Catalyst Talks

Nadine Strossen, the John Marshall Harlan II Professor of Law Emerita at New York Law School and the immediate past President of the American Civil Liberties Union (1991-2008), is a leading expert and frequent speaker/media commentator on constitutional law and civil liberties, who has testified before Congress on multiple occasions.

She serves on the advisory boards of the ACLU, Electronic Privacy Information Center, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), Heterodox Academy, and National Coalition Against Censorship. The National Law Journal has named Strossen one of America’s "100 Most Influential Lawyers," and several other publications have named her one of the country’s most influential women.

Her many honorary degrees and awards include the American Bar Association’s prestigious Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award (2017). At NYLS’s 2019 commencement, Strossen made history by receiving both the award for outstanding teaching and the award for the best book. When Strossen stepped down as ACLU President, three (ideologically diverse) Supreme Court Justices participated in her farewell/tribute luncheon: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Antonin Scalia, and David Souter.

Strossen’s 2018 book HATE: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship has earned praise from ideologically diverse experts, including progressive Harvard University Professor Cornel West and conservative Princeton University Professor Robert George. HATE was selected by Washington University as its 2019 “Common Read” for all incoming students. Her earlier book, Defending Pornography: Free Speech, Sex, and the Fight for Women's Rights, was named a New York Times "notable book" of 1995.

Strossen has made thousands of public presentations before diverse audiences around the world, including on more than 500 different campuses and in many foreign countries, and she has appeared on virtually every national TV news program. Her hundreds of publications have appeared in many scholarly and general interest publications. Strossen graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard College and magna cum laude from Harvard Law School. Before becoming a law professor, she practiced law in Minneapolis (her hometown) and New York City. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Learn more and connect with Nadine here: https://www.nyls.edu/faculty/nadine-strossen/

Nadine’s Book: Hate: Why We Should Resist it With Free Speech, Not Censorship here

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hate-nadine-strossen/1127152077

Dr. Vandana Shiva is trained as a Physicist and did her Ph.D. on the subject “Hidden Variables and Non-locality in Quantum Theory” from the University of Western Ontario in Canada.  

She later shifted to inter-disciplinary research in science, technology and environmental policy, which she carried out at the Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore. In 1982, she founded an independent institute, the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology in Dehra Dun dedicated to high quality and independent research to address the most significant ecological and social issues of our times, in close partnership with local communities and social movements.  

In 1991, she founded Navdanya, a national movement to protect the diversity and integrity of living resources, especially native seed, the promotion of organic farming and fair trade. In 2004 she started Bija Vidyapeeth, an international college for sustainable living in Doon Valley in collaboration with Schumacher College, U.K.Dr. Shiva combines the sharp intellectual enquiry with courageous activism. Time Magazine identified Dr. Shiva as an environmental “hero” in 2003 and Asia Week has called her one of the five most powerful communicators of Asia. Forbes magazine in November 2010 has identified Dr. Vandana Shiva as one of the top Seven most Powerful Women on the Globe. 

Dr. Shiva has received honorary Doctorates from University of Paris, University of Western Ontario, University of Oslo and Connecticut College, University of Guelph. Among her many awards are the Alternative Nobel Prize (Right Livelihood Award, 1993), Order of the Golden Ark, Global 500 Award of UN and Earth Day International Award. Lennon ONO grant for peace award by Yoko Ono in 2009, Sydney Peace Prize in 2010, Doshi Bridgebuilder Award, Calgary Peace Prize and Thomas Merton Award in the year 2011, the Fukuoka Award and The Prism of Reason Award in 2012, the Grifone d’Argento prize 2016  and The MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity 2016, Veerangana Award 2018,  The Sanctuary Wildlife Award  2018 and   International Environment  Summit &  Award 2018.

Learn More:

Reclaiming the Commons: Biodiversity, Indigenous Knowledge and the Rights of Mother Earth

Oneness vs. the 1%: Shattering Illusions Seeding Freedom

Navdanya:

http://www.navdanya.org/site/earth-university/ahimsa-shat-yantra

http://www.navdanya.org/site/latest-news-at-navdanya/629-courses-at-navdanya-bija-vidyapeeth-2019

Where you can find Dr. Vandana Shiva's work and learn about the courses she offers:

http://www.navdanya.org/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/drvandanashiva

Courses 

Stephanie Trager is a Life Coach, Soul Catalyst and Business Alchemist, licensed attorney and fierce seeker and speaker of truth. She spent decades studying with Indigenous cultures to hone her intuitive gifts as an empath and has been initiated by Q’ero Shamans from Peru. For 20 years she’s been a transformational coach and purpose mentor bringing deep expertise in personal wellness, business, law, higher purpose, social impact, plus sustainability and corporate responsibility. She’s the founder of Intentional Paradigms and also Trager Law PLLC, which helps thought leaders scale their genius and ripple their impact focusing on responsible business impact. Stephanie was co-founder of a Corporate Responsibility Law Firm in the 90s, and spent decades in off the beaten path experiences and on the front lines of environmental activism. She leverages a former career in corporate litigation at Davis Polk and is a board member of the non-profit Dream Change. Stephanie operates in a multidimensional capacity and knows we can create a thriving economy based reciprocity, social and environmental justice and spiritual fulfillment. It begins with our personal growth.

www.stephanietrager.com

LinkTree/stephanietrager

Naveen Jain is the founder of Viome, Moon Express, InfoSpace, Intelius, Bluedot, TalentWise and other successful companies. He is an entrepreneur driven to solve the big problems facing today’s world.

Viome’s goal is to “make illness optional.” Having developed the worlds’ largest database of microbial gene expression, Viome is able to analyze gut microbiome and identify predictive markers of chronic diseases to inform personalized nutrition to prevent and reverse chronic diseases.

As a vice chairman of the board at Singularity University, Naveen is focused on educating and inspiring leaders to address humanity’s greatest challenges by using and developing innovative technologies.

A director of the board at the X PRIZE Foundation, Naveen uses incentive prizes to motivate competitors to find solutions to some of societies’ more challenging problems. Recently, he launched a million-dollar Women Safety XPRIZE dedicated to empowering women around the world.

Naveen has been the recipient of many honors for his entrepreneurial successes. These include:

Where you can find Naveen Jain:

https://www.instagram.com/naveenjainceo/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/naveenjainintelius/

https://twitter.com/Naveen_Jain_CEO

https://www.facebook.com/Real.Naveen.Jain

Where you can find me, Stephanie Trager:

www.stephanietrager.com

Instagram - @stephanietrager

https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.trager33

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanietrager/

Steven Donziger is a renowned advocate, writer, and public speaker with a focus on addressing human rights abuses and corporate malfeasance.  He is part of the team working with indigenous and farmer communities in an area of the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest suffering from high cancer rates and other health ailments related to the massive oil pollution caused by Texaco, now owned by Chevron. In 2011, the affected communities won a historic $9.5 billon judgment against Chevron for the environmental cleanup of what experts consider to be one of the worst oil-related catastrophes in the world. Known for his “Herculean tenacity” (Business Week), Steven has represented the affected communities since first visiting the region in 1993. Steven also founded Project Due Process, a legal advocacy group for Cuban detainees who arrived in the United States in the Mariel boatlift.

 He is the former director of the non-partisan National Criminal Justice Commission that in 1996 produced the landmark study, The Real War On Crime, published as a book by HarperPerennial. Steven’s analysis and commentary on human rights, environmental, and criminal justice matters has been featured in numerous legal publications, academic journals, and news outlets.  He is the former chief correspondent for United Press International in Nicaragua, where he reported for a variety of publications during the U.S.-backed contra war. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1991, Steven worked as a trial attorney for the District of Columbia Public Defender Service. 

He currently serves on the Board of Advisors to the Fortune Society, the largest self-help organization for ex-offenders in the United States. In 1991, Steven led a mission to Iraq of lawyers, public health specialists, and military experts to assess the impact on civilians of the bombing during the first Gulf War.  The group’s report, which found that an estimated 100,000 children would die following the cessation of hostilities because of damage to the Iraqi health care infrastructure, was adopted by the United Nations and attracted coverage in more than 400 newspaper and media outlets throughout the world. Steven lives in New York City with his wife and son.

(Note: In July 2018, consistent with the retaliatory litigation campaign described in the accompanying video, New York bar authorities suspended Steven's license to practice law in New York. Steven is not currently practicing law in New York.)

Full Bio Here

Follow Steven for updates: https://twitter.com/SDonziger

Be an ally and take action:

https://www.makechevroncleanup.com/ Be an ally by signing this petition

https://www.donzigerdefense.com/ Legal Defense Fund 

Learn More:

The Nation: Lawyer Went From Hero to House Arrest

Chevron’s SLAPP suit against Ecuadorians: corporate intimidation

Steven Donziger: The man who stood up to an oil giant, and paid the price

How the Environmental Lawyer Who Won a Massive Judgement Against Chevron Lost Everything

NYTimes Article 2013 

And if you like reading legal briefs:  Petition for Mandamus from Judge Kaplan and Preska (asking them to do their duty and release Steven Donziger)

Steve Little is an acclaimed serial entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist, and mergers and acquisitions expert well known for generating accelerated value growth and extraordinarily high acquisition value multiples for his companies and clients.

He sold his first company at age 15 for nearly $250,000 and never looked back. Steve has founded and scaled 6 successful startups of his own to private 9-figure acquisitions and has assured his many clients explosive value growth, highly lucrative acquisitions often at 10X-20X multiples, and impressive IRR as founder and managing director of Zero Limits Ventures.

At Zero Limits Ventures, Steve spots unique opportunities for valuation growth where others don’t – whether triple bottom line social impact models, customer engagement strategies, or other strategies beyond revenue and earnings growth. Steve has also raised more than $1.6B in startup and growth funding for a multitude of businesses in a broad range of industries. He led the buy-side M&A team for a major technology innovator, acquiring and successfully integrating 9 companies in less than 12 months.

Known as the “The Activator”, Steve has personally taught, coached and mentored hundreds of business owners, corporate executives and entrepreneurs, helping his clients overcome the myriad of complex challenges to develop breakthrough strategies for peak individual and team performance, rapid scaling, and conscious leadership to generate truly legendary impact and astounding financial returns.

Where you can find Steve Little:

https://www.zerolimitsventures.com

https://www.activistcapitalist.com/about/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanlittle/

Where you can find me, Stephanie Trager:

www.stephanietrager.com

Instagram - @stephanietrager

https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.trager33

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanietrager/

Kathleen Maier, RH (AHG). PA has been a practicing herbalist for over thirty years. She is currently director of Sacred Plant Traditions, LLC in Charlottesville, VA where she offers a Three Year Clinical/Community Herbalist training program. SPT’s free clinic was one of the first on the east coast and is still growing strong. She served as President of the Board of United Plant Savers Board and was the recipient of their first Medicinal Plant Conservation Award. Kathleen’s studies of plants began as a Peace Corps volunteer in Chile and her training as a Physician’s Assistant allows her to weave the language of biomedicine with traditional energetic systems. She is a founding member of Botanica Mobile Clinic, which offers support to mental health and at risk community members at no cost. She is co-author of Bush Medicine of San Salvador Island, Bahamas.

sacredplanttraditions.com

Stephanie- the Ultimate Coach, soul catalyst and eclectic alchemist, licensed attorney and fierce seeker and speaker of truth. She spent decades studying with Indigenous cultures to hone her intuitive gifts as an empath and has been initiated by Q’ero Shamans from Peru. For 20 years she’s been a transformational coach and purpose mentor bringing deep expertise in personal wellness, business, law, higher purpose, social impact, plus sustainability and corporate responsibility. She’s the founder of Intentional Paradigms and also Trager Law PLLC, which helps thought leaders scale their genius and ripple their impact. Stephanie was co-founder of a Corporate Responsibility Law Firm in the 90s, and spent decades in off the beaten path experiences and on the front lines of environmental activism. She leverages a former career in corporate litigation at Davis Polk and is a board member of the non-profit Dream Change. Stephanie operates in a multidimensional capacity and knows we can create a thriving economy based reciprocity, social and environmental justice and spiritual fulfillment. It begins with our personal growth. www.stephanietrager.com LinkedIn Instagram Facebook LinkTree/stephanietrager

John' Perkins new book, 'Touching the Jaguar'  at www.touchingthejaguarbook.com -

Access his April 29, 2020 Touching the Jaguar Workshop free when you buy your book now!

John is an author and activist whose 10 books on global intrigue, shamanism, and transformation including Touching the Jaguar, Shapeshifting and the classic Confessions of an Economic Hit Man have been on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 70 weeks, sold over 2 million copies and are published in 35 languages. 

As chief economist at a major consulting firm, he advised the World Bank, United Nations, Fortune 500 corporations, US and other governments. He has been initiated by shamans from several Indigenous cultures. He regularly speaks at universities, economic forums, and shamanic gatherings around the world and is a founder and board member of the nonprofit organizations, the Pachamama Alliance and Dream Change.

Where to find John:

www.johnperkins.org

Order John's new book, 'Touching the Jaguar' and gain access to his April 29, 2020 Touching the Jaguar Workshop at www.touchingthejaguarbook.com

Marissa Fayer is a 20-year medtech executive, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She is the CEO and founder of non-profit HERHealthEQ and the president of advisory firm Fayer Consulting LLC,. Her mission is to move innovation and the health of women forward throughout the world through the advancement of organizations and the communities in which they operate by increasing investment, building world-class organizations and healthcare systems, and enhancing partnerships. Through the development of innovation, systems, and technology that enhance and better a woman’s life, she can more productively contribute to an equal society and change the lives of their families, their community, and their country within one generation.

Marissa has previously served as an executive at Hologic, Olympus (formerly ACMI), Maquet-Getting (formerly Atrium Medical), Providien Medical, and Accumed Innovative Technologies. Her consulting clients include several of the Top 500 companies in the world and innovative start-ups. Marissa sits on the board’s of medtech companies Welwaze Medical and DeepLook, both focused on improving the diagnosis of breast cancer. Marissa graduated from Boston University with a BS in Manufacturing Engineering and from University of Connecticut with an MBA.

Marissa is a TEDx Speaker (2019 at TEDxLugano), and has been listed as one of the Top 100 Women in Medtech in 2018, a Top Woman Activist to Watch, awarded the 2018/9 Africa Development Award, a Wonder Women in Medtech in 2017, and has spoken at the World Alliance Forum, CapGemini Women of the West Forum, the MPO Summit, DeviceTalks Boston and San Francisco, numerous non-profit dedication ceremonies, and for several Top 500 companies. Marissa has appeared in several online and print publications such as Medical Design & Outsourcing, Med Device Online, MPO magazine and TheStreet.com. Marissa leads the #wealththroughhealth and #healthequityforwomen movements and is dedicated to moving women’s health forward throughout the world.

Marissa lives in New York City and can be found at www.marissafayer.com

Twitter: @mkfayer

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissa-fayer-mba-b788451/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marissa.fayer

Instagram: mfayer19