For years, Swedish born Filip Westerlund spent his summers cleaning up plastic waste that washed up on the shores of his hometown. He quickly realized that the viscous cycle of waste and clean up was not a solution to the problem and that the “we” needed to find a more permanent solution. As a psychology student who understands consumer motivations and behaviors, he realized what was needed was a shift from a linear economy to a circular model in which products are engineered to design out waste.

As a circular visionary, Filip and his team at OUR CHOICE, created the world’s first circular and fully recyclable sneaker that is plastic free. The company launched a very successful Kickstarter campaign at the end of 2020. The campaign received great interest from the media and Filip was named a “Young Social Impact Hero” by Thrive Global and featured in Authority magazine as well as dubbed a Circular Economy Pioneer by FashionUnited.uk.

Since the Kickstarter launch, OUR CHOICE won the Circular By Design Challenge by Luxinnovation. OUR CHOICE also won the EY Start up Series: Circular Economy and was declared the most influential Circular Economy Startup in the Benelux region.

Filip is a frequent keynote speaker, lecturer, podcast guest and mentor to other entrepreneurs looking to pivot from a linear model to a circular economy.