Next Economy Now: Business As A Force For Good

We're excited to reshare this conversation with professor and activist, Dr. Zoe Spencer! Zoe is a published author who currently teaches at Virginia State University, where she is dedicated to educating and opening the minds of her students, in order to build a better and more equitable future. She has dedicated her life to fighting for the rights of oppressed people and in this episode, we get to talk about what her vision for the future looks like.  For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/zoe-spencer/Send us a textSupport the show

Ben Cohen, as the co-founder of one of the country’s most beloved brands, is far from what you might expect. His company, Ben & Jerry’s, is a household name, yet they have managed to maintain a connection to the community and a deep ethos of care. Ben is an activist and has been involved in issues related to ending qualified immunity, getting money out of politics, taxing billionaires, dismantling white supremacy, and tackling climate change.For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/ben-cohen/Send us a textSupport the show

What is the best way to help rebuild communities that have been left behind and forgotten? And is it necessary to throw out the manual and rather bring new ideas and fresh perspectives? To help answer these questions, we are joined today by the Founder and CEO of The Fingerpaint Group, Ed Mitzen.For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/ed-mitzen/Send us a textSupport the show

Future vision can be a powerful force for action when it is clearly conveyed and there is a genuine desire to bring it into reality. We're resharing this conversation with Ryan Honeyman and adrienne maree brown about the compelling and highly-detailed future visions that exist in works of science fiction, speculative fiction, and visionary fiction and how organizations can help articulate those visions into practical frameworks.For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/amb/Send us a textSupport the show

Vivek George is a founding member and chief catalyst at Yuti Co-op, a sustainable marketplace that is owned by its workers and community. As a company, its mission is to help consumers by giving them a sustainable alternative that they can access and afford. In our conversation, Vivek breaks down the principles that Yuti Co-op was founded on and gives a detailed account of how multi-stakeholder companies like Yuti Co-op can address issues around sustainability, democracy, and inequality. For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/vivek-george/Send us a textSupport the show

Imagine a world where global economies are no longer extractive or exploitative, where economies are tied to local bioregions, and enterprises are designed around regenerative business systems. Today, we are joined by Joshua Prieto, Co-Founder and Director of Seeds of Tao, to find out how to make this world a reality.For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/joshua-prieto/Send us a textSupport the show

Diverse perspectives enable decision-makers to better serve all the people within their orbit. Maryam Ahmed is an entrepreneur, speaker, writer, and activist immersed in the world of food and wine and during this conversation, we discuss how her lived experience informs her incredible work to improve diversity and equality in the industry.For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/maryam-ahmed/Send us a textSupport the show

At times, it can feel as though the world is changing faster and faster, and it is up to business leaders around the globe to ensure that they and their companies are keeping up with the multitude of cultural evolutions. Today we are joined by the co-author of Management In a Changing World, Jakada Imani, as he explains how his 30-plus years of experience in racial, social, and economic justice movements helps him in his role as CEO of The Management Center in helping leaders build and run equitable and sustainable results-driven organizations.For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/jakada-imani-tmc/Send us a textSupport the show

Contemporary critical theorist, legal advocate, and author Bernard Harcourt has developed a transformative theory and practice that builds on global models of successful cooperation. His new book, Cooperation: A Political, Economic, and Social Theory, provides a positive vision for addressing some of the world’s most urgent challenges. In it, Bernard shows that by drawing on “the power of people working together,” a new world of cooperation democracy is within our grasp, one that promotes the equitable distribution of wealth, replaces the punitive punishment paradigm with a cooperation paradigm, and ensures the future of our planet.For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/bernard-harcourt/Send us a textSupport the show

In today’s episode, we host Paul Zelizer, a social entrepreneur and executive coach for impact leaders. His wealth of experience also extends to hosting the Awarepreneurs Podcast, directing social media for Wisdom 2.0, and pioneering a men’s center in New Mexico.To start our conversation, Paul provides an overview of his storied career and impact work in Northern New Mexico before sharing key insights from his 25 years of activism and social entrepreneurship work. When having a positive impact on the world is not enough, there are plenty of other levels at which it is beneficial for companies to prioritize social issues. We explore these before Paul shares the stories of three activists that have inspired him most along the way.For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/paul-zelizer/Send us a textSupport the show

What if you didn’t have to choose between generating profits and facilitating change? World Centric is on a dual mission to support sustainable practices and empower communities experiencing poverty. CEO Aseem Das and Director of Impact Janae Lloyd join us in conversation to discuss World Centric’s unique model and ongoing evolution.For show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/world-centric/Send us a textSupport the show

Today, we chat with the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Navalent, Ron Carucci. Navalent is a consulting firm that offers executive coaching and consulting for senior leaders to solve organizational problems at the source. Ron’s 30-plus years of experience in helping executives with transformational change at their organizations has seen him become a juggernaut in the field, and a prolific author as well! For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/ron-carucci/Send us a textSupport the show

It is widely acknowledged that our society faces a profound issue of wealth inequality. The entrenchment of systemic racism and patriarchy has amplified the advantages enjoyed by affluent white men. Over the last thirty years, the wealthiest white males have seen their fortunes grow, while those living in poverty have experienced a deepening of their financial struggles.In this compelling and thought-provoking episode, we have the privilege of sitting down with Garrett Neiman, a Nonprofit Entrepreneur & Social Justice Writer, to delve deep into the themes of his latest book, Rich White Men, and the role that white men can play in constructing an equitable society. As a prominent voice in the realm of social justice, Garrett has dedicated his life to shedding light on the issues of privilege, power, and inequality. His book challenges conventional notions and provides valuable insights into the role that white men can play as allies in dismantling systemic barriers and creating a more inclusive world.For f

In this enlightening episode of Next Economy Now, we sit down with Charles Conn, a cross-sector leader, life sciences investor, environmentalist, and best-selling author. Charles is not only a co-founder and partner at Monograph Capital, but also a board member and chair at Patagonia.Our conversation delves into the nexus of the environmental crisis and the pivotal role that businesses can play in mitigating its impacts through value-driven solutions. Charles offers insights through the lens of his recently launched book, The Imperfectionists; shedding light on the imperfectionist mindset and how it can drive positive change.For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/charles-conn/Send us a textSupport the show

Over the years, Patagonia has been recognized as much for its social and environmental practices as it has for its clothes. In an unprecedented move in 2022, the Chouinard family gave the company away, converting ownership to a simple structure of trusts so that all its profits could be used to protect our “home planet” and reverse the climate crisis, an enduring and pressing issue that has been around as long as the company has.Today we are joined by a returning guest and one of Patagonia’s original employees, Vincent Stanley, who currently serves as the company’s in-house philosopher (and, more informally, their chief storyteller). Vincent also co-authored The Responsible Company: What We’ve Learned From Patagonia’s First 50 Years with Yvon Chouinard. The book draws on 50 years of experience at Patagonia to challenge business owners and leaders to reevaluate their businesses in a time of cultural and climate chaos.For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/vincent-stanley/Send us a textSup

The idea of upcycling, which Daniel Kurzrock happened upon as he was looking for better things to do with the “brewers spent grain” (BSG) from his home-brewed beer business than throw it away, is what forms the foundation of his company, Upcycled Foods, Inc. By turning it into consumables like energy bars and loaves of bread, Daniel and his team are chipping away at the 20 billion pounds of BSG that ends up as animal feed or in landfills around the US every year.For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/daniel-kurzrock/Send us a textSupport the show

Social impact trailblazer Lisa Kleissner co-founded KL Felicitas Foundation, Toniic, and Hawaii Investment Ready, all key players in the movement to bring down the barriers to impact investing. Lisa also brings her two decades of experience in impact investing and philanthropy to her work as a board member at Aqua-Spark and Real Good Fish. During this episode, she shares her story.Tuning in, you will learn about her holistic approach to her work and her commitment to end siloing in the impact investment space. We touch on allocating appropriate returns and why the answer is often none at all. Lisa shares her thoughts on the role of government and the private sector in helping to move the needle and finding the middle point between what people think they want and what is truly necessary.For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/lisa-kleissner/Send us a textSupport the show

The links between movement and wellness are not easily disputed, and yet we find ourselves in an extremely sedentary society, where people are either unable to move enough or choose not to. On the show today to talk about her work on the subject is Katy Bowman. Her numerous books are helping to change the way we look at and think about movement and its role in contemporary life.For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/katy-bowman/Send us a textSupport the show

From serving as a passionate advocate for policy reform to using the power of storytelling as a tool for social change, everything author and activist Christine Platt does is a reflection of her vision for intentional living. Also known as the Afrominimalist, Christine has worked at the intersection of racial, social, and environmental justice since 2005, and her literature is focused on African diasporic experiences and teaching people of all ages about race, equity, diversity, and inclusion.This conversation is a testament to the idea that anyone can be a minimalist and an invitation to make space for the things that truly matter and liberate yourself from the narratives that no longer serve you. To find out why Christine believes that “less is liberation” and minimalism is the gateway to living with intention, be sure to tune in today!For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/christine-platt/Send us a textSupport the show

In today’s episode, we are joined by Cheryl Whilby, Communications Director at Soul Fire Farm, who is here to share some of the inspirational work that they are doing. Cheryl’s ancestors were farmers, but while she was growing up her family experienced food insecurity. When Cheryl came to understand the systemic nature of this problem, she made it her mission to make positive changes in the space. For full show notes, visit: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/cheryl-whilbyRegister for our Next Economy Living workshop on August 25th: https://bit.ly/nexteconomylivingSend us a textSupport the show