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Stories from the front lines of business and sustainability innovation.
Episodes
Friday Apr 19, 2019
Friday Apr 19, 2019
Taking the Trash Out of Takeout: Durham, NC’s GreenToGo
Imagine checking out a takeout container like you would a library book. Instead of a Styrofoam clamshell that you have to throw out, you’d get a reusable box that you’d return for cleaning and redistribution to another diner.
That’s the idea behind Durham, NC’s GreenToGo reusable takeout container service, which operates in local restaurants. Members use the GreenToGo mobile app to check out a reusable box for their takeout or leftovers from participating restaurant. Once they’re done with the box, they drop it back off, and it gets sanitized and returned, ready for the next customer.
GreenToGo's mission is to disrupt the status quo of our take-and-trash economy, and to inspire and proliferate the circular economy everywhere. Since its launch in 2017, its containers have been used over 2,000 times, and it’s been featured in Fast Company and on the PBS NewsHour.
Bard MBA alum Amy Campbell Bogie spoke with GreenToGo Founder Crystal Dreisbach about the heartfelt letter that launched the service, the factors that have contributed to its success, and being a solutionary.
Friday Apr 05, 2019
Friday Apr 05, 2019
Leveraging Best Practices in Sustainability For Customers & Company
Scott Tew’s sustainability journey began on his family’s produce farm in Alabama. There, he learned that “natural resources are precious gifts that need to be nurtured, protected, and never squandered.”
Today, Tew’s the Exective Director of Ingersoll Rand’s Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability (CEES). But, as he writes in Practicing Sustainability, in many ways he hasn’t travelled all that far from the farm.
The CEES supports all of Ingersoll Rand’s strategic brands—Club Car, Ingersoll Rand, Trane and Thermo King—and is responsible for forward-looking sustainability initiatives aimed at transitioning to more efficient and climate-friendly solutions, and minimizing resource use within company facilities. The company has appeared as a top performer in both the U.S. and World Rankings for the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).
Tew’s efforts have led to the development of world class initiatives, including the introduction of the company’s comprehensive triple bottom line targets, the creation of the EcoWiseTM product portfolio, and its industry leading public commitment to combat climate change at the UN Climate Summit.
Bard MBA alum Heather Bowden spoke with Tew about how Ingersoll Rand is fulfilling its bold climate commitment and the company’s global approach to sustainability.
Friday Mar 15, 2019
Friday Mar 15, 2019
Friendly Food on a Mission: A Conversation with Keeley Tillotson, CEO of Wild Friends Foods
Keeley Tillotson started Wild Friends out of her dorm room with her co-founder and roommate, Erika Welsh. Seven years later, their women-run company distributes their unique, healthy nut butters nationally.
On a mission to “make food friendly” for their customers, suppliers, and the planet, they make their products with short lists of clean ingredients, excluding palm oil, hydrogenated oils, and added sugar.
Wild Friends’ giveback program donates 1% of sales to help women and girls fund their dreams. Their first non-profit partner, Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest, provides resources and opportunities for girls of all ages to grow up strong, smart and bold.
Bard MBA candidate Caitlin O’Donnell spoke with Tillotson about creating a company culture, balancing fundraising and daily operations, and what keeps her going as a young entrepreneur.
The Impact Report brings together students and faculty in Bard’s MBA in Sustainability program with leaders in business, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
Friday Mar 01, 2019
Friday Mar 01, 2019
Mahindra Group Companies Rise Against Climate Change: A Conversation with Anirban Ghosh
For over a decade, the Mahindra Group has been leveraging its size and stature for maximum sustainability impact. Mahindra’s companies span 22 industries, operate in over 100 countries, and employ more than 240,000 people. Founded and headquartered in India, the Group is a US $20.7 billion global federation of companies.
So when Mahindra launched its “rise against climate change” campaign, the impact was significant. Not only is it the first Indian company to set an internal carbon price, it has planted over 15 million trees and committed to setting science-based targets. Its automotive business recently announced its intention to be carbon neutral by 2040.
Mahindra’s sustainability initatives are spearheaded by Anirban Ghosh. Under his leadership, Mahindra has developed an award winning sustainability framework and become a founding member of the Carbon Pricing Leadership. Ghosh, a noted speaker on sustainability, has been featured at the Global Climate Action Summit, COP21, the World Circular Economy Forum, and GRI Global. He’s acknowledged as a Distinguished Sustainability Officer.
Bard MBA Candidate Jesse Gerstin spoke with Ghosh about the company’s approach to sustainability, including its carbon pricing initiative.
The Impact Report brings together students and faculty in Bard’s MBA in Sustainability program with leaders in business, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
Friday Feb 15, 2019
Friday Feb 15, 2019
Crafting the Perfect Beer With the Spirit of Innovation
Ken Grossman founded Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in 1980, with the goal of providing his customers with the kind of beer he liked to drink—hoppy, dark and flavorful. His background in home brewing, uncompromising approach to quality, and financial savvy helped him build one of the most successful craft breweries in the U.S.
Sierra Nevada’s products are distributed in all 50 states and overseas. A second Sierra Nevada brewery opened in Mills River, North Carolina in 2013 to satisfy growing demand and reduce the company’s environmental impact.
Grossman embraces a philosophy of environmental, social, and economic health that informs his business decisions. Sierra Nevada is a steadfastly family owned and run business, and Grossman plays a large role in the brewery’s day-to-day operations.
Under his direction, Sierra Nevada’s brewing operation has evolved from using second-hand dairy vessels to one of the most state-of-the-art facilities in the world. The continued expansion of the craft beer industry challenges Grossman to hold true to the company’s spirit of innovation, which helped change the drinking tastes of millions.
Bard MBA candidate Carolyn Pincus spoke with Ken in fall 2018 about his journey from home brewing to leadership in the sustainable beverage industry.
The Impact Report podcast brings together students and faculty in Bard’s MBA in Sustainability program with leaders in business, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
#leadthechange
Friday Feb 01, 2019
Friday Feb 01, 2019
Focusing on Solutions—Not Silos: Vien Truong, CEO of Dream Corps
Shaped by growing up in Oakland, CA during the 80s—the city’s crack years, she says—Vien Truong has dedicated her career to fundamentally ending poverty. Truong is the President of the Dream Corps, and she believes in the power of an inclusive and equitable green economy.
Truong has developed numerous energy, environmental, and economic policies and programs at the state, federal and local levels, and has advised on billions of dollars in public investments for energy and community development programs.
In 2016, Truong received the White House Champion of Change award for her work on climate equity. That same year, she was also recognized as a "Power Shifter" on the Grist 50.
Bard MBA faculty member Jorge Fontanez spoke with Truong about what led her to this work, and how the Dream Corps is helping to solve tough problems by uniting innovators across racial, social and even partisan lines.
The Impact Report brings together students and faculty in Bard’s MBA in Sustainability program with leaders in business, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
Friday Dec 21, 2018
Friday Dec 21, 2018
Designing Buildings for Clients and the Environment
How does a small architectural firm end up fielding calls from Tesla? By designing the largest
residential microgrid on earth.
The project, a recent home renovation in Tuxedo Park, NY, includes geothermal wells, a
thousand solar panels, and enough battery capacity to interest Tesla. Architect Andrew Wright
explains that he began with a design for a net zero home, but that the decision to go totally off
grid turned out to be more cost efficient.
Wright is the president of Wright Architects, based in New York’s Hudson Valley. The firm
specializes in energy efficient design, complemented by renewable energy generation systems.
Bard MBA Alum Cindy Wasser spoke with him about current trends in sustainable architecture
and about what the future holds for Wright Architects and the industry as a whole.
Friday Dec 07, 2018
Friday Dec 07, 2018
Dow's Collaborative Blueprint for Unlocking Carbon Reductions
To date, Dow Olympic & Sports Solutions has delivered 3.64 million tons of CO2e reductions, and it’s on track to exceed 6 million tons by 2026. This unique partnership between Dow and the International Olympic Committee uses sport and the Olympic brand as platforms to demonstrate how science and technology can help the transition to a lower-carbon fture.
The collaboration leverages Dow’s materials science expertise, technologies, and science-based solutions to deliver climate benefits—and, in the process, to provide actionable lessons learned to organizations across sectors.
As Global Technology & Sustainability Director for Dow Olympic & Sports Solutions, improving the world through sport is more than an Olympic Movement philosophy, it’s a way of life for Nicoletta Piccolrovazzi. Piccolrovazzi helps organizing committees, bid cities, large-scale events, business partners and other key stakeholders address technology and sustainability-related needs with Dow solutions.
Bard MBA’s Stephanie Erwin spoke with Piccolrovazzi about how sports and the Olympics fit into Dow’s larger structure, business and strategy.
Friday Nov 16, 2018
Friday Nov 16, 2018
Elytus: In the Business of Wasting Nothing
In 10 years of business, Elytus has aided its clients in saving 175,000 admin hours, 20 million trees, and over $11 million dollars—all through its innovative technology and passion for the environment.
Elytus partners with clients such as Red Robin, Omnicare and Bob Evans to “waste nothing” by managing their waste streams through recycling, diversion or reduced generation. The company’s proprietary software system provides transparency into the waste management process.
Matthew Hollis, cofounder and president, is a mechanical engineer by training, and the company was born out of an incubator experience when he was a college sophomore. He currently manages daily operations, directs corporate strategy, and oversees the continued development of the firm’s software platform.
Bard MBA Alum Heather Bowden spoke with Hollis in May 2018 about Elytus’ journey, its own zero-waste practices, and driving the cultural shift to reuse.
Friday Nov 02, 2018
Friday Nov 02, 2018
Hunter Lovins On Our Finer Future
Hunter Lovins, President and Founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions, believes that citizens, communities and companies, working together within the market context, are the most dynamic problem solving force on the planet.
A champion of sustainable development for over 35 years, Lovins has consulted on business, economic development, sustainable agriculture, energy, water, security, and climate policies for scores of governments, communities, and companies worldwide.
Time Magazine recognized her as a Millennium Hero for the Planet, and she has won the Rachel Carson and Right Livelihood awards, among dozens of others.
Lovins has co‐authored fifteen books and hundreds of articles. Her best known book, Natural Capitalism, won the Shingo Prize. It has been translated into a more than three dozen languages and summarized in the Harvard Business Review.
Bard MBA Director Eban Goodstein spoke with Lovins about her trailblazing work in sustainability and her latest book, A Finer Future, which was released in September.