The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti

The Green Impact Report Quick take: Herbert Koomson reveals how waste audits uncover 50% recyclable materials hiding in trash streams and why the future of sustainability messaging isn't about saving the planet—it's about saving your bottom line. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Herbert Koomson transitioned from engineering to sustainable design at West Virginia University, where Professor...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: Morgan Holl reveals why "connectivity drives circularity" in recycling and how his glass processing innovation tackles the 38% of landfill waste from construction—plus the strategic insight that could transform your approach to sustainable materials sourcing. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Morgan Holl is a current founder in the sustainability space, w...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: Hamed Soroush reveals how subsurface thermal energy storage can cut data center cooling power by 80% while creating 6-month energy batteries from underground rocks—plus the mindset shift that transformed his oil & gas expertise into breakthrough clean energy solutions. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Hamed Soroush is a subsurface engineering expert and...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: Larry Lessard reveals why geothermal systems are 400-600% more efficient than fossil fuel alternatives and how network geothermal is revolutionizing district-level sustainability—plus the strategic insight that could reshape your approach to renewable energy priorities. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Lawrence (Larry) Lessard is an applied scientist wit...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: Ross Guberman reveals how AI sensors and tech-enabled waste management can slash building operating costs while hitting zero waste targets—turning dumpster diving into data science. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Ross Guberman is a seasoned executive with a strong focus on sustainability and environmental management. Currently serving as the SVP of Sus...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: Caroline Vanderlip reveals how to tackle the trillion-unit packaging waste crisis by making reuse as convenient as disposal—and why the built environment holds the key to scaling circular economy solutions. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Caroline Vanderlip is a high-energy senior executive who pivoted from building digital media empires (including laun...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: LEED Fellow Bonny Gray reveals how she built the world's largest cistern under a parking garage, battles "LEED-like" terminology that's undermining green building credibility, and why prefabricated construction might be the key to scaling sustainability. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Bonita Tice Gray, AIA LEED AP BD+C, is Director of Sustainability an...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: Sean Ronnie Hill shares how his journey from a freezing, poorly built Belfast home to founding Rise Design Studio led to breakthrough insights on passive house principles, embodied carbon calculations, and the massive shift toward all-electric buildings—essential knowledge for green building professionals navigating today's sustainability landscape. Meet Your Fe...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: Angela Gill Nelms shares how interdisciplinary approaches and customer-centered innovation can transform healthcare while creating more sustainable outcomes—offering valuable lessons for green building professionals seeking to drive change in their organizations. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Angela Gill Nelms is an accomplished entrepreneur, philanth...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: Mark Snyder introduces a groundbreaking approach to indoor air purification using microalgae bioreactors that not only clean air more effectively than traditional methods but could potentially save billions in energy costs while addressing common challenges in energy-efficient sealed buildings. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion As the CEO of VerdeTerra, M...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: Andre Baros shares how technology can transform the overwhelming process of material selection, making sustainability data more accessible and helping architects make responsible choices without disrupting their workflow. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Andre Baros is an architect whose career has been anchored in sustainability, curiosity, and rigor. A...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: Quick take: Myles Cohen shares invaluable insights into the recycling industry, sustainable packaging innovations, and how professionals can drive value-based sustainability initiatives that benefit both business and the environment. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Myles Cohen is a results-oriented leader in sustainable packaging, residential and indust...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: Waste management expert Brandie Townsend revolutionizes how we view "trash" by demonstrating that landfills are obsolete and most materials can be repurposed, recycled, or reused for both environmental and economic benefits. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Dedicated to the triple bottom line: people, profit and the planet, Brandie Townsend brings a wide...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: From youth activism to spearheading digital twin innovation at Nemetschek, Andreas Steyer reveals how technology is transforming building sustainability and why trusting design data is crucial for the industry's green future. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Based in Berlin, Andreas Steyer leads the global go-to-market strategy for Nemetschek's digital t...

Paul Frischer on Organic Printed Semiconductors: The Future of Zero-Carbon Buildings The Green Impact Report Quick take: This episode reveals a breakthrough in sustainable building technology - organic printed semiconductors that can turn any window into a power generator while reducing energy consumption by up to 50%. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Accomplished Senior Executive with suc...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: Hollywood is going green! This episode reveals how the film industry is tackling its environmental footprint with innovative technology and practical solutions that can inspire any sustainability professional. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Ben Hall is a film director who splits time between Los Angeles and Atlanta and has worked in the production depa...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: Packaging and sustainability expert Tom shares how AI and smart technology are transforming recycling and landfill diversion efforts in stadiums, universities, and corporate buildings – creating a more engaging path to sustainability for the next generation. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Thomas (Tom) Grinnan is a Global executive and consultant who th...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: Award-winning designer Blima Ehrentreu shares how thoughtful interior design creates spaces that enhance lives while minimizing environmental impact, revolutionizing healthcare experiences and community-focused projects through human-centered approaches. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion As the Founder and CEO of The Designers Group, Blima Ehrentreu combi...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: Singapore-based sustainability expert Nilesh Jadhav shares how AI, autonomous systems, and smart technologies are transforming buildings into intelligent, grid-interactive assets that can dramatically reduce carbon emissions while improving performance. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion With over 20 years of experience in the field of clean energy and dec...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: Legendary software CEO Dave Lemont reveals how Acelab is transforming sustainable building by creating the industry's first comprehensive material decision-making platform, bringing AI-powered intelligence to material selection. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Dave Lemont brings to Acelab more than three decades of experience in scaling software compani...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: From architect to researcher, Stuart Shell reveals how evidence and nature-inspired thinking are transforming sustainable design beyond conventional metrics to create holistic building solutions that benefit both people and the planet. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Stuart Shell works with an interdisciplinary team at BranchPattern to create building s...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: From Midwestern roots to LEED Fellow status, Kristen Fritsch shares how sustainability becomes second nature in architecture and how biomimicry can inspire truly innovative design solutions. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Kristen (Atchity) Fritsch, AIA, LEED Fellow, WELL AP is a Senior Associate and Director of Sustainability at Elkus Manfredi Architec...

Episode Title: Vardhan Mehta on Transforming Material Selection Through AI-Powered Design The Green Impact Report Quick take: A deep dive into how AI and smart data management are revolutionizing sustainable material selection in architecture, featuring insights from Acelab's founder on bridging the gap between sustainable ambition and implementation. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion: Vard...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: An enlightening conversation with BREEAM USA's Director of Operations on how science-based building standards are reshaping real estate value and transforming sustainable performance measurement. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Breana Wheeler is the Director of Operations for BREEAM USA, where she leads the deployment of BREEAM's sustainability standard...

The Green Impact Report Quick take: A masterclass in transforming sustainable building practices into regenerative design, featuring insights from HDR's Director of Sustainable Development on pushing beyond net-zero to create net-positive impact buildings. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Colin Rohlfing serves as the Director of Sustainable Development for HDR's Global Architecture practic...