Lead The Change

In this episode, Jennifer Louie, Managing Director at Closed Loop Partners, discusses her work in catalytic capital and circular economy investing with current Bard MBA student Hector Aguirre. She explains their approach to investing in resource recovery and circular input business models, emphasizing measurable impact and financial additionality. Jennifer shares insights on their due diligence pr...

In this episode, Bard Alum Cate Byrnes sits down with Libby Zemaitis from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) about her work on climate resilience and social justice. Libby discusses the importance of inclusive community engagement in climate planning, strategies to address green gentrification, and the role of nature-based solutions in building resilience. She shares insights from...

In this episode of The Impact Report, host Renay engages in a compelling conversation with recent Bard MBA graduate Antonio Castillo and researcher Karl Wienhold. Together, they discuss the critical issues smallholder coffee farmers face in the global coffee trade. Antonio and Karl share their extensive experience and research on power imbalances, colonial legacies, and the poverty cycles that tra...

In this episode of The Impact Report, host Renay sits down with Kelly Burton, founder and CEO of the ESG Shop, and Stacey Jewell, a Bard MBA student with a keen focus on impact finance. Together, they discuss the intricacies of ESG strategies and their pivotal role in shaping responsible business practices.   In this Episode:   Kelly Burton’s Leadership Path: Kelly Burton recounts her multifaceted...

Bard MBA candidate Damien Williamson welcomes Brad Stevenson, a lifelong activist, entrepreneur, and sustainability champion with over 30 years of experience in purpose-driven strategy, coaching, consulting, and facilitating programs for executives across various sectors. Brad discusses his latest venture, “Premiums for the Planet,” a collective action movement aimed at leveraging the insurance in...

Join us as we explore the creation of a circular economy through sustainability, technology, and business innovation with Andy Ruben, the visionary behind Trove. Discover how Trove is revolutionizing the retail industry by extending the product lifecycle and fostering brand loyalty through technology.   In This Episode Introduction to Trove: Andy Ruben discusses his journey from Walmart to foundin...

Join us on this special Earth Week episode of The Impact Report as we introduce our new host, Professor Renay Lope r. Renay shares her journey to becoming a pivotal voice in sustainability and gives us a glimpse into the transformative education at Bard College’s Graduate Programs in Sustainability. In this episode: Renay’s personal leadership path and her role at Bard’s MBA in sustainability prog...

Ending Energy Poverty One Bboxx at a Time:   Anthony Osijo , Chief Financial Officer at Bboxx Bboxx manufactures, distributes and finances decentralised solar powered systems in developing countries and has head offices in London and Rwanda with operations across Africa and Asia. As a vertically integrated business, their super platform business model is based on two pillars: a digital highway Bbo...

Brains Meet Beauty: René Graham, FOUNDER & CEO, Renzoe Box A native of Texas, René Graham is a licensed architect and holds a Master in Architecture from Rice University. Before entering the world of product design, beauty-tech, and entrepreneurship founding Renzoe Box, Graham achieved significant and diverse experience in architectural practice and real estate development. She is the co-founder o...

Better Soil Produces Better Wine: Laura Díaz Muñoz, Winemaker and General Manager of Ehlers Estate “This is the philosophy I bring to my winemaking. I believe that if you start with great ingredients, there’s no need to complicate the process in the cellar.”  Laura Díaz Muñoz’s winemaking perspective is rooted in the old world, shaped by a broad cross selection of cultures, regions and vineyard si...

The Importance of Acknowledging Disabilities in the Workplace: Hannah Olson,Co-Founder & CEO, Disclo Hannah Olson is the Co-Founder and CEO of Disclo , an innovative HR software helping employees to safely disclose and ask for accommodations at work. Hannah’s own experience navigating her career while undergoing intensive treatment for Lyme disease sparked the idea for her first venture, Chronical...

Climate Advancing Solutions For Planetary Health: Sophie Bakalar, Partner at Collaborative Fund   Sophie Bakalar is a Partner at Collaborative Fund , a leading New York based venture fund with over $1 billion in assets under management to invest at the intersection of for-profit and for-good. Sophie leads the firm’s climate investments, including a new dedicated $200M+ climate fund called Collab S...

Leading the Change & Changing the Game: A Conversation with Eban Goodstein, Director of Bard Graduate Programs in Sustainability Eban Goodstein is an economist and Director of the Bard Graduate Programs in Sustainability which houses the Center for Environmental Policy and the MBA in Sustainability. Goodstein led the expansion of the Center for Environmental Policy which now offers master’s of sci...

Championing Modern Governance: Lisa Edwards, Executive Chair, Diligent Institute Lisa Edwards is the Executive Chair of the Diligent Institute , the modern governance think tank and global research arm of Diligent Corporation . In her role, Lisa is responsible for expanding the institute’s position as the leading authority on governance, risk, compliance, audit and ESG trends and insights.  Lisa p...

Boxed Water is Better: A Conversation with Rob Koenen , Chief Revenue Officer, Boxed Water Rob is a brand-building executive with twenty years experience driving revenue growth with product and marketing strategies in varied consumer product markets. Proven results in repositioning and modernizing brands. Experienced in strategic planning, product management and operational fundamentals driving de...

Re:Dish Today to Reshape Tomorrow                                                                                                      Caroline Vanderlip , Founder & CEO of Re:Dish                                                                                                                                                                                                                            ...

Revolutionary Capitalism Don Golden, Founder of Just Capital Quotient Don Golden is an Impact Investment Strategist and Fundraising Consultant specializing in the intersection of faith motivated philanthropy, impact investing and market-based solutions to social challenges. Don has 30 years experience helping others bring measurable impact to social challenges in more than 70 countries. Just Capit...

Forging A New Way to Build Companies A Conversation with Oliver Libby, Co-Founder & Managing Director of H/L Ventures Oliver B. Libby is co-founding Managing Partner of  H/L Ventures.   Based in New York City and founded in 2009, H/L Ventures is dedicated to building high-growth businesses that add value to society by protecting and promoting people and the planet, with a strong preference for div...

Gear for Good: A Conversation with  Annie Agle , Senior Director of Impact & Sustainability at Cotapaxi Cotopaxi is a carbon-neutral outdoor gear brand founded to create sustainably designed products that fight extreme poverty, inspire adventure, and move people to do good.  As a certified B Corporation, they believe in using the power of business as a force for social, environmental, and economic...

Advancing Careers By Redefining Professionalism A Conversation with Pabel Ramirez, Founder of Plurawl As an Afro-Latino living & working in NYC, Pabel Martinez would often repress parts of his identity inside & outside of work in an effort to feel more included and less judged.  Formerly a marketing and media executive, Pabel launched PLURAWL to begin creating an inclusive community that’s dedicat...

Bio-Design, Seaweed & Nature-Based Solutions: A Conversation with Roger Bason – CEO and Founder of Atlantic Ocean Aquaculture (AOA) The goal of Atlantic Ocean Aquaculture (AOA) is scaling production to reduce Ag sector GHGs in the US and abroad.  CEO, Roger Bason was trained in ocean science at Colgate University and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. This included a research cruise to the...

A NEW MODEL FOR HOME OWNERSHIP: Yifan Zhang, CEO & Co-Founder of Loftium Yifan Zhang is the CEO & Cofounder of Loftium, a Norwest and Threshold-backed startup that creates affordable homeownership in expensive cities through management of an onsite Airbnb. Loftium and Yifan’s own experience hosting has been featured in The New York Times, and Yifan was named in Entrepreneur’s “50 Most Daring Entre...

Sustainability Grows on the Vine: A Conversation with Steve Lohr of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines J.  Lohr Vineyards & Wines is a winery headquartered in San Jose, California, with almost 4,000 acres of estate vineyards in Paso Robles, Monterey County and the Napa Valley. J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines was named the 2020 recipient of the Green Medal Leader Award. The annual California Green Medal Sustainab...

Kind Careerism Over Toxic Professionalism Lauren Goldberg — Career Strategist, Lauren Goldberg Coaching Lauren Goldberg  is Career Strategist for purpose-driven professionals, helping them gain tools for self-assurance, self-compassion, and self-advocacy. She is an entrepreneur with 7 years experience consulting and working in-house to improve organizational culture and employee experience. Rooted...

Fast Company’s 2022 World Changing Ideas David Lidsky is the interim editor-in-chief of Fast Company. An 18-year veteran of Fast Company, Lidsky most recently served as deputy editor, where he helped steer its overall editorial direction, with an emphasis on finding, commissioning, and editing longform narrative feature stories that appear in print and on digital platforms. In addition, he helped...