The Resilience Report

Lufa Farms is on a mission to change the way people eat by growing food where people live and growing it more sustainably. To accomplish this, the company built the world’s first commercial rooftop greenhouse in 2011 and three more greenhouses since then (built in 2013, 2017, and 2020). With each new greenhouse, Lufa Farms holds itself to an ever higher standard of sustainability and technical ingenuity growing dozens of vegetables, greens, and herbs hydroponically. All of their greenhouses run following their five principles of responsible agriculture: using no new land, recirculating water, conserving energy, reducing waste, and using biocontrols instead of synthetic pesticides.

Lufa Farms also partners with local farmers and food makers to provide customers with hundreds of products through their online Marketplace. Every week, the company distributes over 30,000 customized baskets filled with fresh, local, responsible food.

In this episode, host Lauren Scott speaks with Callie Giaccone (responsible for Lufa Farms’ PR and copywriting) to talk about how the business has evolved over the past 10+ years to now include a marketplace of local producers, the way it now includes rooftop and indoor gardens, how technology is at the heart of their business, how their direct giving program helps to support those in the city struggling with food insecurity, why Lufa Farms is certified pesticide free, and so much more!

Lufa Farms is an incredible example of how one entrepreneur can truly disrupt an industry for the better. Their growth trajectory is truly impressive, as is their desire to continue to do so as a means to create a better food system by growing food on city rooftops!

(0:00) Intro
(2:53) How Lufa Farms came to be
(4:00) Expanding facilities and offering
(5:17) Rooftop greenhouse vs indoor farm
(6:24) Selecting marketplace partners
(7:57) The role of technology in urban agriculture
(9:20) Montreal as the perfect weather testing ground
(11:33) The impact of the pandemic
(12:52) Finding and training urban farmers
(14:28) Water as a resource at Lufa Farms
(15:27) Lufa Farms Foundation

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Chrystal Healy is the VP Corporate Responsibility for Air Transat. In this episode, she dives into all things airlines and corporate responsibility. Of course, top of mind, is that of reducing emissions: we explore the different avenues the industry has taken, what technology is on the horizon, the impact of regulations around the world and even CO2 tunnel vision. We also explore the less often discussed social impact of the industry, including some of the incredible community and accessibility work being done at Air Transat. Chrystal shares some of the most common bottlenecks in deploying a sustainability plan, the importance of weaving E.S.G. into your organization’s overarching corporate strategy, the need for stakeholder buy-in, the role of listening when it comes to your sustainability approach, and so much more.

(0:00) Intro
(3:11) Chrystal in her own words
(6:27) Bringing Corporate Social Responsibility to an Airline (Air Transat)
(9:34) The biggest opportunities for ESG in the aviation sector
(12:01) The biggest obstacles being faced
(13:50) The role of governmental regulations in ESG across countries
(16:43) Sustainable Aviation Fuel: from the perspective of an airline
(20:49) Greewashing in the aviation sector
(25:18) The social impact potential of airlines
(30:43) Tips on starting an ESG program at your work
(33:28) How to maintain CSR momentum
(35:06) The importance of building a strong network
(36:51) What it will take for businesses and leaders to be resilient going forward

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On this solo episode of The Resilience Report, host Lauren Scott addresses a question that she get quite often, which is how can you balance your love of fashion (especially in a corporate environment) and the idea of minimizing your environmental footprint? 

This goes back to a principle you've probably heard many times in many different situations, which is reduce, reuse, and recycle. 

So how does this apply to fashion?  Tune in to find out.

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While we all appreciate having access to electricity, most of us probably don’t give too much thought as to how it gets to our homes and businesses. We just want it to go on when we need it, for it not to be too expensive, and to be as clean as possible.
We can largely thank our grid infrastructure for helping to have achieved this over the years. But the grid has its limitations:

• You are at the mercy of the fees charged by your local utility provider;
• Because everything is centralized, there are risks of major outages and even security threats;
• You don’t have control over the source of your power (for example coal vs renewable energy);
• And, more recently, the influx in electrification (notably of our cars) will put significant strain on the grid.

In seeing these issues in his own community of San Diego (home to the USA’s most expensive electricity), Rod Matthews decided to do something about it. In early 2020, this navy veteran and a partner of his founded a company called Brevian Energy. Offering affordable commercial microgrids, Brevian Energy partners with renewable energy providers (solar, wind, hydrogen) as well as storage solutions (typically batteries) to offer affordable, reliable, renewable power to homes, businesses, and communities

In this episode, Rod shares with us the difference between the classic grid, microgrids and mini grids, how microgrids can play a critical role in reducing energy costs, increasing resiliency and minimizing emissions. Rod also shares his path to founding Brevian Energy, key government incentives to propel this transition, and shares incredible resources supporting veterans and BIPOC and women owned companies, especially in the renewables space.

I loved chatting with Rod, and learning about how he identified a gap in the market, and has leveraged his entrepreneurial spirit and expertise to launch such an innovative company.

(0:00) Intro
(3:13) Rod in his own words
(5:16) What is the traditional grid, and what makes a microgrid different?
(9:15) Brevian Energy: a microgrid solutions provider
(13:19) Partnering with renewable energy and storage providers
(14:34) Microgrids for commercial buildings, neighborhoods
(15:38) Leveraging state and federal level incentives
(17:27) Remote communities: micro vs mini grids
(18:58) The need for microgrids with increased electrification
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As businesses and leaders navigate their sustainability journeys, one area continues to be a bit of a conundrum: aviation. We know that we need to reduce our carbon footprint, and yet corporate travel, sourcing components and delivering product continue to play a critical role in our operations. So how can we make aviation more environmentally friendly?

On this episode, host Lauren Scott dives into what might very well be the best option on the market: Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) with Ashwin Jadhav, Vice President of Business Development at Twelve, a chemical company for the climate era that makes everyday products from air instead of oil. At Twelve, Ashwin oversees the customer acquisition, sales and commercial strategy of their SAF products.

Ashwin is a self-proclaimed aviation nerd, bringing over 15 years of industry experience in business development, sales, and marketing at companies like Bombardier, Pratt & Whitney and IATA before joining Twelve. Ashwin holds a degree in Executive Leadership from the West Point Military Academy, and has an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

In this episode, he helps us to better understand the value of sustainable aviation fuel, how businesses and leaders with strong ESG programs are positively accelerating this model as are government regulations, how airlines can go about selecting sustainable fuel, the safety measures in place around the use of SAF, and much more.

So, the next time you have to fly or ship your business’ products, know that some incredible innovation is underway to make this more sustainable thanks those like Ashwin and his colleagues at Twelve. The exciting part is that sustainable aviation fuel is only going to increasingly soar!

(0:00) Intro
(3:00) Ashwin in his own words
(5:30) The impact of the aviation sector on global emissions
(7:38) Why the electrification of aircrafts is harder than vehicles
(11:27) What is Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)?
(12:56) Twelve: a carbon transformation company transforming the aviation sector
(15:48) Twelve's global locations
(17:58) E-Jet: opportunities and demand
(20:58) Roadblocks before takeoff
(24:33) The differences between countries and continents
(27:59) How airlines can source SAF
(29:40) Safety at the heart of SAF
(32:57)&

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Plastic. This one word has taken on monumental weight in today's economic and environmental conversations. And yet, I am sure all of us have come in contact with dozens or more plastic products over the past 24 hours alone.

Could the solution possibly lie in recycling plastic at an industrial level?

Jonathan B.-Mailhot joins host Lauren Scott as they nerd out on all things recycling and upcycling, from how plastic is even recycled, the ways in which it can be integrated into products, the role that marketers plan in advancing the industry, the circular economy, making important career moves into sustainability, and much more.

Jonathan leads sales and procurement at Les Plastiques DC inc and EnergiPlast. With over 4.5 million pounds of recycled materials being processed between the two plants on a MONTHLY basis, he enjoys playing a significant part in the circular economy within the plastics industry and continuing to learn from an experienced team surrounding him. 

Prior to this move into recycling, he was (as I mentioned) in the sports industry, notably as Senior Manager of Media Planning & Innovation for the Montreal Canadiens.
 Before joining the Habs, Jonathan was Director of Interactive Media with a growing software and online media company, PublicationSports.com / Spordle.

I promise you: you will never think of plastic the same way after this episode. And that, dear listeners, is a very exciting thing!

(0:00) Intro

(3:15) Jonathan in his own words

(4:55) The scope of the plastics (and recycled plastics) industry

(15:28) How many times can plastic be recycled?

(21:08) Plastic in your supply chain: impact on emissions

(25:37) Designing a plastic product with recyclability in mind

(31:08) The first step to bring recycled plastic material into product design

(35:27) The impact of the pandemic on the recycled plastics industry

(38:14) Navigating greenwashing in the industry

(42:33) Transitioning into the world of sustainability

(46:59) Advice for mid-career transitions

(49:15) Staying motivated and informed

(50:36) What it will take for businesses and leaders to be resilient going forward

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How Entrepreneurs and Technologists Might Just Save the Day

If you have been listening to The Resilience Report for a little while, it will come as no surprise that I deeply believe that innovation (from entrepreneurs and business leaders) is going to be what helps us take meaningful environmental action. Learning more about these brilliant minds and their businesses is truly where I draw my energy from in regularly recommitting to this work. In other words, I believe that in innovation, we can all find hope.

We often think of innovation as something that happens in the lab, or in the workplace. We can also fall into the trap of thinking that innovation is something that should just happen naturally. But did you know that there are experts and communities out there specifically focused on helping to drive innovation?

Our next guest is someone who has spent more than a decade creating this very culture of innovation amongst entrepreneurs and companies.

Noah Redler is the founder and President of Arche Innovation and an active member of the global innovation community. He is passionate about understanding how organizations and people are evolving in the era of perpetual innovation and a believer that we can ensure the harmonious integration of humanity and technology in society and the workplace.

Since 2010, Noah has been directly involved in the creation, development and implementation of programs designed to support entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems. He is frequently asked to speak on the subjects related to creating innovation cultures within organizations, the future of work and organizational transformation.

I consider myself lucky to know Noah, and to be able to see how he energizes, inspires and supports those around him. He is an absolute wealth of knowledge, and I hope that this episode gives you the spark you need to further integrate innovation into your sustainability path.

(0:00) Intro
(4:16) Noah in his own words
(11:02) Cultivating transformation and change
(15:44) Embedding innovation into the DNA of organizations of all sizes
(20:42) The first step to take towards innovation
(26:52) Building a circular economy in Victoriaville Quebec
(32:00) Nanosatellites: innovation and data collaboration
(35:18) The role of innovation hubs, incubators, and accelerators
(39:18) Does the state of the economy impact innovation?
(45:07) How sustainability made it into Noah's career
(49:48) A case for optimism
(53:00) What it will take for businesses and leaders to be resilient going forward

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Our next episode covers a topic that is so deeply important for businesses and leaders actively pursuing a better future. As someone who has volunteered on the conservation side and worked on the development side (through my time in renewables and green buildings), I have seen this topic play the deciding role. Truly at the intersection of environmental and social protection and economic development is the topic of environmental impact assessment.

Our next guest is an expert in the field and shares incredible insights into her work on this episode of The Resilience Report.

Kim Milligan has spent the last decade assessing the environmental impact of projects ranging from wind farms to hydro dams to infrastructure projects. Kim currently serves as a Project Manager on Major Projects for the Yukon Government. 

On this episode, she helps us to better understand this role, how environmental impact assessments have evolved to include social considerations, the differences between environmental protection from province to province to territory, the limitations of renewables given current infrastructure and more.

Kim is a brilliant, warm force for good, and I know you’re going to learn a lot from her over the course of this episode!

(0:00) Intro

(2:54) Kim in her own words

(4:46) What are environmental assessments?

(5:57) Which projects require environmental assessments?

(7:27) When do environmental assessments need to take place?

(9:31) Why stakeholder engagement is key

(12:16) Who is responsible for an environmental assessment?

(13:40) Key hydro projects in the Yukon

(15:58) How environmental assessments have evolved since the 60s

(18:35) The differences between provinces, territories

(21:00) Renewables reality in Yukon

(25:14) What it is like teaching environmental assessments at university

(27:38) Why starting in consulting might kickstart your career

(30:46) The power of one Ranger Rick article

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Join host Lauren Scott for a solo episode as she to dives into two words that we hear quite often in the business space, especially when talking about environmental responsibility: the first is that of greenwashing and the 2nd is newer and it's called green hushing.

We tackle these concepts on The Resilience Report is that these are actually two important considerations that businesses and leaders need to keep in mind as they really pave the way for more sustainable solutions.  

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Have you ever met someone for the first time, and, within minutes, you knew they were bound for greatness? These are those rare individuals whose positive energy is contagious, they are have a genuine zest for life, and they typically also have a clear vision as to where they are going.

Well, the first time I met Emilie Nketiah, I had just that thought. And I am so excited to be able to share some of her charisma, energy, and wisdom with you today on this episode.

So who is Emily?

She’s an experienced banker who successfully leaped into an exciting career in Organizational Development. She has held both formal and informal leadership positions within the financial industry, academia, real-estate and more recently transportation. 

Currently Vice-President of Talent & Culture at Transdev Canada (a global leader in transportation), her responsibilities center around creating, implementing, and sustaining business and HR practices that ensure Transdev continuously has the right people, in the right roles, at the right time. 

Her extra-curricular activities include mentoring and coaching adult learners, facilitating workshops on intercultural communication, emotional intelligence, and sensitivity training – all while completing post graduate degrees!

With her high energy, ability to inspire others, and drive to get results that matter, Emilie is the perfect person to discuss the key topics businesses face as we embark on our own respective sustainability journeys: the critical role of company culture, change management, navigating acquisitions, and so much more.

Like I mentioned: it took me only a few moments to realize that Emilie is going to move mountains; I have no doubt that you will leave this episode inspired and feeling the exact same way!

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