Today, we speak to Stu about the realities of creating a profitable brand that aligns more closely with consumer values and simultaneously delivers environmental impact, his experience of negotiating the public markets and shareholder expectations as a high-impact publicly traded company, and why he believes that the success of his business and the success of his mission are intrinsically linked.
MBA Series Ep.17 — Strategy II: Fundraising
Fundraising is possibly the most pressing issue facing new business owners looking to get a startup off the ground. In this part of our MBA series, we take a look at some of the alternatives to the common, yet flawed, models associated with venture capital and angel investment.
Eric Toensmeier: Perennial Sustainability
Eric Toensmeier is a thought leader in the role of perennial crops and agroforestry systems in climate change mitigation. Having penned and published three revolutionary books and acted as a senior fellow in both Project Drawdown and the Global Evergreening Alliance, his voice is pivotal to the conversation about climate change, biodiversity, and nutrition.
MBA Series Ep.16 - Teju Adisa-Farrar
In our conversation, we learn about Teju’s background, what motivates her, and her journey to becoming an independent consultant. We then delve into what she is currently working on, the importance of mission-driven finance, how she is shaking up the exploitative fashion supply chain, and how she uses her podcast to empower people.
Lindsay Baker: Rethinking the Built Environment through Living Buildings
We are so lucky to sit down with Lindsay today for an in-depth conversation about living buildings, her passion for structures and shelter, and what the built environment could look like in the future.
MBA Series Ep.15 – Strategy I: Positioning
In this episode of the MBA Series, Shawn Berry and Ryan Honeyman discuss business strategy, specifically how to position your offering in your chosen market.
MBA Series Ep. 14: Meg Erskine and Matt Simon: Multicultural Refugee Coalition
Subscribe to Next Economy Now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you find podcasts.
Today we have two wonderful guests on the show to talk about the Multicultural Refugee Coalition (MRC) in Austin, Texas. Meg Erskine and Matt Simon join us to explain the current work being done by the organization, the different components of their jobs, and how the projects function. Listeners can expect to get a great insight into the progress being made by MRC, as well as some inspiring examples of the way different initiatives can work together towards the common cause of a more equitable world.
MRC aims to provide livelihood opportunities for refugees through skills-based education and social entrepreneurship. Their work is divided between two separate, yet connected enterprises: New Leaf Agriculture, and Open Arms Studio. Their work is built on the foundation of providing fair-wage jobs that offer opportunities to advance careers, while utilizing the array of skills and expertise of their workers.
Meg Erskine is the Co-Founder of MRC, which she began with a small team in 2009. She has a background in conservation biology, and she is driven by her passions for sustainability, ethical fashion, regenerative agriculture, and social enterprise. Matt Simon is the Farm Director at New Leaf Agriculture, a role he began in January 2020, bringing a decade's worth of experience in the organic agriculture space in his native Austin, and holding a number of different roles relating to permaculture design and sustainable agriculture.
---
Key Points From This Episode:
Some background on our guests and the Multicultural Refugee Coalition.
Expanding on the idea of food autonomy and the foundation it provides for the work at MRC.
The array of initiatives that are currently in the pipeline at MRC.
The important connection and exchange between the Open Arms project and the farm.
How the farm came to be and the work that went into finding the land.
The emphasis on flexibility that the farm offers its workers to accommodate other demands.
Benefits of fresh air and exercise for those working on the farm.
Healthful herbs and 'weeds' and using the varied knowledge of different cultures.
The certification program that MRC is offering and what the modules consist of.
How listeners can support and contribute to the amazing work being done by our guests!
---
Tweetables:
“For me, the foundation of food justice and food access is food autonomy.” — Matt Simon
“There are so many things that we are working on that I am so excited about!” — Meg Erskine
“It was interesting to me to realize when I started working with folks out here, that none of them had ever worked in a greenhouse before, but they had been farming their whole lives.” — Matt Simon
“Every week is a consideration of what is going to happen six weeks from now.” — Matt Simon
“We are still looking for philanthropic support and we are looking to expand our network, and meet up with folks in other areas besides our own.” — Meg Erskine
---
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Meg Erskine — https://www.linkedin.com/in/meg-erskine-5657a95
Matt Simon — https://www.mrcaustin.org/latest-news/meet-matt-new-leafs-farm-director
Multicultural Refugee Coalition — https://www.mrcaustin.org/
Open Arms Studio — https://www.openarmsstudio.org/
New Leaf Agriculture — https://www.mrcaustin.org/new-leaf-agriculture
---
LIFT Economy Newsletter
Join 7000+ subscribers and get our free 60 point business design checklist—plus monthly tips, advice, and resources to help you build the Next Economy: https://lifteconomy.com/newsletter
---
Next Economy MBA
This episode is brought to you by the Next Economy MBA.
What would a business education look like if it was completely redesigned for the benefit of all life? This is why the team at LIFT Economy created the Next Economy MBA (https://lifteconomy.com/mba).
The Next Economy MBA is a nine month online course for folks who want to learn key business fundamentals (e.g., vision, culture, strategy, and operations) from an equitable, inclusive, and regenerative perspective.
Join the growing network of 300+ alumni who have been exposed to new solutions, learned essential business skills, and joined a lifelong peer group that is catalyzing a global shift towards an economy that works for all life.
Learn more at https://lifteconomy.com/mba.
---
Show Notes + Other Links
For detailed show notes and interviews with past guests, please visit https://lifteconomy.com/podcast
If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts by visiting: https://bit.ly/nexteconomynow
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LIFTEconomy
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lifteconomy/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/LIFTEconomy/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/Lifteconomy
Music by Chris Zabriskie: https://chriszabriskie.com/
Abigail Acheson & Nouhaila Oudija: Rethinking Economics USA
Rethinking Economics USA is a network of students and academics allying to rethink and change economics education in the United States. Joining us in conversation today are Abigail Acheson and Nouhaila Oudija, two leading members of the movement making waves across the globe.
MBA Series Ep. 13 - Culture Pt. 2 Communication
This episode tackles the topic of non-violent, collaborative communication and why it’s so important when it comes to making a genuine impact in the world.
Franz Hochstrasser: Raise Green and Investing in the Fight Against Climate Change
Raise Green Capital is a climate investment platform and the first inclusive funding portal in the US with a specific focus on climate solution projects with a social mission. We are joined today by its co-founder and CEO, Franz Hochstrasser, to talk about how this company was founded, why they saw a need for it, and how they are empowering a new league of investors to help combat climate change.
Joan Arwa Ogwang: Solarfire
Learn how solar baking has helped one entrepreneur in Kenya create a successful baking business and inspire others to do the same in our podcast with Joan Arwa Ogwang.
MBA Series Ep. 12 - Culture Pt. 1
Culture is one of the defining aspects of Next Economy organizations. The LIFT team discusses the role of values in distilling culture and the process of arriving at shared values within an organization.
MBA Series Ep. 11: Olivia Watkins: Black Farmer Fund and Closing The Racial Wealth Gap in the Food Industry
Social entrepreneur Olivia Watkins shares how Black Farmer Fund is working to close the racial wealth gap and create a financial institution that people can trust.
MBA Series (Ep.10) - Vision Alignment
Vision alignment is a critical factor when it comes to the success of a Next Economy endeavor. The LIFT team discusses how to deal with divergence when reaching a shared vision.
Jenny Stefanotti: Co-Creating a Next Society through Denizen
Jenny shares how Denizen is co-creating the idea of a Next society that has curiosity, generosity, diversity, integrity, humility, and accountability at its core.
MBA Series (Ep.9) - Mosa Tsay and the Groupmuse Foundation
Learn how Groupmuse helped musicians in the pandemic through job creation programs, fundraising, and facilitating a direct link between audience members and musicians during lockdown restrictions.
MBA Series (Ep.8) - Personal Strategies and Life Design
How do the personal choices we make for our lives and daily habits impact the larger community and the future of a better world? Learn how Next Economy life design principles can help align our lives with our vision for a more just society.
Ro Horton and Swan Keyes: UNtraining Cultural Conditioning
We discuss the far-reaching effects of cultural conditioning, white people's resistance to recognizing their racism, and the process of “UNtraining” racist programming.
Jorge Fontanez: B Corps as a Force for Change
Consumers need more from the companies and brands they support, and B Corps are paving the way. Learn more about the movement with the CEO of B Corp US & Canada, Jorge Fontanez.
MBA Series (Ep. 7) — Enterprise Structures and Legal Frameworks
The LIFT team discusses the legal and corporate tools that are available to organizations looking to create a meaningful difference, from B Corps to worker-owned cooperatives.