There's No Planet B
In an era marked by growing awareness of the need for businesses to make a positive impact on society and the environment, The Shed 28 (TS/28) emerges as a trailblazing purposeful growth company that wields marketing, creativity, and innovation as powerful tools for change. Founded five years ago by Rupen Desai and Ranjit Jathanna, TS/28 is on a mission to build businesses that align with our collective conscience and unlock new value models that benefit multi-stakeholders while scaling impact at every level.
Unlike traditional consulting firms, TS/28 embraces an "outside-in" approach that not only formulates strategic plans but ensures their execution—a crucial ingredient for genuine transformation. Their track record speaks volumes: In April 2023, TS/28 completed its role as the "outside-in" Chief Marketing Office for Dole Sunshine Co. Over four years, they orchestrated a purpose-driven business transformation that garnered international acclaim, including prestigious awards such as the Grand Prix for Business Transformation at Cannes Lions, Client of the Year at Clio Health, and D&AD Impact, proving its commitment to meaningful change.
Ranjit Jathanna and Rupen Desai, the TS/28 founders with Cannes Lions GP
TS/28’s portfolio includes collaborations with renowned brands like Dole, Unilever's Elida Beauty, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Copenhagen Cartel, Zespri, Sustenir, and Una Terra, among others. “We intend to use our superpowers to create a new language of growth: one that moves away from the current extractive language to one that is more humanized, regenerative and builds prosperity for people and planet, as businesses thrive. Wonderfully, TS/28 is our journey to become better fathers, not just better marketers, or communicators, for both my co-founder, Ranjit, and I,” Rupen Desai exemplified the personal commitment that fuels TS/28’s mission.
One of TS/28's most exciting recent developments is its partnership with Una Terra, an organization equally dedicated to supercharging impact. Recognizing the role of financial capital in driving value for both human and planetary well-being, TS/28 saw an opportunity to collaborate with Una Terra in scaling sustainable technologies and companies rapidly. “When Una Terra came calling, we realized it is a huge opportunity for us to partner with the companies the fund invests in. The potential to help scale, with speed, sustainable technologies, and companies made this a great convergence of purpose, for Una Terra and TS/28, Desai recollected. He added, “I suspect, we are creating a first-of-its-kind model in the impact funding space. Having joined Una Terra as both Venture Partners and the Chief Marketing Office allows the partners and companies, we invest in access to world-class marketing and go-to-market leadership from day one. This presents a unique value for the investees, partners, and investors, as well as the opportunity to accelerate impact and commercial prosperity.”
Una Terra was born out of a desire to prove that we can deliver financial prosperity, whilst creating prosperity for people and the planet – leaving the world more sustainable. Its investment thesis focuses on the intersection of climate change and biodiversity loss, seeing it as the defining challenge and economic opportunity of our time.“We use the power of catalytic investments in scaling solutions, at speed, that lift the world out of climate change and biodiversity loss. Our ambition is to save 2 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent (2GtCO2e) and remove 1 million tons of plastic waste that would otherwise enter the ocean by 2030,” Desai explained. This commitment drives its active investment in purposeful organizations across six key sectors, including packaging, waste, sustainable food, agri-tech, apparel, and sustainable finance. What sets Una Terra apart is that the fund's partners' incentives are directly linked to these impact metrics, underscoring their commitment to meaningful change and the company’s Purpose.
Collaboration is at the heart of TS/28 and Una Terra's approach to addressing the climate and biodiversity crises. “The climate challenge is suffering a collective crisis of the imagination. Climate doom-ism is as harmful as climate deniability. We need new, positive narratives – images of a future worth having that spark action, at scale and speed and unleash our positive emotions about the transition. Images that show us what it could be like to inspire action and change,” Desai further contemplated.
Recognizing that no single entity can tackle these challenges alone, Una Terra champions radical collaboration across diverse backgrounds, organizations, and industries. “Sustainability and impact are not areas for competition, but of radical collaboration needed to solve the largest crisis humanity has ever faced. So, our ambition with Una Terra is to spark a meaningful movement, spanning education, positive activism, incubation, and use, both catalytic as well as philanthropic capital to rapidly scale solutions for these challenges,” he added.
Rupen Desai, co-founder of TS/28, with his daughters
Una Terra’s partnerships span a wide spectrum of superpowers, from incubating solutions with EIT Climate KIC, Europe's largest accelerator operating across 33 cities, to mobilizing Generation Z with We Don't Have Time. In addition, it is in deep conversations around education as well as philanthropic capital, which we shall be announcing soon. Some of these partner agreements are signed and are already helping create huge momentum. Some are in the process of discussions. These alliances aim to create a movement that transcends boundaries and delivers systemic change in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss.
Una Terra’s investment portfolio includes early-stage companies with solutions that can be scaled, and at speed, such as Pulpex, a first-of-its-kind pulp packaging solution that delivers sustainability through renewable eco-packaging – at 7x, GreyParrot, an AI-driven waste analytics system, or Tumelo, a fintech company specializing in pass-through voting technology. Retail and institutional investors now have ultimate control over AGM votes at the companies they hold through pooled funds. Using Tumelo’s product, they can vote directly, select a voting policy (which then automates their vote), or delegate votes to their fund manager. And there’s iCLIMA Earth – a primarily minority women-led green fintech dedicated to reshaping climate change investments, pioneering ESG 3.0 by creating impact-focused equity indices that promote regeneration and decarbonization.
As the conversation concluded, Rupen Desai left with a powerful thought: "Each one of us has the choice to use the gift of our superpowers to make the world better and equal. While we are not where we used to be, we are certainly not where we need to be."
The journey of TS/28 and Una Terra exemplifies this commitment to harnessing superpowers for the greater good, showing that meaningful change is not only possible but within reach for those who dare to embrace purposeful growth.
