Podcasts
Insightful and engaging conversation on leadership, innovation, and careers, focused on energy, the green economy and social impact.
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What Are Green Building Materials? Wendy Vittori, HPD Open Standard
Identifying The Safety Of Green Building Materials
“Any product that is used to construct the building, finish the building, or furnish the building is comprehended within our standard,” Wendy Vittori on Green Connections Radio. The green building sector is booming, and expected to grow to $433 billion by 2024, in efforts to combat climate change, since buildings comprise 40% of U.S. carbon emissions. But, as we wait for answers to what exactly caused the Champlain Towers in Surfside, Florida to collapse, we must ask: how do we know these materials are safe? To find out, listen to Wendy Vittori, Executive Director of the Health Products Declaration Collaborative, which developed the Open Standard being used to publicly disclose what is actually in all building materials, in a consistent, reliable and transparent way.
Are ‘Green’ Buildings Safe? – Elizabeth Thompson, USGBC
“Any concrete new mixture, whether it’s embodied carbon or flyash or any other innovation in making concrete more sustainable one way or the other in terms of the material itself, those are all tested through a rigorous standardized process.” Elizabeth Thompson, USGBC on Green Connections Radio podcast
As our hearts go out to the people in Surfside, Florida coping with the loss of their loved ones and friends in the catastrophic building collapse, this tragedy raises some hard questions that the “green” building community needs to answer. First among them is: Do sustainable building technologies and materials affect the structural integrity of their buildings? How are they tested to be sure?
Listen to architect Elizabeth Thompson, Vice President of the US Green Building Council
Tap Your Own Innovators DNA – Joan Michelson’s Webinar to Lead Up for Women
Do you enjoy your own company? Really. Do you? Many of us have been spending a lot of time alone lately due to the pandemic (unless of course, you have kids living at home, in which case you probably wish you had more time alone). We can see being alone as miserable...
Goal-Setting Session! – Joan Michelson’s Ground-Breaking Process
What Is Your “Breakthrough” Goal? Goal-setting is a year-long and life-long process. No matter your age, status, or career industry, if you’re human being, you have goals, things you want to accomplish in your life. Here is a podcast of a process that I presented in a goal-setting workshop earlier this year. I cover both career and personal goals – approaching it holistically, since it’s all important to your happiness and feeling of success.
Joan’s Career Tips – Joan Interviewed on Carlette Christmas’s “On Point TV”
“…You have to know when to you have to know an opportunity when it's in front of you and you have to have the courage to take that opportunity…” That's a quote from GCR Host Joan Michelson on On Point Talk with Carlette Christmas. This week we air an episode that was...
Flipping Tables, Joan As Guest – GCR Host Joan Michelson on All In Podcast
“Sometimes I find that the assumption that you’re making is what’s keeping you from seeing other possibilities.” That's a quote from GCR Host Joan Michelson on the All In podcast with Daniel Giordano recently In this episode, we turn the tables on our host, Joan...
Secret Success of Women in STEM – Ariane Hegewisch, Inst for Women’s Policy Research
“The biggest problem with the official surveys that we rely on a lot… [by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS], is that…the number of women isn’t plentiful enough yet to have enough data on an annual basis to come up with reliable estimates.” Ariane Hegewisch on Green Connections Radio.
There’s a little secret about the pandemic-economic recession that economists are not talking about much: that women in STEM jobs actually did pretty well. Why? Because STEM jobs are what economists call “professional” jobs and they have been in demand and therefore, not cut for the most part. Listen to Ariane Hegewisch, Program Director for Employment and Earnings at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research explain why and how women in STEM fields can benefit in this engaging conversation with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson.
Cleaning Industrial Water – Karen Sorber, Micronic Technologies
Our brains are 73% water and our bodies are 60% water, so we literally cannot live without it. But most community water systems suffer from industrial pollution. It doesn’t have to be that way.
Listen to Karen Sorber, Cofounder/CEO of Micronic Technologies describe their innovative chemical-free system for cleaning wastewater on this Green Connections Radio podcast with host Joan Michelson.
Aligning Your Money & Values – Kathleen McQuiggan, Artemis Advisors
“I think there’s more that’s happened in probably the past two years in the sustainable and ESG investing space than probably has in the prior 20 years.” Kathleen McQuiggan on Green Connections Radio podcast. “Your money is power,” veteran financial advisor Kathleen McQuggan reminds us, and today more than ever. What if we could invest in ways that support advancing women and protecting the planet, while also earning the financial returns we want and need? Yes, we can. Listen to Kathleen McQuiggan, Wealth Advisor at Artemis Advisors and former head of Pax World’s Global Women’s Index Fund explain how, with ESG investing – for environment, social and governance-focused – and how women are changing the world of money and investing.
Indoor Farming – Jackie Roberts, Appharvest
“A.I has enabled us to get very precise measures and give the plants precisely what the plans need…(So) The yields in our greenhouses are about 30x the traditional farm.” and without any chemicals. Jackie Roberts on Green Connections Radio podcast. What if we could grow produce in a way that was not at the mercy of weather swings or events? A new massive indoor farm called Appharvest thinks they have found a way. Listen to Jackie Roberts, Chief Sustainability Officer of Appharvest describe how their massive 60-acre indoor farm is climate resilient and innovative – and produces yummy produce – in this engaging conversation with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson. Jackie was also awarded the White House Presidential Environment and Conservation Challenge Award.
Tea, Family & Climate Change – Cindi Bigelow, CEO, Bigelow Tea
“We’re really a botanical business. And our botanicals come from all over the world….All botanicals are going to be impacted and have been impacted by climate change, and the real challenge is trying to get in front of that.” Cindi Bigelow on Green Connections Radio podcast. Learn how to pivot a 75-year old business to mitigate potentially catastrophic damage to your main ingredient from climate change in this engaging conversation with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson.
Data Bias & Women Engineers – Roberta Rincon, Society of Women Engineers
Many companies collect diversity and jobs data and review it internally, but don’t want to release it publicly, “because it doesn’t always make them look very good,” But, she added, different sources collect and report data on gender differently, and others lack the resources or incentives to either collect or report it.Roberta Rincon on Green Connections Radio podcast. We bemoan Big Data because it seems they have every possible piece of data about us. But, when it comes to data we need on women in STEM, somehow the systems are not there to collect consistent data over time. .Listen to Roberta Rincon, head of Research at the Society of Women Engineers explain the issues on data, and that women engineers face in this engaging conversation with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson.
Power of Black Women Voters – Marcia Chatelain, Prof. African American History, Georgetown University
Black women voters were a force in the 2020 election and are going forward and their rights are under attack in states anew today as a result of their power. Where did their activism start?
In commemoration of Black History Month, Listen to this remarkable interview with Marcia Chatelain – Professor of History and African American Studies at Georgetown University – tell great stories about the black women suffragists who fearlessly helped women finally get their vote ratified, with the 19th Amendment 100 years ago. The Amendment did not explicitly grant black women their own voting rights.
Water Pollution & Justice – Actress & Activist Gloria Reuben
“When you talk about pollution of the waterways, that goes very much to industries, like fossil fuels of course, like factory farming, like businesses or corporations that are allowed to just dump their waste or by-product of making things, manufacturing, into the waterways, when there’s no regulation, then clearly, then people can just do what they want to without any consequences.” Gloria Reuben on Green Connections Radio podcast. .One organization has been holding polluters accountable for decades — the Waterkeepers Alliance — and now they have a new leader who brings starpower as well as commitment to advocacy and justice. Gloria Reuben, actress and environmental activist is their new President. Listen to Gloria explain their impact in this engaging conversation with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson, commemorating Black history Month.
“Are You Deferring Your Interests for Someone Else’s?” – Joan Michelson on “Time Matters!” podcast with Cherice Taylor
Last week Joan was a guest on "Time Matters!" a podcast hosted by Cherice Taylor. "Time Matters!' is for students and families of all ages and interests and intended to help students maneuver their path to life after high school by hearing from professionals in all...
Benefits of Women’s Non-Dominant Role – Laura Liswood, Council of Women World Leaders
“In a crisis time, you need the most creative ideas and the most differing experiences and perspectives, which is obviously what diversity provides…So, particularly companies need to be ever-vigilant in that they don’t skimp in their focus around diversity,” Laura Liswood, Secretary General of the Counsel of Women World Leaders warned in a World Economic Forum’s Davos 2021. As our economies seek ways to emerge stronger from this covid pandemic and the economic crisis it caused, it is shocking that so few women (and under-represented groups) are at the leadership tables planning this recovery.
Listen to this fascinating interview with Laura Liswood on the benefits women bring simply because they have NOT been in control. Liswood is Secretary General of the Council of Women World Leaders and has studied, interviewed and worked with dozens of female heads of state and ministers, Fortune 500 companies and global nonprofits, including having led diversity programs. Laura spoke at the World Economic Forum 2021 about these issues, and this interview was recorded prior to the pandemic.
How The Paris Climate Accord Can Create US Jobs – Tracy Raczek, Frmr UN Climate Advisor
“I truly, truly think that the green economy is an opportunity…When you look at greening infrastructure…truly transitioning our entire economy, you have incredible job opportunity…(including) for our business to be thinking ahead.” Tracy Raczek on Green Connections Radio podcast. A mere hours after being sworn in as president, President Joe Biden immediately rejoined the Paris Climate Accord with the stroke of his pen. Tracy Raczek, former Climate Advisor to the UN Secretary General, believes signing the Accord can be a job-creator in the U.S. Listen to Tracy explain why and much more in this fascinating interview on Green Connections Radio podcast with host Joan Michelson.
“Ecosystem of Social Good” – Rachel Hutchisson, Blackbaud
“This idea of ‘voice and choice’ is, ask me what I think and then listen to what I have to say and then give me a choice as to how I can participate. Don’t forget that I’m an individual…That’s a really big trend.”
Rachel Hutchisson on Green Connections Radio
Do you volunteer at a nonprofit, or donate to one? Does your employer even know what causes align with you? More and more employers are realizing that it’s important to offer ways their employees can give back. Listen to Rachel Hutchisson of Blackbaud describe how to create “an ecosystem of social good” for employees tailored to your team, in this enlightening interview with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson.
Woman With The Most Patents – Lisa DeLuca, IBM
“All great ideas stem from a really good problem. There’s problems all around us….The really good problems are the ones you’re hearing about consistently….and hearing those problems and starting to think about, ‘how can I solve this in a way that nobody else has thought of before?’ or, we can take it a step further. That’s where the great ideas come from.” Lisa DeLuca on Green Connections Radio podcast. We hear about people coming up with great new businesses or products or technologies all the time, but we don’t often find out how they did so. Today you will. Listen to IBM’s most prolific female inventor, Lisa DeLuca, with about 500 patents already and 250 more pending. Lisa talks about where she gets her ideas, what happens to them, hos she decides which ones to file patents on and more in this truly engaging and entertaining interview with Joan Michelson on Green Connections Radio podcast.
ESG, Responsible Investing – Julie Fox Gorte, PaxWorld Investments
"Companies that perform better on ESG criteria tend to do better financially in the long term." Julie Fox Gorte on Green Connections Radio How do the bolder positions on social and environmental issues that many companies are taking affect their financial performance?...
Women in Tech – Brenda D Wilkerson, AnitaB.org CEO
The biggest hurdle for women in tech "Is the same underpinnings of many of the other challenges we face in our society: fear and power…Computer science was…created by the women…to do the things these women were doing. And that was thought to be clerical, until all of...
New Apple Diversity Chief! – Barbara Whye, formerly CDO at Intel
"Innovation is ...the heartbeat of the company, and as we strive for increasing diversity and inclusion, at the heart of that is... Because when doing so, it actually brings forth the best ideas, the best results, and just a higher level of creativity and solving...
Masks From Recycled Fabric – Jennifer (JJ) Lee, United We Mask
“100% of the materials used in our back to school (mask-making) kits were …from deadstock (discarded) materials…to provide a sustainable mask alternative for kids in need to that they ….can keep their communities safe.” Jennifer Lee on Green Connections Radio. As we all adapt to the temporary normal of having to wear a mask to protect ourselves and others from the Covid-19 pandemic, Jennifer Lee came up with a creative eco-friendly way to make mask-wearing fun for kids and give masks to people of all ages in need. Building this nonprofit is Jennifer’s side hustle; her day job is as a global technology manager in cosmetic giant L’Oréal’s incubator. Listen to Jennifer describe to Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson how she came up with the idea for United We Mask, who else is on board (including Fabscrap, a previous guest on this show), and how L’Oréal is responding.
Planet Word Museum – Ann Friedman, CEO, Founder, Creator
“You learn the techniques that make a song or a speech or that ad really effective and persuasive..” Ann Friedman on Green Connections Radio. We are experiencing every day how powerful words are, ours and other people’s. From the 2020 election to social media, to the protests for equality and climate change, to advertisements and music. Now, there’s a brand new interactive museum in Washington, DC about language and how it’s effective and persuasive. Listen to this enlightening conversation with Ann Friedman, Founder, CEO & Creator of Planet Word and Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson about how to bring language to life. We included some sound from the exhibits too, to take you inside.
Social Impact in Tech – Gabriela Gonzalez, Intel Foundation
Listen to Intel Foundation’s Deputy Director Gabriela Gonzalez explain how Intel is investing in diverse communities to attract middle school girls to STEM careers. Gaby will also talk about her extraordinary career, from engineer to now going for her PhD while working an intense full-time job.
Managing Crisis & Change, From Fmr Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James
“We all have to recognize whether we’re working in industry or government or in the nonprofit sector, is change is a constant…(Y)ou constantly have to be thinking about your next move. Life is not a game of checkers these days, it’s a game of chess and you have to be thinking three or four steps beyond where you are now if at all possible.” Deborah Lee James on Green Connections Radio podcast. From managing life-and death crises to managing career decisions and “jerks,” Secretary James tells Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson the truth about being a strong woman advancing in an organization up to leadership.
Making Women Extraordinary Leaders – Coco Brown, A Top 100 Woman in Silicon Valley, CEO of Athena Alliance
“It’s time (for women) to pick our heads up and look around the executive realm and really think broadly about how big our impact can be…Don’t underestimate your value.” Coco Brown on Green Connections Radio podcast
The economy is in the midst of a massive global shift when the old ways of doing business are giving way to new paradigms – in every sense from managing supply chains to marketing to employee relations, to financial reporting – to a focus more on sustainable business aligned with ESG factors (environment, social and governance). As a result, leadership is changing and it’s becoming more and more apparent every day that the way women tend to lead is more effective and drives stronger performance across all those metrics. Listen to this fascinating interview with Coco Brown, ranked one of the top 100 women in Silicon Valley and Founder/CEO of the Athena Alliance, to find out what the new paradigm of leadership is and how women are uniquely suited to it.
Women on Boards – Jocelyn Mangan, Him For Her
“It’s a network gap…Every board has its own ecosystem.” Jocelyn Mangan on Green Connections Radio podcastWomen still make up only 26.1% of corporate boards, despite clear evidence that companies with more women on the board perform better on all metrics, including financially. So, if you want to figure out how to grab one of those coveted seats, it’s important to get prepared, network, especially with men and make it known. Listen to this fascinating interview with Jocelyn Mangan to find out how.
Study: What Motivates Women To Be Leaders? – Maggi Reiss, IDS Publishing
With women still only 7.4% of the Fortune 500 CEOs, executives, recruiters, and advocates are wondering what needs to happen for more women to ascend to those roles. A brand new study conducted by Green Connections Media (GCM) and IDS Publishing may provide some answers, especially for those in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math). Called the Reiss Motivational Profile (“RMP”), it “helps people to…think about what they really want out of life, what’s really important to them,” Maggi Reiss explained. Listen to this fascinating interview with Maggi about what motivates women to be leaders, high-achievers.
7 Million EVs By 2030, Climate Week – Katie Sloan, Southern Cal Edison
“I’ve never seen as much alignment as there are in electric vehicles today.” Katie Sloan on Green Connections Radio podcast. To commemorate Climate Week 2020, Listen to Katie Sloan, Director of eMobility at Southern California Edison, who is the focal point for electric vehicle adoption in the most populous state in the U.S. and how they plan to achieve their 7 million EVs goal. (This was recorded shortly before the pandemic broke out in the U.S.)
Finessing Tough, Watergate – Jill Wine-Banks, Former Watergate Prosecutor & Author of “The Watergate Girl”
We’re all navigating tough things, tough crises and tough people right now – and do it in a country led by a president whose modus operandi more often resembles a tough guy character in a mob movie than a world leader. So, we spoke with a woman who has a long history of finessing world-changing tough situations and “tough guys” – successfully. Listen to Jill Wine-Banks, legal analyst and former Watergate prosecutor (the only woman) after years prosecuting organized crime, former U.S Army General Counsel, and author of the new best-seller, “The Watergate Girl,” for remarkable stories and solid tips for how women can finesse these tough jobs and tough men with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson.
Seeing Opportunities in Crisis – Colleen Biggs, Founder/CEO & Leadership Coach, Lead Up for Women
“People aren’t looking for the perfect you, they’re looking for you and what you can do for their company – and your ‘why.’” Colleen Biggs on Green Connections Radio podcast. We are all having to find new ways to generate revenue, be seen and heard, conduct business, stay connected to our audiences and make a difference in this pandemic economy. Some are thriving while others are struggling, and we wanted to know what the thrivers are doing, so we sat down with a serial entrepreneur who has mastered the art of reinvention in both business and as a person. Listen to Colleen Biggs, Founder and CEO of Lead Up for Women, discuss tips for how women in her network are thriving in these uncertain upside down times with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson. Biggs founded and runs a community of women leaders and business owners focused on advancement and doing good, is a leadership coach and hosts her own podcast.
Strategies of Black Women Suffragists – Marcia Chatelain, Professor of African American Studies at Georgetown University
Black women suffragists were quite strategic though, as you’ll hear as you listen to professor Marcia Chatelain, professor of history and African American Studies at Georgetown University. Dr. Chatelain also has a fascinating take on the impact of Senator Kamala Harris as the Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee.
Is Biden A “Suffragent”? – Brooke Kroeger, Author of “The Suffragents,” about men supporting women’s right to vote in 1920
“The reason their (men’s) participation in that last decade (before ratification of the 19th Amendment) was so important, was because they had the means and the will to help the movement financially and politically.” Brooke Kroeger on Green Connections Radio podcast. Is Biden a “Suffragent”?
Eco-Oyster Farming – Kay Olin, Panacea Oyster Cooperative
You can still get sustainable seafood during a pandemic, and Green Connections Radio previous guest Kay Olin and her Estuary Oysters proves businesses can continue to grow. They are now a supplier to all Whole Foods in Florida (where Estuary is located), with plans to expand. Listen to this interview from a couple of years ago when Kay explained to GCR host Joan Michelson how they farm sustainable oysters and build the economy at the same time.
Non-Toxic Disinfecting COVID19 – Rayne Guest, R-Water
“For healthcare grade disinfection, the EPA has certain requirements….that you test against, and those lab reports, we showed 100% kill in one minute, which is actually really impressive, because most toxic products they use in hospitals for disinfectants take 10 minutes, have to be reapplied multiple times to stay wet for 10 minutes, and only have a 95% kill rate and still be approved by the EPA for healthcare grade disinfection.” Rayne Guest on Green Connections Radio podcast How do you know your office or school or facility is truly free of COVID-19? There are no 100% guarantees, but learn about an environmentally-friendly disinfectant that the EPA says is 100% effective in one minute with Rayne Guest, CEO and Founder of R-Water, on Green Connections Radio podcast with host Joan Michelson.
Fuel Cell Cars & Trucks – Jackie Birdsall, Toyota
Many voices are talking about how we need to rebuild the post-pandemic economy to also make us more resilient to the ravages of climate change. Ramping up adoption of electric vehicles is always in those conversations, especially battery-powered ones. But not there are hydrogen fuel cell EVs too. Listen to Jackie Birdsall, Senior Engineer of these vehicles at Toyota explain how they work and much more, with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson.
COVID-19 Transforming Energy – Lisa Jacobson, Business Council for Sustainable Energy
We could not get through this pandemic – or run our national or global economies – without energy. Literally. Energy kept hospitals taking care of patients, kept essential services like grocery stores and pharmacies open, kept first responders equipped to respond and transport patients to medical care and communities. Yet, the energy sector is reeling under the weight of this pandemic, with travel at a complete standstill and offices and businesses shuttered. Yet, clean energy is a bright spot, even though it’s also lost 600,000 jobs in this crisis. Listen to this fascinating discussion with Lisa Jacobson, president of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) on Green Connections Radio podcast on how a silver lining in this crisis may be the critical clean energy innovation coming out of it.
Gov’t Data Affects Your Life – Olivia Martin, USAFacts.org
From government funding allocations to cities and states, or even to schools and communities, to how healthcare is administered and paid for, to how clean our air and water is, to how accountable police, gun owners, courts or immigration officials really are – and especially today in the midst of a pandemic – our lives literally depend upon the accuracy of this data. But try to make sense of it! Enter former CEO Steve Ballmer’s new USAFacts.org website to the rescue. Listen to my enlightening interview with Olivia Martin, a data analyst at USAFacts.org, to learn about their collection and analysis processes.
Can You Measure Kindness? – Erin Michelson, Summery and Kind Quiz
Can we measure kindness? Take our Green Connections Kind Quiz and listen to this fascinating interview with Erin Michelson, CEO and Founder of Summery, a data analytics company focused on measuring employee kindness and social values, on Green Connections Radio podcast with host Joan Michelson to find out how they do it. They developed the Kind Quiz to do just that.
– David, CEO EdgeStudio.com
About Joan Bryna Michelson
Joan Bryna Michelson, MBA is an award-winning business and communications leader, public speaker and host of the acclaimed podcast series, Green Connections Radio™... Read More