Granite Goodness

Everyone wants more control over their electricity. People want it cheaper. People want it cleaner. Some really smart people in NH figured out how regular ratepayers can get both through something called community power, and they’re lead by a wonderful guy named Henry Herndon, who we spoke to today. We discuss: * What community power actually is * What makes it a true “win win” for consumers and t...

Today we chat with Jim Schachter, President & CEO of New Hampshire Public Radio. We discuss: * How NHPR has navigated changes in public media funding * Reasons for optimism amid a hollowing out of local news * The extraordinary success NHPR has had in podcasting * How NHPR balances informing readers and listeners about the world while not overly depressing them * What makes New Hampshire’s media e...

This episode is from our third ever live show, which happened August 12, 2026 at the Capitol Center for Arts Bank of NH stage in Concord, NH. We collaborated with our friends at NHBSR to bring together: * Ben Conniff: Co-founder, Luke’s Lobster * Julianna Dodson: Executive Director, Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship (and past Granite Goodness guest! ) * Emily Warren: Director of People & C...

This is a bonus episode, recorded partially in the pouring rain outside the Barn on the Pemi in Plymouth, NH. And it was kind of awesome. There is a huge thunder clap at 46:29, listen for it! This conversation is from the 2026 Outdoor Industry Day Barn Raiser hosted by the Granite Outdoor Alliance, where we chatted with local outdoor industry entrepreneurs: * Eric Hui ( Terracea ) * Erika Halaby (...

This conversation is from the 2026 New Hampshire Coastal Climate Summit , hosted by the NH Coastal Adaptation Workgroup, where we chatted with local experts: * Maeve Nolan (Workforce Housing Coalition of the Greater Seacoast) * Annie Cox (Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership) * Cory Riley (Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve) * Brianna Hagan (Town of Hampton) …about how they are helpi...

Thank you to NH Energy Week for having us! And to our excellent panelists: * Tori Gerlt (Resilient Buildings Group) * Jackson Kaspari (Community Power Coalition of NH) * Katharine Cusack (Clean Energy NH) Join us Wednesday August 12 for our next live show at the Bank of NH stage in Concord, NH. Big thank you to our Optimists Club for supporting us, as well as our generous partners Delta Dental, Re...

On March 27, 2026 we brought together 6 local podcasts to record a show in front of a live audience of 100+ people at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth. The theme of the evening was simple: we aren’t competing with each other, we’re all competing together against the giant media industry of conflict entrepreneurship pumping out cynicism 24/7. It was a very special, very optimistic night! THANK YOU TO: * G...

Martha Prybylo is Executive Vice President of the Alnoba Lewis Family Foundation, where she has worked with the Lewis family for more than 30 years across a variety of their organizations. She oversees charitable giving and serves as the institutional historian of Alnoba. Sydni Collier is Director of Leadership Programs at Alnoba, where she coordinates leadership offsites for strategic partners an...

Zeina Eyceoz is the current Executive Director of NH Businesses for Social Responsibility (NHBSR). She joined the organization after teaching sustainability at Southern New Hampshire University and Harvard Extension School. Michelle Veasey is the former Executive Director of NHBSR, where she served for 13 years before transitioning to the role of Advocacy Director. She is recently retiring after a...

Sam Evans-Brown is the Executive Director of Clean Energy New Hampshire, and he’s a congenital, unbreakable optimist! In this episode, he explains why his confidence in the clean energy transition isn’t idealism, it’s physics. We geek out on solar maxis, the surprisingly small number of energy types in the universe, and why New Hampshire might just be a diamond in the rough for getting clean energ...

Today we chat with Tim Smith Gerding, President and Founder of Blackbird Collective . Tim focuses on helping nonprofits grow, connect, and operate more effectively. In this conversation, we discuss common issues non-profits face, and what led to our new partnership, the Earnest Impact Lab Notes: This episode was sponsored by our friends at Green Wave Electric Vehicles , who just opened their secon...

On November 20, we had the first ever Granite Goodness LIVE event at the Rex Theatre in Manchester, NH. I’d like to extend a BIG thank you to: * Our sponsor, Grappone Automotive (especially you, Amanda !) * Corinne Benfield, Executive Director of Stay Work Play NH * Mike Skelton, President of the Business and Industry Association of NH * Steve Turner, Founder of Bring Back the Trades * Shana Bruny...

Anthony Poore is the President & CEO of the NH Center for Justice and Equity, which he co-founded to advance racial equity and belonging across New Hampshire through policy, advocacy, and community engagement. Jo Porter is the Chief Strategy Officer at the NH Center for Justice and Equity, where she leads organizational strategy and has spent her career working at the intersection of public health...

Gene Martin is the Executive Director of the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute, and he is here to prove that fiscal policy is not boring. In this episode, Gene breaks down what fiscal policy actually is, why it touches every single part of your day, and why New Hampshire has a real shot at solving its biggest challenges before they become crises. Also: he has a Live Free or Die belt and 2,000...

Shawn Menard is the Executive Director of Seacoast Eat Local, and Andy sat down with him at a 1750s farmhouse in Lee, New Hampshire that is quietly becoming one of the coolest food hubs in the region. They talk about why local food is one of the most New England things there is, how farmers markets are becoming community classrooms, and what a stronger, more resilient local food system means for t...

Two days ago, I ran a panel at the ACCESS 2025 Economic Growth Conference , put on by the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. The room was packed! The theme of the panel was tactical urbanism: low cost, scalable approaches toward improving public spaces. Joining me was: Charlie French , who leads UNH Cooperative Extension’s Community and Economic Development program Sara Powell , Program Direc...

Andy sits down with New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte for a conversation about what makes the Granite State genuinely remarkable, from the accessibility of its elected leaders to the ordinary citizens showing up every day with extraordinary ideas. They talk about problem solving, staying positive in political office, and why negativity is actually a barrier to getting things done. Also Andy aske...

Taylor Caswell is New Hampshire's first commissioner of business and economic affairs, and he has a very different idea of what economic development actually means. In this conversation, Taylor and Andy dig into what makes New Hampshire's economy feel and function differently from the rest of the country, why 97% small business is a feature and not a bug, and how during the depths of COVID, New Ha...

Mike Skelton is the president and CEO of the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire, an Eagle Scout, and one of the most energetic advocates for fixing New Hampshire's housing crisis. In this episode, Mike and Andy dig into the Housing Supply Coalition, why New Hampshire's citizen legislature is actually a feature and not a bug, and what it means to live in a place where anyone can sho...

Lori Waltz is the Executive Director of Leadership Seacoast, a nonprofit that brings together 40 Seacoast residents each year for a seven-month deep dive into how their region actually works. Jennifer Wentworth is the Treasurer of Leadership Seacoast and a program alumna. Doug Smith is the Social Responsibility Manager at Kennebunk Savings Bank and a proud Leadership Seacoast alum and community pa...

Jon-Noury Eliard is the creator of New Hampshire Rocks, a digital destination marketing platform where community tourism and local economies intersect, and its nonprofit partner Sereno. EXCITED to share that this episode marks the beginning of our new content distribution partnership with NH Rocks , who will be sharing Granite Goodness episodes on their platforms. This episode was recorded at Tree...

Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander represents New Hampshire's Second Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. A former intelligence officer in the Navy Reserve, she is quickly developing a reputation in Washington for her commitment to bipartisanship and finding common ground across the aisle. Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH District 2) Thank you to Congresswoman Good...

Senator Maggie Hassan represents New Hampshire in the United States Senate. A former two-term Governor of the Granite State, she has spent her career in public service defined by a commitment to bipartisanship, pragmatic problem-solving, and the belief that America is a country built on optimism. Senator Maggie Hassan Thank you to Senator Hassan and her team for helping to make this happen! This e...

Jennifer Frizzell is the Director of the New Hampshire Health Cost Initiative, a project working to make the healthcare system more affordable and transparent for Granite Staters. This episode was produced in partnership with NH Possible , focusing on the NH Health Cost Initiative. NH Possible is a collaboration between: * Health Strategies of NH * NH Health Cost Initiative * HealthForce NH * Foun...

Mark Lefebvre is a recovery community consultant, radio DJ, podcast producer, and author of Healing a Village: A Practical Guide to Building Recovery-Ready Communities . He has spent his career working across governments and communities in New England to help people heal from addiction. Healing A Village — available now! This episode was recorded in Treeline Outfitters in Portsmouth, New Hampshire...