His first shock in college was being asked to fill out his ethnicity on a form. He didn’t fit into any of the categories. He also discovered that many Americans knew very little about Morocco.

When he started at Nielsen seven years ago, he joined several affinity groups, which Nielsen calls “business resource groups." Unfortunately, none of them was the right fit. 

He approached Nielsen’s DEI team and proposed a new group for employees of Arab descent called Marhaba (Arabic for “hello”). 

At the first meeting, Issam talked about Ramadan and how Muslim people celebrate this month-long period. He was careful to note that just because you’re Arab doesn’t necessarily mean you’re Muslim. Issam explained that at least 400 million people of Arab descent live in 22 countries. 

Claire Randall is CEO of Grand Central Bakery, a B-Corp certified artisan bakery in Oregon and Washington with a community-centered mission and sustainable business practices. Claire’s been working at Grand Central for 29 years.

“My friend Piper Davis and her brother were  opening the Portland branch...There was really nothing like it in Portland at the time. So I hounded Ben and his mom, Gwen Bassetti, the founder...to hire me.”

“I love to call Gwen a food pioneer. She was creating beautiful food from local ingredients, way before a lot of people even thought that was a possibility.”

Women-owned and women-led from the beginning, they made delicious food from scratch, using local ingredients.

Grand Central’s mission is to serve delicious, authentic food made from high-quality, local, and sustainable ingredients while growing a healthy values-driven business. Grand Central is also the Pacific Northwest's first B Corp certified bakery.

The bakery supports several nonprofits, including Lift Up Portland, CAUSA, and the Blueprint Foundation. Supporting local food systems and using local ingredients is a strong value, similar to Salt & Straw Ice Cream.

“Through the way we source our food locally from local ranchers and farmers, not just our ingredients, but any purchases we can, we strive to constantly improve how much we're buying locally. That has kept us strong and resilient through the entire pandemic…the fact we're still in business has helped so many of our local vendors. I love that it's a mutually supportive relationship.” 

Grand Central also pays a lot of attention to what they put out into the waste stream.

“Our goal is a 100% waste diverted from the waste stream. And the last couple years we've hit 87%, which is pretty great. We have a lot of fired up employees who care a lot about the waste stream. We recycle and compost anything we can and have very little garbage left over.”

After surviving the worst of the pandemic, now the bakery is navigating more challenges.

“Operating our business the way we do is not the cheapest way. We buy the best ingredients. We pay our employees well. We have great benefits. We have beautiful spaces… we're in a situation where our profit is declining...we're experiencing skyrocketing ingredient costs...combined with this staffing shortage. Our goal right now is to become more efficient without sacrificing any of the deliciousness or the artistry of our products.”

I asked Claire for her advice for others who want to create companies that care. Grand Central is unique as it’s an open book company.

“My first piece of advice is to focus on the finances as much as your mission. So many businesses spend a lot of time thinking about what their mission is, what they want to offer…but they neglect the nuts and bolts of what it really takes to be a profitable business. And if you're not profitable, you can't live your mission…So few companies are open book companies…I think it's so important to educate your employees about your numbers and do your work to build that trust and use that transparency to improve your performance.”

Claire was excited to share that this summer, Grand Central is transitioning their ownership into a perpetual purpose trust.

Now I need to go get one of those yummy cinnamon rolls!! 

I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform. 

I help professional services companies avoid BORING by making communications painless and boosting employee engagement, productivity, and brand recognition. I turn lackluster, jargon-filled, or technical prose into clear dynamic narrative. Look us up on fertilegroundcommunications.com. 

You can watch the video of this interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdv1Tijyl9o

“None of us knows as much as all of us. There is combined wisdom and insights and knowledge when we bring people together.”
--Joel Makower, founder of GreenBiz

Joel Makower is chairman and co-founder of GreenBiz Group, a media and events company focusing at the intersection of business, technology, and sustainability. For more than 30 years, through his writing, speaking, and leadership, he has helped companies align pressing environmental and social issues with business success.

Joel has written more than a dozen books about sustainability and technology; writes regular articles; co-hosts “GreenBiz 350,” a weekly podcast on sustainable business topics; appears regularly in the media; and serves on several company and nonprofit boards. The Associated Press has called him “The guru of green business practices.”

I enjoyed hearing how the following he’d developed from his snail mail newsletter exploded with the arrival of the Internet. Now grown into an impressive, pioneering company, GreenBiz has built a one-of-a-kind community in sustainable business.

“There's also strength in diversity as there is in nature…where the more we know about different things other people are doing to reach some of the same goals, the stronger and better everybody gets.

This is the secret sauce of GreenBiz. We created a community that did not exist. 20 or 30 years ago, sustainability executives from big companies were not talking to each other…we are helping people understand that they're part of something bigger than themselves.”

I asked Joel about what he sees in his crystal ball for a variety of pressing issues: climate change and rising temperatures, plastic waste, his three wishes for the future, and what he has learned a long the way.

“It's sometimes hard to see the bigger purpose…that we're not alone or that we're part of maybe even a revolution that even the people in it don't really readily see…how do you create a community and then drive that community to go further, faster, and really give them the tools, resources, inspiration, maybe a little fear now and then…”

I asked Joel for his advice to others on how to create companies that care:

“Well, first start somewhere. It can be overwhelming. There's so much to do. And it can feel like a distraction, but start somewhere. Just jump in. I think a lot of people are afraid to do that.”

I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform. 

I help professional services companies avoid BORING by making communications painless and boosting employee engagement, productivity, and brand recognition. I turn lackluster, jargon-filled, or technical prose into clear dynamic narrative. Look us up on fertilegroundcommunications.com. 

As a podcaster for justice, I stand with my sisters from the Women of Color Podcasters Community. We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police. 

Fertile Ground Communications LLC is a certified women-owned business enterprise, disadvantaged business enterprise, and emerging small business.

“We work predominantly on community-based projects where we're much more interested in some ways in what a building does…rather than how the building looks…how can this building help this organization deliver better services? How can it bring people together? How can it free up space? How can a space enable teachers to teach in a different way?” 
--Elisa Engel, cofounder of Citizen Architects based in London, UK

Elisa and her partner Richard Hadley believe that architecture has an important part to play in improving communities and creating a more equitable, sustainable and beautiful world. Inquisitiveness, professionalism, and joy are at the core of everything they do.

Born in Germany, Elisa has lived in Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland), South Africa, Botswana, and the UK.  

Citizen Architects delivers community interest projects in London and sub-Saharan Africa, involving communities in the design process. She is a trustee at Architecture for Humanity London and teaches architecture at universities in the UK and abroad. 

Elisa has a strong track record of delivering education buildings and community architecture with a particular focus on participatory design processes.

We talked about her work in Africa, sustainability, ethics, and the challenges of being a woman in the male-dominated field of architecture.

“…Africa sticks to your feet. And once you cross the ocean, you're always on the wrong side. I went when I was really quite young, 17, a very formative time in my life. It did create a very strong bond with that part of the world…It has allowed me to become a little bit of an ambassador between Europe and Africa.” 

I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform. 

I help professional services companies avoid BORING by making communications painless and boosting employee engagement, productivity, and brand recognition. I turn lackluster, jargon-filled, or technical prose into clear dynamic narrative. Look us up on fertilegroundcommunications.com. 

As a podcaster for justice, I stand with my sisters from the Women of Color Podcasters Community. We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police.  

Fertile Ground Communications LLC is a certified women-owned business enterprise, disadvantaged business enterprise, and emerging small business.

You can also watch this interview by video on YouTube!

Kim Malek is CEO and visionary behind Salt & Straw and cofounder with her cousin Tyler. We talked about how she has created an amazing, people-driven company with community at its core.

She teamed up with her cousin Tyler to start Salt & Straw, which has become known for small-batch, chef-driven ice cream, handmade using local ingredients. Did I mention that every flavor is delicious?

Salt & Straw is not just an ice cream store, though. It’s a community builder. Kim was drawn to Portland because it’s community focused, innovative, and collaborative.

“ I could just clearly see an ice cream shop would be a good way to reflect that because you'd run into your friends and have that experience hanging out with your family. I really loved the creativity of food and flavor work we were doing at Starbucks, and I thought ice cream would be that on steroids…we could really go crazy on that front.”

Kim shares about her initial fears about starting her own business and how she shelved the ice cream idea for 15 years until she finally decided to take the plunge.

Not only is community being created in Salt & Straw’s long lines (they’ve even had some in-line marriage proposals and job offers!), but the employees create a spirit of hospitality and fun once you enter the store. You can try as many samples as you like before choosing a flavor. And Salt & Straw forms strong relationships with local schools and businesses, too. 

Every year Salt & Straw partners with a local fourth-grade class at the elementary school closest to each shop. Tyler Malek visits the school to talk ice cream, and they host a competition to create new ice cream flavors.

Salt & Straw’s website states: “Using ice cream as a platform, we pioneer and start experiences that inspire and connect us all…We use our menu to shine the light on issues we care about.”

 They use their revolving ice cream menu to focus on issues that matter, such as food waste.

Kim has always been drawn to social justice, but eventually she realized she could incorporate that into business.

“As I formulated this idea over the years of Salt & Straw, it was really important to me to provide a community gathering space that felt safe and open to everyone. And to use the company to have a voice for different things.”

For example, Kim walks her talk by serving on boards of the Oregon Justice Center and the Avel Gordly Center for Healing. Her husband and three children are Black, so she feels especially passionate about Black Lives Matter.

Next week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Gresh Harkless Jr., founder of CBNation and Blue 16 Media. He’ll talk about his experience as a Black man in the corporate world and how he built on obstacles like getting laid off multiple times to build a successful media company. 

I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform. 

I help professional services companies avoid BORING by making communications painless and boosting employee engagement, productivity, and brand recognition. I turn lackluster, jargon-filled, or technical prose into clear dynamic narrative. Look us up on fertilegroundcommunications.com. 

Watch on Youtube

Imagine how much better the world would be with just 1% more love. That’s what the co-founders of Our.Love envision for the world. More and better love, delivered in a FUN way! Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of that opportunity?

The Companies that Care podcast highlights business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Tal Zlotnitsky and Tonya Coppin-Fox, co-founders of Our.Love Company. Our.Love is a love and relationship wellness technology company dedicated to helping couples find, maintain, and nurture their best love. Our.Love just launched a brand new app on Valentine’s Day!

Tal is a master at starting up and investing in new companies. He immigrated to the United States at age 12 from Israel and is a passionate activist.

“I become very interested in the topic of love because of my own failings in this space…love is perhaps the last thing that is indivisible. Everyone wants to be loved more and better.”

Tonya is a passionate, purpose-driven entrepreneur and business coach who is committed to empowering ALL people to live fulfilling lives. An immigrant from Barbados, she is an advocate for strong relationships and families, living their lives courageously, kindly, and purposefully.

Tonya knew to pay attention to Tal because he’s a visionary.

 “We were in the midst of COVID, just had the insurrection…this is an opportunity for us to make a difference. If we do it right, we can impact generations to come all across the world. So  I jumped on early.”

I joined the Our.Love team as a writer and strategic communications consultant, because I believe in Tonya and Tal’s incredible team and mission. I’ve been married 32 years this June, and I know we can all benefit from learning how to love better. The app’s features, based by science, are designed for people in relationships who want to make their relationship even better. 

One of the things that attracted me to Our.Love was its firm commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“As immigrants, Tonya and I share a strong passion for people…We have a greater appreciation for what makes America great…In my experience, it's the goodness of its people, the goodness of its purpose. And that's best represented by a very diverse group,” said Tal. “So if you look at our organization top down it's incredibly diverse…It's more than 50% people of color, more than 50% women, and our senior leadership and board are more than 50% women and people of color. And I take enormous pride in that.”

Part of what got Tonya excited about Our.Love is that Black and brown folks are less likely to seek out therapy to improve their relationships.

“In the black and brown community…we're not knocking on a therapist’s door saying, ‘Hey, I need help in our relationship.’ So that was one of the key factors why I decided to go into this journey: to bring a product to the public that my community could actually benefit from and could help a lot of the relationships in our community.” 

When you download the app, you’ll find yourself in the Coupleverse™, a virtual home with fun, brief, and instructive videos, podcasts, articles, quizzes, and games. The app is guided by Our.Love’s seven Love Skills™ and five Love Journeys.™

Watch my interview with Tonya and Tal on YouTube or listen to the podcast to hear more about Our.Love and find out how to download it here.

Next week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Gresh Harkless Jr., founder of CBNation and Blue 16 Media. He’ll talk about his experience as a Black man in the corporate world and how he built on obstacles like getting laid off multiple times to build a successful media company. 

The Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Kim Sundy, senior director of sustainability at the Kellogg Company.

Driven by the legacy of its founder, W.K. Kellogg, the Kellogg Company is the world’s leading producer of cereal and snacks. 

 But did you know Kellogg’s vision is a good and just world, where people are not just fed but fulfilled? This cereal and snack company is serious about living out its mission and has set some ambitious goals. These are just a few examples:

• Providing Better Days for 3 billion people by the end of 2030 through:

1. Nourishing 1 billion people by delivering nutrition foods that address common shortfall nutrients and addressing hidden hunger
2. Feeding 375 million people in need 
3. Supporting 1 million farmers and workers while conserving natural resources 
4. Engaging 1.5 billion people in the issue of global food security

• Aspiring to achieve gender equity of 50/50 by the end of 2025
• Working toward 100 percent reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging by the end of 2025
• Honoring Black history every month as a call for food justice in Black communities
•  Committing to source 100% cage-free eggs by 2025, even though most of their products do not contain eggs
• Supporting equity for women by identifying parts of their supply chain with the highest prevalence of women and assessing the risks and opportunities they face
• Aiming to achieve over 50% renewable energy by the end of 2022
•  Supporting historically excluded employees through highly active employee networks, mentoring programs, and a Black Chef in Residency program
• Expanding paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers to 12 weeks; increasing fertility benefits to $30K for assisted reproductive procedures; and increasing adoption benefits to $10K per eligible adoption.

Kim and I talked about having careers in sustainability and the importance of communications. She also shared her perspective as a Black woman executive and how Kellogg does a better job than many companies at nurturing equity & inclusion among its workforce.

I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform. Find out more on my website and social media.

The Companies That Care podcast is brought to you by Fertile Ground Communications. If you like what you hear or read, wander through my website to find out more about my work.

Can you use some help with your writing, editing, communications, or marketing? Contact me for a free 30-minute consultation.

 With 30 years of experience in the environmental consulting industry, I am passionate about sustainability and corporate citizenship, equity & inclusion, businesses that use their power for good, and doing everything I can to create a kinder, more sustainable, and just world. We help organizations and people discover what makes them special and help them share that with the world. 

As a podcaster for justice, I stand with my sisters from the Women of Color Podcasters Community. We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police. This is a continuation of the systemic racism pervasive in our country since its inception and we are committed to standing against racism in all its forms. 

The Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Jon Roesser, general manager of Weavers Way Cooperative Association.

 Founded in the early 1970s, Weavers Way is a consumer-owned food co-op in Philadelphia with three stores, two farms, a non-profit, and community newspaper. They have more than 10,500 member households representing over 25,000 individual member-owners.

Weavers Way is a critical link in the Philadelphia food shed, connecting local food growers and producers with values-driven consumers. Working with more than 300 vendors in the Philadelphia area, the co-op emphasizes the need to strengthen local food systems.

In addition to implementing sustainable measures throughout their business, Weavers Way is also taking steps to diversify the racial makeup of its vendors. The co-op also has a partnership with WB Saul Agricultural High School, with a farm on the site of the school where students can use the farmland as their classroom.

Do you remember after Trump was elected and many people said they were going to move to Canada? Next week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Mahlena-Rae Johnson, a Black woman and mom who really did it: she moved her family to Canada to pursue better opportunities there.

 The Companies That Care podcast is brought to you by Fertile Ground Communications. I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform. 

 Marie Gettel-Gilmartin, founder and principal of Fertile Ground Communications LLC, is a writer and marketing communications consultant who loves to take the pain and stress out of writing for her clients. She specializes in making the complex clear, using dynamic, accessible language to explain and communicate important issues. She positions her clients as experts in their fields and helps them communicate about pressing issues. Writing communications that boost employee engagement and thought leadership, she also coaches leaders and executives on how to strengthen communications and leadership. She loves to connect people and resources or solve seemingly impossible problems.

As a podcaster for justice, I stand with my sisters from the Women of Color Podcasters Community. We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police. 

 Fertile Ground Communications LLC is a certified women-owned business enterprise, disadvantaged business enterprise, and emerging small business.

The Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Aaliyah Nitoto, the visionary founder of Free Range Flower Winery, an award-winning, winemaker-owned and -operated boutique winery in Oakland, California. 

Aaliya handcrafts premium wine in small batches from locally sourced, organically grown flowers…not grapes. She has been hailed as an "innovative producer" (Wine Enthusiast) who is "revolutionizing the world of wine" (Kourtney Kardashian's POOSH). 

Aaliyah updates ancient women's garden winemaking traditions for 21st century tastes. As Phil Long, winemaker/founder of Longevity Wines and president of the Association of African American Vintners, recently told NBC TV News, Aaliyah is "defying odds at every turn. She is not only a young Black woman getting into the wine world, which is not as diverse as it should be, but she’s also making a new category that doesn’t exist in this industry.'" 

Free Range Flower Winery’s rare flower wines tend to sell out long before the next vintage is in the bottle. The winery’s mission is based on an organic, sustainable, local business model as well as creating a welcoming, inclusive space for everyone to enjoy its wine. Aaliyah deeply believes in innovation in winemaking and the power of magnifying diverse voices in the industry.

When she’s not making wine, Aaliyah is a health and nutrition educator for an advocacy and education nonprofit called Healthy Black Families. 

Free Range Flower Winery is committed to using organic ingredients, sustainable business practices, and local vendors. They are dedicated to uplifting the community and donate a percentage of sales to nonprofits that share their values.

Next week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Julie Allen, who I interviewed for Companies That Care earlier this year. Julie and I dive into her experiences battling eating disorders for much of her life. Julie shares how she has now found her fertile ground by sharing her story, writing a book, and starting a sustainable, body-positive clothing boutique.

The Companies That Care podcast is brought to you by Fertile Ground Communications. I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform. 

Marie Gettel-Gilmartin, founder and principal of Fertile Ground Communications LLC, is a writer and marketing communications consultant who loves to take the pain and stress out of writing for her clients. She specializes in making the complex clear, using dynamic, accessible language to explain and communicate important issues. She positions her clients as experts in their fields and helps them communicate about pressing issues. Writing communications that boost employee engagement and thought leadership, she also coaches leaders and executives on how to strengthen communications and leadership. She loves to connect people and resources or solve seemingly impossible problems.

As a podcaster for justice, I stand with my sisters from the Women of Color Podcasters Community. We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police. 

Fertile Ground Communications LLC is a certified women-owned business enterprise, disadvantaged business enterprise, and emerging small business.

The Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Veronica Arreola, a professional feminist, mom, and writer who has been working to diversify the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) field for over 20 years. She has a particular passion for working with Latinx/Latina youth.

Veronica is director of Hispanic Serving Institution Initiatives for the University of Illinois-Chicago and most recently was program director for their Hispanic Serving Institution STEM grant, Latin@s Gaining Access to Networks for Advancement in Science. She ensures a supportive campus environment for Latinx students studying science. She also writes and speaks regularly about empowering women, including women of color.

We talked about how to encourage young women and girls to pursue STEM fields, especially Latinx/Latina/Hispanic students. She shared her thoughts on how companies can do a better job with diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how to create companies that care, especially for people of color.

And we also talked about music and entertainment…namely Dar Williams and other folk music and TV shows that have positive representation of Latinas.

Next week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Mike Ganino, a highly acclaimed public speaker and coach. Mike and his husband had a baby through a surrogate, and their baby Viviana was born prematurely in Mexico, during the pandemic. What a ride!

The Companies That Care podcast is brought to you by Fertile Ground Communications. I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform. 

Marie Gettel-Gilmartin, founder and principal of Fertile Ground Communications LLC, is a writer and marketing communications consultant who loves to take the pain and stress out of writing for her clients. She specializes in making the complex clear, using dynamic, accessible language to explain and communicate important issues. She positions her clients as experts in their fields and helps them communicate about pressing issues. Writing communications that boost employee engagement and thought leadership, she also coaches leaders and executives on how to strengthen communications and leadership. She loves to connect people and resources or solve seemingly impossible problems.

As a podcaster for justice, I stand with my sisters from the Women of Color Podcasters Community. We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police. 

Fertile Ground Communications LLC is a certified women-owned business enterprise, disadvantaged business enterprise, and emerging small business.