Interview with Dr Gareth Thompson, Solve.Earth

by Joseph Kennedy

We are joined today by Dr Gareth Thompson, sustainability entrepreneur and founder of Solve.Earth, a project that aims to ‘inspire, educate and support an army of eco-entrepreneurs to build a cleaner, greener 21st century’.

As well as his mission to make the Earth a healthier place, Gareth is also a medical doctor who has worked on a number of healthcare startups. We all have the chance to leave a positive mark on this work, but what Gareth is doing is multiplying that effect each time he inspires someone to take action.

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Hi Gareth, welcome. Could you tell us a bit about yourself and all of the important steps in the journey that led to Solve.Earth?

I was originally a medical doctor and realised that I wanted to move from treating one patient at a time to the next level and make a positive difference for society at a macro level. So I went to business school to complete an MBA to figure that out. I got the entrepreneurial bug there and worked with health tech startups. I’ve always been passionate about sustainability - and this is such a huge issue that I decided I wanted to be involved in. We need a healthy environment to get healthy people. So I started Solve.Earth - it brings together my passion for science and innovation, with entrepreneurship, as a vehicle to solve big problems.

 

Why are environmental and sustainability issues so important to you personally?

I’ve always felt an urge towards altruism - and making society a better place for everyone to live in. I had a fortunate upbringing and a family who provided everything for me, so I wanted to give something back. On a deeper level, I love adventures and voyages of discovery. If we don’t fix the environmental crisis this century then it will severely limit humanity’s progress. I want the human adventure to continue for centuries to come. Keep going and never give up, hope for a better future.

 

You’ve managed to combine doctor and entrepreneur, but which came first, and which one do you associate with more right now?

Doctor first. I’m still in the transition zone but I see myself as an innovator more than I see myself as a doctor. I’m excited to transform into the person I always knew I wanted to be.

 

What can you tell us about your time spent developing health tech startups?

It was exciting and fascinating, but also frustrating. It was a whole new world to explore. The whole healthcare system needs to be transformed and it can be very challenging for health tech startups to break into large organisations like the NHS. I learned a lot of painful lessons and grew my entrepreneurial skills. I worked with successful startups like HomeTouch and Our Mobile Health who provide an online platform for carers and libraries of high-quality healthcare apps respectively.

 

Very interesting! Tell us, what does ‘public health’ mean to you, and what are some of the current threats that you think could be quite easily alleviated? What do you think is the biggest threat, too?

Public health is a very wide arena. For me, public health should be focused on prevention. We need to empower people to eat better, exercise and take care of their mental wellness. We also need to provide an environment that is safe - clean air and water are increasingly important. Global warming is the biggest public health threat today, and environmental pollution is up there too. Close behind is nutrition and obesity.

 

Where did the idea for Solve.Earth originate from?

I wrote an Amazon bestselling book called The MBA Entrepreneur. In the final chapter, I was imagining the future I would like to see. I imagined a world of radical transformation fuelled by innovation to solve big problems. I wanted to see an army of entrepreneurs for good. Then I realised - “wait a minute, why am I hoping somebody else will do this? Why don’t I do this?!”

 

Great idea! So you’re offering a 12-week course to potential eco-entrepreneurs, and a trial version before they commit. What can they expect to find on this course?

The online course is a foundation for people with no experience of environmental entrepreneurship. It will inspire you and build a strong foundation for the elements that need to be in place to build an eco-startup. It provides the foundation for new ideas that can make a difference in the real world where real solutions are needed. The first 4 weeks of the foundation course are FREE!

 

Where would you like to see Solve.Earth in 5 years?

In multiple cities across the UK, Europe, US, and beyond, generating and incubating hundreds of eco-startups across multiple industry verticals.

 

Imagine I’m 18 years old, I have my whole life ahead of me, I am conscious of environmental issues, and I want a tangible project to sink my teeth into. What advice would you give?

Go out there and learn business skills and entrepreneurial skills. Environmental issues are going to be solved by businesses that can scale and make a global impact. Getting a skillset in science and innovation would be very useful too. A design degree, a degree in computer science or environmental engineering will give you a foundation. Get a core skill and then offer to help on a project that a startup or a big company is working on, or both at the same time! Full immersion is key. Of course, there is also Solve.Earth!

 

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Environmental issues are still seen as a side issue by society - a charity project or something that volunteers can take care of. I don’t see it that way. It is the most important issue that humanity is facing right now. We need a global transformation and this is an enormous opportunity. Every single product and service that is currently available needs to be redesigned to become environmentally sustainable. The environment is a part of everything we do. Man and nature are one. Take care of nature and it will take care of us.

 

What advice would you give to other sustainability entrepreneurs who want to start a business or project of their own?

You have to find a real business problem and solve it with a sustainable alternative. Find the problem first and make the solution second. It can be tempting to design a solution and then go looking for the problem, but this rarely works.

 

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