What if one of the most successful consumer products of the last 25 years could be reinvented to reduce waste, support farming communities, and still compete at scale?

In this episode of the SI-MBA Podcast, hosts Elise Nam and Max Spradlin, students in the Sustainable Innovation MBA (SI-MBA) program at the University of Vermont Grossman School of Business, sit down with Kevin Hartley, founder & CEO of Cambio Roasters and former executive at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Keurig Green Mountain.

Kevin shares the entrepreneurial journey behind Cambio Roasters, a coffee company on a mission to transform the single-serve coffee industry through the world's first infinitely recyclable aluminum coffee pod compatible with Keurig brewers. He discusses the challenges of commercializing sustainable innovation, the realities of scaling a purpose-driven business, and why sustainability must be integrated into a company's core strategy rather than treated as an add-on. 

The conversation explores Cambio's commitment to the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit, including its partnership with Food 4 Farmers, its pledge to donate 20% of profits to support coffee farming families, and its efforts to reduce the environmental impact of single-use coffee pods. Kevin also offers candid advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on balancing mission and profitability, building successful startups, and creating products that can compete in the marketplace while generating meaningful social and environmental impact. 

From a Conversation Recorded October 2025