30: Making Modern Slavery History: Joanna Ewart-James, Co-founder & Executive Director of Freedom United
It’s a crisis many of us never imagined could exist in our lifetimes: modern slavery. But the unconscionable issue of forced labor is something that everyone can help tackle head-on. Joanna Ewert-James is executive director and co-founder for Freedom United, the world’s largest community dedicated to ending human trafficking and slavery. In this episode she shines a light on the unseen facets of modern slavery in business, what we can do to address it, and how together we can make progress to expose and end modern slavery through the company and industry-wide collaboration.
29: Climate Solutions out of Thin Air: Gregory Constantine, CEO of Air Company
Turning the air we breathe– and the carbon dioxide we produce– into products that enhance our daily lives. It’s not only possible but happening right before our eyes. Gregory Constantine is co-founder and CEO of Air Company, a technology, engineering, and design company that has developed a new process to turn carbon dioxide into value-added products, with a goal of demonstrating to the world that there is limitless potential in technology, and that it should be accessible to all. In this episode, he shares how to launch and scale a truly disruptive and purposeful company with multiple product lines and how to leverage that purpose to win investors, employees, and customers, and a brighter future.
28: Finding Your Way to Flourish: Dr. Katia Sol, Assistant Director of the Stanford Flourishing Project
The way we think about leadership is changing, both on a personal level and in the context of business growth and development. For a business to succeed, especially in the digital era, the conversations around what it means to lead must evolve with the changing societal landscapes. But when you are seeking reinvention, it’s easy to get stymied by the simple question: where do we start? Dr. Katia Sol is a lecturer at Stanford University as well as Assistant Director of the Stanford Flourishing Project, a weekly lecture series designed to enhance one’s own leadership toolkit and change-making capacity, as well as one’s ability to enhance collective prosperity and flourishing. In this episode, she shares how we can regenerate ourselves to show up most effectively for others and the planet, and how we foster a culture of purpose and service to navigate challenging times and course-correct our future. Lead With We is Produced by Goal 17 Media – https://goal17media.com
27: Meeting the Moment for Mental Wellness: Taryn Bird, Senior Director of Social Impact, Kate Spade NY
Mental health and wellness has never been more top of mind. The global toll of the Covid-19 pandemic peeled back the layers on long-held stoicism, unearthing a growing crisis not only on a personal level, but one that permeates business and brands worldwide. Now, employers are asking themselves: What can we do to help? Taryn Bird is Senior Director of Social Impact at Kate Spade New York, a globalfashion design company known for its colorful, playful designs and its commitment to creating high-quality productswith personal style statements for each customer. In this episode, she shares how a company of any size can address a sensitive issue like mental health in ways that are deeply meaningful to employees and customers, while also delivering real value to a business at a time when it’s needed most.
26: Sustaining a Healthier Future: Alison Writenour, CEO of Seventh Generation
Alison Writenour is CEO of Seventh Generation, a homecare products company that became a household name selling eco-friendly cleaning, paper, and personal care items with a focus on sustainability and the conservation of natural resources in both product development and marketing practices. In this episode, she shares how an industry leader reimagines its role to unlock new innovations, products, and growth, and how a purpose-led company of any size can accelerate and scale impact in ways that inspire everyone to build its business.
25: BEST OF: Bolt Threads’ Dan Widmaier: Reengineering Fashion & Beauty To Restore The Planet
In the Best Of episode, we look back at Dan Wideaier of Bolt Threads. Dan Widmaier is a bioengineer who’s taking on the fashion and beauty industries. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Bolt Threads, he’s ushering in a new era of regenerative lab grown materials that can help us reverse course when it comes to the health of our planet. In this episode Dan and I talked about the science behind Bolt Threads’ patented materials, and how they’re being adopted by big brands like Stella McCartney and Adidas. In what was a fascinating conversation, I heard about his growth strategy, how industry disruption can be used to create social and environmental impact, and why companies that don’t adopt regenerative practices could face existential problems.
24: BEST OF: Bryce Fluellen, Executive Director, Social Equity Franchise Everytable: Change Is Bigger Than You
In the Best Of episode, we look back at Bryce Fluellen of Everytable. Bryce Fluellen is the Executive Director of Social Equity Franchise at Everytable. They are redefining the fast-food landscape by selling nutritious, fresh, made-from-scratch food at fast-food prices in underserved communities. To that end, they’re reducing meal prices to meet the minimum income of each community. Bryce is a master chef who has worked with nationwide restaurants to drive systemic change to benefit underserved populations and communities. In this conversation, he shares how his passion for education and healthy eating serves the company’s rapid growth and the democratization of healthy, affordable food where it’s needed most.
23: BEST OF: JUST Capital’s Martin Whittaker On Holding Business Accountable
In this Best Of episode, we look back at Martin Wittaker of JUST Capital. Whether you know it or not, JUST Capital is playing a crucial role in business by supplying the economy with critical knowledge that holds companies accountable based on what they hear directly from the American public and how the American public believes they should behave. In this episode, JUST Capital CEO Martin Whittaker and I had a thought-provoking conversation around the present and future of business. We explored how JUST’s public rankings help direct market forces to build a better future, where we are in the journey towards stakeholder capitalism, why it’s absolutely necessary to create a more equitable economy, and what business leaders can do to bring about this change.
22: BEST OF: Futurist Sally Uren On How Volatility Unlocks Positive Change
Thanks for joining us for another season of Lead With We. I couldn’t think of a better guest to kick things off than my dear friend, futurist Sally Uren. Sally runs a leading sustainability non-profit called Forum For The Future that works directly with big brands and business leaders to create global change. Together we discuss the future of humanity (literally), and how we’re seeing very different trajectories play out simultaneously in real time. And what I particularly love about this conversation is that Sally points to growing movements, such as regenerative agriculture and impact investing, as proof that we can build a positive future through our actions.
21: Why Sustainability Is Getting Better For Business: Koann Skrzyniarz, Founder and CEO Of Sustainable Life Media
KoAnn is the Founder and CEO of Sustainable Life Media, producers and conveners of the internationally respected Sustainable Brands community. Through Sustainable Brands, she and her team lead the global conversation about how 21st-century brands can, and are delivering new business value through innovation for environmental and social purpose. In this episode, we discuss the evolution of sustainability efforts around the world and the positive progress we’re making, as well as exciting and disruptive new companies, technologies, and collaborations that are unlocking huge marketplace opportunities in the future. Lead With We is Produced by Goal 17 Media – https://goal17media.com