
About Red Hat Impact
Red Hat Impact is an impact investment and advisory firm that provides founders, entrepreneurs and business managers with capital, consulting and connections to grow businesses with positive social and environmental impact. They focus on building a finance ecosystem by designing purpose-built impact financing vehicles and using crowd lending to bridge the "missing middle".
Learn more about their work at redhatimpact.com (https://redhatimpact.com/).
About LendforGood
LendForGood is a crowdlending platform and marketplace that connects everyday lenders and institutions with growth-ready, verified social enterprises. It facilitates impact investing through debt crowdfunding and loan syndication to support businesses generating financial returns and positive global change.
For more information, visit LendForGood.io (https://lendforgood.io/).
Brought to you by Small Mighty CSR
For more tools and resources for small business sustainability, check us out at smallmightycsr.com (https://smallmightycsr.com)
22 Jun 2026
Junk-free merch with Merchgirls
Promotional products are often poor quality items no one wanted and are likely to go straight in the bin. So Pippa Joseph co-founded Merchgirls with the idea of making quality items that people actually want and use. In this episode, she shares how that translated into their ESG commitments today, including their philosophy of keeping things simple and treating supplier relationships like key hires.
This episode is especially interesting for businesses who didn’t start out with sustainability at their core, but are facing the question of how to make meaningful changes. Pippa talks about how to navigate the greenwash and identify the actions that will work for your business, as well as work with your suppliers to align their practices.
Chapters
(01:26) Sustainable from the start or retrofit?
(06:57) How ‘bring back the milkman’ helped them to cut the sustainability noise and focus on the right things
(08:54) The products Merchgirls won't sell and why
(11:44) ESG in procurement moves from "nice to have" to non-negotiable, and what they’re asking for
(16:29) Where sustainability has paid off most
(20:51) How to build an ethical supply chain and work with your suppliers to change and improve
(35:10) The challenge of building an Australian-made range
(39:46) Why making sustainability commitments public is a risk worth taking
(43:44) Advice for other small businesses
About Merchgirls
Merchgirls is an Australian, women-owned promotional products company offering branded merchandise, uniforms, workwear and corporate gifts. Working with clients across a range of industries, they manage the full process from design to delivery, with a focus on quality, ethical sourcing and long-term supplier relationships.
Learn more about Merchgirls’ ESG commitments here: https://www.merchgirls.com.au/esg (https://www.merchgirls.com.au/esg)
Or follow them on Instagram @merchgirls (https://www.instagram.com/merchgirls/)
Brought to you by Small Mighty CSR
For more tools and resources for small business sustainability, check us out at smallmightycsr.com (https://smallmightycsr.com)
Not sure what kind of ESG goals would be relevant for yourbusiness? Check out our Sustainability Strategy DIY Guide (https://smallmightycsr.com/resources/diy-strategy/) to help focus on what’s most important and set out a plan to achieve it.
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