In this episode of AEC Trailblazers, Valentin Noves sits down with Josh Dorfman, a climate entrepreneur and storyteller whose career spans sustainable manufacturing, media, e-commerce, and real-world climate innovation. Known for his sharp blend of humor, practicality, and vision, Josh brings a candid perspective on what it really means to build a low-carbon future—without losing your sanity in the process. Josh shares a formative moment early in his career, when he realized that the U.S. consumer economy is one of the most powerful forces shaping planetary outcomes. As he recalls, “We live in America in a consumer economy. 70% of what drives this economy is what consumers spend.” He cared deeply about the planet and sustainability, but found himself suffocating in the political and academic angles of his PhD program. In his own words, “I can’t stay in this PhD and learn about environment and political side one second longer, because I’m gonna blow my brains out. I’m just going to go try to help consumers make better choices.” That pivot set the tone for the career that followed—one rooted in action, honest communication, and solutions that meet people where they are. Throughout the episode, Josh and Valentin explore the pressure of being “green green green” all the time and how sustainability work can feel overwhelming. Josh argues that real progress comes from finding the balance between idealism and practicality, and from building solutions that reduce friction instead of adding more complexity. His travels, including time spent in China, broadened his perspective on materials, manufacturing, and the global systems that shape climate innovation. Those experiences directly influenced his decision to found Plantd, a carbon-negative building materials company focused on replacing conventional wood-based structural boards with high-performance alternatives made from ultra-fast-growing perennial grass. Josh breaks down the moment he realized the material supply chain needed reinvention. He was using high-grade FSC-certified plywood—sourced from Oregon—and watched quality go down while prices went up. The inconsistency pushed him to think: How are we still cutting down forests to justify sustainability claims? That question led to Plantd’s core innovation: engineering structural panels from compressed grass fibers. In Josh’s words, “We take a grass that has some real structural integrity in it and we slice it way thinner than you can slice a tree… you’re just getting way more structural fiber compressed together.” The result is a board with the same strength as oriented strand board, but with no orientation, meaning it’s equally strong in every direction. For builders, that translates directly into performance consistency and a dramatically lower carbon footprint. The conversation also touches on operational efficiency and energy usage in buildings—a critical theme for the AEC industry. As Josh explains, running a building as low-carbon as possible isn’t just achievable; it’s profitable. He notes, “Certainly to operate a building as low carbon as possible is easy and saves money and goes right to the bottom line.” Cutting-edge tools in energy management, like those used by large REITs and multi-tenant operators, are becoming essential. In fact, Josh argues that failing to use available technology is “a vast disservice to your investors and your stakeholders,” given how quickly the landscape is evolving. Despite the technical depth, the episode stays fun, accessible, and full of personality—from sustainability storytelling to travel anecdotes to the famous moment when Josh rode a bicycle onto The Martha Stewart Show for Earth Day. Josh describes himself as “a startup person,” and his energy reflects exactly that: scrappy, curious, relentless, and optimistic about the ability of innovation to unlock a better built environment. Whether you work in construction, materials, sustainability, or building operations, this episode offers a refreshing, insightful look at where climate innovation meets the real world—and how the AEC industry can help lead the way. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit everse.substack.com
