Planet | People | Mining

How can data help build relationships?

Musician, social scientist, and software entrepreneur Trevor Jones talks about the grit and long game of building a business, as he explains how listening and understanding the complexity of local cultures have driven him to build a tool that helps mining companies manage how they track community relationships. He gives us a quick tutorial on how AI is already empowering companies to deepen their analysis and be more proactive about building local trust.

Trevor is based in Colorado, and holds a Bachelors in Psychology from Tulane University, and a Masters in International Relations and National Security Studies from the University of Denver.  He is the founder and CEO of Lynx Global Intelligence software. 

How can positive legacies be more common?

Mining remediation expert, Devon Horntvedt, was raised surrounded by active and legacy mine sites in Colorado, knowing early on that remediation was on his career path.

We discussed how long after a company considers a site closed, work on water, land, and relationships thrives - positive legacies could be more common if lessons from remediation are part of planning.

Devon is an Environmental Engineer from Colorado State University, and has worked with consulting firms Tetra Tech and Worthington Miller, before key roles in legacy management at Newmont. Today, he leading the Mining & Metals practice of the firm Kennedy Jenks.

What does being a tech founder, a mining & sustainability pioneer, and a mom actually sound like?

Anastasia Kuskova, founder and CEO of beSirius, an AI-driven platform that simplifies alignment across sustainability standards for the mining industry, speaks to us about being an entrepreneur.

Ex Chief Sustainability Officer of the Eurasian Resources Group, and co-developer of ReSource, the battery traceability platform backed by Glencore and Tesla, Anastasia is truly global. She holds a degree in Economics from the Lomosov Moscow State University, a masters in banking and finance from the St Gallen University in Switzerland, and currently lives in Amsterdam.

How can a mine be the coolest tourist attraction?

Lorna Shaw - a connector among governments, communities, mine sites, and tourists - and I dive into how to make mining more understandable - including the value of opening a site up for a public tour.

Lorna shares how the industry should come more together to scale up the demystification of mining and the future of mining education through analogies from every day life.

Lorna draws on her background from companies (Newmont, Sumitomo, Kinross), government (Alaska state legislature and a U.S. senator), and trade associations (Council of Alaska Producers, Colorado Mining Association, Women's Mining Coalition, Alaska Miners Association) plus her degrees in business from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Bryan Eisenbraun, External Relations Manager for the La Plata Project in his hometown of Durango, Colorado brings fresh eyes to the intersection of mineral exploration and the community, having pivoted from finance and accounting roles within the region to his current position.

We explore his sharp yet aligned career transition, how his financial background strengthens community engagement, and his journey of viewing his own backyard through new perspectives.

Bryan holds an MBA from Drake University and a bachelor’s from Fort Lewis College. Outside of work, Bryan is an outdoor enthusiast and a dedicated soccer coach.

Monique Parker, Chief Sustainability Officer of Elevra Lithium, breaks down the "alphabet soup," treating ESG reporting as a collection of different love languages to connect with diverse audiences.

We dive into the "big V word" of leadership, vulnerability, and her experience adapting to different cultures & being comfortable with not knowing, all while building trust with teams.

¿Cómo se construye un equipo que comparte los mismos valores?

Javier Velarde se jubiló recientemente de Newmont, donde ocupó cargos de liderazgo en sostenibilidad y relaciones externas para América Latina. Nos habla de sus aprendizajes al manejar equipos de relaciones comunitarias, los fundamentos esenciales para fomentar la confianza y el papel que tienen los valores de una empresa al enfrentar desafíos comunitarios importantes.

Peruano y abogado de profesión, Javier es egresado de la Universidad de Lima y tiene una maestría en recursos naturales y derecho ambiental de la Universidad de Utah en los Estados Unidos.

¿Cómo transformar la confianza del público general hacia el sector minero a través de las redes sociales?

Paula Fernanda Sierra Vargas, conocida como Paula Minería, es una influenciadora en minería educativa que está transformando el sector, un TikTok a la vez, para sus más de 100,000 seguidores. Su trabajo demuestra cómo la nueva generación no distingue entre la vida profesional y personal. Ellos confían en la autenticidad que muestra cómo es trabajar en una operación minera, ser una profesional en el área y, al mismo tiempo, tener una vida llena de amor y diversión.

What has this one-year journey been, and where is it going?

Guest host, Beth Borody, CEO of The Femina Collective & co-host of podcast The Rebuild Podcast, helps me reflect on this year, the work of Pacha Associates, who needs it, and what I've learned so far. We then have a live brainstorm of what's to come.

Beth's career builds on her years of deep experience in various community organizations, then as a sustainability leader with New Gold at the site and corporate levels. Her expertise led to several successful years as an independent consultant & mining sector lead for IRMA. In 2021, she founded the Femina Collective, a network of bold and ambitious women passionate about changing women's experiences and representation in the natural resource space. She envisions transforming the industry by creating safe spaces where women can collaborate, grow, and push for meaningful change.

What happens when you start listening to those protesting the mine?

Kieren Moffat, CEO and co-founder of the firm, Voconiq, left the mine site to focus on the signs posted outside the fence, both supporting and opposing the mine, as he wanted to understand how the two sides could build a better relationship. He led research at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, to initially debunk the concept of social license, only to become one of today’s top global experts.  In 2019, he co-founded Voconiq, which provides tools so that companies and industries can listen to community voices, & learn how enabling a fair, transparent & consistent experience can lead to deeper trust. Kieren holds a PhD in social psychology from the University of Queensland.