Granite Goodness

Zeina Eyceoz is the current Executive Director of NH Businesses for Social Responsibility (NHBSR). She joined the organization after teaching sustainability at Southern New Hampshire University and Harvard Extension School.

Michelle Veasey is the former Executive Director of NHBSR, where she served for 13 years before transitioning to the role of Advocacy Director. She is recently retiring after a career defined by coalition building and relationship-driven change across the New Hampshire business community.

This episode was produced in partnership with NH Possible, focusing on NH Businesses for Social Responsibility. Learn more about them at nhpossible.org and nhbsr.org

NH Possible is a collaboration between:

* Health Strategies of NH

* NH Health Cost Initiative

* HealthForce NH

* Foundation for Healthy Communities

* NH Center for Justice & Equity

* NH Fiscal Policy Institute

* NH Businesses for Social Responsibility

* and the NH Center for Nonprofits

Together, they are building a statewide movement envisioning a New Hampshire where individuals, families, communities and businesses all have what they need to thrive, including a sense of belonging, opportunities for civic engagement, optimal health, and access to educational and financial opportunity.

Music provided by Sneaky Miles

This episode was recorded at Ripple Effect Studio in Manchester, NH

Sam Evans-Brown is the Executive Director of Clean Energy New Hampshire, and he’s a congenital, unbreakable optimist! In this episode, he explains why his confidence in the clean energy transition isn’t idealism, it’s physics. We geek out on solar maxis, the surprisingly small number of energy types in the universe, and why New Hampshire might just be a diamond in the rough for getting clean energy done across the aisle.

We are also joined briefly by Clean Energy New Hampshire’s Communications Coordinator (and my friend!) Kyana Burgess.

Learn more about their work at cleanenergynh.org

Granite Goodness is made possible by the generous support of our Community Partners, big thank you to Resilient Buildings Group and Green Wave Electric Vehicles.

Join us May 4 for a free live panel at Treeline Outfitters for NH Energy Week.

Today we chat with Tim Smith Gerding, President and Founder of Blackbird Collective.

Tim focuses on helping nonprofits grow, connect, and operate more effectively. In this conversation, we discuss common issues non-profits face, and what led to our new partnership, the Earnest Impact Lab

Notes:

This episode was sponsored by our friends at Green Wave Electric Vehicles, who just opened their second location in Salem, MA!

Get your tickets here for our next Granite Goodness live show! March 27 at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth, NH.

*In this episode, I (Andy) referenced a couple of my favorite progress trends. In one of them I said that “deforestation in the Amazon had basically gone to zero”. I was thinking of this story from Mongabay, showing that Amazon deforestation is approaching an all time low. Not technically zero, but wanted to back up and clarify that statement!

On November 20, we had the first ever Granite Goodness LIVE event at the Rex Theatre in Manchester, NH.

I’d like to extend a BIG thank you to:

* Our sponsor, Grappone Automotive (especially you, Amanda!)

* Corinne Benfield, Executive Director of Stay Work Play NH

* Mike Skelton, President of the Business and Industry Association of NH

* Steve Turner, Founder of Bring Back the Trades

* Shana Brunye, Chief Operations Officer at Bring Back the Trades

* My musical friends at Sneaky Miles for opening the evening

* Warren O’Reilly, Lisa Neville, and the Rex Theatre team for making this so easy and fun

* My friends at InFocus Media for recording and producing the show

* Morgan Karanasios for being our wonderful photographer. All pictures here!

* Everyone who showed up! We had 100+ people there : )

You all made me feel optimistic!

Anthony Poore is the President & CEO of the NH Center for Justice and Equity, which he co-founded to advance racial equity and belonging across New Hampshire through policy, advocacy, and community engagement.

Jo Porter is the Chief Strategy Officer at the NH Center for Justice and Equity, where she leads organizational strategy and has spent her career working at the intersection of public health, equity, and systems change.

This episode was produced in partnership with NH Possible, focusing on the NH Center for Justice and Equity. Learn more about them at nhpossible.org and nhcje.org

NH Possible is a collaboration between:

* Health Strategies of NH

* NH Health Cost Initiative

* HealthForce NH

* Foundation for Healthy Communities

* NH Center for Justice & Equity

* NH Fiscal Policy Institute

* and NH Businesses for Social Responsibility

Together, they are building a statewide movement envisioning a New Hampshire where individuals, families, communities and businesses all have what they need to thrive, including a sense of belonging, opportunities for civic engagement, optimal health, and access to educational and financial opportunity.

This episode is shared in partnership with our friends at NH Rocks!

Music provided by Sneaky Miles

Gene Martin is the Executive Director of the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute, and he is here to prove that fiscal policy is not boring. In this episode, Gene breaks down what fiscal policy actually is, why it touches every single part of your day, and why New Hampshire has a real shot at solving its biggest challenges before they become crises. Also: he has a Live Free or Die belt and 2,000 weeks left, and he is not wasting either of them.

This episode was produced in partnership with NH Possible, focusing on the NH Fiscal Policy Institute. Learn more about them at nhpossible.org and nhfpi.org

NH Possible is a collaboration between:

* Health Strategies of NH

* NH Health Cost Initiative

* HealthForce NH

* Foundation for Healthy Communities

* NH Center for Justice & Equity

* NH Fiscal Policy Institute

* and NH Businesses for Social Responsibility

Together, they are building a statewide movement envisioning a New Hampshire where individuals, families, communities and businesses all have what they need to thrive, including a sense of belonging, opportunities for civic engagement, optimal health, and access to educational and financial opportunity.

This episode is shared in partnership with our friends at NH Rocks!

Music provided by Sneaky Miles

Shawn Menard is the Executive Director of Seacoast Eat Local, and Andy sat down with him at a 1750s farmhouse in Lee, New Hampshire that is quietly becoming one of the coolest food hubs in the region. They talk about why local food is one of the most New England things there is, how farmers markets are becoming community classrooms, and what a stronger, more resilient local food system means for the Granite State and beyond. Also Andy once tried to pay for everything at the farmers market with dollar coins and it did not go well.

This episode was recorded at the Seacoast Eat Local offices in Lee, NH on June 12, 2025.

Learn more about Seacoast Eat Local at seacoasteatlocal.org

A big thank you to my friend Amanda Grappone and the team at Grappone Automotive for sponsoring this podcast!

This episode is shared in partnership with our friends at NH Rocks!

Music provided by Sneaky Miles

Two days ago, I ran a panel at the ACCESS 2025 Economic Growth Conference, put on by the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. The room was packed!

The theme of the panel was tactical urbanism: low cost, scalable approaches toward improving public spaces.

Joining me was:

Charlie French, who leads UNH Cooperative Extension’s Community and Economic Development program

Sara Powell, Program Director at the Hannah Grimes Center

Cecilia Ulibarri, Executive Director at Positive Street Art

Sharing the recording here for anyone’s benefit. Many thanks to Lauren Getts and Heather McGrail at the Chamber for inviting me!

Andy sits down with New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte for a conversation about what makes the Granite State genuinely remarkable, from the accessibility of its elected leaders to the ordinary citizens showing up every day with extraordinary ideas.

They talk about problem solving, staying positive in political office, and why negativity is actually a barrier to getting things done. Also Andy asked the governor to do the Heimlich on him. You'll have to listen to find out what she said.

This episode was recorded at the NH state capitol building on August 19, 2025.

Learn more about Governor Ayotte at governor.nh.gov

A big thank you to my friend Jesse Lore and the team at Green Wave Electric Vehicles for sponsoring this podcast!

This episode is shared in partnership with our friends at NH Rocks!

Music provided by Sneaky Miles

Taylor Caswell is New Hampshire's first commissioner of business and economic affairs, and he has a very different idea of what economic development actually means. In this conversation, Taylor and Andy dig into what makes New Hampshire's economy feel and function differently from the rest of the country, why 97% small business is a feature and not a bug, and how during the depths of COVID, New Hampshire manufacturers picked up the phone and retooled their machines overnight because someone asked. Also in this episode: why Star Wars might be a surprisingly helpful guide to economic policy.

Learn more about the NH BEA at nheconomy.com

This episode was recorded on June 5, 2025 at the NH BEA offices in Concord, NH.

Music provided by Sneaky Miles.

A big thank you to my friend Jesse Lore and the team at Green Wave Electric Vehicles for sponsoring this podcast!

This episode is shared in partnership with our friends at NH Rocks!