Impact Icons Imagine a Place

Today I'm talking with Annie Bevan, sustainability collaborator, facilitator, visionary, and changemaker. She's an Impact Icon, CEO of mindful MATERIALS, founder and CEO of SMSC, and global head of sustainability for Superior Essex, but most importantly what I have come to appreciate and love the most is she's a good human being.

Her desire and drive to fight for better for those and what she cares about is unmatched. Our conversation gives you a little insight into the woman behind the work. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Bonnie Sharphouse is an independent sustainability consultant with more than fifteen years of experience in corporate sustainability strategy, program design, management systems, and reporting for the manufacturing, chemical, CPG, energy, and pharmaceutical sectors.

Whether Bonnie knows it or not, she and I are good friends. I can't tell you the last time I enjoyed a conversation more, Bonnie and I had literally just met when we recorded together. I'm enamored with her, with her approach to her work and her ability to articulate why she does the work that she does - and how she can see so clearly the impact she has and wants to have on the world.

She is so refreshing. She's such a light. I hope you enjoyed this conversation as much as I did.

Mr. Lucky might sound like a funny title for a conversation with Gabe Wing, but give me a couple of minutes and you'll soon see why it's the perfect title.

MillerKnoll says Gabe has fundamentally reimagined the way their products are designed. And even though Gabe does this work day in and day out, I still get the impression he's pinching himself from his rough start in chemical engineering (....seriously, he hated it), to stepping into Miller's sustainable legacy. You can feel the love this man has for what he does and who he does it with.

A fighting chance might be a tenet of Aaron VanderGalien and Deksia, but it's also one of his core values. A serial entrepreneur himself, Aaron's passion for growing other entrepreneurs and his love for his community led to his Impact Icons award. When you put resources into people, into buildings, into your values, it's amazing the impact you'll have on the world. Also, a huge shout out to Aaron's mom for being okay with their garage being for paying customers only...I wonder if she knew then what would happen.

In this episode, we delve into a conversation with Eric Corey Freed - an architect, author, and teacher with a remarkable sense of humor and a crucial role as the Sustainability Director at Cannon Design. Eric shares his unique perspective on climate change, preferring to liken it to a disease no one would want our planet to catch, rather than using conventional, and in his opinion, benign terms. We explore his drive for making meaningful impacts in the industry and discuss his knack for causing 'good trouble'. Prepare for enlightening insights and a good laugh in this engaging conversation!

In today’s episode, Jen talks with Impact Icon Jane Rohde, Founder, and Principal at JSR Associates, a healthcare and senior living design firm developing programming, planning, and care models that focus on the desired outcomes of residents, patients, staff, family, and visitors. Jane believes in a global, cultural shift toward de-institutionalized senior living facilities through research, advocacy, and humanistic approaches to care. She is a consummate professional, a voracious consumer of knowledge, and so incredibly kind.

Toward the end of the conversation, she talks about legacy and what it means to think about your own — the legacy you’ll leave. It’s a thoughtful, intriguing conversation and one we hope you enjoy. You can learn more about Jane’s work at www.jsrassociates.net.