EnvAns®

In this episode, Tiana Elame connects with Liz Burdock, founder, president, and CEO of Oceantic Network, the leading nonprofit organization driving growth and collaboration across the U.S. offshore wind and ocean renewables supply chains. Since launching the Network in 2013 in Baltimore, Maryland, Liz has become one of the most influential voices shaping America’s clean energy transformation. Unde...

In this episode, Tiana Elame, EnvAns podcast host connects with Perri Kramer, a dedicated leader who has spent her entire career working to build healthier, more sustainable food systems. Perri believes that good, high-quality food should bring both joy and well-being—and she has committed her life to making that belief real for communities everywhere. Her journey spans nearly every corner of the...

In this episode of EnvAns, we sit down with Brittney Shelby Sessoms — guide, advocate, artisan maker, and cultural storyteller — whose work bridges ancestral wisdom with modern food justice. Known to many as “the youngest Big Ma,” Brittney embodies the spirit of the traditional Black Southern matriarch, grounding her community work in love, legacy, and lived experience. As the founder of Charlotte...

On this episode of the EnvAns Podcast we will get to sit down with Antonia “Toni” Tahia Ginsberg-Klemmt, founder of GismoPower! Toni invented and co-patented the MEGA (Mobile Electricity Generating Appliance), a 6kW plug-in solar carport on wheels for renters. She’s a trilingual “mermaid,” rower, and UC Berkeley graduate in mechanical engineering who holds a physics degree from New College of Flor...

In this episode, host Tiana Elame sits down with Crystal Dreisbach, CEO of Upstream, a nonprofit leading the charge to advance a robust and enduring reuse economy. Crystal shares why reuse isn’t just an environmental solution, but also an economic and social imperative—one that saves money, creates jobs, and builds more resilient communities. From her early work founding Don’t Waste Durham to her...

On this episode of the EnvAns podcast we’re sitting down with George C. Engelmayr, Jr., PhD, a biomedical engineer whose career path has bridged worlds most of us rarely connect: from cardiac tissue engineering in top university labs to pioneering cultivated meat and leather startups shaping the future of food and materials. George’s story begins with training at Penn State, the University of Penn...

After 12 incredible episodes featuring conversations with experts and changemakers, host Tiana Elame is stepping in front of the mic to share more about herself and the vision behind EnvAns. This episode is a chance to hear the story behind the podcast: why it was created, how it connects to the mission of EnvAns, and what keeps driving this work forward. Tiana opens up about her journey in the en...

In this episode of Environmental Answers, we sit down with Evan Gwynne Davies, CEO and co-creator of Scrapp, a Certified B-Corp that's revolutionizing how we understand waste. What started in a college dorm has evolved into a global platform helping organizations digitize their waste streams and take real action toward a circular economy. Evan shares the journey from sustainable building design to...

Join us for a special EnvAns Podcast Live episode during Mental Health Awareness Month as we welcome Rebecca Vidra (she/her), Senior Lecturer of Marine Conservation and Ethics at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. In this powerful and reflective conversation, we explore what it means to engage in environmental work with not just technical skill, but with heart, purpose, and resi...

Can Travel Be Truly Sustainable? Annie Combs Thinks So. In this episode of EnvAns, we sit down with Annie Combs—environmental scientist, sustainable tourism researcher, and founder of ECPC Travel—to explore how travel can become a force for good. Annie shares how her experiences around the world and research at UCSB’s Bren School led her to create a new framework for tourism that prioritizes both...

On this Episode of the EnvAns Podcast, We’re excited to welcome Andre Taylor to our next conversation — a dynamic historian, scholar, and storyteller whose work beautifully bridges academia, community, and culture.🎓 Andre is a Ph. D. student in American Studies at William & Mary, former oral historian for the university, and past historian of African American history and culture at the Coloni...

Elysabeth Alfano is the CEO of VegTech™ Invest, the Advisor to the Plant-based Innovation & Climate ETF, EATV, listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Elysabeth is an expert in investing in food systems transformation and speaks internationally on the intersection of investing, sustainability, and our global food supply system. She recently spoke at the U.N. Global Leaders Compact Summit, the U...

Hazel Horvath is the founder and CEO of Ecolytics, a software platform enabling companies to build data-driven sustainability programs. With a degree in Environment and Sustainability from Duke University and a diverse background in global sustainability analysis—from Washington, DC, to Geneva, Switzerland, and Beijing, China—Hazel has cultivated a deep understanding of the challenges and opportun...

In our next episode, we're interviewing Jessica J. Auck !Jessica brings nearly 20 years of interdisciplinary experience from fields like archaeology, environmental planning, land use management, and construction compliance. Her expertise spans industries such as transportation, residential real estate, civil works, utilities, and renewable energy. Currently, she is a Sr. Permit Compliance Mana...

John Starke has a background in engineering and manufacturing, with extensive experience in industrial operations, specializing in product, production, and quality engineering. As the founder of #MyMatR , he aimed to empower individuals to manage their waste more effectively, contributing to a more efficient public disposal system. Outside of work, John is a dedicated bagpiper and an active member...

Dear listeners, On this episode of the Environmental Answers Live podcast, we're diving into the world of sustainable investing. Our guest is Heather Beatty, the founder and CEO of ScopeFour Capital, a climate-focused investment firm. Heather brings a wealth of experience to the discussion, having previously held leadership positions at First Eagle Investment Management, TCW, and Thornburg. No...

Dear listeners, tune in to this episode of the Environmental Answers podcast to hear from Chef Netta, a Food & Nutrition expert with a passion for flavorful, healthy food. Chef Netta specializes in helping local communities build sustainable eating, cooking, and lifestyle habits that optimize performance. After culinary school, Chef Netta earned a Master's Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics...

On this Episode of the Environmental Answers (EnvAns) podcast we will explore evidence-based sustainability by diving into a conversation with Maddie Shiff, Commercial Operations Manager at Polycarbin. Maddie is on a mission to decarbonize the scientific industry through an evidence-based approach to sustainability. With nearly a decade of experience in the sustainability start-up world, she works...

The Environmental Answers (EnvAns) Podcast is designed for environmental leaders, clean energy innovators, sustainable developers, and anyone who wants to be more informed about the environmental industry. In this episode, we are excited to feature Reba Elliot, an impactful organizational developer. Reba will discuss why organization design and planning is crucial as we navigate "a new climate." W...