Consensus in Conversation

Land O’ Lakes is known for butter: they make 300 million POUNDS annually! But equally as important: their commitment to sustainable agriculture.

Tina May, VP, Rural Services and Chief of Staff to the CEO, joins us to talk agriculture, broadband, rural services, and so much more. From her start as a grain merchandiser, to her work at the USDA, to Land O’ Lakes, where she leads the development of the American Connection Corp and countless other sustainability initiatives, Tina has proven the power of doing good and doing well.

Food and agriculture is something we all share, whether we’re planting the seeds or just eating them. So grab some food, hit play, and listen to our conversation on Tina’s impressive career, how agriculture policies like The Farm Bill can impact Americans, the work of Land O’ Lakes, and the future of food. 

More on Tina and Land O’ Lakes:

Tina May on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-may-086331a5/

Land O’ Lakes → https://www.landolakes.com/

American Connection Corps → https://www.americanconnectioncorps.org/

Time Stamps!

00:00 Intro

01:57 Early Career 

06:39 USDA, Farm Bill

11:23 Land O’ Lakes

14:31 American Connection Corps

20:34 Fellowships, Sustainability

28:10 Looking Forward

32:59 Conclusion 

Follow our host Conor on LinkedIn to stay up to date → https://www.linkedin.com/in/ckgone/

Roger McClendon is always near the top: he finished as the second all-time scorer for the University of Cincinnati men’s basketball’s team, behind only Oscar Robertson, became Yum! Brands’ first-ever Chief Sustainability Officer, and now leads the Green Sports Alliance, a national organization promoting sustainability in sports. 

Roger’s talent and leadership has taken him from hardwood courts to boardrooms, leaving behind a trail of success and positive impact. Our conversation bridges his career path, the power of sports, the need for sustainability, and so much more.

If you’re itching for some basketball between March Madness and the NBA Playoffs, look no further: it’s live on all major podcasting platforms. Listen now! 

More on the Green Sports Alliance and Roger:

• GSA's Upcoming Summit, June 26-28, 2023
• Green Sports Alliance Linktr.ee
• Roger’s LinkedIn

Episode Highlights:

0:00: Background and Basketball

5:55: Early Career and Yum! Brands

11:11: Sustainability 

15:49: Green Sports Alliance

24:26: Sports and Community

29:37: The Future 

Follow our host Conor on LinkedIn and Twitter to stay up to date!

Navy SEALs and successful entrepreneurs share at least one thing: both are hard work! 

Meet Tim Sheehy, a former US Navy SEAL officer turned successful entrepreneur. Tim is Founder and CEO of Bridger Aerospace, an aerial firefighting company. He previously founded and sold Ascent Vision Technologies (AVT), a data and surveillance-driven defense and aerospace company. If anyone has found a way to make challenging work look easy, it might just be Tim. 

The episode’s live, so click play and listen on all major podcasting platforms.

More on Tim Sheehy:

• Bridger Aerospace
• Tim’s LinkedIn
• Ascent Vision Technologies (AVT)

Time Stamps:

0:00: Background and Military Career

5:55: Bridger Aerospace

11:35: Ascent Vision Technologies (AVT)

15:00 Key Business Themes

21:48 Sustainability and Conservation

25:05 Looking Forward 

Follow our host, Conor Gaughan, on LinkedIn and Twitter to stay up to date!

Imagine a restaurant that changes its menu twice a day, every week. Why? To reduce food waste and support local farmers. 

Enter Chef Steve McHugh: a record six-time finalist for Best Chef in Texas. We talk about his time at the CIA (no, not that one), learning cooking skills, rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina, and overcoming non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Oh, and, launching restaurants while growing a community in San Antonio too.

If you’re hungry, grab a snack, sit back, and hit play!

More Chef Steve

• Check out his Instagram @chefstevemchugh
• Landrace at the Thompson Hotel
• Cured at Pearl
• Luminaire (opened last month!)

Time Stamps!

0:00: Background 

8:30: Culinary Path

13:50: Food, Community, and Resilience

22:28: New Projects 

25:25: Inspiration for the Future

Follow our host Conor on LinkedIn and Twitter to stay up to date!

I'm joined by Vailia and Russell From, two friends and winemakers pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation in the wine industry, while staying focused on sustainability and being good stewards of the lands they cultivate. 

Vailia has worked in all things wine– from the restaurant floor to sales to importing to harvesting, and now she’s running her very own Desparada, a vineyard rooted in spirit and elegance. Russell is a wine creative– whether it’s a wine that stays in contact with the grape skins for the duration of harvesting or the Tomboy, his only white wine offering that’s described as “a white for red wine lovers– he’s constantly pushing creative boundaries at Herman Story Wines, which he owns and operates. 

Join our conversation on winemaking, organic agriculture, stewardship of the land, sustainability, and taking the path less traveled. All you have to do is sit back, uncork (or unscrew, no judgements) some wine, and hit play. 

For more information on Herman Story Wines: https://www.hermanstorywines.com/ 

Want more details on Desparada? Visit: https://www.desparada.com/

We're joined by Juliana Garaizar, an angel investor working as the head of innovation for Greentown Labs, the largest climate tech incubator in North America. Juliana has lived across the globe, and now she’s now in Houston– working on the intersection of climate tech, sustainability, and entrepreneurship.

We discuss entrepreneurship, supporting climate-positive startups, advocating for inclusivity in the workspace - particularly in finance - how to create maximum impact with minimal environmental harm, and the best place to vacation (just kidding…I didn’t get around to that question) – so sit back, hit play, and join this episode of Consensus in Conversation!

For more information on Greentown Labs, check out their website: https://greentownlabs.com/

Today we welcome Charles Dimmler, CEO and co-founder of Checkerspot, and Matt Sterbenz, GM of Wintersports. Checkerspot is a high performance materials company proving that you don’t have to choose between sustainability and performance. Founded in 2016, the company is pioneering a planet-first approach to product creation and innovating the outdoor industry through biotechnology and sustainability. WNDR Alpine, Checkerspot’s consumer-facing backcountry skis are made from algae, and the first of its kind. Charles’ expertise in biotechnology and Matt’s professional skiing background provide great insights into the future of industry on this episode of Consensus in Conversation. 

Since our recording, Checkerspot released an amazing new product: The Pollinator™ Kit. It gives individuals, small businesses, and big corporations the ability to create new products and designs with some of Checkerspots’ sustainable materials like polyurethane, which is derived from algae oil. 

To get your own pair of WNDR Alpine skis, check out: https://wndr-alpine.com/collections/shop 

For more details on The Pollinator™ Kit: https://www.pollinatorkit.com/ And check out their partnerships with different innovators: https://checkerspot.com/innovators/

This week’s guest is Lew Moorman, co-founder of Scaleworks, a venture capital firm, and Soilworks Natural Capital, an investment fund. Lew grew up in Texas Hill Country, home to some of America’s best ranchland, and although he started his career in consulting, he found his passion in venture capital, helping small software companies flourish.

Now, he has turned his sights towards one of America’s oldest (and largest industries) – agriculture – where he is helping to lead the regenerative agriculture sector to new heights while championing the idea that smart livestock ranching and natural climate solutions are one in the same.

Whether it’s about innovation in the agriculture sector or how maximizing profits incentivizes sustainability, you’ll want to hear what Lew has to say on this episode of Consensus in Conversation.

This week’s guest is Brent Harris. He’s the VP of Governance at Meta, where he has played an integral role in the organization’s approach towards governance, including the creation and development of the Oversight Board. He is currently helping the company and broader industry to envision and build a Metaverse with empathy, accessibility, and sustainability at its core. Brent’s career has stretched from nonprofits to public service and the private sector.

This diverse background makes him well-suited to help lead one of the most powerful companies in the world as they work on some of their toughest challenges, ultimately figuring out the power and potential of the Metaverse as a force for good in the world.

You won’t want to miss our fascinating conversation on governance, the Metaverse, empathy, and Meta’s place in this ever-changing world of technology.

We welcome Michael Blaugrund, Chief Operating Officer at the New York Stock Exchange, to talk about Natural Asset Companies (NACs), ESG, the capital market landscape, and the NYSE’s role in it all. Nature and the related ecosystem services are worth an estimated $100-$150 trillion a year, revealing a massive opportunity for nature in the business world. NACs aim to unlock that value as they support and protect our natural resources.

Find out what this all means for the future of business, the markets, and our country on this episode of CiC.