World-Changing Women Podcast

Now that the U.S. has just elected a presidential candidate with the most specific, ambitious and comprehensive climate plan ever put forward by a national party candidate, how can the new administration make up for the lost time over the last 4 years? Nicole Systrom, Founder of Sutro Energy Group, works with investors and clean tech social entrepreneurs and is a climate activist who believes there are things President Biden--and everyone--can and must do to address climate change in his first few months in office. As a member of Climate Leaders for Biden, she is laser focused on addressing the climate crisis and can discuss what’s needed from investors, philanthropists and policymakers to move the needle forward at last, from supporting local environmental justice groups to making a first low-carbon investment. And, as someone who advises clean-tech entrepreneurs, she’s knowledgeable about the innovation that’s needed from startups too. Come join us as we learn more about the much needed “investment revolution” to combat the climate crisis.

Nicole serves on the board of directors for Activate, a non-profit supporting entrepreneurial scientists and engineers tackling the world's biggest challenges; Prime Coalition, a non-profit providing funding to companies combating climate change; and the Energy Foundation.

Today we’re fortunate to be joined by Judy Samuelson, vice president at the Aspen Institute, Founder and Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program, and author of her new book THE SIX NEW RULES FOR BUSINESS: Creating Real Value in a Changing World. We’re going to talk about Judy’s path as well as get a sneak peek at her book, out January 12, 2021. In it, Judy discusses the profound shifts in attitudes and mindsets that are redefining our notions of what constitutes business success. Changes such as transparency, the power of the worker's voice, and the lessening importance of capital. How do we balance the needs of our global supply chains with the reality of our limited natural resources?. Judy gives us a roadmap on how to engage business decision-makers and identify the forces that are moving the needle in both boardrooms and business classrooms and offers a powerful guide to how businesses are changing today—and how best to succeed in tomorrow's economic and social landscapes.

Sustainability and climate are front and center among many corporations and U.S. manufacturers as they step up and adopt more sustainable practices around their supply chains across industries. Some are just getting started, hiring sustainability officers, switching to renewable energy, and taking other initial steps. Today, however, "do less harm," is not enough—companies need to operate as regenerative businesses that give back. Walmart, an early mover in this field, is moving into the sustainable and regenerative future. In this episode of SOCAP Leadership, SOCAP Global President Kate Bryne has a conversation with Walmart's Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Kathleen McLaughlin.

Today we are sitting down with author and co-Founder of the Omega Institute, Elizabeth Lesser. Through her work, be it the books she writes or the wellness she empowers through the Institute, Elizabeth fuels our creativity and social change. One of Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul 100, Elizabeth is one of a hundred leaders who are using their voices and talent to elevate humanity. This morning we are going to dive into her latest creation, Cassandra Speaks: When Women Are the Storytellers, the story changes. We’ll talk about power and investigate the role of men. What would the world look like today if the stories we grew up with, ranging from myths to the bible to fairy tales, were written from a female point of view? Listen and find out...

In this episode, we'll be hearing from serial tech entrepreneur, Cheryl Contee. Cheryl co-founded and sold her first company, Attentive.ly, and is now the CEO and Founder of the mission-driven digital agency, Do Big Things. On top of that, Cheryl is the author of Mechanical Bull: How You Can Achieve Startup Success, and she’s an award-winning political blogger. We recorded this conversation on June 3rd, 2020 in the midst of national protests of the murder of George Floyd. In our conversation, we talk about systemic racism in business and building diverse and equitable workplaces.

Show Notes:

The Way We're Working Isn't Working by Tony Schwartz and Jean Gomes

HBR Article: Advice on Launching a Tech Startup When You’re Not a White Man by Cheryl Contee

Welcome back to the World-Changing Women Podcast Season 4! To kick off the season, we're releasing our favorite Lightning bolt speakers from past World-Changing Women's Summit Events. In this episode, we'll be hearing from leadership thought-leader, Akaya Windwood. Akaya led the Rockwood Leadership Institute for over a decade and is now a Partner at Wisebridge - a consultancy committed to creating a world where people and planet thrive. Akaya is internationally recognized for elevating the effectiveness of leadership and collaboration in the nonprofit and social benefit sectors (plus, she has always been a crowd favorite at Conscious Company events). Today, she’ll be offering her leading edge perspective on patriarchy, hierarchy, race, the future of the planet, climate change, being a woman, and where to source our wisdom.

Marci Zaroff has been leading the charge in the health, wellness, and organic apparel industries since the '90s — as in, before it was cool. She actually coined and trademarked the term ECOfashion and has built numerous brands over her 25-year career, including The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Under the Canopy, Metaware, and Farm to Home. She's also the author of ECOrenaissance. On this episode, Zaroff and I discuss what it takes to start multiple businesses, how she's followed her intuition, and what advice she has for others who are trying to change the narrative in their own industries.

Jenn Graham is on a mission to drive civic engagement. Her tool of choice: the dinner table. Graham is co-founder & CEO of Civic Dinners, a national organization that facilitates important conversations in cities across the country by bringing strangers together to share a meal and discuss specific topics affecting their communities. But the beauty of the Civic Dinners model is that the action doesn't stop when dinner is over. She and her team have created actionable steps to take after leaving these dinners, steps that are driving real positive impact — including people running for office, laws being changed, and more. On this episode, Graham shares her personal story of discovering the power of getting involved and explains how she's created a successful organization that helps others do the same.

As a long-time vegetarian, Miyoko Schinner knew that eating a plant-based vegan diet was better for the environment, but she was finding it nearly impossible to give up one food item: cheese. So, over the years, she began tinkering with creating vegan cheeses made out of cashews and in 2012 ended up literally writing the book on how to make vegan cheeses. A couple of years later, after encouragement from others in the industry, she ended up launching a vegan cheese company: Miyoko's Creamery. At first, she imagined the company would remain small, but the market had other ideas with the demand for delicious vegan cheese outpacing her ability to make it. Fast forward five years and Miyoko's cheese is sold in more than 12,000 stores nationwide and the company is on track to hit over $100 million in sales in the coming years. On this episode, I sat down with Schinner to talk playing to your strengths, the challenges that come with tons of demand for your product, and what to do when you realize your own leadership is getting in the way of your company's success.

Did you know that one in every four girls fails to earn her high school diploma in four years, and that those numbers are even worse for girls of color? When girls do not complete high school, they experience higher rates of unemployment, earn significantly lower wages, and are more likely to need to rely on public support programs to provide for their families. Research has confirmed that single-sex schools benefit students that are the most educationally at-risk, including girls and minority students. After learning about this, Liz Wolfson had a vision for an all-girls school that would foster academic excellence and personal development for young women. Fast forward many years, and she is now the co-founder of GALS and BOYS, which are tuition-free charter schools and are the only public, single-gender, college-preparatory schools in Colorado, which are now expanding into other states. We sat down with Wolfson to talk education, how she built a school with no history of doing so, and how she has overcome the challenges along the way.