Wild and Pine is Building Forests For The Next Generation
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In This Episode
Taking care of our environment and tackling climate change head-on is a step we all need to take. Some companies are tackling this by changing the perspective from “rock throwers” to finding collaborative methods to work with industries we all know have significant environmental impacts. Enter our guest Chris Kallal and his company Wild and Pine, making a difference more than one tree at a time.
Chris started his company in university, which is a big undertaking, as all of us entrepreneurs know. Over the last 10 years, he’s been able to grow his business, pivot as needed to stay on top of changing focuses in forestry management, and tackle environmental impact by being upfront and honest about potential impactful activities while maintaining a solution-focused positive attitude. For anyone passionate about how business can work with the environment, you need to hear all about Wild and Pine!
Episode Breakdown
First 10 Minutes
We kick off the podcast meeting Greg’s spider friend as he records outside and Dave’s new hot tub! We meet our guest, Chris Kallal, of Wild and Pine. We hear about how Chris’s company is helping other companies neutralizing their carbon footprint on the world. We hear about how Chris founded his company and how being a registered forester helps him achieve those goals of protecting the environment for generations to come. Wild and Pine is over 10 years old, starting when Chris was in university. Chris shares how he’s always had the entrepreneurial bug, and it’s what drove him to create his own business. Chris shares the challenges of working within a volatile oil and gas industry and how they’ve had to pivot, including using more technology. Chris shares how they are growing tree ceilings using artificial lightings built on a digital platform to control and create the necessary environmental factors to grow trees.
10 – 20 Minutes
Dave asks Chris about the basics of a tree ceiling, and the group talks about the small tree seedlings that are sometimes shared through schools and youth programs. Chris explains how their customers contract them to go out and reforest areas with the seedlings Wild and Pine grows in their labs. The group talks about how the legacy of oil and gas needs to be changed for the good of all of Canada, not just Alberta. Greg asks about how they maintain their brand reputation and get past some of the biases they might face. Chris shares how they have hit hesitation from businesses to work with them because of their Alberta connections, but they deal with this by keeping a clear focus on their goal towards restoration.
20 – 30 Minutes
The group talks about the different approaches of tackling business challenges of instead being a rock thrower or collaborating with others. Dave asks Chris about lessons he’s learned over the last 10 years. Chris shares how trusting his instinct and knowing his business is his biggest lesson.
Chris Kallal
Founder and CEO of Wild + Pine
Chris Kallal is the Founder and CEO of Wild + Pine; a nature-based climate action company based in Edmonton, Alberta. As a Professional Forester, he is responsible for managing and restoring Canada’s vast and diverse natural ecosystems on behalf of the public and environment for current and future generations. Central to Chris’ role is a relentless dedication to curiosity and creativity, which has led to the development of numerous technologies and pathways to democratize sustainability for Canadians and businesses.