How This MIT Innovator is Fixing the Global Water Crisis with Carolina Placencia

Welcome to Compassiviste Dialogues. I'm Ali, your host, and my mission with this podcast is to shed light on critical social and environmental issues worldwide, exploring avenues for positive change.
Today we’re thrilled to introduce Carolina Placencia, an Ecuadorian environmental entrepreneur and climate activist. Carolina, founder of Yakupura, is a passionate advocate for creating sustainable, accessible solutions for underserved communities. Named one of MIT Technology Review's Innovators Under 35, she shares her vision for a better future through her work in environmental engineering and social entrepreneurship. In this episode, we’ll delve into Carolina’s latest project in dishware innovation and explore how she’s transforming everyday challenges into opportunities for positive change.
ABOUT GUEST:

Carolina is an MIT Innovator Under 35 and entrepreneur from Ecuador, with a background in Environmental Engineering and an MBA from Tel Aviv University and ESSEC Business School in Paris. She co-founded Yakupura, a triple-impact water filtration startup focused on solving water challenges in Latin America. With over five years of experience in social entrepreneurship, Carolina and her team have led YakuPura’s expansion into three countries and earned recognition from institutions like the IDB, Nestlé, DHL, Google, and IE Business School.

KEY NOTES:
Carolina's Path to Activism: Discovering the Drive Behind Her Passion for Change
Yakupura's Journey: The Birth of a Solution for Clean Water
Transforming Challenges into Opportunities: Building a Business with Purpose
Education as a Catalyst: How Knowledge Sparks Global Change in Water Access
The Power of Community: Creating Lasting Impact Through Subscription Model

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Episode trailer
01:55 - Intro
03:05 - Carolina’s Path to Activism: How It All Began
07:08 - The Beginning of Yakupura
12:28 - What Does the Product Carolina Designed Do?
14:50 - From First Sale to Success: The Evolution of Carolina’s Company
17:28 - Beyond the 1%: How to Bring Clean Water to the 99%
22:01 - Breaking Barriers: How Education Can Spark a Clean Water Revolution
32:05 - Beyond the Product: Selling a Solution, Not Just a Filter
38:11 - Scaling Up: Transforming the Business Model for Massive Growth
46:23 - Beyond Sales: Building a Movement, Not Just a Market
50:58 - How Community and Subscription Models Create Long-Term Impact
57:48 - One Key Takeaway People Should Take from Carolina
01:01:59 - What is the Biggest Misconception About Climate Change?
01:05:23 - Why Small, Wealthy Nations Are the Key to Global Climate Action
01:08:23 - The Green Light: Aligning with Government for True Market Impact
01:12:27 - How Can People Reach Carolina?
01:13:20 - Outro

THINGS MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST:

Link of Yakupura: https://www.yakupura.com/pagina/nosotros
Link to connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolina-placencia-5b8238128/

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How This MIT Innovator is Fixing the Global Water Crisis with Carolina Placencia

#climatechange #climatecrisis #globalwarming #gretathunberg #climate #unitednations #movement #environment #globalissues #climateactivism