Podcasts
Insightful and engaging conversation on leadership, innovation, and careers, focused on energy, the green economy and social impact.
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Is Your Office COVID19-Safe? – Rachel Gutter, Int’l Well Building Institute
As we prepare to return to our offices, schools, coworking spaces, and houses of worship, while the coronavirus still swirls around us, there are steps building managers, employers, administrators and employees – each of us – can take to make sure we and our colleagues are safe from COVID-19.
The International Well Building Institute has developed standards and ratings to determine how safe and “healthy” our spaces are, and adapted them with advice from a COVID-19 Task Force of 540+ top experts for the pandemic. To find out about those standards and get practical tips we each use, listen to this enlightening interview with Rachel Gutter, president of the Institute on Green Connections Radio podcast with host Joan Michelson.
Virtual Reality, Conservation & Kids – Sharelynn Moore, Itron
As parents seek new ways to home-school kids with summer upon us and this extraordinary pandemic shutdown still limiting our activities, Discovery Education partnered with Itron, a company known for its innovative technologies around energy and water, on a ground-breaking new initiative to teach kids about conservation, called Conservation Station. It even includes virtual field trips.
Commemorating World Environment Day, June 5th, listen to this fascinating interview with Sharelynn Moore, Senior Vice President of Itron who is Itron’s leader on the initiative on Green Connections Radio podcast with host Joan Michelson.
The Economic Crisis’ Impact on Women – Heather Long, Washington Post Senior Economic Reporter
“Women are being hit disproportionately hard, because they hold disproportionately more of the jobs being shutdown and (still) have the lion’s share of family responsibilities….The industries hit hard by this crisis are healthcare, social care, education, restaurants, cleaning services, personal care and clothing stores, and the front lines of them are dominated by women.” Joan Michelson’s Forbes Blog. Listen to Heather Long, Washington Post give us the real facts and suggestions for moving forward in this fascinating interview on Green Connections Radio podcast with host Joan Michelson.
How to Talk Science to Policy Makers – Michelle Wyman, National Council For Science and the Environment
The COVID-19 pandemic has given us all a renewed appreciation for the importance of science in decision-making, especially in policy making. It can mean the difference between life and death, literally. But how do you do it, especially with policymakers and elected officials who resist the science?
Listen to Michelle Wyman, Executive Director of the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE), who has been involved in policy for 20 years, share her tips in this engaging interview on Green Connections Radio podcast with host Joan Michelson.
Why Our Lives Depend Upon Women On Boards – Dr. Corinne Post, Lehigh University
“In a (brand new) study…focused on the medical products industry – which includes medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biologics – a group of researchers found that…firms with female directors announced (life-threatening) high-severity product recalls 28 days sooner.” The Study’s Executive Summary, April 20, 2020… So, before you get that stent put in or new COVID-19 treatment or vaccine, find out how many women are on the board. It could literally save your life, according to a new first-of-its-kind study by a group of researchers from four top universities, which found that public medical products companies with more women on their boards recalled defective more often and much sooner that all-male or one-woman boards. Listen to one of the study’s co-authors, Dr. Corinne Post of Lehigh University, in this important interview on Green Connections Radio podcast with host Joan Michelson.
Ecopsychology? A Decision-Making Model – Tabitha Jayne, Coaching With Nature
Could combining how nature functions (such as how a rose easily blooms), with the systems in professional coaching help us achieve more of our potential? Tabitha Jayne says it worked for her after personal tragedy, so she created the “Coaching With Nature” program to help others too. Listen to Tabi describe this novel coaching program and why she says it works, complete with an understanding of “ecopsychology,” in this enlightening interview on Green Connections Radio podcast with host Joan Michelson.
Return on Impact & Changing Careers – Joni Carswell, CEO, Texan By Nature
“We say data-based because as you work with both the science community and the business community, the best way to bring those communities to the table is to talk to them in their own language. To talk in terms of return, to talk in terms total impact.” Joni Carswell on Green Connections Radio podcast. Scientists are saying the coronavirus may have come from the destruction of the natural habitats of wild animals due to development, deforestation or climate change – and that there are more infectious diseases in likely our future as a result. What can we do about it besides keep “social distancing” and protect ourselves and other people? Listen to Joni Carswell, CEO of a nonprofit founded by Former First Lady Laura Bush called Texan By Nature, describe their creative data-based approach to conservation and how they are bringing the business community into habitat, water and prairie restoration, to Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson is this podcast interview. Carswell is decidedly not your typical nonprofit CEO either…..
Branding in This Pandemic – Anne Bahr Thompson, Author, “Do Good: Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit
What Business Should and Should Not Do During This Pandemic Crisis. Do you get mad seeing ads selling normal stuff these days, as if we’re not in a global health crisis? What should companies, leaders and marketers do in this unprecedented crisis? Should you just post messages of support for first responders and healthcare workers? Do special offers work now?
Listen to this fascinating Green Connections Radio podcast interview with Anne Bahr Thompson, veteran branding expert, former head of a division of megabranding agency Interbrand and author of “Do Good: Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit,” to find out.
Insurance For How We Live – Tina Kirby, Insurance Innovators
Business Interruption & Disaster Insurance Explained & Redefined “When you think about what you are claiming from an insurance perspective, it’s partly property damage, but it’s largely also business interruption. So, your lack of sales, your lack of being...
Driving Medical Innovation – Dr. Maria Freire, President, the Foundation of the National Institutes of Health
As COVID-19 spreads across the world and every country is aching for treatments and vaccines to stop it, listen to Joan’s conversation with a remarkable innovator tackling some of the toughest medical challenges. Dr. Maria Freire is President of the Foundation of the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) and she developed a unique structure for expediting medical innovations. What can we learn from her? This interview was conducted before the coronavirus pandemic but Dr. Freire’s methodology is relevant to address it.
Managing Creativity – Deborah Rutter, President, John F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts
As we cope with complete upheaval in our lives and work due to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s time to step back, take a breath, and find creative ways forward.
Some of us are naturally creative, others of us are managers and leaders, needing to elicit and nurture creative ideas from our teams. But how? Listen to this enlightening and inspiring conversation between Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson and a master at doing this: Deborah Rutter, President of The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for The Performing Arts, the nation’s premier arts center.
Strategies for Women’s Rights – Brooke Kroeger, Professor, Author, ‘The Suffragents”
As we embark on a crucial presidential election this year, women voters are the largest single voting bloc, but, that right was a hard-fought battle until passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Brooke Kroeger, NYU. To commemorate it, listen to my fascinating interview with one of the foremost chroniclers of the suffrage movement, Brooke Kroeger, including lessons for today. She is an NYU journalism professor, author of several books, including “The Suffragents: How Women Used Men To Get The Vote,” creator of SuffrageandtheMedia.org, and a former top journalist. Including lessons for women today.
Buildings Made From Plants – Laura Busse Dolan, Owner, CEO & President, Applied Imagination
When I visited the U.S. Botanic Gardens in Washington, DC a couple of months ago, I saw these amazing miniatures of landmark buildings – the Capitol, the Smithsonian Museums, the Lincoln Memorial and even historic train stations – made from plants, nuts, and other botanics. They were such magical creations, I tracked down the company that makes them.
Listen to Laura Busse Dolan, the Owner, CEO & President of Applied Imagination tell Green Connections Radio podcast host Joan Michelson how these amazing sculptures are made, what they are made from, and who makes them, how she took over the family business and career advice too. You’ll be inspired….
Funding For Women Entrepreneurs – Shelly Porges, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Billion Dollar Fund for Women
“Men are presumed to be capable and to have done their homework…questioned about potential… Women…(hear) challenging questions , like ‘Why are you qualified?’…(Yet), women-owned businesses return on average 63% higher rates of return than male-only founded teams.”
Shelly Porges on Green Connections Radio podcast – Listen for tips on what you can do be successful!
The Press, Climate & Diversity – Wanda Lloyd, Author of “Coming Full Circle: From Jim Crow to Journalism,” Former News Executive
“There are environmental issues that are very important to people on a local level…(but they are) being covered (by the local news media) based on everyday issues in local communities… because it affects tourism, it affects the economy, it affects a lot of things, not to mention the places that we live…(and) because it affects their taxes.”Wanda Lloyd on Green Connections Radio podcast – Wanda Smalls Lloyd former senior editor at USA Today and at local newspapers, and a former Washington Post executive, and the author of a new book – “Coming Full Circle: From Jim Crow to Journalism.” She provides valuable career advice to
Advancing Women in STEM – Telle Whitney, Diversity Expert, Founder, Largest Women in Tech Conference
“The companies that have really made a commitment to creating change, they look at the ways promotions are decided, because often it’s very ad hoc….and consciously or unconsciously, the managers, who are primarily men, just don’t see the characteristics (in women) that they believe you need in order to advance.” Telle Whitney on Green Connections Radio podcast. Pursuing a career in STEM requires investing many years in education and dedication, so why do women leave these fields so often? How can we attract, retain and promote more women in STEM into leadership? Listen to Telle Whitney, diversity expert, former long-time CEO of the Anita Borg Institute and founder of the famed Grace Hopper Conference in this insightful interview with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson. She provides valuable career advice too.
Sea-Level Rise “Detective” – Andrea Dutton, MacArthur “Genius” Winner 2019
“A lot of these times we see these problems as having binary solutions, it’s either we stay and defend…or we just pick up and leave, but there’s a lot of space in between.” Andrea Dutton on Green Connections Radio
Geologist Dr. Andrea Dutton was awarded the coveted MacArthur “Genius” award recently for her work in finding an innovative way to predict sea-level rise and identify the options for managing it. Listen to her explain her innovative approach – and how that approach might be used in other context too – to Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson in this inspiring and fascinating interview.
TED Talk Speaker Tips – Tricia Brouk, Former TEDxLincolnSquare Producer, Speaker Coach, Film Producer
Being able to speak in public is crucial to career success in today’s world where the media is everywhere, cameras are everywhere, and you can end up on social media without knowing it. Being a public speaker who moves people in a positive way can be a powerful career advantage too. But how? And how do you land those coveted opportunities to land on a TEDx stage?
Listen to Tricia Brouk, former long-time producer of TEDxLincolnCenter in New York City who used to approve or reject speaker pitches and who trains speakers to succeed today, in this remarkable interview with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson – and more career advice too.
Energy Innovation Needs Women – Katie Mehnert, Pink Petro
“Your biggest challenge is your biggest opportunity. Get people into the system so they can change the culture and the industry to clean energy” – Katie Mehnert on Green Connections Radio podcast.
At the 2020 World Economic Forum where global leaders across industry gather in Davos, Switzerland every January, climate change took “center stage,” as The New York Times headline put it. A key topic of debate was the conundrum of providing clean energy to everyone on the planet and it is abundantly clear much more rapid innovation is needed, including of the oil and gas sector. But how?
Listen to Katie Mehnert, who spent 20 years in the oil and gas sector and remains devoted to it, in this surprisingly candid interview on Green Connections Radio podcast with Joan Michelson. Katie passionately lays out the urgent need for the sector to innovate and why bringing more women into the industry is key. Katie left a job in Big Oil that she loved to start Pink Petro to get more women into energy industry leadership.
Functional Office Politics – Jennifer Wisdom, Psychologist, Author & Coach
We all have office politics to deal with, even if you own your company or work remotely. If you work with other people, office politics are there on some level. It’s how people deal with each other. Listen to psychologist, author and coach Jennifer Wisdom explain to Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson how we can all understand our work relationships and how to manage them in this enlightening and practical interview.
Why Place Matters – Stacy Jupiter, MacArthur “Genius” Winner 2019
As world leaders and climate leaders, scientists and activists gather to address solutions to the climate crisis, Dr. Stacy Jupiter has a novel perspective on what communities need to address in those climate resilience plans – and in driving change. She just won a MacArthur “Genius” award for it. Listen to Stacy explain to Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson why our sense of a place and its culture are just as vital to our well-being as clean water and food, especially in many countries like Melanesia, where she is currently working.
Tips for Winning Against the Odds – Tracy Edwards, “Maiden” Documentary
Imagine deciding to take on captaining the first all-female crew in the world’s most dangerous round-the-world boat race with very, very limited experience. That’s what then 24-year old Tracy Edwards did. And. She. Won. The two most dangerous legs of the six-leg race. The new documentary, “Maiden” about it is truly extraordinary, with original footage from the actual race.
Listen to this truly fascinating and entertaining interview with Tracy about how she did it and what we can all learn from her transformation from novice to history-maker.
What’s In Your Food? – Ellie Rubenstein, Manna Tree Partners
Do you know what’s really in your food? Do you know where it comes from (and I don’t mean the market)?
In this enlightening interview with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson, Gabrielle (Ellie) Rubenstein, entrepreneur and investor like her famous father and self-described “outdoorswoman” like her mother, enlightens us about how our food supply chain really works and how we can make it more transparent and healthier. She’s on a mission….
Adapting to Climate Change – Beth Gibbons, Adaptation Professionals
Local leaders are managing the very real devastation to their communities and economies caused by extreme weather events, while much-needed resources from the federal government are tied up in political wrangling over whether climate change is real.
The people on the ground dealing with these effects are called “adaptation professionals,” so Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson went to them to find out what’s happening on the ground. Listen to her startling conversation with Beth Gibbons, Executive Director of Adaptation Professionals for great insights on all sides of this life-threatening, economy-threatening, polarizing issue.
Decision Making In 7 Steps – Nardia Haigh, Scenario Planning book author
The only thing certain is uncertainty – in our careers, our businesses, in preparing your community for the impact of climate change, or in our personal lives. So, how do we possibly prepare? Dr. Nardia Haigh suggests using scenario planning, a methodology she described in seven steps to Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson in this enlightening interview, that we can apply to any decisions, as she did in her new book, Scenario Planning for Climate Change. She helps her students at the University of Massachusetts Boston apply it to their career decisions too.
“Sustainable” Cleaning Products – Kay Gebhardt, Seventh Generation
“Science can do amazing things and answer questions for us,” she told me, “but then we can use that knowledge to do this in a responsible way or in an irresponsible way….Science is good to have. Then, what are you going to use it for and how do you do it responsibly?”...
Electric Buses, Smarter Cities – Margaret Lewis, New Flyer
“A 40 foot electric bus can save up to 100 metric tons of greenhouse gas per year, which is really what a traditional…bus would emit per year.” Margaret Lewis on Green Connections Radio Transportation is one of the top three contributors to climate change,...
How to Get More Women STEM Leaders – Heather Metcalf, Assn. of Women in Science
“Research has repeatedly demonstrated that diverse teams, especially in leadership, outperform homogenous teams in innovation, research quality, decision-making, and complex thinking and bolster their organization’s financial success,” according to the new AWIS research. Yet, the statistics on women in leadership are pathetic, especially in STEM. Here are tips.
The Enthusiasm Gap Between Men & Women – Kristin Haffert, Mine The Gap
We know that women and men are essentially recruited in the same amounts out of college, or in entry level jobs, yet only 6.6% of women are Fortune 500 CEO’s (as of 2019). Employers complain that women leave before they can be promoted, taking the employers’ investment in recruiting, training and developing their talent with them. Why are women leaving? It’s well, complicated. Listen here to learn what women are saying is missing at work and why they leave for another job.
Comedy & Innovation – Courtney Bickert, Comedienne & Social Innovator
To solve today’s most intractable problems – from climate change to inequality to combating terrorism and corruption – as well as business challenges, we need the most creative ideas we can find, figure out how to do them, and then find ways to implement them. So, when I met my guest today, I knew I needed to introduce you to her. Listen to my interview with Courtney Bickert, social innovator and comedienne, with her thoroughly different take on social innovation.
Building a Business with Care – Jules Pieri, CEO, The Grommet
Jules Pieri and her company The Grommet have learned so much from launching their own business and over 30,000 products on their e-commerce site that sells hand-picked products made by small “makers” — including the hazards of selling on Amazon — that she decided to write a book about it. In her extensive interview with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson, about her book, “How We Make Stuff Now,” Pieri explains key lessons learned (including how to manage Amazon, if you do go to it.
Climate & Your Food – Robin Currey, Sustainable Food Systems Program at Prescott College
As we face climate week at the U.N. this week, one of the more delicate issues is the threat that climate change poses to our food supply and in turn, the way our current food systems exacerbate climate change. You’ll learn about: • how the current way we get our food – our food systems – can make climate change worse.; • how climate change is endangering our food supply; • the facts about “organic” foods and how they can help the rest of the food supply; • 3 tips for eating to aid mitigation of climate change (instead of make it worse).
• And great career tips!
Sustainability & Profitability – Suzanne Fallender, Sustainability Director, Intel
What if corporations took their responsibility to reduce their carbon footprint and as corporate citizens seriously and integrated it into their corporate strategies? That’s exactly what Suzanne Fallender, Director of Sustainability at Intel told Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson they are doing. From reducing energy and water use, eliminating the use of conflict minerals, to finding ways to recycle or reuse almost every by-product or waste material, she said Intel is leading industry. Listen to how they do it – profitably!
Electric Vehicle Obstacles – Bonnie Datta, Siemens Regulatory Affairs & Market Development
There’s a lot of buzz about electric vehicles (EVs), but adoption is still slow. Why? Bonnie Datta of Siemens told Joan Michelson of Green Connections Radio that much of the blame goes to regulators and utilities. Listen to this fascinating interview for why and great career advice too.
Climate as National Security Issue – Sherri Goodman, Former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
With a new Secretary of Defense coming in, and an Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, it’s important to remember the national security implications of climate change. Listen to Joan Michelson’s fascinating (and a bit frightening) interview with former Deputy Secretary of Defense, and former Senior Vice President and General Counsel and Military Advisor at CNA, a top national security think tank, Sherri Goodman on how climate relates to national security.
Climate Resilience Action – Kathy Baughman McLeod, Atlantic Council
With 6 extreme weather events costing over $1 billion each in 2019 already (as of early July), we know we need to adapt to this new normal caused by climate change. But how? A new The Resilience Center is embracing this challenge, with a goal of reaching one billion people with resilience solutions by 2030.. So, where do we start? Listen to this Kathy Baughman McLeod, the inaugural director of this new center, the Adrienne Arscht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, explain it in this enlightening conversation with Green Connections Radio podcast host Joan Michelson.
Driving Eco-Innovation in Industrial Products – Rasha Hasaneen, Ingersoll Rand
As record heats spread across the U.S. (and the globe), air conditioning systems and the power systems they depend upon are getting a workout. These HVAC systems – heating, cooling and ventilation – “account for approximately 50 percent of energy consumption in the average home” and about 39% of energy use in commercial buildings in the U.S., and they last for 10-15 years, By the time you read this, there’s another new technology, and there’s a pressing demand for more eco-conscious systems. So, how do you juggle these competing demands and keep your talented team engaged? Listen…
Is AI Biased Against Women? Miriam Vogel, Executive Director of Equal-AI
Listen closely the next time you get directions on your smartphone or order Alexa to do something. Did you notice that the voices of personal digital assistants like GPS systems, Siri and Alexa are female? Why is that? Especially when the sophisticated problem-solving technologies like IBM Watson and Microsoft’s Einstein are named after men. That’s what a recent UN study found. But does that mean AI is biased against women?
Reviews of “The Superwoman and Other Writings by Miriam Michelson” by Lori Harrison-Kahan, Ph.D.
Dr. Harrison-Kahan's terrific book on Joan's great-great aunt, suffrage reporter and fiction writer Miriam Michelson, "The Superwoman and Other Writings of Miriam Michelson," drew great acclaim. Here are a few of the endorsements she received: Thank you! ...
Forgotten Hero Of The Suffrage Movement And A Source For “Wonder Woman”
As we commemorate the centennial of the 19th Amendment that gave women that right to vote, we pay homage to those who put their lives and livelihoods on the line for this momentous effort: Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the other women of the suffrage movement are well known. We should also celebrate the women journalists of the time, like Miriam Michelson, whose relentless and vivid coverage was pivotal in achieving passage of this important amendment that gave women the right to vote.
– 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