You know that feeling when you walk out of a room tired, without knowing exactly why? Chances are it's because of the acoustics. Bad acoustics exhaust you, make you restless and disrupt conversations, whereas a quiet, comfortable space is energizing. Kevin, founder of Echo Acoustic, saw how much impact sound has on how people feel. And decided: this must and can be done differently. Not only in terms of solutions, but especially in terms of materials. In this interview he talks about how a frustration grew into a mission to make spaces quieter, more comfortable and more sustainable.
Kevin's journey as an entrepreneur began with the frustration that many acoustic solutions use materials that are harmful to people and the environment. Materials that also require you to tap into new raw materials when there are already plenty of valuable waste streams. "I wanted to prove that it can be done differently: acoustic luxury that is beautiful, healthy and circular," Kevin explains. "My father was already in acoustics, and I had experience with the products from my work as a contractor. So I had a pretty sharp idea of how things could be done differently. Could be better."
Those early days, in 2015, were one of pioneering and experimentation, and from his sister's old bedroom. There he worked on his first acoustic systems, using sheep's wool as an alternative to glass or rock wool. "A beautiful natural material, but difficult to process. It's full of grease, expensive and hard to steer." Ten years, five patents and 60,000 pounds of recycled textiles down the road, it almost feels like someone else's story. Yet that's where the first steps were taken. "I sat there in that room and thought: can't I do it myself? I put the question to my father, who was already in the acoustics business. He said that if I was going to do it, I had to do it sustainably. I gladly accepted that challenge."
'Plot your goals, make them small and focus'
For Kevin, entrepreneurship felt like a logical step. In employment, he noticed that concessions were often made on one of the things he values: quality, sustainability and innovation. He can also put his creativity to good use. "If I have an idea, I just want to try it. Not wait too long, but get to work." That way of working took him far: he sold well, his team expanded and he developed new products and applications. Yet at some point he noticed that it wasn't enough to continue building on intuition alone. He decided to sign up for the Acceleration Program on Future-proof Building (ATB). "When I started the program, I was at a tipping point with my company. I had proven that my products were technically and aesthetically strong, but I was looking for ways to grow faster and reach new markets."
The ATB helped Kevin take a sharper look at his business, he says. Not just at the products, but at the way he made choices. "I always had a lot of ideas and inputs," he says. "And I often thought: this could also be done, and this maybe too." In conversations with other entrepreneurs, it became clear that all those directions also caused restlessness. "I learned: set out your goals, make them small and focus. Anything that doesn't contribute to that, leave it. If you do everything, you're not actually doing anything."
That approach worked its way into the team. Clearer priorities emerged, fewer distractions, and more room to build with focus. Kevin: "We're still evolving, but with more focus. That feels like a firmer foundation to continue growing."
Sustainability and affordability do go together'.
As far as Kevin is concerned, acoustic comfort should not be a luxury product, but a natural part of any space. Just like insulation or ventilation. Not just to dampen sound, but to make people feel more comfortable, calm and at ease. And in a way that is both sustainable and affordable. "Many people still think that sustainable is automatically more expensive," he says. "But that doesn't have to be the case at all. We show that it can be done differently. For the same price as traditional materials, but circular, qualitatively stronger ánd more stylish."
To do that, he believes, you sometimes have to dare to look critically at your process. Not getting stuck in assumptions or existing margins, but being creative with raw materials, costs and choices. "You have to think it through, and sometimes be a little tenacious or cut back on margins in the short term. But there's actually always an opportunity."
His long-term dream with Echo Acoustic? That soon all acoustics in the world will be fully circularly made without any concession to appearance or quality. "We increase comfort with what is already there. That's really the core. And if we do that on a large scale, you eliminate a waste problem at the same time. That's when you make a difference as an entrepreneur."