An Interview With Monica Sanders
You’ll be confronted with increasingly convincing greenwashing at every turn: Greenwashing is an unfortunate reality, and corporations have become accustomed to creating sustainable-presenting facades with their communities and customers. It’s something I’ve experienced in my career journey, and something I will always combat within our own culture. Practicing our mission out loud is our most valuable asset at Impact Acoustic.
According to the University of Colorado, “Those who are most affected and have the fewest resources to adapt to climate change are also the least responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions — both globally and within the United States.” Promoting climate justice is an incredibly important environmental responsibility that is slowly becoming more and more recognized. In this interview series, we are talking to leaders who are helping to promote sustainability and climate justice. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Sven Erni.
Sven is the Co-Founder and CEO of Impact Acoustic, a Swiss company specializing in providing high-performance, circular acoustic solutions made from upcycled material. Since 2019, Sven and co-founder Jeffrey Ibañez have driven innovation and conversation around circularity, sustainability, and transparency while providing bespoke acoustic solutions to top global businesses around the world, like Amazon and Microsoft. The company aims to disrupt the future of sustainable acoustic design, with a bold stance in favor of a global ban on PET bottles and a dedication to manufacturing eco-friendly, beautiful products that push design boundaries and challenge the way we think about the circular economy.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
My family has been in the hotels and restaurants industry for four generations, so I grew up working in restaurants from a young age. Surrounded by people in this particular environment had a strong impact on my way of working with other people. I love working collaboratively, leading teams, managing groups of people — it’s one of the most rewarding parts of my job. My number one clients are my employees. I’m committed to building our values together so that they can then spread those values to external clients and through every aspect of their job. Working in restaurants certainly set my expectations for the level of teamwork and service that I expect of myself and my company.
My parents have been divorced since I was five, but since then I watched my stepfather lead a much larger business operation with 800 employees. Observing his role as an entrepreneur gave me a similar sense of motivation and desire to achieve. That being said, as I grew older, I had to realize that conventional success doesn’t make you happier. I have spent a long time trying to escape this feeling of never having enough. It wasn’t until I met my co-founder, Jeffrey Ibanez, where I was really able to free myself from this weight. He grew up in a completely different background, and for that reason was able to show me what really matters in life. My perspective has definitely been altered through this partnership, and thus, my goals are radically different and much more geared toward our impact on the planet rather than the money in our pockets.
Everyone has a cataclysmic moment or marker in their life which propels them to take certain actions, a “why”. What is your why?
For me, this moment was the release of the UN’s second assessment report on climate change in 1996. It was this moment when I internalized that the environment is not in a stable state. From then on, I read every report that came out, becoming increasingly shocked by the lack of response. No one seemed to care about the state of our planet.
Things have changed a lot in the past few years, and becoming more aware of the daunting realities of climate change encouraged me to distance myself from those whose main interests are private jets or fast cars. I began to feel disconnected from a society whose goals neglect or ignore the realities of our changing planet and the environmental deterioration to which we are all contributing.
You are currently leading an organization that is making a difference for our planet. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change?
Impact Acoustic is committed to changing attitudes around sustainability. Our products don’t solve the problem, but they showcase where we could go. We aim to be an example that signals to companies how realistic it can be to be profitable with a fully circular product and bold sustainability values. We strive to influence people. We want to make new materials sexy. It would be difficult, if not impossible, for me to tell you 10 building materials that are really innovative and special. Most companies just tick the box. We shoot to shatter the box and create a new template for the architectural community to adopt.
The most recent example of this is the new ARCHISONIC Cotton material we just introduced to the market — the first and only fully circular acoustic material ever manufactured. We’re so proud of the work that went into bringing this material to life, proving that it is possible to achieve 100% circularity in our field, and raising the bar not only for ourselves in future endeavors but for other companies as well.
We are not under the assumption that what we do makes headlines — it’s not a pursuit for the faint of heart or clout-chasers of the world. We want to amplify not only our products’ ability to radically change the future of architectural design, but more broadly, we want to demonstrate that it’s possible to create products that are functional, sustainable, beautiful and reliable — ultimately laddering up to our larger goal of helping our planet heal and slowing down the decline.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
When you first start a company, everything is chaotic. In our initial growth stage, our team hired generalists to cover all the functions of our business. We were all figuring things out on the fly. As our company expanded, we recognized the need for specialized employees who could excel in specific skill sets for projects we were pursuing, providing a level of expertise that is so crucial to our field.
The most thrilling part of growing a business is when you see your team fully embracing and living the company’s values and mission. It’s like a surge of energy and motivation that brings everyone together and propels us forward. We know we’re onto something amazing when we all share that same passion and drive, working in lock step to achieve extraordinary things. It’s what sets us apart and what I attribute to the majority of our success as a firm.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
It may sound strange, but my biggest mentor was life itself. For fifteen years, I made mistake after mistake. However, because of my upbringing, giving up wasn’t an option. When I look at how far I have come since 2003 from my first position as a management trainee in pharmaceuticals in the Philippines, I am pleasantly surprised. I have undergone a significant shift in my interpersonal skills — learning to shed my stubbornness when working with others. Over time, I’ve grown to see others as a reflection of myself, and consequently, my behavior towards them has evolved. This realization turned out to be a catalyst in diffusing the latent anger I was holding onto against others, helping me become a more effective collaborator and leader.
My brother has also played a significant role in my development over the course of my career. His brain is wired for finance & business, while mine leans heavily on the creative side. Learning alongside him over the years has been vital to forming my business acumen, which was paired hand-in-hand with the entrepreneurial spirit my parents embodied growing up.
Thank you for that. Let’s now move to the central part of our discussion. Let’s start with a basic definition of terms so that everyone is on the same page. What does climate justice mean to you? How do we operationalize it?
At a basic level, I define climate justice as getting things under control. Right now, our planet is in rapid decline, leading to natural disasters and warming temperatures that will continue to worsen in years to come. As decision makers and leaders, the best we can do is understand this urgency and attempt to dial back the speed of decline.
My company’s role in climate justice is constantly a topic of discussion. Even though Impact Acoustic is merely one company in a sea of many, we are fortunate to be able to make an impact in our niche. Cities will consistently expand, and there will always be buildings to be built. In this way, we are automatically complicit in the economy that contributes to climate change.
Yet in our network of architects, we can create a chain reaction by demonstrating our products’ superiority and pushing our sustainable approach as an equally important component for the future of the landscape. And so far, we’ve been successful in making waves. Through our work, we’ve started conversations, changed the status quo in the building materials space and challenged competitors to be more honest, transparent, and innovative in their approach.
Science is telling us that we have 7–10 years to make critical decisions about climate change. What are three things you or your organization are doing to help?
I believe that the real consequences of climate change are happening now — 7–10 years down the line is too late to make these critical changes.
The first thing Impact Acoustic is doing to combat, or at least slow, the deterioration of our planet is selling products made from upcycled materials — and beyond that, addressing every portion of product development to ensure we’re using the least amount of energy as possible to kickstart that circular process. That being said, while we are proud of our products and manufacturing approach, we also understand that these products alone are not going to solve the problem of climate change.
Perhaps our more significant role in combating climate change is creating awareness around circularity and sustainable materials. This pursuit is crucial to inspiring other businesses to adopt sustainable practices, fostering a widespread shift towards a more resilient, environmentally friendly economy that benefits both the planet and future generations. It is up to companies like us to set an example and be that role model as we work collectively to influence societal perception of the urgency of our climate crisis.
The third commitment our company has made is to take care of our oceans. Addressing ocean pollution is paramount for our planet’s health as it protects vital marine ecosystems that regulate climate, support biodiversity, and underpin food security and livelihoods for billions globally. Impact Acoustic has close ties to the Philippines, whose oceans happen to have some of the worst plastic pollution in the world. We are working to directly combat pollution in the area, as one of the ways in which we can make an impact that is larger than our current scope of products.
Are there three things the community, society, or politicians can do to help you in your mission?
The first would, again, be focusing on our oceans. Addressing ocean pollution does not require enormous sums of money — in fact, it would be relatively easy and cheap to radically reverse ocean pollution in the next five years if we were able to generate the level of awareness and passion for this cause.
The second would be refocusing our society’s resources on more efficient and immediately effective technologies. I see large investments in carbon capture — a type of technology that is inefficient and expensive to sustain. Instead of focusing on massive projects like this, I believe there are easy and obvious initiatives that could do a lot of work to clean up our planet — for example, improving infrastructure to prevent sewage from flowing into the ocean. Rather than investing in new technologies with more unpredictable outcomes, I think a more promising solution would be utilizing current technologies to clean up and prevent further damage to our global ecosystems.
The third thing that we can all do to help curb climate change is build awareness around these issues. As environmental catastrophes become more frequent, I expect that we will see a stronger community response to climate change. In the meantime, I think it is the responsibility of anyone who cares about the health of the planet to work to expose the issues of climate change through social media and other high-impact speaking opportunities, infiltrating as many industries as we can. Sharing stories, spreading information, and beginning conversations can accelerate the community response to climate change and help us push our politicians to prioritize these concerns.
How would you articulate how a business can become more profitable by being more sustainable and more environmentally conscious? Can you share a story or example?
I would argue that sustainability often coincides with efficiency, therefore creating strategic and profitable businesses in the process. For example, I see a lot of potential for sustainability and profitability to converge by tapping into the waste products our society produces, which is a largely untapped secondary market. We can achieve this by evolving our approach to recycling, such as repurposing old computer keyboards or transforming by-products like starchy pasta water into packaging materials.
The Netherlands’ agricultural sector also exemplifies this synergy: even though they have limited land, their efficient farming practices have led to one of the highest outputs of produce in the world. Transitioning to sustainability often faces resistance from established industries, but overcoming these challenges opens up opportunities for more efficient practices.
We’ve unlocked that secondary market at Impact Acoustic, and used these waste products to drive our innovative product development in the architectural space. Our business goals extend beyond sustainability, considering the full lifecycle of our products. This shift not only cuts operational costs and boosts our reputation, but also meets the growing demand for eco-friendly products that are truly superior in performance and aesthetic, ultimately enhancing our profitability.
This is the signature question we ask in most of our interviews. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started promoting sustainability and climate justice” and why?
1 . At times, you’ll be the first person to ask these types of questions: It may seem unbelievable, but we are still in the very infancy of addressing climate change. There’s a lot of learning, failing, and iterating to be done in climate justice, and this is just the beginning. There is no rulebook, I’ve found, and companies who are at the forefront of true impact in the space are largely spearheading their efforts.
2 . You’ll be confronted with increasingly convincing greenwashing at every turn: Greenwashing is an unfortunate reality, and corporations have become accustomed to creating sustainable-presenting facades with their communities and customers. It’s something I’ve experienced in my career journey, and something I will always combat within our own culture. Practicing our mission out loud is our most valuable asset at Impact Acoustic.
3 . Breaking down current systems is the only way to build them back better, and more sustainably: I hate to break it to you, but there is no quick fix to the larger climate justice problems we face on this planet. Many of the systems currently in place will simply not support an eco-friendly future. We’ve found this out in our own manufacturing processes, wherein we’ve completely stripped down the commonly accepted building materials manufacturing systems and built them back up from scratch. It takes extensive time, effort and investment, but it’s the only way to ensure longevity and superior product, while supporting our circularity goals and reducing negative environmental impact to net zero where possible.
4 . We cannot expect perfection, but we can expect more from each other: Even with the best intentions in striving for full circularity, zero waste, and sustainable practices, no business operating under the current capitalistic system in any industry can be completely void of environmental impact. I think we can spend less energy shaming companies whose approach we disapprove of, and instead focus on encouraging each other to take the necessary steps to shift their perspective and improve our collective footprint.
5 . At the end of the day, the most powerful tool is your voice: For all the progress Impact Acoustic has been able to make in the building materials space, the most gratifying part of participating in the fight against climate change is using our collective voice to influence people, companies, partners, and clients, so that we leave the planet a little better than we found it. If all of this was gone tomorrow, we can sleep well knowing we’ve played a part in raising awareness around the importance of both sustainability and acoustics in architectural design.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I would love to share a meal with Barack Obama. As a business leader with a sustainability approach that was truly ahead of his time, I admire his perspective and commitment to combating climate change, even if he was unable to fully activate his agenda during his tenure. His understanding of the interconnection between the environment, economics, and policy is insightful, and it would be enlightening to discuss strategies that could further incentivize sustainable practices at a national and global scale.
How can our readers continue to follow your work online?
You can connect with me on LinkedIn, and follow our company journey on Impact Acoustic’s website, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where you can find our projects, including our latest product release, ARCHISONIC Cotton!
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
About the Interviewer: Monica Sanders JD, LL.M, is the founder of “The Undivide Project”, an organization dedicated to creating climate resilience in underserved communities using good tech and the power of the Internet. She holds faculty roles at the Georgetown University Law Center and the Tulane University Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy. Professor Sanders also serves on several UN agency working groups. As an attorney, Monica has held senior roles in all three branches of government, private industry, and nonprofits. In her previous life, she was a journalist for seven years and the recipient of several awards, including an Emmy. Now the New Orleans native spends her time in solidarity with and championing change for those on the frontlines of climate change and digital divestment. Learn more about how to join her at: www.theundivideproject.org.
How Sven Erni Of Impact Acoustic Is Helping to Promote Sustainability and Climate Justice was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.