In the Best Of episode, we look back at Tracey Franklin of Moderna, a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company playing a critical role in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic. As the Chief Human Resources Officer, Tracey helps the company to deliver on the promise of mRNA science to create a new generation of transformative medicines for patients while facing extraordinary pressures, expectations, and conditions. In this episode Tracey and I talked about how Moderna works to solve this global health crisis in real-time, how they manage through hypergrowth, and what steps they took to nurture a culture that brought out the best in their people so they could protect and save countless lives.

It’s not easy to take an enterprise and reconfigure its mission and values. But doing so can open new opportunities at the nexus of purpose and profit. Nicole Sparshott is the CEO of Unilever Australia & New Zealand, one of the world’s leading suppliers of beauty, personal care, home care, and food and refreshment products, with the goal of making sustainable living commonplace and accessible for everyone. In this episode, she shares how a complex enterprise with a wide portfolio of brands creates balance to drive growth and impact, and how all stakeholders can collaborate to make a positive impact through what we buy and how we live to better our shared future.

We’re at the apex of a monumental shift not only in how successful businesses are run, but also where innovation and transformation are coming from. Right now, Latin America is the fastest-growing region for startups in the world. But that comes as no surprise to those who are already working in that region to foster the next generation of purpose-led leaders. Josué Delgado is the CEO for INCmty, a intercontinental technology, entrepreneurship, and business platform promoting international networking and partnerships, and providing inspiration and action for new businesses building value in Mexico and around the world. In this episode, he shares how to foster the critical entrepreneurship, innovation, and impact needed to solve today’s pressing social and environmental challenges and how to leverage collaboration to drive extraordinary returns and much needed sustainable solutions.

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.

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.

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://goal17works.org

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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://goal17works.org

David Clark is the Founder and CEO of The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, an international initiative ensuring climate change is recognized as the human rights crisis that leading scientists and human rights advocates, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, have declared it to be. In this episode, he reveals the state of the climate movement and how companies large and small can participate in meaningful ways that support much-needed business growth while also course-correcting our future.

It’s hard to overstate Paul Hawken’s contribution to transforming the relationship between humanity, business and the natural world. His books and leadership have built the foundation and laid out the roadmap for how we work together to address the climate crisis. It was a privilege to speak with him about his new book: Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation.

Pascal Houdayer is a purpose-driven leader with 30+ years of experience in Beauty & Personal Care, with a personal mission to improve people’s lives and wellbeing. He’s passionate about creating innovative solutions to foster Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for a more sustainable world. He currently serves as CEO of Orveon (bareMinerals, Laura Mercier, BUXOM), Board Member and Senior Advisor for Global Private Equity firms. Previously held the role of NAOS CEO (Bioderma, Esthederm, Etat Pur), EVP and member of the Management Board at Henkel for the Beauty Care Division, after 19y at P&G in various international Leadership roles.

Tom Szaky is the founder and CEO of TerraCycle, a global leader in the collection and repurposing of complex waste streams. TerraCycle operates in 21 countries, working with the world’s largest brands and companies to recycle products and packaging that currently go to landfill or incineration.

Dr. Tom Hunsaker is an international bestselling author and thought leader who previously served as Associate Dean of Innovation for the Thunderbird School of Global Management. He also helped to pioneer the Global Challenge Lab, a cutting-edge capstone course that engages students with global organizations to solve challenges related to growth and impact. In this episode, he shares what leadership can and must look like to ensure your company thrives in turbulent times while also scaling its impact. And how to find balance in your personal and professional lives to best serve business and our shared future. Lead With We is Produced by Goal 17 Media – https://goal17works.org

Nelson Switzer is a Managing Partner at Climate Innovation Capital. His career has included advising and leading the sustainability, environmental, and corporate responsibility offices of some of the world’s most influential companies, including Nestlé, PwC, Centrica, and the Royal Bank of Canada. He is recognized as a pioneer in the fields of sustainability strategy, sustainable finance, and ESG, and as an expert in climate change, water, and pollution. In this episode, he shares how the investor class and capital markets unlock bold opportunities to course-correct our future and how all stakeholders can collaborate to mitigate climate risks to business and the planet.

James Citron is the CEO of Pledge, the world’s first software platform to empower brands to find their purpose and integrate impact into their core to create better businesses and achieve sustainable social impact. In this episode, he shares how to leverage technology most effectively to ensure that every donation dollar does the greatest good, and how companies, nonprofits, and donors can combine their efforts to provide much-needed support through these very turbulent times. Lead With We is Produced by Goal 17 Media – https://goal17works.org

When it comes to social impact, Starbucks has been leading the pack for decades. In fact, it’s hard to keep track of all their initiatives, from local community grants to groundbreaking standards it created to source ingredients like coffee beans and cocoa. In this episode of Lead With We, I got the chance to chat with Virginia Tenpenny, Starbucks’ Chief Social Impact Officer, who shared how Starbucks brings purpose to life on a daily basis, the future of leadership, localizing large-scale impact, and the importance of treating your employees like partners. Lead With We is produced by Goal 17 Media – https://goal17works.org

Matt Bertulli serves as the CEO and co-founder of Pela, an international company leveraging sustainability to make “everyday products without everyday waste”. With products ranging from phone covers to sunglasses to Lomi composting machines, Pela sits at the forefront of how business reimagines and reengineers how we live while building a high-growth business. Inspiring and ingenious in equal parts, Pela reveals what a multistakeholder movement looks like to realize a sustainable future. Lead With We is Produced by Goal 17 Media – https://goal17works.org

Kevin Edwards is the General Manager and Host of the Real Leaders Podcast, a Top 100 Podcast for both US and Canada Business News. Since 2015 he’s recorded more than 500 interviews with impact CEOs to educate and inspire listeners about the future of leadership. In this episode, Simon and Kevin share how to combine your personal and professional lives to be the best leader you can be, and how business leaders can and must show up to thrive in these changing and challenging times. Lead With We is Produced by Goal 17 Media.

Rob Cameron is Nestlé’s Global Head of Public Affairs and ESG Engagement. He brings 25 years of experience in the fields of sustainability and corporate responsibility. Nestle is the world’s largest, most diversified food and beverage company. It has a unique global footprint and sells products in over 180 countries working to enhance the quality of life and build a healthier future for people across the. In this episode, we’ll discuss how a company with such a complex and consequential footprint leads with respect to ensuring what it makes and how it makes it serves as many people as possible. And the precious planet we share.

Brenda Demers is the CEO of SmartyPants Vitamins, where she most recently led SmartyPants’ integration into Unilever’s Health & Wellbeing collective — while propelling the business to a Top-10 share position in the multivitamin category through her focus on marketing and operational excellence. In this episode, she shares how to build and scale a company that not only wins over employees and consumers but also drives extraordinary growth while creating exceptional impact. She also explains why the company believes so strongly in giving back by making a matching nutrient grant donation to a child in need for every bottle they sell.

We’re excited to launch this new POV format where, once a month, I go head-to-head with a featured guest. For our first POV episode, we welcome Heather Clancy, the Vice President and Editorial Director at GreenBiz. GreenBiz Group is a media and events, member-based company that recognizes the inextricable link between climate change and social change. Join Heather and I in a critical discussion around the climate and sustainability landscape, how business is showing up, and why we both believe there is strong cause for optimism.

Patagonia is an outdoor apparel company based in Ventura, California with a mission to save our home planet. It was founded in 1976 by Yvon Chouinard and was the first B-Corporation in the state. Rick was Vice President of Environmental Initiatives and Special Media Projects for Patagonia for 15 years during which he founded the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. In addition to his accomplishments at Patagonia, Rick is recognized as one of the world’s foremost mountaineers. Along with Yvon and another friend, they were the first Americans to summit K2. He has done other significant climbs and explorations on all continents. In this conversation, Rick discusses why and how Patagonia is fulfilling their mission to save our home planet. He also talks about how Patagonia walks the walk when it comes to sustainability and how it measures its financial performance with the overall health of the planet. Rick is also the author of 6 books. His latest book, “Life Lived Wild: Adventures at the Edge of the Map” is a memoir that recounts some of his boldest expeditions. Rick estimates that he has spent over five years of his life sleeping in tents in distant locations around the globe, “Life Lived Wild” offers some insights to those adventures including his ascent of K2 to exploring a remote area of Tibet that no outsider had ever seen.

Tracey Franklin is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Moderna, a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company playing a critical role in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic. Its enduring mission is to deliver on the promise of mRNA science to create a new generation of transformative medicines for patients. Over the last two years, they were challenged to do so while facing extraordinary pressures, expectations, and conditions. In this episode, Tracy shares how Moderna works to solve this global health crisis in real-time, how they manage through hypergrowth, and what steps they took to nurture a culture that brought out the best in their people so they could protect and save countless lives.

Jessica Rolph is the co-founder and CEO of Lovevery, a company best known for its award-winning subscription play kits, designed by child development experts and distilled to their purest purpose to be exactly what children need at each stage of life. In this episode, she shares how to design, launch, and scale a high growth and high impact business that combines the best interest of its customers, the greatest potential for profit, and the deepest commitment to the planet and our future while also balancing a happy family life.

Daniel Epstein is the founder and CEO of Unreasonable. They are dedicated to supporting growth equity entrepreneurs and positioned to bend history in the right direction. Part investment firm, part media house, and most importantly a global community. Unreasonable partners with multinational institutions and respected brands to align them with impactful growth stage entrepreneurs. In this episode, Daniel shares how to launch, build and scale a collaborative ecosystem that not only gives entrepreneurs an unfair advantage to succeed but also provides every tool they need to scale the impact they want to realize in the world.

Angela Baker is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Qualcomm, a leading global technology company enabling a world where everyone and everything can be intelligently connected. In this episode, Angela explains how 5G technology not only drives transformative innovation but also holds the key to myriad avenues of impact, from regenerative agriculture to education to health and safety. And how such technologies can accelerate and scale dramatic improvements in people’s lives at a time when it’s critically needed.

Carina Cortez is the Chief People Officer at Glassdoor. Built on the foundation of increasing workplace transparency, Glassdoor offers insights into the employee experience powered by millions of company ratings and reviews, CEO approval ratings, salary reports, and more – all by the employees themselves. Carina is passionate about building the future of work and helping people find meaning in their work at a time when this is critical to every business. In this episode, she shares what she had to unlearn from her 20-plus-year history in HR during her first year at Glassdoor and how the company is leading with purpose, building a culture of transparency, and empowering organizations to rebuild their cultures to drive growth, productivity and impact. The Lead With We podcast is produced by Goal17Media.

Over the past 25 years, Lotus Foods has imported over 25 million pounds of certified organic rice from a multi-country network of rice producers whose lives and communities have been transformed by access to markets and organic and fair trade premiums. In this episode, Co-Founders Caryl Levine and Ken Lee share how their commitment to organic and regenerative practices is generating more rice from less land, preserving valuable genetic biodiversity, saving hundreds of millions of gallons of water annually, and reducing methane gas generated by rice fields by over 40%.