Ep 66: Biocircularity with Noah Swartz of Erem

Sustainability is one of the biggest challenges facing the footwear industry.

Shoes can contain up to forty different types of material, and once in the landfill, the rubber foams, plastics, and adhesives are likely to take hundreds of years, if not forever to decompose.

Today’s guest, Noah Swartz, is a fourth-generation bootmaker and the co-founder of Erem, a company with the goal of making performance footwear that is 100% biocircular. Biocurcular means that their desert boot uses only materials with proven paths back to nature and they provide each Erem product a seamless and responsible next life.

Erem was born out of Noah’s personal love for the desert, a conviction that outdoor gear can be made to higher environmental standards, and a belief that a company can positively and forever impact people, place, and Planet. Together with his father Jeff, Noah is innovating in product design, materials, and supply chain and reimagining what the life of a product looks like in order for it to leave a smaller footprint on our planet.

About Noah

Noah Swartz founded Erem because he couldn’t find gear built for the desert landscapes that he loves. A fourth-generation bootmaker who believes in business’s capacity and responsibility to solve social and environmental challenges, Noah brings to Erem an insistence that it is possible to create products that deliver world-class desert performance and that positively impact the world. 

Before founding Erem, Noah worked for iconic and disruptive brands including Beyond Meat, Modern Meadow, and Superpedestrian, and as an investment analyst at Gratitude Railroad. Noah grew up in the outdoor industry through The Timberland Company, which was founded, owned, and operated by his family until its sale to the VF Corporation in 2011. Noah completed three semesters at Harvard Business School before pursuing Erem full-time. He has a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Columbia University. He and his wife, Raquel, love traveling, particularly to places where they can hike in the desert and go surfing in the same day.

Connect with Noah

Website https://eremlife.com/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/erem_desert/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/EremDesert

Twitter https://twitter.com/Erem_Desert

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahswartz/

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