Episode 1: Overfished Ocean Strategy: Powering Up Innovation for a Resource Deprived World with Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva in Quantum Business Insights with Olivia Parr-Rud Podcast
In today’s fast-paced, high-tech, global economy, the business landscape is constantly changing. The confluence of big data, emerging technologies, and global connectivity puts unprecedented pressure on companies to become more innovative and agile. To maintain a competitive edge, companies must constantly adapt while continuing to identify and exploit new opportunities. Interestingly, new models are emerging from science and nature that offer a unique perspective – one that sees our global economy as a highly interconnected, continually evolving complex adaptive system.
These models unveil powerful insights for optimizing our business strategies and processes. Each week on Quantum Business Insights, Olivia explores these concepts with thought leaders from around the globe. We look for ways to leverage their insights to ignite innovation, inspire our workforce, and create positive outcomes for our companies, our communities, and the planet.
Reinventing Innovation for a Resource-Deprived World
On this episode of Quantum Business Insights, Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva sits down with Olivia Parr Rood to discuss the urgent need for innovation in an era of resource depletion. Dr. Nadya explains why businesses must move beyond outdated notions of "green" and embrace a reinvention mindset built on circularity, transparency, and shared value.
Drawing on her extensive research and the core principles from her book Overfished Ocean Strategy, she offers both a wake-up call and a roadmap for turning ecological limitations into long-term opportunity. This conversation dives deep into the intersection of sustainability, strategy, and radical transparency - with examples from companies like Puma, Interface, Flow2, and Throw and Grow.
What You’ll Learn
You’ll learn why resource scarcity is not just an environmental concern but a foundational shift in the way businesses must operate. Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva unpacks how linear economies are giving way to circular models and why the illusion of endless resources is finally breaking down. She shares how real innovation stems not from compromise, but from asking smarter questions—like how to make products more intelligent, more beautiful, and more valuable for both customers and the planet. This episode is a practical invitation to stop greenwashing and start designing with intelligence and systems thinking
Who This Is For
- Founders and executives seeking resilient business models in a resource-constrained world
- Sustainability and ESG leaders tired of trade-offs and green labels that don’t deliver value
- Designers and product developers exploring circular economy solutions
- Business school faculty, students, and consultants looking for case-driven insights
- Anyone ready to turn crisis into creativity and reinvention
3 Key Takeaways from This Episode
1. The Age of Illusion Is Over
The 20th century gave businesses the illusion of cheap and abundant resources. That era is gone. True strategy must now account for declining inputs and rising transparency.
2. Circular Thinking Isn’t Optional
The future of business belongs to companies that embed reuse, regeneration, and collaboration into every aspect of their model—from product design to logistics.
3. Reinvention Outperforms Green
Green products that are ugly, overpriced, or underperforming won't cut it. The companies Dr. Nadya profiles win by embedding reinvention directly into beauty, utility, and cost-efficiency.
Resources Mentioned
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