Helen Zhang of Coffee Elf talks circular business models, commercialization & climate profitability

Sustainability isn’t sustainable without revenue.In this episode, Helen Zhang shares how she’s building Coffee Elf -a company transforming commercial coffee waste into bio-based materials and cosmetic ingredients.What started as a kitchen experiment is now evolving into a circular system spanning industrial sourcing, processing, and downstream partnerships.We discuss:Why climate founders must commercialize earlyHow to navigate small buyers vs. enterprise procurement teamsThe complexity of building physical infrastructure in climate techThe overlooked strategic framework climate startups needWhy profit and purpose must coexistHelen’s perspective is clear: you’re not building a charity. You’re building a business and profitability is what allows impact to scale and last.