2. The Stroodles story: From eco-friendly branding mastery to crowdfunding success

In this episode, Peter is joined by Maxim Gellman, the founder, CEO and Chief Stroodler of the London based Eco Tableware company Stroodles. Since gaining global attention in 2019 for its pasta based straws, challenging the notoriously unsustainable drinking straws category, Stroodles product range has grown to include edible cutlery, crockery, and even toys. Stroodles can be found in the UK's most prestigious department stores and sells direct to consumers. The company’s mission is to change sustainability communication and inspire how easy and fun sustainability can be. Maxim also shares the company's financing journey that led to discovering stock finance. Episode Highlights: Revolutionizing Eco Tableware: Maxim shares the evolution of Stroodles, from gaining global attention with pasta-based straws to expanding into edible cutlery, crockery, and toys. Navigating Sustainability: Insights into the challenges and triumphs of sustainability in the retail food industry. Product Sourcing and Development: A deep dive into the intricacies of sourcing sustainable materials and developing eco-friendly products. Multi-Channel Marketing Strategies: Maxim shares Stroodles' unique approaches to multi-channel marketing and building a brand with a specific customer base. Obtaining Finance for Inventory: Understanding the financial aspect of managing inventory-based retail businesses and securing financing for stock and inventory. Time stamps:  00:23 Maxim Gellman's sustainability vision05:11 The Stroodles concept and product portfolio07:47 Product sourcing and development at Stroodles11:45 Challenges in running an inventory-based business11:56 Stroodles’ multi-channel sales and marketing strategy15:53 Sustainability as a brand differentiator24:25 Financing Growth and the role of crowdfunding of the Business32:24 Maxim’s #1 Treyd Secret: The Power of Serendipity