Poetry of Impact

Eliot Kotek and Jared Ruga are award-winning filmmakers who believe that media has the power to shift our perspective and behaviors in positive ways. Eliot is the Founder and CEO of The Nation of Artists, a production company and creative partner with social impact at its core, and Jared is the Founder and CEO of the socially conscious, ethos-driven media production house, Vavani Productions. They both know first-hand that filmmaking can be a powerful culture-building tool that amplifies voices and leverages storytelling for a cause. In this episode, we discuss the evolving role of media, from the digital renaissance of streaming to the disruptive influence of AI on content creation and consumption. We delve into the interplay between commercialism and philosophy in media and how content can change forms without losing its depth or impact. For content creators navigating the complexities of media consumption, this inspiring conversation offers practical insights and thought-provoking questions to ask yourself about the purpose and ethical dimensions of media, so be sure to tune in today!

In this episode, Elliot and Jared talk about:

• The evolving role of media in a post-streaming world [03:16]
• How socially conscious filmmakers are responding creatively to changes in the market [14:15]
• Tools that The Nation of Artists uses to measure the impact of their documentaries [21:34]
• Personal traits and company mottos that augment the mission to amplify voices and leverage storytelling for a cause [23:40]
• What media means (commercially and philosophically) and what its limitations are [28:10]
• Why purpose and empathy are powerful components of storytelling for a cause [34:55]
• “Digital apnea” and the current evolutionary tipping point of media consumption [44:09]
• The future of media and how AI will impact content creation and consumption [50:04]

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Cameron Williams and Zack Richner join us to share their insights on the reasons behind the disappearance of local newspapers in the United States and the consequences communities face. But it’s not all doom and gloom! This conversation is filled with innovative solutions. While Cameron and Zack both grew up in the newspaper business, they’re still bringing fresh perspectives to the industry. Cameron Williams is the Chief Revenue Officer at The Ogden Newspapers and the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Nutting Company. Also joining us is Zack Richner, the Founder and Managing Partner of Arrandale Ventures. If you care about the quality of journalism, you’ll really enjoy this episode! Thanks for tuning in. 

In this episode, Cameron Williams and Zack Richner talk about:

• Differentiating between national, local, and global media and understanding the reasons certain types are favored. [02:58]
• Relativism in local media and reporting and aiming to make a difference on a federal level. [13:43]
• The opportunity to reinvent the business model in local news. [18:59]
• Navigating biases and allowing for various types of content, including user-generated stories.. [26:30]
• Prioritizing wellness in a challenging and high-pressure work environment. [34:04]
• What the real proven cost of the death of local news means for communities. [37:23]
• Resourcing challenges for small media businesses and how listeners can support local journalism. [40:33]

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Tillie Walton is an award-winning conservationist, hydrologist, river guide, and speaker. As the host of Wild Rivers with Tillie on PBS, she uses her knowledge and passion to help people connect more deeply to self, others, and nature. Join us today as Tillie tells us about the immersive nature experience in high school that ignited her deep and abiding love for rivers and what she learned from coming into contact with the margins of life through her immersion in backcountry living. She shares how these experiences inspired her to study waterways from both a scientific and an experiential perspective before giving her insights on the unique annual river trips she hosts for influential leaders. Tune in to learn about the profound shifts that occur when folks embrace the discomfort of the backcountry and give themselves over to river time. 

In this episode, Tillie Walton talks about:

• The journey that led her to the backcountry [03:13]
• Our profound connection to water and what it means to be fluid beings on earth [11:36]
• What inspired her to bring river experiences to others [20:03]
• Details about her annual group trip and the beautiful things that have come out of it [23:31]
• What she takes into account when putting a group together [26:41]
• Important facts about the Colorado River and the connection that Native American communities have to it [31:08]
• Learning to embrace harsh backcountry conditions and its impact on participants [33:02]
• A parting message of appreciation for the sublime nature of water and a reminder to consciously look out for moments of awe and wonder [36:34]

Resources: 

Learn more about Tillie’s annual river trip for influential leaders. 

Tune in to Wild Rivers with Tillie. 

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Joining us today are Josh Bernstein and Brett Howell, two founders with a passion for nature, problem-solving, and wild spaces. Josh is an explorer, educator, and storyteller, and the chair and founder of First Light Group, a collection of for-profit and nonprofit entities that elevate programming and content. Brett is the founder and executive director of Howell Conservation Fund, a company driving breakthrough solutions at the intersection of business, nonprofit work, and philanthropy. In today’s conversation, we learn about the journeys that led these two out-of-the-box thinkers to their shared belief in combating the world’s most pressing issues from a place of engagement, innovation, and solutions rather than a fear-based focus on problems. We delve into the profound impact of getting outside and spending time in the wild before learning how these two avid world travelers stay centered amidst the chaos of perpetual motion, and what they do to cultivate a curiosity-driven approach to collaboration across cultures. They also provide insight on how they managed to transcend traditional categories in their front-country work to create hybrid platforms that utilize diverse models of problem-solving, reflecting their deeply held beliefs on collaboration, innovation, and openness.

In this episode, Josh and Brett talk about: 

• Josh and Brett’s work and their shared focus on solutions, not problems [03:01]
• Contrasting time around the campfire with modern-day screens and content [12:15]
• Our need for wildness and wild spaces as human beings [19:44]
• How our cultural production has outpaced our evolutionary presence [27:32]
• Josh and Brett’s personal strategies for staying centered while being in motion [32:15]
• Traveling with an attitude of humility and openness to other cultures [37:15]
• Striking the tricky balance of managing modern business demands with working in wilderness spaces that don’t have those same time pressures [42:01]
• How Josh and Brett established their hybrid platforms to transcend traditional secular boxes [47:04]

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Join us on the Poetry of Impact podcast as we welcome Kate Nevin, President and Portfolio Manager of TSWII, and Kate Horin, VC at H/L Ventures and City Rock Venture Partners. These two impact investors have a shared mission to promote diverse founders and portfolio managers in the investment space, and in this episode, they share their parallel paths to impact investing, despite their different backgrounds, and their hopeful outlook on diversity. We talk about the importance of bringing multidimensionality into your career (and the toxicity of work as identity) as well as the power of finding like-minded individuals and building a supportive community. Both Kates share their insights into how they stay motivated and support one another in their mission and why fostering diversity needs to be a collective effort. Tune in for an inspiring conversation with two women pouring their whole selves into making a difference.

Bruce Friedrich is the founder and CEO of the Good Food Institute (GFI). As a child, he
became profoundly aware of the poverty and starvation of others and was compelled to do
something about it. He explains how this led him to found GFI to address global poverty and
challenge the industrialized food system. GFI does this while also supporting a work culture that
promotes vocational self-actualization and avoids burnout. This conversation highlights Bruce’s
belief that making animal products without animals (plant-based and cellular agriculture) can do
a huge amount to prevent climate change, preserve biodiversity, and mitigate existential risks.

Jennifer McFarlane, a strategic CFO at both public and venture-backed companies and a finance and climate justice expert with decades of experience shares her path towards a blended finance perspective that incorporates values. Jennifer talks about her journey through the climate crisis and her recognition that the West has not yet accepted responsibility for climate change in the Global South. She also gives examples of her work with SV2 Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund and NEXTracker, highlighting the critical importance of making economics work.

Elizabeth Funk is the co-founder and CEO of Dignity Moves, an organization tackling the issue of homelessness. In this episode, Elizabeth shares her experiences from the early days of the internet at Yahoo, her motivation to use her entrepreneurial spirit for philanthropy, and her current passion project of ending homelessness. The conversation highlights Elizabeth's knowledge and approach to impact investing, her belief in the power of capitalism to solve problems at scale, and how she navigates the ethics of this. 

Hedda Pahlson-Moller is the founder and CEO of Tiime, an advocacy, advisory, and education provider focused on impact investing. Her family also owns a forest in Luxembourg. In this episode, Hedda talks about her deep, personal connection to the forest, how she often feels that she is in conversation with it, and how it has taught her to slow down. Hedda shares her thoughts on the tension that exists between philanthropy and impact investing, where this tension comes from, and how we can move past it for the greater good. Hedda also shares to what degree deep self-work is a prerequisite for creating impact and how to help people feel the moral imperative of this personally.

Stef van Dongen is an innovator, an entrepreneur, and the founder of Pioneers of Our Time. While working with high-powered leaders and change-makers, he realized that they were making important decisions for the future of the world from a place of being disconnected from themselves, nature, and the consequences of their choices. In this episode, you’ll hear how Stef discovered an attunement with nature that set him off on a journey to help change makers reconnect with themselves and nature while working to restore and regenerate the forest ecosystem and rural economy of the Muga Valley.