Michael Klepacz
Born and raised in the heart of Toledo, Ohio, my roots lie within a small Polish community, where my blue-collar upbringing and humble beginnings instilled in me the values of hard work and honest living. My parents, who tirelessly juggled multiple jobs, demonstrated that perseverance could provide a comfortable life. While their aspirations remained modest, I developed a vision for a greater future for my wife and our vivacious 3-year-old daughter.
My passion for learning and exploration was ignited when I joined the Air Force at 18, after completing Aviation Maintenance school. Though I didn’t get to see the world as I had hoped, my experience in an MLM taught me to embrace learning, fueling my curiosity for life. I had the privilege to be trained in Six Sigma by the Toyota Corporation. Project/process management at that moment became a life interest. Though I was medically discharged from the Air Force due to an injury, that did not stop my ambitions. My love for airplanes, motorcycles, and music has never waned, and my eclectic taste spans across genres and decades.
I also love sustainability, inventing, process management, project analysis, problem solving, traveling (Thailand, Indonesia, Italy, and Barcelona, Spain rank highly), water (anything – water sports, winter sports, surfing, skiing, all of it! Oh, and wakeboarding), I also love my wife and 3-year-old daughter. I also love to listen to audiobooks. My favorite books include anything by John C. Maxwell, Tim Ferriss, Abraham Hicks, Napoleon Hill, Robert Kiyosaki, Wallace Wattles, and more. If you have a book in mind for me to check out, let me know. I love to learn, and I love to teach.
Upon returning to the US after teaching English in Poland, I delved into college textbooks and podcasts while working as a security guard. An acceptance into UCLA’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities redefined my life’s trajectory and invigorated my entrepreneurial spirit. This led to pursuing a business degree at a university in Poland called Kozminski, which is highly ranked by the Financial Times.
Born from the ashes of a disrupted career in aviation due to an injury in 2007; I found a new life mission: championing homeostasis and longevity. My journey overseas transformed my perspective on health and well-being, as I became increasingly fascinated by soil health, sustainability, and agriculture. My newfound passion for sustainable agriculture led me to Permaculture, and my journey into the world of sustainable architecture sparked an unwavering belief in our ability to design buildings that nourish life.
I swapped my aircraft mechanic hat for the hat of an inventor, focusing my efforts on concept development. While at university, I saved up my tuition money and founded Natural Materials Unlimited, a company specializing in designing and manufacturing eco-friendly textile products for clients seeking custom solutions, in 2015. Located in Poland, we specialize in designing products and accessories using sustainable cellulose sources like linen, hemp, and tree-free paper. My commitment to fostering environmental health through sustainable design drives my work, as I believe passionately in the power of environmentally conscious business practices to heal the planet and improve our lives.
Currently residing in Poland with my family, I embrace the challenges of cultural differences and strive to work with purpose until my last breath. My journey thus far has been a testament to the power of resilience, determination, and an unyielding hunger for growth and exploration. As an advocate for sustainable living, I continue to be inspired by the beauty and diversity of countries like Italy, Thailand, Indonesia, and Spain.
Bast Fibers are the key for replacing wood pulp. Wood pulp will be highly regulated in the future as we go further with the sustainability goals of humanity. If you are a manufacturer of food products you need to ditch plastic. Imported exotic materials is a step forward but still not as eco as locally produced plant based products.
In this enlightening episode of The Cam & Otis Show, Michael Klepacz shares his transformative journey from an Air Force mechanic to a passionate advocate for sustainability and organic farming. Drawing inspiration from his experiences in Poland, Michael delves into the immense potential of hemp in sustainable industries and the importance of marrying tradition with modern innovation. The conversation offers a deep dive into the challenges and solutions of today’s sustainability landscape, emphasizing the pivotal role of community and business in driving positive change.
What are some challenges for an American to establish a manufacturing facility in Poland, a country more risk-averse than most? Michael Klepacz uses the advantages of a low-cost country to pay 20% more than the minimum wage but illustrates the sometimes lack of personal responsibility, the “good enough” mentality, “not connecting the dots” and the “ghosts of Communism.” Nevertheless, he would rather be nowhere else and in a country with a lot of “low-hanging fruit.”
This episode of EnvironMental with Dandelion is drama. Aub talked with Michael Klepacz, founder of Natural Materials Unlimited about how the usefulness of bast fibers was squashed by the paper mafia, the dogma around wood pulp, and the cotton gin.
According to hemp entrepreneur Michael Klepacz, if the market was to grow here, as it has done in California, where 100,000 patients are treated with medical cannabis, then 9.5 tonnes would be used per day, netting EUR 500 mln.
Michael Klepacz served in the US Air Force, is a disabled American veteran and is now a Global Hemp Entrepreneur building a hemp startup and manufacturing company in Warsaw Poland. He actually used the GI bill to get a masters degree and as seed capital to fund his hemp startup with just $10,000. His entrepreneurial journey involves patent infringement, failure and ultimately to his current path of manufacturing and selling hemp dog collars, guitar straps and soon to be yoga mats into the US.
Michael Klepacz, founder of Natural Materials Unlimited, owns a company that offers sustainable hemp products, technologies as well as sustainable agriculture consultation. In efforts to further the growth of Poland’s hemp industry their products are made with European sourced materials and made in Poland with fair wages. Some products such as vegan friendly guitar straps, adjustable collars, leashes, soap, and hemp wick have an option to be customized, colored, or embroidered. In this episode we talk about Michael’s persistent drive to build a successful business that is inline with his core principles. We also discuss Warsaw’s start up scene, benefits of business school in comparison to online courses and a key strategy when launching hemp products on Amazon FBA.
I had the privilege to interview Jesse Jackson for Kozminski University
In the studio, Magda and Marcin’s guests were David Huerta Beltran, a student from Mexico, Sonam Wangchuk, a student from Bhutan, and Michael Klepacz, a student from the USA. Why did they decide to study in Poland?
On this hempisode you will meet and learn more about Mike Klepacz as we dive deep into the benefits and values of hemp for your health! Mike, although born in the U.S. has Polish blood and has some great knowledge and info to share with you about Poland’s Hemp History and current hemp trends!
Better known as Mike K, AKA, Mr Hemp Wick, Mike moved his Hemp Wick factory to Warsaw Poland. Yes, Poland the country not Poland, Ohiot! Mike is our first International guest this year on HempRadio! Turns out Poland grew Hemp for hundreds of years then in the 1990’s some “idiot” got a bug up their butt & decided to ban the growing of hemp in Poland. But now things just may be turning around in Poland!
I was interviewed on my Permaculture farm for the Capital Entrepreneurship Forum (SFoP) is a joint project of the capital city of Warsaw (Project Leader) financed by the European Union through the European Social Fund.
“I will be planting water and growing soil.”
The boot camp provided the practical knowledge he needs to pursue his goals for his invention, and the motivation to take the skills that he has and make them work for his product, Klepacz said.
“Coming from the military, we all have that incredible drive to focus on our mission,” Klepacz saiid. “What we’ve learned here is how to take that drive and hone it towards something of our own.”