Episode 20: Alina Bassi - How Kleiderly creates sustainable plastics made from textile waste

Alina Bassi (@alinabassi1 (https://twitter.com/alinabassi1?lang=en)) is the founder and CEO of Kleiderly (https://www.kleiderly.com/). Originally from London, she founded Kleiderly in 2019 in Berlin with the goal of solving the problem of fashion industry waste. She has developed a patent-pending technology to recycle waste clothing into a new and sustainable material, diverting clothing waste away from landfills and incinerators. Her mission is to lower the carbon footprint of fashion and eliminate tons of CO2 emissions. Alina is a Google for Startups (https://startup.google.com/) Female Founder alumna and a member of the Forbes 30 under 30 class of 2020. In this episode you will learn about: * Kleiderly and how they are trying to solve the problem of fashion industry waste * The Berlin startup scene and accelerators * How to build up confidence as a founder * Supporting minority founders * And much more…! Show notes: * 01:45 -- Intro of Alina Bassi * 02:04 -- Alina’s background before she launched her own startup * 03:13 -- Gaining first startup experience at bio-bean * 04:28 -- How Alina found a startup to work for and gather relevant experience * 05:07 -- The origin story of Kleiderly * 08:04 -- Kleiderly’s value proposition * 09:48 -- The first steps of entrepreneurship. How do you start your own company * 13:19 -- Alina’s experience with Accelerator programs * 16:42 -- Current stage and facts about Kleiderly * 19:10 -- Lessons learnt from an early-stage startup * 23:27 -- Mistakes to avoid as a founder * 24:38 -- Tips and insights into the Berlin startup scene * 26:33 -- Initiatives that Alina is involved in to support minority founders * 30:17 -- Alina’s favorite book she would recommend to fellow startup founders * 30:50 -- Alina’s best personal investment * 31:25 -- Alina’s favorite SaaS tool to help her as a founder * 32:29 -- Advice to your younger self * 33:32 -- How to build up confidence as a founder * 34:45 -- What courage means to Alina Please follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leaptakerspodcast/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheRemoKyburz), and my Website (http://www.leaptakers.com/), where I post new episodes and share resources & tips for anyone interested in entrepreneurship in Europe. Sign-up for the mailing list to stay in the loop (https://www.leaptakers.com/subscribe)! If you're enjoying the podcast, the best way to support the show is by leaving a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-leap-takers-podcast/id1468975811?l=en) or in your favorite podcast app. Special Guest: Alina Bassi.