This episode features a conversation between Phil Dillard, Founder of Thruline Networks, and Kendon Jung, a Senior Global Futures Scientist and the Manager of Zero Waste Enterprise Design, both at Arizona State University. Kendon is also Chair of the Sustainability and Resiliency Commission for the City of Tempe, Arizona.

Kendon is a designer of zero waste enterprises and a sustainability scholar. He received his Bachelor's in Sustainable Urban Dynamics from Arizona State University in 2013, and a Master's in Higher and Postsecondary Education in 2016. His vision is to make sustainable futures universally accessible and usable, and empower every individual to achieve their highest potential. Kendon has been on the forefront of desert water policy, global corporate social impact, and urban resiliency in three nationally recognized research centers, and is relentless in his commitment to and pursuit of sustainable solutions for all.

In this episode, Kendon talks about how he initially became interested in the field of sustainability, why zero waste matters and the importance of defining circular economy within academia, and the most important thing that individuals can do to lead to a more sustainable and regenerative future.

“An important piece of building a better future is sustained change. So, it doesn't mean you have to be Captain Planet. It doesn't mean that you have to completely change your entire way of working. What it does mean is picking a small thing that you can work to change your habits around, and continually doing that.” - Kendon Jung

(02:21) Kendon’s background

(08:13) Successful sustainability in Tempe

(18:22) Experience in advancing sustainability outcomes

(24:33) Kendon’s moment of epiphany

(29:52) Evoking emotion to comprise climate action

(35:48) Defining circular economy within ASU

(41:12) How you can lead to a more sustainable and regenerative future

Kendon’s LinkedIn

Phil’s LinkedIn

Thruline Networks

This episode features a conversation between Phil Dillard, Founder of Thruline Networks, David Montgomery, a MacArthur Fellow, and Professor of Geomorphology at the University of Washington, and Anne Biklé, published science writer and public speaker. 

Together, they’ve recently published: What Your Food Ate: How to Heal Our Land and Reclaim Our Health, a book that builds on their trilogy of books about soil health, microbiomes, and farming.

David is an internationally recognized geologist who studies the effects of geological processes on ecological systems and human societies. He is the author of several textbooks in his field and his work has been featured in documentary films, network and cable news, television, and radio.

Anne draws on her background in biology and environmental planning to explore humanity’s tangled relationship with nature through the lens of agriculture, soil, and food. Her writing has appeared in digital and print magazines, newspapers, and her work has been featured in radio and independent documentary films.

In this episode, David and Anne talk about the power of regenerative gardening, the need for conventional agriculture to modernize rapidly, and address the primary issue with current agriculture: monocultures.

“Most of what feeds the world are not these big, mega farms. It's small farmers, most of whom are women. When you look at things on a global basis, it's not the North American grain farmer. I look at the incredible food waste, at least in North America, and it's like, do we really need to scale up if we're throwing 30 or 40 percent of our food away? And it's not just food we're throwing away, there was a lot of petrochemicals and a lot of agrochemicals and a lot of people's time that went into getting that kind of a yield, and we're throwing that away. That's just wasteful.” - Anne Biklé

“In terms of individual consumer action, you look for the regenerative label in stores. People are starting to label food as regenerative now. A way that consumers can support that movement is to actually start eating that food, see how you like it. If you can connect with regenerative farmers at farmers markets and find out what they're doing and support them, supporting farmers who are doing the right thing by their land is a really good thing to do as a consumer. But it's not always possible to tell that when you go into a grocery store with the signals that we get of exactly how your food was sourced. And so there's also the idea of trying to exert political pressure on elected representatives.” - David Montgomery

(02:18) David and Anne’s current roles

(11:48) Getting involved in their work

(23:04) Collaborating with other scientists

(29:46) Conventional versus modern agriculture

(39:52) Addressing the problem of agriculture: monocultures

(47:53) How to contribute to reforming agriculture globally

Dig2Grow.com

Phil’s LinkedIn

Thruline Networks

This episode features a conversation between Phil Dillard, Founder of Thruline Networks, and Coco Zhang, Vice President of ESG Research at ING, a pioneer in digital banking and on the forefront being one of the most innovative banks in the world.

Coco actively provides analysis and engages with stakeholders on energy transition, climate change, sustainable finance, clean technology adoption, and environmental, social and governance regulation topics. 

Prior to joining ING, Coco held positions with Eurasia Group, as well as United Nations agencies in New York, Geneva, and Paris. She has also done consultancy work for the Mexican Energy Regulatory Commission to optimize Mexico's Clean Energy Certificate reform plan. 

Coco earned a bachelor's degree in government and film studies from Smith College, and a dual Master's degree in energy and the environment from Columbia University, and in international public management from Sciences Po Paris.

In this episode, Coco talks about her current role at ING, her background in ESG, the recent trends in the market today, and ESG trends in different countries around the globe.

“Learn more about what's going on in the climate change, sustainability, and ESG area. There’s a lot of good information sources for people to get more informed, but it also requires active thinking to filter out the noises that can be misinterpreted flying around the markets, but to get the essence of ESG and sustainability. On top of that, there is a great role for consumers to play as well. We might not be always incentivized to spend a premium to purchase a very sustainable product, but I think the trend is happening and a lot of the companies are indeed communicating with us to really build their brand, that puts accessibility at a center stage and as consumers we can eventually grow more of a willingness and habit to choose products in a very systematic way and ultimately live in a more systematic way. I think the demand side from consumers is something that's going to have a great impact on the economy as well.” - Coco Zhang

(02:07) Coco’s role at ING

(07:05) Coco’s background in ESG

(11:50) Recent trends in the market

(19:54) ESG around the globe

(27:48) Final thoughts

Coco’s LinkedIn

ING Website

Phil’s LinkedIn

Thruline Networks

This episode features a conversation between Phil Dillard, Founder of Thruline Networks, and Henry Gordon-Smith, Founder and CEO at Agritecture, the world's leading urban agriculture blog, consultancy, and now farm planning Software as a Service. 

With over 11 years of experience in the field, Henry is a trusted advisor to corporations, investors, and new farmers on vertical farming feasibility, design, marketing, and due diligence. He is also a strategic advisor to several AgTech startups, including Smallhold, and Foodshed.io, and a board member of Indoor Ag-Con, EFUA, and previously Teens for Food Justice. 

Henry holds an MSc in Sustainability Management from Columbia University, a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia, and coursework in Food Security and Urban Agriculture from Ryerson University.

In this episode, Henry talks about all things vertical farming, the inevitable hybridization of agriculture, and the founding stories of his company, Agritecture.

“I think most people simply have just been disconnected. As we've urbanized our society, we've been able to do that because of this greed revolution which has allowed us to centralize agriculture and lands far, far away. And the sophisticated supply chain that lets it bring us to anywhere we want in the world. Many of us can eat something from anywhere in the world. That system has led to us and both been part of us moving to cities and becoming more urbanized. And so, food and cities, agriculture and cities became separated when before that they were actually more integrated. Long story short, people don't have that connection to agriculture anymore.” - Henry Gordon Smith

(01:50) Henry’s background

(11:28) Agritecture’s mission

(25:34) The hybridization of agriculture

(28:42) Vertical farming

(42:33) Quick hit questions

(45:34) Final thoughts

Henry’s LinkedIn

Agritecture Website

Phil’s LinkedIn

Thruline Networks

This episode features a conversation between Phil Dillard, Founder of Thruline Networks, and Sasja Beslik, Chief Investment Strategy Officer at SDG Impact Japan.

With over 20 years of international experience in sustainable finance, Sasja has extensive knowledge of the global investor community and the emerging opportunities and challenges in the transition to a sustainable economy. He currently leads the development of innovative investment, lending, and advisory solutions that align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and create positive social and environmental impact. His work has been recognized and awarded by various organizations, such as the World Economic Forum, the United Nations, and the Swedish Royal Family.

In this episode, Sasja talks about his tool kit for driving real change in a modern world, the importance of continuing to inspire the next generation of environmental activists, and how anyone can use the financial system in order to shift its focus for the better.

“I looked at the system that is, at its core, the most global denominator around the world, and that's money. So, you can be from any country in the world, but you can always trade and you can always talk money. And the global economic system and financial industry is a global citizen. The only, I would say, truly global citizen, because you shift the money across the borders all the time. In general, the financial industry has that sort of global touch. So, you can work in New York, Hong Kong, Japan, Frankfurt, or London, it doesn't matter. It's the same language.” - Sasja Beslik

(02:14) About Sasja’s role

(14:48) Creating impact through finance

(20:05) Outsiders influence on environmental situations

(23:47) Living in a world of artificial intelligence

(28:59) Tools for driving change

(35:58) Directing the next generation

(41:02) Inspiring people to listen and make active change

(44:08) Quick hit questions

Sasja’s LinkedIn

SDG Impact Japan Website

Phil Dillard’s LinkedIn

Thruline Networks

This episode features a conversation between Phil Dillard, Founder of Thruline Networks, and Kristin Toth, President & Chief Operating Officer at Vesta Home, a vertically integrated luxury design firm.

Kristin’s career is marked by her ability to lead and grow companies – previously as President and COO of Fernish, COO of Dolly, CEO of Code Fellows, VP of Operations at zulily, and in various leadership positions at Amazon.com.

In this episode, Kristin talks about systems thinking in sustainable business, the lessons she learned from leaving her comfortable position at Amazon, and why overcoming fears is pivotal for career growth.

“I think really in the last decade of my career, I've realized that if I wanna make a big impact, I only have 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And it's super fulfilling and exciting, but also like really crucial to impact, to be building and empowering teams, creating great culture, rolling through all of the ups and downs that you have in supporting the team through that, because by empowering a team, developing a team, developing individuals, you're able to make just such a bigger impact. And so, when I'm sort of measuring what I wanna do next, or how I wanna approach something from a personal perspective, it's really about how do I make the biggest positive impact I can on people, on teams, on companies, on, you know, the world.” - Kristin Toth

(00:29) About Kristin and her background

(08:39) Systems thinking in sustainability

(12:10) Lessons learned from leaving Amazon

(18:51) Addressing skill set gaps for success

(23:00) Overcoming career fears

(33:04) Driving change for people through the organization

(38:37) Strengths and weaknesses of the business model

(42:46) Final thoughts

Kristin’s LinkedIn

Phil Dillard’s LinkedIn

Thruline Networks

This episode features a conversation between Phil Dillard, Founder of Thruline Networks, and Maureen Kline, Vice President, Public Affairs & Sustainability at Pirelli Tire North America.

Maureen is passionate about sustainability, stakeholder capitalism, ESG, responsible supply chains, circular economy and corporate political responsibility. Her background is in international public affairs, sustainability, journalism and communications.

In the past, Maureen was a Wall Street Journal Europe correspondent covering Italy, and today she occasionally writes a column for Inc.com on the topic of corporate sustainability and social responsibility. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics.  

In this episode, Maureen dispels the many myths about sustainability, how she transitioned into the sector, and breaks down the concept of sustainability into sizable bites.

“I think innovation is just an absolutely huge part of the sustainability conversation because we are a growing population. We're not living in mud huts anymore. And so, we need to find ways to have skyscrapers that have a closed loop waste stream, you know, all of these innovations that we just never thought of before, because we need them.” - Maureen Kline

(00:33) Maureen’s role and background

(09:42) Breaking down sustainability

(14:20) Transitioning into sustainability

(19:21) Dispelling myths about sustainability

(23:59) Value chain of the industry

(31:15) Greenwashing

(41:25) Opportunities for entrepreneurs

(43:34) Quick hit questions

Maureen Kline’s LinkedIn

Phil Dillard’s LinkedIn

Thruline Networks

This episode features a conversation between Phil Dillard, Founder of Thruline Networks, and Jonce Walker, Principal and Global Director of Sustainability and Wellness at HLW.

HLW is a leading international full-service planning, architecture and design firm that is building the future from skyscrapers to the workplaces of today’s most innovative companies. 

Jonce oversees the coordination of a holistic, integrated design process - from managing BEYOND, HLW's in-house sustainability, resilience, and building performance consultancy, to reinforcing the firm's pledge, advocating for carbon-neutral construction in the next 10 years. 

In this episode, Jonce talks about the importance of weaving sustainability into each stage of the design process, improving end-user health and wellness, questioning the norm, designing with passion, and building the future.

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Guest Quotes

“In 10 years, we should have a carbon free grid. We should be building and designing spaces that are regenerative, meaning we need to dig out of the hole we've created, from a carbon and ecology perspective, and it needs to be a net positive situation. It's a must.” - Jonce Walker

Episode Timestamps

(01:46) About HLW

(07:02) Jonce’s background

(15:21) A moment of euphoria

(20:13) Designing for creativity versus impact

(26:46) Certifications and safety in the space

(35:06) New tech and innovations

(38:13) Quick hit questions

Links

Jonce Walker’s LinkedIn

HLW Website

Phil Dillard’s LinkedIn

Thruline Networks

This episode features a conversation between Phil Dillard, Founder of Thruline Networks, and Dan Kurzrock, CEO and Co-Founder at Upcycled Foods Inc. and ReGrained.

Upcycled Foods, Inc. powers the B2B upcycled food economy with product development expertise, cutting-edge technology, and a growing portfolio of ingredient solutions. With its innovation hub – the Upcycled Food Lab – the company leads the way for food makers as the go-to development partner.

With a mission to better align the food we eat with the planet and people we love, ReGrained is an upcycled ingredient company and innovation partner that works with great companies to close the loop with better foods for you and the planet. 

As you can tell, Dan spends most of his time championing upcycled food and the circular economy. Outside of that, you can find him conducting part-time gravity research on a mountain, nerding out with great books, or jamming to great tunes.

In this episode, Dan talks about the importance of upcycling food, regenerative agriculture, and the circular economy.

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Guest Quotes

“For the first few years, there was a lot of awareness building around what food waste is, what upcycling is. I used to give a lot of talks at places like industry trade shows and used to have the room raise their hand if they've heard of upcycling. There used to be like one or two people in the audience. Now, it's almost everybody.” - Dan Kurzrock

Episode Timestamps

(01:59) Dan’s vision at Upcycled Foods

(06:56) Product life cycles and supply chain

(10:24) Dan’s background and path to entrepreneurship

(18:05) Creating a patent and expanding the startup

(24:52) Enabling innovation for B2B customers

(29:50) Measuring impact over time

(37:21) The future for Upcycled Foods

Links

Dan Kurzrock’s LinkedIn

Upcycled Foods Inc

Phil Dillard’s LinkedIn

Thruline Networks

This episode features a conversation between Phil Dillard, Founder of Thruline Networks, and Corey Blumenthal, Sustainability Specialist at Shake Shack. 

Corey spent years in public relations, witnessing firsthand the influence businesses have in driving social and environmental change. Her work inspired her to return to school to complete a Master's in Energy & Sustainability from Northwestern University, concentrating on sustainable food systems, and leading her to her current role.

In this episode, Corey talks about the importance of breaking down food sustainability into digestible pieces, no pun intended. She brings to light the current talent gap in the sustainability field, the urgency of empowering people to act now, and provides a glimpse into the future of corporate social responsibility and impact.

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Guest Quotes

“In business practice, sustainability is good business. It's efficiency, it drives revenue based on this efficiency. It drives consumer retention, it drives employee retention. I think it's just generally good business and I imagine especially with, hopefully, policy regulations, it's going to be something that isn't just a nice to have, but a requirement for organizations. And I do see that happening, fingers crossed, hopefully sometime in the near future, which goes back to collaboration. You know, we need to have cross industry, we need to have cross sector, private, public. This isn't something we can solve climate change as a silo.” - Corey Blumenthal

Episode Timestamps

(00:46) Corey’s current role and background

(07:24) The talent gap in sustainability

(09:18) Making discussing sustainability easily digestible

(14:46) Consumer responses to sustainability

(16:43) The DNA of Shake Shack, it’s mission and structure

(25:58) Micro versus macro sustainability issues

(34:04) The philosophy and cost behind eating sustainably

(35:41) Unpacking sustainability

(42:50) Quick hit questions

Links

Corey Blumenthal’s LinkedIn

Phil Dillard’s LinkedIn

Thruline Networks