Nikki Silvestri: Linking Urban Communities with Carbon Sequestration

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

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Nikki Silvestri is the Founder and CEO of Soil and Shadow, a project development firm designing economic and environmental strategies with human left in.

As the Co-Founder of Live Real and former Executive Director of People's Grocery and Green for All, Nikki has built and strengthened social equity for underrepresented populations in food systems, social services, public health, climate solutions, and economic development. A nationally recognized thought leader, her many honors include being named one of The Root's 100 Most Influential African Americans.

Nikki is a Faculty Member at the Food Business School (she co-designed and taught one of their inaugural courses, "Ethical Leadership in Food Business"). She is the Board Co-Chair of the Business Alliance of Local Living Economies (BALLE), and is an advisory board member of TendLab, a boutique firm unlocking the power of parenthood at work. She is the recipient of numerous awards including ELLE Magazine's "Gold" Award and OxFam America's "Act Local, Think Global" Award.

Nikki began her work in social change through the foster care system in Southern California, where she directed Foster Youth Empowerment Workshops. She has a master's degree in African American Studies from UCLA, and is originally from Los Angeles. She currently lives in Oakland, with her husband and son.

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In this interview, Erin and Nikki discuss a number of topics, including:

  • The institutions, philanthropists and organizations engaged in the Carbon Farming financing opportunities

  • The opportunities, questions and challenges Nikki holds about Carbon Farming & why we cannot miss this opportunity to engage with frontline communities

  • How the principles of “earth care, people care, fair share” and “observe, then interact” hold so much relevance for working with urban communities

  • The organizations and thought leaders that have influenced her thinking

  • The one thing listeners should do first when attempting to create jobs & opportunity for low-income communities

  • And much more

In addition to listening on B the Change Media, you can listen/subscribe to Next Economy Now on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, or your favorite podcasting platform.

Erin Axelrod is a Partner at LIFT Economy, helping to accelerate the spread of climate-beneficial businesses, specializing in businesses that address critical soil and water regeneration. She is a shepherdess, indigo farmer and regularly forages for wild food in her home in rural Sonoma County. LIFT Economy is an impact consulting firm whose mission is to create, model, and share a locally self-reliant economy that works for the benefit of all life. You can follow Erin on Twitter @erinaxelrod or email her erin@lifteconomy.com.

Kat Taylor: Can a Bank be an Agent of Radical Social and Environmental Change?

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

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Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, democratic, transparent, and whole-systems approach to solving social and environmental challenges.

The goal of this podcast is to identify the trends, tips, and best practices that will help listeners better harness the power of business as a force for good.

In this episode, Ryan Honeyman, a Partner at LIFT Economy, interviews Kat Taylor, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Beneficial State Bank.

Beneficial State Bank is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) whose mission is to bring beneficial banking to low-income communities in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner. The bank’s revolutionary ownership mandates that any distributed profit be invested in the low-income communities it serves and environment upon which we all depend.

Kat is also a Founding Director of TomKat Ranch Educational Foundation (TKREF), dedicated to inspiring a sustainable food system through ranching, training, tours, research, and school food and garden programs. TKREF owns the social enterprise LeftCoast GrassFed, humanely raising cattle and other livestock for the benefit of people and the planet.

Kat serves and has served on many non-profit boards including the Harvard Board of Overseers, Ecotrust, Good Samaritan Family Resource Center, ProPublica, CuriOdyssey, Insight Prison Project, KQED and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. She graduated from Harvard College and earned a JD/MBA from Stanford University. Tom Steyer, Kat's climate/energy activist husband, and she have four grown children.

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In this interview, Ryan and Kat discuss a number of topics, including:

  • How Beneficial State Bank is addressing systemic challenges in our financial system

  • The debate about growing her bank or staying the same size, and why she believes that it is hard to shift economic prosperity without at least some growth

  • Why Kat and her husband Tom Steyer are focused on banking, climate change, and regenerative agriculture

  • The books, organizations, and thought leaders that have influenced her thinking

  • The one thing that anyone listening can do to make a difference in our financial system

  • And much more

In addition, you can listen/subscribe to Next Economy Now on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, or your favorite podcasting platform.

Ryan Honeyman is a Partner at LIFT Economy and author of The B Corp Handbook: How to Use Business as a Force for Good (Berrett-Koehler Publishers). LIFT Economy is an impact consulting firm whose mission is to create, model, and share a locally self-reliant economy that works for the benefit of all life. You can follow Ryan on Twitter @honeymanconsult or email him ryan@lifteconomy.com.

Joel Solomon: Mission Venture Capital and the Clean Money Revolution

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

SUBSCRIBE & RATE us on iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, or anywhere you find podcasts!

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, democratic, transparent, and whole-systems approach to solving social and environmental challenges.

The goal of this podcast is to identify the trends, tips, and best practices that will help listeners better harness the power of business as a force for good.

In this episode, Ryan Honeyman, a Partner at LIFT Economy, interviews Joel Solomon, Chairman of Renewal Funds. Renewal Funds is Canada's largest mission venture capital firm, with $100M in assets under management.

From 1993 to 2008, Joel managed the Family Office activities of Carol Newell. Together, they pioneered an integrated use of capital for social impact that is now growing as a strategy for deep mission investors.

Today, Joel serves as a Senior Advisor with RSF Social Finance and speaks frequently throughout North America, including a 2012 TEDxVancouver talk. He is a founding member of Social Venture Network (SVN), Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), the Tides Canada Foundation, and is board chair of Hollyhock. Joel has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from SVN and was recently inducted with Carol Newell into the SVN Hall of Fame.

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In this interview, Ryan and Joel discuss a number of topics, including:

  • How Joel first got started in impact investing

  • Balancing market rate returns with investing in companies that benefit society and the environment

  • The 2-3 portfolio companies that Joel is most excited about

  • How Renewal Funds measures impact

  • Joel's upcoming book: The Clean Money Revolution

 

In addition, you can listen/subscribe to Next Economy Now on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, or your favorite podcasting platform.

 

Ryan Honeyman is a Partner at LIFT Economy and author of The B Corp Handbook: How to Use Business as a Force for Good (Berrett-Koehler Publishers). LIFT Economy is an impact consulting firm whose mission is to create, model, and share a locally self-reliant economy that works for the benefit of all life. You can follow Ryan on Twitter @honeymanconsult or email him ryan@lifteconomy.com.

Rose Marcario: Patagonia’s CEO on Climate Change, Regenerative Agriculture, and Business for Good

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

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In this episode, LIFT Partner Ryan Honeyman (author of The B Corp Handbook: How to Use Business as a Force for Good) interviews Rose Marcario, CEO of Patagonia.

Rose Marcario assumed the role of President and CEO of Patagonia in January 2014. Prior to this, she served as Patagonia’s COO and CFO.

After joining Patagonia in 2008, Marcario embarked on transforming the company’s infrastructure to improve its operations and financial performance.

In addition to broadening business throughout Europe, Japan and Australia, she has helped Patagonia focus on innovation and the development of new product groups, processes, and technologies.

Prior to coming to Patagonia, Rose held leadership positions as the Director of Corporate Finance for L.A. Gear, Vice President Global Finance and Treasury for NYSE-listed International Rectifier Corporation, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of NASDAQ-listed General Magic, Inc.; and Executive Vice President in charge of Mergers, Acquisitions and Private Placements for Capital Advisors, LLP; where she was responsible for over $2 billion in transactions in consumer products, services and technology.

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In this interview, Ryan and Rose discuss a number of topics, including:

  • Rose’s buddhist practice

  • How someone with a background in traditional corporate finance, mergers, and acquisitions ended up at Patagonia

  • Patagonia Works and the company’s new business lines, including Patagonia, Inc. (apparel), Patagonia Provisions (food), Patagonia Media (books, films and multimedia projects), and $20 Million & Change (venture capital fund)

  • Why food might be the future of Patagonia

  • Climate change and regenerative agriculture

  • And much more

You can also listen/subscribe to Next Economy Now on your favorite podcasting platform, including: iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.

 

Ryan Honeyman is a Partner at LIFT Economy and author of The B Corp Handbook: How to Use Business as a Force for Good (Berrett-Koehler Publishers). LIFT Economy is an impact consulting firm whose mission is to create, model, and share a locally self-reliant economy that works for the benefit of all life. You can follow Ryan on Twitter @honeymanconsult or email him ryan@lifteconomy.com.

King Arthur Baking: Collaborative Leadership & Employee Ownership

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

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King Arthur Flour, founded in 1790, is America's oldest flour company. However, the company's approach to social impact, executive leadership, and stock ownership is very different from the vast majority of traditional corporations.

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In this interview, King Arthur Flour's three Co-CEO's: Karen Colberg, Suzanne McDowell, and Ralph Carlton, describe why they consider King Arthur Flour to be "America's oldest startup" because of the company's innovative leadership structure and 100% employee ownership model.

You can also listen/subscribe to Next Economy Now on your favorite podcasting platform, including: iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Overcast, and TuneIn.

 Ryan Honeyman is a Partner at LIFT Economy and author of The B Corp Handbook: How to Use Business as a Force for Good (Berrett-Koehler Publishers). LIFT Economy is an impact consulting firm whose mission is to create, model, and share a locally self-reliant economy that works for the benefit of all life. You can follow Ryan on Twitter @honeymanconsult or email him ryan@lifteconomy.com.

Kenyatta Brame: Cascade Engineering's Innovative Hiring Practices

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

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Kenyatta Brame, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Cascade Engineering, talks about B Corps, “welfare to career” hiring programs, and the value of removing the criminal history checkbox from the initial applicant screening process.

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You can also listen/subscribe to Next Economy Now on your favorite podcasting platform, including: iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and TuneIn.

 

Tiffany Jana: Building Authentic Relationships Across Differences

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

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Tiffany Jana, CEO of TMI Consulting, discusses how to identify and overcome your unconscious biases, how to influence personal growth in others, and how businesses can navigate the thorny issues of race, politics, sexual-orientation, religion, money, and socioeconomic class with integrity and authenticity.

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You can also listen/subscribe to Next Economy Now on your favorite podcasting platform, including: iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and TuneIn.

Cathy Clark: Lessons in Leadership and Strategy for Collaborative Capitalism

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

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Cathy Clark, Head of the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) at Duke University, discusses best practices from some of the world's most successful impact investors, across asset classes, geographies and areas of impact. She also describes a number of tools that are available to those who are eager to engage in the new era of Collaborative Capitalism.

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You can also listen/subscribe to Next Economy Now on your favorite podcasting platform, including: iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and TuneIn.

 

Marlena Sonn: Turning Money Into Trees

Marlena Sonn: Turning Money Into Trees

LIFT Partner Erin Axelrod interview Marlena Sonn, Founder Tree Beard Financial about her work, especially the pilot project she is launching with her nonprofit partner Camino Verde to plant 10,000 trees in 2015 in the Tambopata river basin in Madre de Dios, Peru.

Marco Vangelisti: How You Can Become an Impact Investor

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

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Kevin Bayuk interviews Marco Vangelisti, Next Economy thought-leader on investing, the problems (and solutions) related to banking and currency, the basics of critical financial literacy, and what options we all have to begin moving our money in ways that benefit ourselves, our local economies, and all of life.

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You can also listen/subscribe to Next Economy Now on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and TuneIn.

Phil Graves: Tin Shed Ventures, Patagonia's New VC Fund

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

SUBSCRIBE & RATE us on iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, or anywhere you find podcasts!

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Phil Graves, Director of Patagonia's $20 Million and Change, and Ryan Honeyman, Partner at LIFT Economy, discuss:

  • Why did Patagonia start to make venture capital investments?

  • What types of investments has $20 Million and Change made? What types of investments does it plan to make?

  • Why is a clothing company looking at expanding into regenerative agriculture, renewable energy, waste reduction, and conserving water?

  • How does this venture capital fund align with Patagonia's overall mission to use business to help solve the environmental crisis?

You can also listen/subscribe to Next Economy Now on your favorite podcasting platform, including: iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and TuneIn.

Jessica Prentice: How to Increase Your Social and Environmental Impact

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

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LIFT partner Kevin Bayuk interviews Jessica Prentice, inventor of the term "Locavore" and founder of Three Stone Hearth--a cutting edge community financed, worker-owned cooperative enterprise in Berkeley California. Jessica and Kevin discuss the deliberate investments Three Stone Hearth makes to create social and environmental impact, both in the community and foodshed, and also within the company itself.

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You can also listen/subscribe to the Next Economy Interview Series on your favorite podcasting platform, including: iTunes, Stitcher, and TuneIn.

Shawn Berry: Reinventing Organizations and "Going Teal"

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

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LIFT Partners Ryan Honeyman and Shawn Berry discuss the book "Reinventing Organizations" by Frederic Laloux, the concept of "going teal," and the emergence of self-managing organizations.

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Jenny Kassan: How Women Entrepreneurs Can Raise Mission-Aligned Capital

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

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Jenny Kassan, Founder of LIFT Economy Law, describes how mission-driven women entrepreneurs can raise the "right" type of capital from investors.

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Jenny discusses direct public offerings, pitching to mission-aligned angels, and how new crowdfunding rules are creating more opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

Shawn Berry: The Benefits and Drawbacks of Worker-Owned Cooperatives

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

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Shawn Berry is an organizational strategist inspired to harness the power of business to create resilient local economies as patterns to be documented, open sourced, scaled globally and adapted regionally. Shawn left an early career path in nuclear physics research to found the Woodshanti Cooperative (1997-2011), a custom cabinet and furniture shop in San Francisco that set the standard for ethical craftsmanship in the green building movement. This hands on experience as an entrepreneur combined with community organizing and systems theory to craft the vision for LIFT Economy to model an economy that works for all life.

Shawn is especially gifted at assessing and addressing gaps in the ways in which we organize our businesses and our lives. He has remarkable skills in being able to stay present in the often chaotic environment of leading a business, as he helps clients craft and adapt frameworks and models to enable them to be more efficient and effective. Shawn’s experience with working in democratic, multi-stakeholder work environments enables him to offer invaluable counseling in organizing business structures and communicating effectively with partners, employees and board members. Email him at shawn (at) lifteconomy (dot) com.

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Ari Weinzweig: Visioning, Vertical Integration, and Open Book Management at Zingerman's

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

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Our next installment of the LIFT Next Economy Interview Series is up! Ari Weinzweig from Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, Michigan discusses the importance of visioning, vertical integration, open book management, and... anarchy?

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Erin Axelrod: Regenerative Businesses in Sonoma/Marin

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

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Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

SUBSCRIBE & RATE us on iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, or anywhere you find podcasts!

Erin Axelrod is a problem-solver, systems-designer, entrepreneur and community organizer. After earning her BA in Urban Studies from Barnard College, Columbia University, Erin worked for four years as the City Programs Coordinator for Daily Acts Organization producing water conservation programs for cities, transforming lawns into food, and helping design and manage a successful greywater reuse education & installation program.

She received her Permaculture Design Certificate with Toby Hemenway and has worked with the Fibershed Project as a contributing author for an Economic Feasibility study for implementing a bioregional-scale regenerative textile mill in CA.

Her consulting with LIFT Economy has lead her to a specialization in accelerating the spread of climate-benefitting and land-based businesses in the Next Economy. She does this through a range of initiatives including client work with companies like North Coast Brewing Company, Kendall Jackson and Singing Frogs Farm, among others. She also convene's LIFT Economy's regenerative agriculture investor network (RAIN) and a Restorative Ocean Economies Field-Building Initiative. Erin lives and works on a Grassfed beef and Land Restoration Project, Freestone Ranch, just outside of her hometown of Petaluma. When not working, she loves to forage wild mushrooms, huckleberries, elderberries and bay nuts to make nutrient dense foods for her friends. A frequent public speaker, she has given presentations at conferences including Social Capital Markets Conference (SOCAP), Permaculture Voices Conference, FoodFunded, Sustainable Enterprise Conference, NorCal Permaculture Convergence, and the CA Greywater Conference. Email her at erin (at) lifteconomy (dot) com.

Ryan Honeyman: What is "Value-Based" Invoicing?

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

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In this discussion, LIFT Partners Ryan Honeyman and Shawn Berry discuss LIFT's modified "value-based" fee approach that allows clients to adjust invoices up or down based on the value they feel they received.

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Kevin Bayuk: What is the "Next Economy"?

Next Economy Now highlights the leaders who are taking a regenerative, bio-regional, equitable, transparent, and whole-systems approach to using business as a force for good. 

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LIFT Partners Ryan Honeyman and Kevin Bayuk discuss what the next economy is, why it is important, and how any company can increase its positive impact.

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