How This Charcoal Saves Cheetahs & Cookouts

What we talked about.

Sunny Ray sits down with Rob Silverman, president and co-founder of The Good Charcoal Company, to trace an unlikely path from London finance trading floors to the deserts of Namibia. Silverman shares how a promise to his late father, who complained about toxic charcoal smoke, sent him on a two decade search for a chemical-free, fully sustainable alternative. He explains how his company harvests invasive acacia bush that blinds and starves cheetahs, turning an ecological threat into dense, long burning charcoal while restoring grasslands across Africa. Silverman also details how he and co-founder Ben launched during the COVID pandemic, funded free barbecue meals for food insecure Americans before earning any revenue, and built a brand recognized by Time as one of the 100 most influential companies in the world. The conversation covers the science behind wood density and burn efficiency, the philanthropic give back model tied to every bag sold, and why removing chemicals from charcoal ties into a broader conversation about healthier eating in America. The episode blends business strategy, wildlife conservation, and personal storytelling.

A Wall Street trader turned charcoal entrepreneur explains how clearing invasive bush in Namibia saves cheetahs and cookouts alike.

The questions, and the answers.

What is the mission of The Good Charcoal Company?

Our mission is to provide the only 100% fully sustainable charcoal backed by a reputable environmental agency, made 100% chemical-free, and accessible to everybody in every budget. Most organic, chemical-free products get priced higher, but we are priced the same or cheaper than other charcoals per pound, and especially per cook, which is the most important factor.

Looking back on your finance career, what's the biggest lesson you still carry with you?

I learned that trading doesn't require a winner and a loser every time. My late father taught me that if six people are in a deal and one doesn't make money, the deal falls apart. Everybody has to benefit. You don't have to be greedy to run a successful company, just pragmatic, and make sure your customers feel as good about the trade as you do.

How does a guy like you end up starting a charcoal company?

I'm always looking for opportunities where something needs to be disrupted. When I found there was no 100% chemical-free, sustainable charcoal in America, I spent six months researching the market. No bag even had a handle. The skills I learned trading currencies and interest rates, finding imperfections and fixing them, applied directly to solving a real world problem with charcoal.

How did you and your co-founder Ben connect, and how did the pandemic timing work out?

Ben is Australian, I'm British, and we're both avid grillers who met through a philanthropy committee building ball fields in war-torn areas. During COVID, his apparel business stalled and my real estate fundraising slowed, so we both had time. I asked him to pack a sleeping bag and spend a month in Namibia's bush with me, and he did.

How does charcoal made in Namibia actually save cheetahs?

Namibia is overrun by acacia bush encroachment, over 300 million acres. The bush has thorns that blind cheetahs when they hunt, so they can't catch prey and starve. We clear the bush under Forest Stewardship Council oversight, turn the wood into charcoal, and restore grasslands so cheetahs have a runway to hunt again. Eighty percent of the world's cheetah population lives in that encroachment zone.

Why did you start giving away free barbecue meals before you had any revenue?

Ben and I passed a church food pantry with a line three blocks long during COVID. These were people paid in cash, cleaners, nannies, who fell through the cracks with no government help and no kitchens. My wife suggested using idle barbecue food trucks to cook hot meals for them. We funded it ourselves before making a penny, which is why we're called The Good Charcoal Company.

What actually makes Good Charcoal different from what's on the shelf?

Our charcoal is twice as dense as hickory on the Janka scale, so it burns longer, reaches higher temperatures up to 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit, and you need less of it, about 3 pounds versus 5 pounds of competitors per cook. We're also the only charcoal in North America that's 100% chemical-free and 100% sustainable, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which named us their environmental award winner in 2023 and 2024.

What did being named to Time's 100 Most Influential Companies list mean to you?

We're the first charcoal company ever named to that list, sitting alongside Microsoft, Airbnb, and Google, which is wild for an industry that's been around a hundred years. It boosted our profile with investors and showed that removing chemicals from something 50 million American households use, their grills, actually matters and is being noticed.