Green & Grind

This week we have on  entrepreneur and investor Mike Silvestrini.  Mike is a founding partner of Energea, a renewable energy investment platform. Mike has a extensive background in the solar industry, having managed multiple renewable energy funds in the U.S. worth over $500mm in aggregate, founded and was CEO of  Greenskies, one of the largest C&I solar firms in the industry prior to his exit, he has led the development of over 400 renewable energy projects across multiple technologies and continents. We will be discussing how Energea is making solar investment more accessible, his thoughts on the solar industry, and what direction is need to get to 100% renewable energy in the US. You can learn more about Energea at Energea.com. You can find me on instagram at Green and Grind and check out our new website greenandgrind.com where I post episodes notes and discuss sustainability topics. Hope you enjoy the episode.

We’ll discuss: What is Energea and how everyday people can get invested in solar projects, Where do early stage startup companies go wrong, Residential vs. Large scale solar projects, Preventing the duck curve, Future of Solar, Career advice

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Mike on Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-silvestrini-2684879/) 

Energea (https://www.energea.com)

This week we have on Colin Tetreault.  He is a renaissance man in the sustainability space.  We'll discuss  a wide variety of topics from Environmental issues facing the City of Phoenix, Green financing, Corporate Sustainability and Public Policy, Environmental Disclosure, How businesses can get to a triple bottom line approach, Young people and sustainability careers. So lots of interesting topics this week!
Colin works in sustainable business, policy, and he’s a university instructor. We’ll cover a wide range of topics today from helping businesses better incorporate CSR, ESG metrics, local government sustainability initiatives, and sustainability focused university courses. Colin currently works for an environmental disclosure company, he has his own consulting agency, sits as the chair of environmental quality and sustainability commission for the city of phoenix, and is an instructional professor at Arizona State University. 

Please leave a review and subscribe to podcast to get notified of new episodes! 

Colin on Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/colintetreault/) 

Email: [email protected]
Website: greenandgrind.com

This week we have on Kate Williams.  She is the CEO of 1% for the Planet. 1% for the planet is a non-profit organization that has raised almost $300 million for environmental non-profits. They’ve partnered with companies like Patagonia, Clean Canteen, All Trails, and 4ocenan. They help make environmental contributions for businesses and people easy. You can learn more about this great organization at onepercentfortheplanet.org You can find me on instagram at Green and Grind and check out our new website greenandgrind.com where I post episodes notes and discuss sustainability topics. Hope you enjoy the episode.

We’ll discuss:
-Why they chose 1% for giving
-Typical day for a CEO
-Balancing running a company and having a family
-Eco-Anxiety
-Attracting partnerships
-Trends in environmental giving
-Career advice

Please leave a review and subscribe to podcast to get notified of new episodes! 

Kate on Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/katewilliams87/) 

1% for the Planet (https://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org)

Email: [email protected]

 After a brief break we are back to weekly episodes! This weeks episode is all about careers and job hunting. I will be talking with an expert in the space who has helped thousands with finding roles in the sustainability space. Trish Kenlon is our guest this week.  Trish is the Founder of Sustainable Career Pathways, a popular website and career coaching service that has helped thousands of graduate students and mid-career professionals with transitioning into roles in the sustainability space.   She is a frequent contributor of career expertise to the Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps community, has been featured on GreenBiz.com, and has appeared on several podcasts including Sustainability Defined and Degrees with Yesh Pavlik Slenk.

She has presented on techniques for an effective job search at Carnegie Mellon University, New York University, Colorado State University, and many others.  Prior to SCP, Trish worked in sustainability roles with Ann Taylor, TXU Energy, and EDF.  She's also worked in project management and consulting roles for IBM, CGI, and Bank of America.  She is on the board of the Utah Sustainable Business Coalition and is an alumna of Carnegie Mellon University, the NYU Stern School of Business, and the EDF Climate Corps.   You can Learn more at www.sustianablecareerpathways.com  

 Check out our new website greenandgrind.com where I post episodes notes and discuss sustainability topics. Hope you enjoy the episode.

We’ll discuss:

-What trends Trish sees in the current job marketplace

-How can young people get started in a sustainability career

-Mistakes that jobseekers make in their job hunt

-How to network in today’s environment

-Advice for people looking for a job in the sustainability space right now

Please leave a review and subscribe to podcast to get notified of new episodes! 

Trish on Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/trishkenlon/) 

Check out her Website Here: (https://sustainablecareerpathways.com)

Email: [email protected]

 Erik Distler is our guest this week. He’s worked for Nike and the Green Sports Alliance as well as with ESPN and many sports leagues, conferences, clubs, events, and athletes. We’ll discuss how we can bring sustainability into the sports industry, how the sports industry can be a driver for environmental change, and how climate change will affect the world of sports. You can find Erik on Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikdistler/) and check out the Green Sports Alliance for more information(https://greensportsalliance.org). You can find me on Instagram at @Green.and.Grind where I post episode notes and discuss sustainability topics.  Please leave a review and subscribe to podcast to get notified of new episodes! Email: [email protected]

Amanda Sturgeon is our guest this week. In 2015 she was named as one of the Top 10 most powerful women in sustainability, she is a Ted Talk speaker and AIA fellow,  and she is the former CEO of the Living Future Institute.  We will discuss regenerative and biophilic design in our buildings. How we can better connect our buildings and nature. What a more sustainable built environment could look like and some of the many benefits. Check out her books- Creating Biophilic Buildings, and All We Can Save.

Amanda currently works in Sydney as the regenerative design lead for Mott MacDonald. Which is one of the largest employee owned companies in the world that focuses on engineering and development consultancy. Their work ranges from airports, buildings, highways, solar installation, and rail transit. So a company that has a big impact. 

As some background, the Living Future Institute  is an organization that works to transform our communities to be ecologically restorative and social just, through certifications such as the Living Building Challenge and Declare Label. Living Building Challenge is the worlds most ambitious and advanced performance standard for buildings. There have been more than 650 buildings around the world pursuing Living Building Challenge. 

 I hope you enjoy this episode from a champion in the sustainability space.

Please leave a review and subscribe to podcast to get notified of new episodes!

You can find  Amanda on Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-sturgeon-faia-58407a16/
Check out Mott MacDonald: https://www.mottmac.com
Learn more about about the Living Futures Institute: https://living-future.org

Lindsey Kauffman is the Circular Economy Lead at Owens Corning. We’ll discuss the circular economy, how large corporations are shifting from the linear  take, make, waste model. Some of the challenges that entails, and what Owens Corning is doing to improve sustainability.

Stay tuned until the end of some career tips.

Main Topics of Episode:

1. What a circular economy looks like and the business case for it
2. How Owens Corning reduces waste in their manufacturing processes
3.  The struggle of large manufacturing companies to shift to more circular practices
4. Lessons learned from pushing more sustainable processes
5.  Importance of life cycle assessments

Interesting Fact: Wind turbine blades are not recyclable at end of life

If you enjoyed the episode please leave a review so that we can reach more people with this podcast.

You can find Lindsey on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseykauffman/

Follow me on Instagram to learn more about sustainable living an business: @green.and.grind

This week we have on Lilian Liu.  She is a Sustainability Strategist at Futerra. We’ll discuss environmental issues in the fashion industry. Lilian brings a different perspective of the fashion industry from last weeks episode with Kelly Burton. Lilian has had a variety of experiences in the fashion industry from working on Sustainable Development Goals at the UN to working with a NGO on textile waste in China.

Stay tuned until the end of some career tips.

Main Topics of Episode:

1. How fashion brands can reduce their impact
2. What would a circular fashion economy look like?
3.  Recycled materials and fabrics
4. The use of Hemp in Clothing
5. Clothing sustainability certifications

Interesting Facts: Clothing lifecycle  is 1-2 years and only 1% of clothes today get recycled.

If you enjoyed the episode please leave a review so that we can reach more people with this podcast.

You can find Lilian on Linkedin and instagram at @lilianliu and  check out wearefuterra.com or @Futerra on IG to learn more about Futerra's work and the impact they are making. 

Follow me on Instagram to learn more about sustainable living an business: @green.and.grind

Hey guys. This week we have on Kelly Burton.  She is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Material Exchange. We’ll discuss environmental issues in the fashion industry which is one of the most polluting and what is being done about it. Stay tuned until the end of some career tips. If you enjoyed the episode please leave a review so that we can reach more people with this podcast. Next week we have on Lilian Liu, a sustainability strategist with Futerra. A agency who’s mission mission is to make sustainable development so desirable it becomes normal. Hope you Enjoy the episode!

Main Topics of Episode:

1. The current fashion industry
2. We talk about how price has impacted companies  ability to be more sustainable but this is  a misconception that Kelly addresses.
3.  How the sourcing of the material is very energy intensive and how Material Exchange is using digital technology to reduce the impact of this sourcing.
4. Kelly discusses 3-D prototyping and how that can reduce waste.
5. Transparency with brand and manufacturers. 
6. Trends on sustainable fashion in the future
7. The pervasiveness of microfibers

Interesting Fact: The material contributes to ~43% of the carbon footprint of a brands emissions

Kelly’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyburton/

Material Exchange Website: https://material-exchange.com

Green & Grind IG: @green.and.grind

Today I chat with the Zero Waste Guy, Jonathan Levy about waste and recycling!!⁠
Main Topics:⁠
-State of the Recycling Infrastructure ⁠
-Issue with the Zero Waste Movement⁠
-Composting⁠
-Career Tips!⁠
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Jonathan has a popular blog and instagram account where he talks about low waste living. We’ll discuss the current state of the recycling industry, what is being done to reduce waste, and tips on how you can reduce waste at home. Jonathan is very knowledgeable on the subject so this is a great episode! Stay tuned until the end of some career tips.⁠
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You can reach out to Jonathan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zerowasteguy/⁠
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You can check out his website: https://zerowasteguy.com⁠
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If you enjoyed the episode please leave a review so that we can reach more people with this podcast!