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Stories from the front lines of business and sustainability innovation.
Episodes
Friday Jun 28, 2019
Friday Jun 28, 2019
Cooperating to Bring the Good: A Conversation with Jonathan Reinbold
In 1988, a handful of Midwest family farmers fed up with the state of American agriculture gathered at the Viroqua, WI courthouse to talk about doing farming differently. Thirty years later, the farmer-owned cooperative they started, Organic Valley, represents more than 2,000 farmers in 34 US states and achieved $1.1 billion in 2018 sales.
Building on its founding mission of saving family farms through organic farming, Organic Valley has embraced a wide range of sustainability initiatives. It has committed to switching all of its remaining fossil fuel-based electricity to renewables by this year. It keeps the distance its milk travels as short as possible via a regional distribution model that includes a biofuel-powered fleet. And its Grassmilk products use dairy from 100% grass-fed cows, promoting animal and soil health, and sequestering C02.
Bard MBA alum Ben Volk spoke with Organic Valley’s then Senior Manager of Sustainabiltiy Jonathan Reinbold in the fall of 2018. They talked about the company’s cooperative business model, its new community solar initiative, and the future of the industry as a whole.
Friday Jun 07, 2019
Friday Jun 07, 2019
Canvas is on a mission to create a world of superhealthy people: A conversation with founder, Sarah Pool.
Sarah is the Co-Founder & CEO of Canvas, a healthy beverage company committed to improving individual and global health through functional nutrition and innovative technology applications. Sarah is the former Founder/CEO of Pacific Superfood Snacks, later acquired by Made In Nature. Sarah is a graduate of UC-Berkeley (M.A., B.A.).
Canvas is creating a new category of functional health beverages for improving the microbiome. Utilizing plants and science, our beverages are designed to optimize digestion and overall well-being.
Canvas is driven by a dynamic, intelligent, and passionate team committed to improving individual and global health through functional nutrition, innovative technology applications, and better food systems.
Their mission is to create a world of superhealthy people.
Partnering with VX Ventures and InBev, Canvas is using new technology to utilize spent brewers grain in their beverages. This process will prevent billions of pounds of grain from being discarded each year and will provide a nutritious drink option to people worldwide.
Bard MBA Alum Alexander Lykins spoke with Sarah in Fall 2018 about entrepreneurship in the food industry and how upcycling spent brewers grain is a game changer for the industry.
Friday May 17, 2019
Friday May 17, 2019
Investing in Peace Through Innovation: A Conversation with Shiva Sarram of the Blossom Hill Foundation
A world where conflict-affected children thrive. The vision of the Blossom Hill Foundation drives its mission to invest in solution-driven initiatives for refugees and internally displaced communities.
Over the last nine years, the Foundation has supported almost 56,000 war-affected children in 10 countries by funding breakthrough ideas through its Fellowship program. It invests in products like apps that teach literacy, projects such as STEM education centers near refugee camps, and programs like art, music and sports therapy that help refugee children develop critical life skills.
Fellowships offer up to $50,000 per year to fund innovative projects. Fellows must demonstrate their commitment to social change, as well as the need for and potential impact of their idea.
Bard MBA student Esra Elshafey spoke with Blossom Hill founder Shiva Sarram about the work of some of its current fellows and how the Foundation measures impact. Sarram was born and raised in Tehran during the devastating Iran-Irag war and has resided in the US since the early 1980s. Her passion for war-affected children as well as her education in economic development led her to the Blossom Hill vision.
Friday May 03, 2019
Friday May 03, 2019
SUSTAINABILITY IN SPORTS: Conversations with Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, Rocky Harris and Kaitlin Sandeno
According to Forbes the sports industry’s projected worth is to grow to over $70 billion this year. In January 2019, the New York Yankees became the first sports team in history to create the position of Environmental Science Advisor to its staff. The legendary sports franchise chose Dr. Allen Hershkowitz of the Natural Resources Defense Council, ex-President of the Green Sports Alliance and Founding Director of Sport and Sustainability International (SandSI) for this role.
Bard MBA student Alexandra Criscuolo, an athlete in her own right, spoke with Dr. Hershkowitz, Rocky Harris, CEO of USA Triathlon and Olympic gold medalist in swimming, Kaitlin Sandeno about sustainability in sports and how the field is primed to move fans and society toward a more sustainable future beyond the sporting arena.
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.