Lead With We

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 m...

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...

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 S...

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 global...

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,...

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 Threa...

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 mas...

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...

In this Best Of episode, we look back at Sally Uren of Forum For The Future. 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...

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 sustaina...

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 compani...

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. Paul Hawken Paul H...

The beauty industry is undergoing a massive transformation. Pascal Houdayer is CEO of Orveon, a new and disruptive enterprise at the forefront of this reinvention. As a purpose-driven leader with 30+ years of experience in Beauty & Personal Care, he’s committed to exposing the dirty secrets of “clean” beauty and realizing his vision of “pure beauty” as part of holistic health and wellness. In this...

Waste is one of the most dire and distressing issues we face today both for our own lives and for the planet. Tom Szaky is the founder and CEO of TerraCycle, a global leader in the collection and repurposing of complex waste streams polluting our planet. The company operates in 21 countries, working with the world’s largest brands and companies to recycle products and packaging that currently go t...

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 leadershi...

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,...

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...

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 Starb...

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 part...

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 busi...

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 acr...

Brenda Demers is the CEO of SmartyPants Vitamins, where she most recently led the company’s integration into the 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...

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 ar...

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...

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, exp...