E512 | Oliver Brunschwiler & Enrique Molina, Chi Impact Capital: Riding First Tracks: Circularity, Purpose & Leading Beyond Hierarchy

Welcome to a new episode of the EUVC Podcast, where we bring you the people and perspectives shaping European venture.This week, is joined by , purpose-driven entrepreneur, former pro snowboarder, and longtime systems thinker, along with from, co-hosting this deep dive into what it means to lead with purpose, design for circularity, and build organizations that reinvent themselves from the inside out.Oliver’s journey goes from first tracks on fresh powder to first tracks in organizational design—helping companies ditch rigid hierarchies for role-based, purpose-led systems. Enrique brings the investor lens, showing how these principles translate into impact capital and portfolio building today.In this episode, they break down how circularity is moving from hype to hard reality, why trust and leadership still matter in the most “self-organizing” teams, and how the best founders navigate the tension between market dips and mission-driven staying power.This Episode’s Themes:Holacracy, role-based teams & why leadership still mattersCircularity’s gap phase—and what’s quietly thrivingIndustrial impact: batteries, PET, and supply chains redesignedPolicy tailwinds: how the EU is making circular the new normFirst tracks mindset: from snowboarding to systems changeHere’s what’s covered:00:00 | From pro snowboarding to purpose-driven business02:00 | Sports, freedom & the roots of Oliver’s entrepreneurial DNA04:30 | The value of pushing limits—on boards and in boardrooms08:00 | Holacracy & new work: why “no boss” usually fails12:00 | Purpose is boss: role-based systems done right15:00 | AI, agents & managing the unmanageable—what changes, what doesn’t19:00 | When people don’t want ownership—why clear leadership stays vital20:00 | Circularity: beyond the hype cycle and into tough reality24:00 | Surviving the stock dip: founders reconciling mission and market28:00 | Industrial scale impact: batteries, chemical recycling & what’s next32:00 | Where Oliver sees big opportunities now (food, upcycling, building)36:00 | Corporates, supply chains & Fairphone as a case in point40:00 | The EU Green Deal, Right to Repair & why policy matters44:00 | Final thoughts: trust the purpose, ride the dip, build the system