Lead The Change

Bard MBA in Sustainability
  • 4.8 (19)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY

Stories from the front lines of business and sustainability innovation.

  1. 11/20/2025

    Dr. Michael Shuman and Karla Pinzón on Local Power and Green Workforce Development

    In this episode recorded live at Bard College's Brooklyn campus, Bard MBA faculty member Dr. Michael Shuman interviews Karla Pinzón, manager of curriculum development at Solar One. Karla discusses her vision for sustainability in New York City through the lens of "local power by local people," emphasizing the importance of investing in local workforce development programs to train New Yorkers in the energy transition. She shares insights on navigating New York's Climate Mobilization Act, creative financing strategies for building retrofits, and developing HVAC and decarbonization curriculum for NYC public schools. The conversation explores how local investment, community empowerment, and career technical education can drive equitable sustainability outcomes while building economic self-determination in urban environments.

    38 min

  2. 10/16/2025

    Communicating Climate in 2025 - Navigating Polarization with Action and Authenticity

    In this live episode recorded during Climate Week NYC 2025, Bard MBA professor Renay Loper hosts a conversation with Alec Turnbull, co-founder of Climate Tech Cities and the Climate Film Festival, and Lauren Kiel, Global Head of Community Innovation at Bloomberg Media. The panel tackles communicating climate action in a polarized environment, discussing why talking about 'value instead of values' resonates with business leaders and why 89% of people care about climate despite the stigma around discussing it. They explore the shift from headlines to action, the power of personal stories over macro messaging, and why record-breaking Climate Week attendance suggests real momentum continues. The conversation emphasizes that incremental progress matters, long-term planning persists despite political headwinds, and the most important climate action we can take is simply talking about it.

    33 min

  3. 09/17/2025

    Redefining Sustainable Business in 2025 - A Live Conversation with Reagan Richmond and Eban Goodstein

    In this special live episode recorded at Bard College's Brooklyn campus, host Renay Loper sits down with Reagan Richmond, a 2017 Bard MBA graduate who consults Fortune 500 companies on climate strategy, and Eban Goodstein, who leads Bard's Graduate Programs in Sustainability. They explore how to navigate sustainable business in an increasingly polarized political landscape, discussing Reagan's diagnostic framework for companies facing pushback and the evolution of sustainability leadership from pioneering figureheads to thousands of practitioners worldwide. Key insights include using resilience as a unifying narrative, integrating climate and nature risk assessment, and the growing influence of the Global South in driving environmental progress. This episode captures the energy of Bard's new 'Inside Sustainability Live' series, where real-world practitioners and academics come together to build community and share strategies for advancing sustainability work in challenging times.

    47 min

  4. 05/22/2025

    Tamara Stands and Looks Back-Spotted Tail on Indigenous Entrepreneurship - Building Sustainable Housing Through Cultural Values

    In this episode, Bard MBA candidate Milana Pakes interviews Tamara Stands and Looks Back-Spotted Tail about creating sustainable earth-block housing for the Shanju Lakota tribe. Tamara shares her entrepreneurial journey from jewelry artist to sustainable housing advocate, discussing how she bridges traditional Lakota values with modern sustainability practices. She explains her vision for self-sufficient homesteads powered by renewable energy that enable economic independence while honoring cultural heritage. Tamara emphasizes reclaiming language, land, and food sovereignty while maintaining deep connections to the earth, noting that “giving back to the earth is also protecting the earth and keeping things in balance.”

    54 min

  5. 05/08/2025

    Dale Ewing & John Friedman on Office Furniture Sustainability - Building a Circular Economy

    In this episode, Bard MBA in Sustainability student Deanna Diaz interviews Dale Ewing, Founder & CEO of Installnet, and John Friedman, sustainability expert and author, about transforming the office furniture industry. They discuss how 9 million tons of furniture end up in landfills annually and share Installnet's Ecoserv program for sustainable decommissioning. The conversation explores the limitations of current environmental impact models, the need for better metrics, and the business case for sustainability despite political headwinds. Dale and John emphasize that furniture reuse creates both environmental benefits and social impact through community donations, highlighting that "what gets measured inaccurately gets mismanaged.”

    39 min

  6. 04/24/2025

    Lenore Kantor on Authentic Alchemy - From Corporate Crisis to Personal Transformation

    In this episode, Bard MBA student Anastasia 'Stacy' Gramotneva interviews Lenore Kantor, founder of Growth Warrior, about her journey from corporate marketing executive to transformational coach and author. Lenore shares her personal 'tower moment' that led to an existential crisis after 20 years in the financial technology sector, and how it sparked her mission to help others find alignment between their personal values and professional lives. She discusses her eight-step 'Authentic Alchemy Path' framework that combines business strategy, coaching methodologies, and holistic practices like Feng Shui and energy medicine. Lenore offers insights on recognizing misalignment, creating intentional space for change, and transforming breakdowns into breakthroughs, while emphasizing that 'we have more choice than we realize once we become aware of the ways we may inadvertently be blocking ourselves.

    35 min

  7. 04/10/2025

    Donald Pollard Jr. & Ngozi Okaro on Fashion's Future: Balancing Innovation, Sustainability, and Ethics

    In this episode, MBA Sustainability candidate Toni Skidmore interviews fashion experts Donald Pollard Jr. and Ngozi Okaro about creating a more ethical and sustainable fashion industry. They discuss how education must include business fundamentals alongside design skills, emphasizing human-centered approaches that balance profit with ethical labor practices. Both guests share how they preserve traditional craftsmanship while embracing innovation and the power of authentic storytelling in fashion. They conclude that creating a more sustainable future requires genuine commitment from industry leaders to prioritize people alongside profit.

    47 min

  8. 03/27/2025

    Michelle Gabriel & Ken Pucker on Fashion Industry Sustainability - Policy, Education, and Business Innovation

    In this episode, MBA candidate Erin Malaney interviews Michelle Gabriel, Director of Sustainable Fashion at IE and NYC, and Ken Pucker, former COO of Timberland and professor at Tufts University. They discuss why current sustainability approaches in fashion aren't working, highlighting business models that prioritize profit over planet, lack of regulation, and externalized environmental costs. Both experts emphasize that policy is essential for meaningful change, as voluntary corporate sustainability efforts have proven insufficient. They also address the critical need for fashion education to include business strategy, climate science basics, and policy understanding to create effective industry change.

    53 min
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4.8
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

Stories from the front lines of business and sustainability innovation.

Information

  • Creator
    Bard MBA in Sustainability
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2025
  • Episodes
    150
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2020 . All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Lead The Change