Logistics with Purpose

Operations and supply chain management are a science that require a lot of experience and technical know-how to lead – especially on a global scale. But people management is a science too, one that is often more challenging than the others. Caroline Troit leads Operations for the Luxe division of L’Oréal North America. She has end-to-end operational responsibilities for a portfolio of American bra...

Whether helping Toms scale shoe delivery from a million pairs to 50 million or delivering 78,000 masks to healthcare workers during COVID, Gifts for Good Chief Impact Officer Jenise Steverding has found a way throughout her career to meld her knack for logistics with a propensity for giving back - and for that, we (and the world at large) are very grateful. Join us in this classic Logistics with P...

In a discipline as rich, deep, and broad as supply chain, it is no wonder that there are also a million entrepreneurial stories waiting to be told – and heard. Nate Shutes, VP Global Fulfillment & Logistics for Blu Dot, has more than 20 years of industry experience working for shippers, carriers, and 3PLs in a variety of roles. He is also the host of The Bootstrapper's Guide to Logistics Podca...

People all over the world struggle to access clean water, a necessity for survival and something that many people take for granted – but not John DeYoung, Founder and CEO, Vivoblu Inc. Since he was a teenager, he has wanted to make a difference in the world. His story began in the slum streets of South Korea, but today he is blessed to serve children around the world by providing them with access...

Sometimes the most impactful efforts start as an unexpected spark of creativity. They can quickly be forgotten or nurtured into lasting programs – but someone has to make the decision to move forward. Brittney Richardson is the Owner and CEO of Midwest Road Rescue and TheBreTV. After starting her career in law enforcement and fire rescue, she spent 11 years as a truck driver. She owns a pink semi...

While people are always listed first in the classic ‘people, process, and technology’ paradigm, when it comes to leading change, they are often considered last. That creates a situation where transformation projects may not be able to succeed, simply because the culture is too weak to support them. Karen Sammon is a committed Conscious Capitalist, and the CEO of a company by nearly the same name....

For a long time, corporate performance has been managed by looking at worker time and presence. Rules and policies are usually focused on employee behavior, resulting in an inefficient, broken system. While working at Best Buy, Jody Thompson started to reimagine how a workplace could be managed, emphasizing results over time and presence. Now she is focused on workplace transformation full time, a...

Healthcare needs vary the world over, and for many people, accessibility is the number one challenge - especially when disaster strikes. International Medical Corps is a large organization, with a current presence in 30 countries and a staff of about 8,000. While most of their team is local to each country, the emergency response unit is comprised of just 20 people, each with expertise in a certai...

There are a lot of inventors and products out there, but only a few innovators and solutions. In order to develop a true solution, entrepreneurs need to think big and allow themselves to escape the conventions of the past. In this episode of Logistics with Purpose, Kristi Porter and Maureen Woolshlager are joined by Sam Berman, the Founder and CEO of the Logistics Advanced Research Center (LARC)....

Team Rubicon has been in operation for 13 years, during which time they have worked in 1,100 different disasters or crises across the country and around the world. The premise of the organization is that military veterans have great experience that can be applied in a disaster relief context and that the military culture and ethos – a bias for action - is attractive to a much broader base than the...

Companies spend thousands and thousands of dollars on ‘swag’ or promotional merchandise every year, but what happens when they change their logo or go through an acquisition? Swag Cycle helps companies repurpose and recycle items in a responsible, ethical, and affordable way, keeping unneeded swag out of landfills. In this episode of Logistics with Purpose, Kristi Porter and Luisa Garcia are joine...

A series of professional experiences may seem disconnected, until the moment – and the role – comes along to justify them all. Then all of those past experiences and skills fall into place in support of one singular experience. In this episode of Logistics with Purpose, Kristi Porter and Wesley McArthur are joined by Julie Forsyth, Chief Operating Officer at Partners for World Health. She has held...

Some people start out as entrepreneurs and stay there, preferring to follow a less traditional path that allows them more flexibility and autonomy. Others have entrepreneurial experiences and then find ways to apply their creativity and love of learning in a corporate setting. In this episode of Logistics with Purpose, Enrique Alvarez and Wesley McArthur are joined by William Sandman, Market Devel...

Mel Young has worked as a social entrepreneur for most of his life, driven by his fervent belief that is it possible to end homelessness around the world. In this episode of Logistics with Purpose, Mel joins hosts Enrique Alvarez and Nuria Sierra to hear how he combined his desire to make a difference with the game of football (American soccer) to change 1.2 million lives to date. Additional Links...

What would it look like to come to this country with one suitcase in hand to achieve the American dream? It might include the opportunity to serve as a corporate leader at Dell, to be sworn in at the White House to serve on the United States Investment Advisory Council, and to receive numerous accolades, including “Twenty-Five Influential Women in Business” by MEA Magazine; “America’s Top Diversit...

Isabelle Szott is a behavioral researcher at APOPO in Tanzania. In this episode of Logistics with Purpose, Isabelle joins host Enrique Alvarez to talk about how humans are studying animal behavior to better understand how they are impacted by different conditions in their environment. She also describes the work being done to train African giant pouch rats as landmine detectors, as rescue search a...

Paul Rice fell in love with Nicaragua when he was there doing research for his senior thesis at Yale. But the more time he spent in the country, the more disillusioned he became with the traditional government-funded, top-down approach to economic development. He heard about the fair trade movement gaining steam in Europe and decided to try the model in Nicaragua, with great success. In this episo...

Danielle Southcott started thinking about the benefits of clean shipping while working in different roles in the maritime industry. What frustrated her was the challenge of proving the financial viability of the model. In fact, as she explains, she became obsessed with the idea that clean shipping could support a for-profit business model. In this episode of Logistics with Purpose, Danielle joins...

In Shakespeare’s comedy plays, it is the Fool – a Motley Fool in As You Like It – that gets to speak the truth to the king and queen. There was so much power and freedom that came with such a seemingly lowly station. That is why David Gardner, his brother Tom, and fellow co-founder Erik Rydholm started The Motley Fool, a source of honest, educational, and entertaining information about the stock m...

In February of 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. A citizen resistance that was only expected to last days has held for over a year… and the fight goes on. Vector Global Logistics launched an effort almost immediately to channel the collective desire to help. ‘Leveraging Logistics and Supply Chain for Ukraine’ brings together like-minded individuals around the world that are determined to use their res...

When children are exposed to math and science from an early age, they learn to be comfortable with themselves and develop a self-confidence that expands the future opportunities available to them. This is why Tzipor Ulman founded Science is Elementary (SiE), to bring together children of all backgrounds with exceptional science and engineering mentors. In this episode of Logistics with Purpose, Tz...

There are few opportunities in the world to combine creativity with analytics like those presented by the beauty industry. Because of this, Supergoop! CEO Amanda Baldwin had the courage to pivot from successful roles in banking and private equity to become an entrepreneur – even surprising herself. In this episode, she joins Enrique Alvarez and Maureen Woolshlager to tell her story and talk about...

There are challenging final mile logistics and then there are CHALLENGING final mile logistics. Brad Hendrickson (a.k.a. Bakhmut Brad) is currently working in the Donbas region of Ukraine to lead evacuations and deliver aid to the people and animals living one day at a time. In this episode of Logistics with Purpose, Brad joins co-hosts Kristi Porter and Maureen Woolshlager to tell his amazing sto...

Many of us have a career path that is long and winding. How we see each of those twists and turns – as a setback or an opportunity – often determines how successful we will be at the end of the journey. Laura Cyrus followed a particularly windy path to get to Truckers Against Trafficking, a 501(c)3 organization that exists to educate, equip, empower, and mobilize members of the trucking, bus and e...

Born and raised in a refugee camp in Pakistan, Ismail Safi observed firsthand how proper planning and logistics can make a sustainable difference in people's lives. In this episode, he joins Kristi Porter to detail his professional journey, how Islamic Relief USA matches aid to real-time needs and supports long-term impact through livelihood projects, key challenges for non-profits and some of his...