The Bodacious Optimist

In this episode of the Bodacious Optimist podcast, host Sascha Mayer talks with Noah Miller, a leader in Environmental and Social Governance (ESG). The discussion delves deep into the definition and importance of ESG pillars: environmental stewardship, social impact, and governance. Noah recounts his unique career path, including his time as a professional athlete and Israeli army commander, and h...

In this episode of the Bodacious Optimist podcast, Sascha interviews Dr. Lisa Stellwagen, a pediatrician and leading advocate for breastfeeding and milk banking. Dr. Stellwagen, who played a key role in establishing UC San Diego's baby-friendly hospital designation and cofounded the UC Health Milk Bank, discusses the importance of milk banks in providing donor breast milk for fragile and premature...

In this episode of the Bodacious Optimist podcast, the host interviews Tricia Johnson, a professor at Rush University's Department of Health Systems Management. As a human milk economist, Tricia discusses her work in understanding the economic drivers of healthcare spending, particularly focusing on the cost-effectiveness of feeding mother's own milk (MOM) to premature infants. Tricia shares her j...

In this episode of the Bodacious Optimist podcast, host Sascha Mayer interviews Corinne Botz, a visual artist and educator whose multidisciplinary work spans photography, writing, and filmmaking. The conversation centers around Botz’s project, “Milk Factory,” which includes a short film and a book about lactation rooms. Botz shares how the origins of the project were inspired by her personal exper...

In this episode of The Bodacious Optimist podcast, Sascha Mayer interviews Dr. Lars Bode, a renowned expert in breast milk research and the founding director of the Human Milk Institute at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Bode discusses the multifaceted benefits of breast milk for both infants and mothers, including its nutritional and protective qualities. He delves into the specific...

Join Dr. Angela Lang as she shares her expertise and personal journey in the field of lactation and breastfeeding support. Dr. Lang, who began her career as a systems engineer before transitioning to nursing, discusses the importance of evidence-based care and the challenges she faced as a new mother. She emphasizes the role of Medela in advancing breastfeeding technology, including the significan...

In this episode, Sascha Mayer interviews Adeline Druart, CEO of Lawson's Finest Liquids. Adeline shares her journey from studying cheesemaking in France to leading Vermont Creamery— and eventually becoming CEO of one of the premier craft breweries in the U.S. She discusses her passion for sustainable food, the importance of quality, and the challenges and opportunities she faced during her career...

Kate Williams, CEO of 1% for the Planet, joins the Bodacious Optimist podcast to discuss the global movement where businesses commit 1% of their annual sales to support environmental causes. Kate explains the origins of the organization, founded in 2002 by Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard and Craig Matthews, and its evolution over two decades. She details the role of 1% for the Planet in advising, certi...

In this episode of The Bodacious Optimist podcast, Sascha interviews Michelle Millar Fisher and Amber Winick, the visionaries behind Designing Motherhood. This multifaceted project examines how design influences reproduction and parenthood through a book and a series of exhibitions. Michelle and Amber share their journey from their initial meeting in New York to their work's growing impact, includ...

In this episode of the Bodacious Optimist podcast, Sascha Mayer interviews Representative Becca Balint of Vermont, the first woman and openly LGBTQ+ person to represent the state in Congress. Balint discusses her journey from being a middle school teacher to a congresswoman, her experience in Vermont and on Capitol Hill, and her priorities including maternal health and reproductive rights. She hig...

In this episode of 'The Bodacious Optimist' hosted by Sascha Mayer, co-founder of Mamava, the focus is on the operations and manufacturing side of the business. Sascha interviews her co-founder Christine Dodson, who oversees manufacturing at Mamava. They discuss the challenges and successes encountered as they decided to take on their own manufacturing during the pandemic to gain cost control and...

Toyya Lassere is the Senior Director of Guest & Team Member Experience at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. In this episode, she shares her journey from a life centered on care to a successful career in entertainment management that  spans music, film, and professional sports at premier venues, including U.S. Bank Stadium and SoFi Stadium. Toyya talks to Sascha about the strides made in ge...

Sonia Strobel is the cofounder and CEO of Skipper Otto, a community supported fishery based in Canada that provides consumers with premium fish and seafood direct from small-scale fishermen (think: CSA for seafood). In this episode, Sonia shares her experience partnering with B Lab on creating more rigorous certification standards for the seafood industry, building a brand from a network of partne...

Alysia Montaño is an Olympic athlete, a seven-time USA Outdoor Track and Field Champion, an entrepreneur, and a mother. In 2019, Alysia’s op-ed in The New York Times about the inequities in her Nike sponsorship brought worldwide attention to the barriers and career conflicts faced by professional athletes who are athletes and mothers. On Mothers Day 2020, Alysia founded &Mother, which is dedic...

Adam Davidson is one of the godfathers of podcasting, the cofounder of NPR’s Planet Money , and a longtime contributor to many popular podcasts including Freakonomics and This American Life . He has written for such esteemed publications as The New Yorker, The Atlantic , and the New York Times Magazine . He is also the author of The Passion Economy , a book that profiles entrepreneurs who have lev...

Jen Saxton is a serial entrepreneur and founder and CEO of Tot Squad, a baby services marketplace that connects new parents with health, wellness, and safety services— like car seat installation, babyproofing, doulas, sleep consultants, and more. In this episode, Jen talks to Sascha about building and selling her first company, how assuming the resiliency of “a cockroach” has helped keep her busin...

Kelly Brush is a mother, athlete, healthcare professional, and the inspirational leader behind the Kelly Brush Foundation (KBF)—an organization dedicated to making active and engaged lives a reality for those who have experienced a spinal cord injury. In 2006, Kelly crashed and injured her spinal cord while racing for the Middlebury College ski team. After undergoing rigorous rehabilitation for he...

Nic Longo is the Director of Aviation at the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (BTV). In addition to being the busiest airport in Vermont (and New England’s fifth busiest and second busiest commercial service airport when it comes to landings and takeoffs), BTV is home to the F35s of the Green Mountain Boys (Vermont’s Air National Guard), the fast-growing start-up BETA Technologies, a...

Roxanne Vought is the Executive Director of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR). VBSR is a statewide, nonprofit business association founded 34 years ago by a group of pioneering socially responsible businesses in Vermont, including Ben and Jerry’s and Gardener’s Supply Company. VBSR’s mission is to leverage the power of business for positive social and environmental impact. In thi...

Michael Jager is the cofounder of the design studio Solidarity of Unbridled Labour. For more than 30 years, Michael has been designing and collaborating with international brands like Burton Snowboards, Xbox, and Patagonia. In this episode, Michael talks to Sascha about how his love for music became a love for art and inspired his career in multidisciplinary brand design, which includes building t...

Claire Coder is the founder and CEO of Aunt Flow . Founded in 2016 when Claire was just 18, Aunt Flow supplies free-vend dispensers and 100% organic cotton menstrual products to businesses and schools to ensure that everyone has access to healthy, sustainable menstrual products wherever they are. Aunt Flow has implemented free period products in thousands of bathrooms and donated millions of tampo...

Raena Boston is the leader of the Working Momtras online community and a cofounder of the national nonprofit organization Chamber of Mothers. With a monthly reach of over 4 million, Chamber of Mothers champions the work of existing advocacy groups; educates mothers about the personal impact of politics; and encourages women to use their voices, dollars, and power to hold lawmakers accountable for...

For The Bodacious Optimist’s inaugural podcast, coproducer Nicci Micco talks with the show’s host and Mamava cofounder Sascha Mayer about her path to making pods (both this show, and the lactation pods she invented). The episode focuses on how Sascha and cofounder Christine Dodson incubated the concept of freestanding lactation pods (the birth of Mamava) at the design studio where they worked, the...

Mamava presents The Bodacious Optimist, hosted by Sascha Mayer.  Episode 1 launches April 17, 2024.