Lead The Change

Wendy Gordon never set out to become a tech entrepreneur. But, after several decades working with environmental organizations, she saw an opportunity. Wendy and her co-founder David Sand thought to themselves, “Wouldn't it be nice if there were a program where you could get reward points not just for spending money but for spending money wisely and for making other smart choices - like walking or biking to work, opting for renewable energy or a certified pre-owned iPad, or choosing clothes based on where and how they were made?” And so, they embarked on a journey to create PIPs Rewards.

An experienced entrepreneur and pioneer in the conscious consumer movement, Wendy is founder and CEO of ‘Positive Impact Points’ or PIPs Rewards. A trademarked brand of 3P Partners, a Certified B Corporation, PIPs leverages the power of points, smart tools and games to record and reward daily life choices that deliver personal and planetary benefit. PIPs won Best Game prize in NYC BigApps 2014, the nation's leading civic innovations competition.

Wendy also co-founded Mothers & Others with Meryl Streep in 1989 and originated the Green Guide, which was acquired by National Geographic in 2007. She has co-authored numerous books, including the award-winning True Food: 8 Simple Steps to a Healthier You (National Geographic, 2009). She serves on multiple boards including Rainforest Alliance, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Green Sports Alliance and Eugene Lang/The New School.

Subscribe to the Bard MBA in Sustainability program to stay tuned in to our twice-monthly podcast series featuring sustainability leaders from the New York City area and across the planet.

Sustainable Business Fridays: Entrepreneurship and Giving Before Taking

Martin Freeman of Bard's MBA in Sustainability spoke with Adam Kearney, Founder and CEO of Propsboard, to discuss his early beginnings as a community organizer. Kearney raised over $96,000 in four months for a family in need, taught himself how to code, and founded Propsboard-- a peer recognition start-up that uses office TVs to amplify company’s superstars. Kearney's company digitized Google’s Peer Recognition tool, giving Propsboard the edge that it needed to compete in today’s marketplace. This interview also dives into Kearney's successes, failures, and timeless lessons on the road to becoming a serial entrepreneur.

Prior to founding Propsboard, Kearney was the CEO of Connectome, now acquired, a music intelligence company that specialized in search, discovery, and recommendations. He sits on the board for The Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College, his alma mater. He is also the cofounder of Philly Startup Leaders, a flagship program featuring a fully integrated Startup Bootcamp and Accelerator helping up-and-coming entrepreneurs with strategy, vision, and execution.

“You have to be comfortable with failure, the unknown, and be relentless”.

- Adam Kearney 

Subscribe to the Bard MBA in Sustainability program to stay tuned in to our twice-monthly podcast series featuring sustainability leaders from the New York City area and across the planet. 

Sustainable Business Fridays: Recycling the Unrecycleable with TerraCycle

Alistair Hall from Bard’s MBA in Sustainability spoke with Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO of TerraCycle, to dig into this question, ‘why does garbage really exist?’

What is garbage? It’s a question that Szaky has been working to solve. Szaky and Terracycle start from the premise that everything can be recycled. Glass, metal, plastic are all recycled because there’s a straightforward business case to do so, but how about cigarette butts, paint, diapers, and more?

Terracycle’s imaginative approach and drive has taken them to 20 different countries, three seasons of a hit reality TV show, “Human Resources,” and the title of “The Coolest Little Start Up in America” by Inc. Magazine (to name just one of their many accolades).

The following Q&A is an edited excerpt from a Sustainable Business Fridays (SBF) podcast. SBF brings together students in Bard’s MBA in Sustainability with leaders in business, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Podbean.

Sustainable Business Fridays: Housing With Compassion, Development With A Vision

Sven Thiessen of Bard's MBA in Sustainability spoke with Elizabeth Celaya, Director of Organizational & Community Development at Hudson River Housing, Inc. Elizabeth oversees the agency’s Community Building & Engagement Department, and provides leadership to chart a course for future growth through strategic planning, partnership development, and fundraising.

Elizabeth spearheaded the creation of the Middle Main Revitalization initiative in the City of Poughkeepsie, a cross-sector collaboration focused on revitalizing the heart of the City’s Main Street. Starting with a shoestring budget and a handful of interested citizens, Elizabeth has spent the past six years growing this initiative into a key driver of change in the City of Poughkeepsie. Under her direction, the Initiative is responsible for coordinating monthly community meetings, community leadership trainings, neighborhood marketing, cultural events, economic development, and other activities that build strategic relationships and focus on strengthening the assets of the neighborhood. Recently, this work has expanded to include a focus on rural communities in Dutchess County which are facing unique affordability and economic development challenges.  

Subscribe to the Bard MBA in Sustainability program to stay tuned in to our twice-monthly podcast series featuring sustainability leaders from the New York City area and across the planet.  

Sustainable Business Fridays: Benchmarking Company Performance and CSR Practices

Reagan Richmond of Bard's MBA in Sustainability spoke with Bahar Gidwani, CSRhub CEO and Cofounder. Gidwani shared his thoughts on the evolution of ESG metrics and the potential of uncovering “dark data” to drive greater transparency in corporate sustainability. His years of experience running large technology-based businesses and work on Wall Street brings a great depth to the topic of data and corporate sustainability reporting.  

Sustainability professionals are becoming inundated with surveys, reporting frameworks, and guidelines. As the reporting metrics evolve, the industry needs more accessible and consistent ways to evaluate performance. CSRHub is working to do just that. With more than 94 million pieces of corporate sustainability data in its database, CSRHub is making many publicly-available data sets easier to browse and access.

Subscribe to the Bard MBA in Sustainability program to stay tuned in to our twice-monthly podcast series featuring sustainability leaders from the New York City area and across the planet.  

Sustainable Business Fridays: Sustainability In the Name of Innovation & Awareness

Katie Ellman of Bard's MBA in Sustainability spoke with Maureen Kline, Vice President, Public Affairs & Sustainability, Pirelli Tire North America on the role that innovation and technology plays in the present and future of the tire industry, to not only make it more sustainable but to also continue to improve performance and safety. 

In addition to her work with Pirelli, Maureen also writes a weekly column on sustainability for www.inc.com.  She also chairs the board of the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada and sits on the advisory board of the Corporate Responsibility Association where she co-chairs a Thought Leadership Council on Brand and Reputation Management.

Subscribe to the Bard MBA in Sustainability program to stay tuned in to our twice-monthly podcast series featuring sustainability leaders from the New York City area and across the planet.