Native Plants, New Paradigms with Greg Noonan | The Ground Up Podcast Ep. 11

04/23/25 • 102 min

Greg Noonan is a landscape designer, educator, and systems thinker helping redefine the future of Florida’s communities. As Enhancements Manager at Cherrylake and founder of Connected Landscapes, Greg works at the intersection of ecological design, builder collaboration, and resident education. He leads the implementation of sustainable landscape practices at Sunbridge, a master-planned community that’s pioneering a new standard in residential development.

In this episode, we dive deep into Greg’s personal journey—from installing edible gardens and founding a sustainable landscape firm to becoming a key driver of the OUTSIDE Collab model for transforming Florida landscapes. We discuss the challenges and breakthroughs of designing with native plants, creating year-round curb appeal, and helping builders meet sustainability standards without compromising aesthetics or budgets.

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Putting life at the Center of Business with Caleb Quaid | The Ground Up Podcast Ep. 10

Caleb Quaid is the founder of Regenerative Shift, a holistic environmental consulting firm helping businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities pursue life-centered, regenerative initiatives. After more than a decade managing stadium operations and major construction projects for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Caleb made a dramatic career shift to align his life and work with his deeper values around sustainability, ecology, and whole-systems thinking.

In this episode, we explore Caleb’s journey from professional sports to regenerative consulting, his work to bring the principles of regenerative agriculture into corporate sustainability, and the role of public funding in catalyzing systemic change. We also discuss bioregional regeneration, the mindset shift from sustainability to regeneration, and how to put life at the center of every decision. Caleb brings a rare blend of entrepreneurial insight, policy fluency, and ecological vision to the conversation—making the case that regeneration isn’t just possible, it’s essential.

https://www.regenerativeshift.com/

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Going Down the Wormhole with Sam Baker | The Ground Up Podcast Ep. 12

In this episode of The Ground Up Podcast, host Tim Sallin sits down with Sam Baker, CEO and co-founder of WriggleBrew, to explore the intersection of soil science, sustainability, and entrepreneurial innovation. Sam shares his journey from fishing trip revelations to developing an award-winning organic fertilizer designed to combat red tide and restore soil health. We dive deep into soil microbiology, plant immunity, and the powerful role of microbes in supporting resilient landscapes. Looking ahead, we discuss WriggleBrew’s bold vision for solving plastic pollution, remediating environmental toxins, and leveraging microbiology to advance ecological solutions. Whether you’re a soil health nerd, an entrepreneur, or simply curious about the future of sustainable agriculture, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

https://www.wrigglebrew.com/