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Stories from the front lines of business and sustainability innovation.
Episodes
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.
Friday Oct 19, 2018
Friday Oct 19, 2018
Moving the Needle Toward a More Holistic and Ethical Fashion Industry
The Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator (BF+DA), a Pratt Institute initiative, is a hub for ethical fashion and design that provides design entrepreneurs, creative technologists and industry professionals with the resources they need to transform their ideas into successful, triple bottom line businesses.
Approximately 15 emerging design businesses are selected to work from the BF+DA. Each year, the BF+DA also serves over 70 apparel production clients, 300 digital fabrication clients, and 4,000 event, tour, and educational program attendees. It’s also recently launched sustainability consulting offerings to further its mission and reach.
Debera Johnson is the BF+DA’s Founder and Executive Director. She also founded the Center for Sustainable Design Strategies at Pratt Institute and has been leading the integration of sustainability into Pratt’s art, design and architecture programs for over 15 years.
Bard MBA’s Lindsey Strange spoke with Johnson about BF+DA, its function as a hub for ethical fashion and responsible technology, and how it promotes triple bottom line values by linking financial success to an ethical and sustainable supply chain.
Friday Oct 05, 2018
Friday Oct 05, 2018
How Danone North America Became the Largest Certified B Corp in the World
Danone North America—maker of Dannon, Silk, So Delicious, Horizon Organic and Vega, among others—recently became the largest certified B Corp™ in the world for its commitment to social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency.
As a large multinational company, Danone North America demonstrated that certification is attainable, and should be an ambition for companies regardless of size or sector.
Deanna Bratter, Senior Director of Sustainable Development Strategy for Danone North America, led the company’s B Corp initiative. Bratter drives the company's sustainability strategy and programs to support the interconnectivity between the health of people and the health of the planet, and works to amplify the positive impacts of sustainability within business.
She oversees the organization's nature and sustainability focus areas, including commitments to solving climate change, advancing sustainable and regenerative agriculture, managing water sustainably, restoring natural ecosystems, improving packaging and supporting people and communities.
Bard MBA’s Sarah Hutcherson spoke with Bratter about Danone North America’s trailblazing sustainability efforts, including its B Corp journey and the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance.
Friday Sep 21, 2018
Friday Sep 21, 2018
Lyft is Working to Reclaim Cities for People, Not Cars
Lyft was one of the first U.S. companies to join former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s “We Are Still In” movement to declare its continuing commitment to the Paris Climate Accord. Shortly after, it outlined its own Climate Impact Goals, doing its part to address the threat posed by global climate change.
Sam Arons is Director of Sustainability at Lyft, overseeing the company’s sustainability and climate impact efforts. Sam cames to Lyft after 10 years at Google, where he developed the company’s sustainability efforts as Senior Lead for Energy & Infrastructure. Prior to his time with Google, Sam researched wind energy and plug-in vehicles at Williams College and UC Berkeley, respectively.
Bard MBA’s Reed Shapiro spoke with Sam about Lyft’s recent carbon offset announcement, vehicle electrification, and its vision for green cities—which it’s working to reclaim for people, not for cars.
#leadthechange
Friday Sep 07, 2018
Friday Sep 07, 2018
S’well Proves Sustainability Can Be Stylish
Sarah Kauss launched S’well in 2010 with the belief that a crave-worthy bottle that combined fashion with function would make people stop buying disposable water bottles, thus reducing single-use plastic consumption. Eight years after launching, S’well is the fastest growing woman-owned business in the United States.
Olivia Gossett Cooper, Bard MBA alum and founder of “Today We Will” and Silvr Inc., spoke with Kauss this past Spring about her inspiration for starting the company, how she got to scale, and how style matters in converting users to a sustainable lifestyle.
The Impact Report brings together students and faculty in Bard’s MBA in Sustainability program with leaders in business, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
#leadthechange