Electric Ladies Podcast

“So we went out to the communities and we met with them and said,’ what do you want in your downtown? There's this rail line that goes through the middle of your downtown. What's your vision for that?’ And they all said, we think rail is a really big part of our future right now….We'd love to use that to spur economic development in our downtown. We think it creates foot traffic and then creates economic opportunity….How can you help us as small towns? How do we make the most of that?” Julie White on Electric Ladies Podcast

Public transportation today looks very different than ever before. It’s because communities are different, “commuting” is different, and what makes up “public transportation” is different. Covid is only part of it. Systems have changed, priorities have changed and funding options have changed, especially with the new federal legislation too. How so?

Listen to this fascinating interview on Electric Ladies Podcast with Julie White, Deputy Secretary of Transportation in North Carolina, a state that take “multi-modal” to a whole new level.

You’ll hear:

• How communities look at how they get from point A to point B in this brave new world of mobility.
• How NC DOT got to know what their communities need – in a state with a wide range of types of communities – and what we can learn from them.
• What kind of impact the new federal legislation and funding is having and will have as it rolls out across the country.
• What “institutionalizing change” means and how NDCOT is doing it.
• Plus, insightful career advice from Julie’s many years in state government and transportation, such as….:

“First, have a proactive plan.  So, if you don't know where you want to go, you cannot get there, right? So, map out what is it you want to do with your career and map out a proactive plan to get there. And then, the second step is, be willing to throw the plan away…. But the point of the plan was, I'm not willing to let life happen to me. I'm going to make life happen. We have the life we largely have, the life we build.”

Julie White on Electric Ladies podcast

You’ll also like: (some might be recorded under our previous name, Green Connections Radio)

• Tiya Gordon, Cofounder and COO, itsElectric urban EV charging systems
• Linda Zhang, Chief Engineer, Ford F160 Lightning EV
• Suzy Deering, Chief Marketing Officer of Ford – on bringing change to a legacy industry as an outsider.
• Genevieve Cullen, President, Electric Drive Transportation Assn. – on financial benefits for buying EVs in the new legislation, and EVs coming to market soon
• Kristen Siemen, Chief Sustainability Officer of General Motors
• Neha Palmer, Founder/CEO of TeraWatt Infrastructure on charging for EV trucks

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Solutions To Our Waste Problem - Melissa Modica, Waste Harmonica

“We're all doing our part, but the big manufacturers producing the products, we need to go back there. We need to say, how can we do this better?... Clients don't realize that waste and recycling all contribute to that whole initiative with ESG...” Melissa Modica on Electric Ladies Podcast

A fundamental part of any environmental or ESG (environment-social-governance) initiative has to include managing the waste that our businesses and our lifestyles generate. All that stuff you have delivered? Packaging waste. The truth about the waste management system in the U.S. is pathetic, but there are talented people working on it day and night.

Listen to Melissa Modica of Waste Harmonica share some of the creative solutions their clients are using in this enlightening discussion with Electric Ladies host Joan Michelson. Melissa is Director of Business Development at Wast Harmonica, and brings many years and credentials to the waste management challenge. 

You’ll hear about:

• How the current recycling system is ineffective and inefficient
• What manufacturers, cities, municipalities and MURFs – the facilities that manage our waste – need to do better and faster
• How the Infrastructure Bill & Inflation Reduction Act are helping
• How ESG standards and reporting systems are accelerating waste management improvements
• Plus, insightful career advice, such as…

“Always speak up, you know, put yourself out there. If it's a no, keep going….If you're having a bad day today, let it go. Tomorrow's a new day. Don't bring it into your next workday. You have to just stay focused.” Melissa Modica on Electric Ladies Podcast

Read Joan’s related Forbes articles here too.

You’ll also like (some may have been recorded under our previous name, Green Connections Radio):

• Keefe Harrison, The Recycling Partnership – reinventing local recycling one city and town at a time.
• Emily Tilpado, U.S. Plastics Pact – finding ways to get plastic out of our economy, waters and landfills
• Haley Lowry, Dow – reinventing food packaging to reduce waste, toxicity and landfills.
• Kerry Bannigan, Conscious Fashion Campaign – working to reduce the huge waste and environmental impact of the fashion industry, and what you can do.
• Erika Wollam-Nichols, The Bluebird Café – on what their historic, iconic, small venue is doing to reduce their waste. If they can do it, so can the rest of us.
• Michele Wucker, author of “You Are What You Risk: The New Art & Science to Navigating an Uncertain World.”

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“There's a huge barrier for ev adoption in this country…it’s lack of public charging infrastructure… So, my co-founder and I said, there's got to be a solution…And it came to us that…why can't we just make the (apartment) buildings the source of the energy instead of having to put in all this new infrastructure on the street?....And then to incentivize that building that we're pulling that power from, we're revenue sharing back to them. So they're creating a public amenity, they're earning money every month, drivers are able to charge and park, and cities are able to meet their decarb goals.” Tiya Gordon on Electric Ladies Podcast

One of the biggest hurdles to electric vehicle adoption is access to charging. With millions of people living in cities, what if they could charge similar to how they pay for parking?  Well, Its Electric has found a way to do just that and they are bringing it out one city block at a time. How?

Listen to this fascinating interview on Electric Ladies Podcast with Tiya Gordon, COO and Cofounder of itselectric and host Joan Michelson. Its Electric is a novel EV charging infrastructure that leverages the power that’s already available to the residences on a given block to provide EV charging. Tiya is a designer, who went from designing museum exhibits to designing this novel charging system – and share that story too.

You’ll hear:

• How Its Electric works – enabling EV charging and helping the residences and the grid at the same time.
• How it’s a democratic (small “d”) solution that works on a first-come, first-served basis.
• How it would serve a huge potential EV market that today has no where to charge.
• Which legislation would support this concept and which would make it harder to provide EV charging.

Plus, insightful career advice from Tiya’s evolution from museum designer to EV charging entrepreneur:

“I would encourage people that, especially if they have that experience, if they can make that terrifying leap from a larger, more established career path to something in climate tech, something in the world that is new and fresh and innovative, but needs that steady hand of an experienced career, that's where their value can be tremendous, because then they're bringing in that expertise, they're bringing in that calm, that ease, but then they're helping a company that's doing something that's truly innovative, achieve what they're out to do.” Tiya Gordon on Electric Ladies podcast

You’ll also want to listen to: (some might be recorded under our previous name, Green Connections Radio)

• Linda Zhang, Chief Engineer, Ford F160 Lightning EV
• Suzy Deering, Chief Marketing Officer of Ford – on bringing change to a legacy industry as an outsider.
• Genevieve Cullen, President, Electric Drive Transportation Assn. – on financial benefits for buying EVs in the new legislation, and EVs coming to market soon
• Kristen Siemen, Chief Sustainability Officer of General Motors
• Neha Palmer, Founder/CEO of TeraWatt Infrastructure on charging for EV trucks

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Follow us on Twitter @joanmichelson

“How do we deal with dilemmas? How do we think unthinkable? You know, the climate, ESG, human rights issues, diversity, equity, inclusion, supply chain issues, cyber security, integrity of data, incentive plans, all of those, the future of good corporate governance, transparency, anti-corruption. All of those different issues that have been there for a long, long time, but been kind of like voluntary more and less, and suddenly they are really coming at the top of the agenda for the board of directors.” Helle Jorgenson on Electric Ladies Podcast

When there’s a scandal or a huge failure at a big company or a famous one – like the collapse of FTX Crypto Exchange – you hear questions like, “where was the board of directors?”  So, what is the role of the Board and how are environment, social and governance issues, including climate, diversity and covid, changing who is on them and why?  

Listen to Helle Jorgenson, CEO and Founder of Competent Boards training programs for board members, and people who want to sit on boards, in this episode of Electric Ladies podcast in this valuable conversation with Electric Ladies host Joan Michelson. They specialize in training on ESG issues, and, full disclosure, Joan is also now on their ESG faculty.

You’ll hear:

• What boards of directors actually do – and don’t do
• How covid, climate and the resurgence of social justice movements are transforming boards, from who sits on them to what they do.
• How, when and why boards focus on ESG issues.
• How much they serve customers vs. serving investors.
• How to prepare to be a successful board member.
• Plus, insightful career advice.

And much more!

“If you look five years out, 10 years out, what is it that you want to look back at and say, Yes, I was part of this, or, or I did this…There's a ton of roles and…if you look at these 17 biggest pain points in the world (the 17 sustainable development goals)…and saying, Okay, where is it that I can make a difference? …I want to educate myself in this, so I can go out and help organizations, perhaps even the organization that you are working in right now.”

Helle Jorgenson on Electric Ladies podcast

Read Joan’s Forbes articles here.

You’ll also want to listen to (some of these are under the name Green Connections Radio):

• Kristina Wyatt, SVP of Persefoni and former leader of the SEC task force developing the climate risk disclosure rules that will be finalized shortly.
• Karen Alonardo, formerly of NAVEX and Founder of CSRWare, on ESG reporting systems
• Bridget Hughes, Donnelly Financial Solutions, on ESG software and what to look for.
• Natalie Jaresko, former Finance Minister of Ukraine, on the hidden power of ESG
• Michele Wucker, thought leaders and author of “You Are What You Risk: The New Art & Science to Navigating an Uncertain World.”

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Follow us on Twitter @joanmichelson   and @electricgalspod

“Who's my customer, who's my partner?...Make sure you're aligning with their ESG programs…Think of ESG as part of your operational DNA. Right. Just keep it as part of how you run your business and just make it more of an integrated component versus kind of the separate thing.”

Karen Alonardo on Electric Ladies Podcast

If you’re confused about how to capture environment, social and governance (ESG) data, and weighing different software systems, you’re not alone. It’s a burgeoning industry as investors, companies and consumers – and regulators, including the SEC – demand more disclosure.

For a good download on the nuts and bolts of ESG systems, listen to Karen Alonardo, VP of ESG at NAVEX at the time of this interview with Electric Ladies host Joan Michelson. Karen joined NAVEX when the company she founded and built, CSRware was acquired by NAVEX in 2020.

You’ll hear:

• What ESG systems can – and can’t – measure and track.
• What accountants – or anyone verifying the ESG data – need to know to ensure the numbers are correct in the reports
• How to choose among the different ESG-related standards.
• Plus, insightful career advice.

And much more!

"(D)ifferent people are motivated by different things…. I had to take what I was good at, like what I already understood, and then I emerged it with something that I learned, something new…So maybe take a class or two in kind of the feel good areas that you like and see if something pops, you know, see if something aligns with your background, what you've done in the past, cuz you don't want to negate the fact that you've got 15 years’ experience….So leverage your background….and make sure you can financially support yourself.“

Karen Alonardo on Electric Ladies podcast

Read Joan’s Forbes articles here.

You’ll also want to listen to (some of these are under the name Green Connections Radio):

• Bridget Hughes, Donnelly Financial Systems on maximizing ESG Software
• Suzanne DiBianca, Salesforce, Chief Impact Officer, on ESG Tracking
• Kristina Wyatt, Persefoni SVP, former lead on SEC’s climate risk disclosure rules development team
• Joan Michelson on Eisner Amper’s “Fast Forward” podcast about “Why ESG Matters.
• Kristen Sullivan, Deloitte Sustainability Practice lead, on the transformation and ESG

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Can Indoor Farming Save Our Food Supply From Climate Change?

"A.I has enabled us to get very precise measures and give the plants precisely what the plans need...(So) The yields in our greenhouses are about 30x the traditional farm." and without any chemicals. Jackie Roberts on Electric Ladies Podcast (known as Green Connections Radio)

What if we could grow our fruits and veggies without worrying about the weather? A new massive indoor farm called AppHarvest thinks they have found a way.

Listen to Jackie Roberts, Chief Sustainability Officer of AppHarvest, describe how their massive 60-acre indoor farm is climate resilient and innovative - and produces yummy produce – in this engaging conversation with Electric Ladies Podcast host Joan Michelson. Jackie was also awarded the White House Presidential Environment and Conservation Challenge Award. (This was recorded under the show’s previous name, Green Connections Radio.)

You'll learn:

• How A.I. and micro-sensors enable them to target nutrients and water to exactly what plants need and w
• Why their crops are non-GMO (genetically modified) – and when GMO is a good thing.
• How precision agriculture is a gift to sustainability.
• How their farm is climate resilient, even in hurricane and tornado prone Appalachia, and prepared for very high wind sheer.
• ..valuable career advice for women in any career and at any level from her varied career, including previously at the Environmental Defense Fund working with multinationals, and at influential private equity firm The Carlyle Group, and now at AppHarvest.

"I really appreciate that in each role, I’ve learned something new…(always) working with integrating sustainability into all functions and financial systems. "

Jackie Roberts on Electric Ladies Podcast

You'll also like: (some of these were recorded under our show’s previous name, Green Connections Radio)

• Dr. Lara Ramdin, Chief Innovation Officer, Dole Sunshine Foods, on preserving nutrition in fruits and veggies to combat climate change.
• Erika Wollam Nichols, President & General Manager, The Bluebird Café, iconic Nashville music venue
• Cindi Bigelow, CEO, Bigelow Tea, on converting a 75-year old tea company to combat climate change.
• Gabrielle Rubenstein, Managing Partner and Founder, Manna Tree Partners, investors in food companies making our food supply more transparent and healthier.
• Robin Currey, Professor of Sustainable Food Systems at Prescott College.
• Amy Bachman, DC Central Kitchen on food security and reducing food waste.

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How Ford Built The F-150 EV - Linda Zhang, Ford F-150 EV Chief Engineer

“We talked to all customers. So we talked to truck customers, because part of it is, this is such a big population of customers that we want to evolve into an electric…We also talked to customers who weren't truck owners, but may have wanted to be and didn't go there for whatever reason that might be. And those would be pain points that then we'd have to try address right. And actually what came out of this is, really the building blocks for how we came up on this truck.” Linda Zhang at MOVE 2022

Converting the best-selling truck in America into an electric vehicle is a huge risk. The Ford F-150 has a macho image, which is not the typical EV buyer, to put it gently. So the massive success of the F-150 Lightning really shows the evolution of the electric vehicle and of the market for them.

How did they do it? Listen to this fascinating interview with the woman who literally made it happen, Linda Zhang, Chief Engineer of the F-150 Lightning. It was conducted at a huge conference known as MOVE 2022, Reimagining Mobility, in front of an audience of hundreds of people, re-airing here on Electric Ladies Podcast.

You’ll hear:

• How Linda and her team at Ford started the design process and decisions they made
• What new innovations they put in this truck, besides converting it to an EV, that were gamechangers
• Who is buying this truck, unexpectedly so, and what it tells us about the future of electric vehicles.
• How they are managing the supply chain issues while reducing their carbon footprint.

Here’s insightful career advice from Linda’s colleague Suzy Deering, Chief Marketing Officer of Ford ….

““Number one, go learn something from scratch and get really, really get dirty. Like get in there and understand from a scrappy standpoint. You're going to fail and you're going to learn things and then some things are going to work, some things aren't….if you're not uncomfortable, then you're not growing. And if you're not growing, you're not learning. If you're not learning, you're not per, you're not progressing….and Don't chase the title.”

Suzy Deering on Electric Ladies podcast

You’ll also want to listen to: (some might be recorded under our previous name, Green Connections Radio)

• Suzy Deering, Chief Marketing Officer of Ford – on bringing change to a legacy industry as an outsider.
• Genevieve Cullen, President, Electric Drive Transportation Assn. – on financial benefits for buying EVs in the new legislation, and EVs coming to market soon
• Telva McGruder, Chief Diversity Officer of General Motors – on pivoting that 100+ year old company from gas-powered cars to electric cars
• Kristen Siemen, Chief Sustainability Officer of General Motors
• Neha Palmer, Founder/CEO of TeraWatt Infrastructure on charging for EV trucks
• Jackie Birdsall, Toyota, Senior Engineer, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles

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Reach us on Twitter @joanmichelson

“There's a few reasons why a building owner might want to electrify their building and get heat pumps. One is that it is a better experience for the people who are living in those units. It's really, really quiet. it's healthier, it's safer…and then secondly, there should be less maintenance cost over time. Just having one system that's really efficient.” Lauren Salz on Electric Ladies Podcast

Heat pumps are suddenly getting a spotlight. Between big financial incentives for them in the new U.S. Inflation Reduction Act's climate provisions, Germany's ramp up of these pumps to help manage the cold winter as Germany stops using Russian oil and gas, and even Consumer Reports doing a "heat pumps buying guide," you might wonder what heat pumps are and how they can help mitigate climate change.

Enter Lauren Salz, Co-Founder and CEO of Sealed, an innovative heat pump company that helps homeowners reduce their energy bills. Listen to Lauren explain how these work and more in this engaging conversation with host Joan Michelson on Electric Ladies Podcast.

You’ll hear:

• How heat pumps work, including how they reduce energy bills.
• What financial incentives are out there to reduce the cost of installing heat pumps in your home or apartment building or commercial building.
• How Sealed works to help homeowners and property managers find the right heat and air conditioning systems for their budget and buildings (HVACs), including questions to ask.
• Plus, insightful career advice ….

“Career women who are looking to progress in their career (should) really be raising your hand for opportunities and letting people know at work that here's where you want to be heading and you're looking for help and advice on how to get there.…Because…sometimes people can kind of get stuck a little bit in middle management, and the way to progress is to let people know that you are ambitious and you want to keep on progressing in your career and you want to know specifically how you can go and do that.”

Lauren Salz on Electric Ladies podcast

You’ll also want to listen to: (some might be recorded under our previous name, Green Connections Radio)

• Jennifer Gerbi, Ph.D., Deputy Director and Acting Director, ARPA-E of the U.S. Dept. of Energy (Advanced Projects Research Agency, for Energy), on innovating energy solutions

• Halla Hrund Logadottir, Head of Iceland’s National Energy Authority, on how that country achieved 85% renewable energy.
• Meredyth Crichton, head of the Dominion Energy Innovation Center at Clemson University, on wind power.
• Rasha Hasaneen, head of Innovation at what is now Trane Technologies, formerly Ingersoll Rand, on innovation HVAC systems and related products
• Katie Pavlovsky, head of Energy, Resources and Industrials at Deloitte

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Reach us on Twitter @joanmichelson

Famous Music Venue Goes Sustainable - Erika Wollam-Nichols, The Bluebird Café

“We have staff members who are very, very conscious of sustainability. One of our servers does our recycling…and we've had to really step into how can we find space for those kind of things, even composting…because obviously we have food waste, but our kitchen is not much bigger than the bathroom here.…I would also add that we…. found a local partner here in town (for the merchandise) who prints in town and buys local and buys national product so that we're able to feel like we're building community… with all of that too.”

Erika Wollam-Nichols on Electric Ladies Podcast

As you venture out for live performances, including music, you might notice which ones are practicing sustainability, like the renowned Bluebird Café in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s a woman-founded and women-led venue that has launched a who’s-who of country music stars from Taylor Swift to Garth Brooks and beyond.

Listen to Bluebird Café president Erika Wollam-Nichols explain how they do sustainability – and the history of the club – in this live interview at the Bluebird on Electric Ladies Podcast with host Joan Michelson.

You’ll hear:

• How Erika brought her Massachusetts-born passion for sustainability to this landmark in Nashville.
• How they have solved a range of challenges in going green in such a small and historic venue.
• Who has played there over the years and why it’s such a special place for songwriters.
• Plus, insightful career advice.

And much more!

“What I think about in those situations is listening and paying attention….When I came in here and, and just spent time looking around and talking to the staff and just seeing where are the holes, where are the opportunities?....I want to keep a positive attitude and be solution-based as opposed to victim-based….We were closed for 16 months for the pandemic…But that was like, okay. So what's our opportunity with the pandemic? And, and we found some, and we changed some of our operations that we would not have had an easy time changing.”

Erika Wollam-Nichols on Electric Ladies podcast

Read Joan’s Forbes articles here.

You’ll also want to listen to (some of these are under the name Green Connections Radio):

• Sandra Bargman & Chantal Bilodeau, The Climate Cabaret: on inspiring action through storytelling
• Ann Friedman, CEO/Founder of Planet Word Museum, on transforming an historic building sustainably with purpose.
• Deborah Rutter, President of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, on building a new arts facility sustainably and on managing creative people
• Tracy Edwards, Captain of Maiden and co-executive producer of the documentary “Maiden” about her historic voyage as the first all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World Race.

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Follow us on Twitter @joanmichelson   and @electricgalspod

“The fashion industry is a supply chain….but the reality is it’s a human chain. Nothing is made that we wear that does not go through many human hands. And so really for me, the environmental aspects are extremely important. But.. it's really about brands being more open about their supply chain. And, specifically, when there is a red flag to be concerned about in someone that they've worked with, they need to let their peers in the space know, so that they are no longer ordering from that place. And instead, take their orders and their finances to factories that are doing it right…The environment that people are working in, for example, and then how their pay is and their education and how they're looked after.” Kerry Bannigan on Electric Ladies Podcast

As holiday shopping 2022 kicks off with this Thanksgiving week, in this interview, Kerry Bannigan, CEO and Founder of the Conscious Fashion Campaign and Fashion Impact Fund, reminds us to shop sustainably, especially if you’re buying clothes. There are a range of new sustainable fabrics, organic fabrics with nontoxic dyes and cool stuff made from recycled materials (someone sent me shirts made from recycled water bottles!).

Listen to Kerry explain how the fashion industry is evolving (or not) to meet this moment when sustainability and social responsibility are taking a spot on the runway, in this powerful interview on Electric Ladies Podcast with host Joan Michelson.

You'll hear:

• How the fashion industry really works and prioritizes.
• Why fashion consumers are demanding more sustainable fashion and corporate responsibility – on the part of all players in the fashion world.
• What the fashion industry needs to do now to evolve to meet the moment and ESG reporting requirements.
• How really bad “fast fashion” really is for the environment and the workers, and what you can do with your clothing dollars.

Plus, great career advice....including…

“First of all, it's, and it's just a question I spot with myself often is 'am I happy?' What would make me happy? Drown out the noise. And it doesn't matter how crazy it sounds. It's just do it…. I think it's about researching what's out there, finding out, if you can sit in on events… There is so much out there and there is so much to learn and you shouldn't have to do it by leaving one thing which is seen as your secure paycheck...You shouldn't have to jump that to something else, to be able to try it. We need to be more open...and sharing what we're doing and bring people on the journey with us.” Kerry Bannigan on Electric Ladies Podcast

Read Joan’s Forbes articles here.

You’ll also want to listen to (some of these are under the name Green Connections Radio):

• Zainab Salbi, Cofounder of Daughters for Earth, one of the partners in One Earth – and Founder of Women to Women International and its former CEO
• Anna Robertson, Co-founder, The Cool Down, sustainable consumer website
• Jennifer “JJ” Lee, United We Mask, making face masks from recycled fabric for all populations
• Laura Jones, Frontlash Magazine, Celebrity stylist publishes a magazine on sustainable fashion
• Jessica Schreiber, Fabscrap, turning fashion scraps into usable product

• Amina Razvi, of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (now the CEO)

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Follow us on Twitter @joanmichelson   and @electricgalspod

“The vision for electrification is based on the maturing of the technology. Getting it to a price point, a performance point, and a consumer acceptance point, where this actually can serve all of these consumer needs and we can make it affordable and it works…. This is what being a transportation provider looks like… Also, in just a growing access to public (charging) infrastructure where people, rural and urban, whether they need it or not, want to be able to see infrastructure to know that if I had to (charge my car), I could.” Genevieve Cullen on Electric Ladies Podcast

Electric vehicles are on a roll. Sales are booming, doubling every month almost. Automakers offer about 70 models now, have dozens more coming, and committed to going only-electric by 2035. And, we have the massive rollout of charging stations from the massive new federal legislation.  And these vehicles are cool. About 76% of buyers of the new the all-electric version of the iconic Ford F-150 truck are new to EVs, and tax credits are now usable at the time of purchase.  

For a master class in where we are exactly in electric vehicles, listen to this fascinating interview with the master of EVs, Genevieve Cullen, President of the Electric Drive Transportation Assn., the EV trade group, on Electric Ladies Podcast with host Joan Michelson. Genevieve has been in the EV business for decades.  (Editor's Note: This was recorded live at an event, so the audio is a bit less clear than usual. Thanks for understanding.)

You’ll hear:

• How automakers are making vehicles for all needs and budgets now – with more to come.
• What’s really in the new federal legislation, whether you’re a manufacturer, a dealer, a consumer, or in the automotive supply chain or battery business.
• Where the infrastructure is today, and where it’s rolling out, and when.
• How the automotive supply chain is reducing its carbon footprint and being more transparent.
• Plus, insightful career advice ….

“I do think what's really valuable is to own your expertise. Know what you're good at and absolutely highlight it, monetize it, but don't be afraid to keep adding to it. Don't get stuck in a silo.…Just like, oh, this is where the industry is going and I should get smart about this. So, you have to always keep learning, adding to your skill set, particularly as it like reinforces the thing that you love.”

Genevieve Cullen on Electric Ladies podcast

You’ll also want to listen to: (some might be recorded under our previous name, Green Connections Radio)

• Telva McGruder, Chief Diversity Officer of General Motors – on pivoting that 100+ year old company from gas-powered cars to electric cars
• Kristen Siemen, Chief Sustainability Officer of General Motors
• Suzy Deering, Chief Marketing Officer of Ford – on bringing change to a legacy industry as an outsider.
• Neha Palmer, Founder/CEO of TeraWatt Infrastructure on charging for EV trucks
• Jackie Birdsall, Toyota, Senior Engineer, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles

• Margaret Lewis, New Flyer electric buses

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Reach us on Twitter @joanmichelson

“Anytime we've had to do something hard in human history, we've needed the public to understand and get on board with this future. And so, what we're trying to do is quite simply to reach mainstream audiences…become America's first mainstream climate brand and reach people who do have a level of concern and awareness about what's happening, but don't know where to start or what to do.”

Anna Robertson on Electric Ladies Podcast

As we face the momentous midterm election in American history (and PLEASE VOTE), one of the issues on the ballot in the faces of the candidates and control of the Senate and House is whether the country continues to pass legislation like the Infrastructure Act and the Inflation Reduction Act that address climate change to save our communities, air, water, lives and livelihoods. But we need more information reaching the “unconverted,” or people who still don’t understand climate change and what they can do.

Enter Anna Robertson, co-founder of The Cool Down, a new nonpartisan news media platform designed specifically to reach the masses, the confused, the “unconverted” about climate change-related issues and solutions. Anna is a master storyteller who spent decades in network news, mostly at ABC News, and a mom who has personally experienced the threats of climate change. Listen to her explain it on Electric Ladies Podcast in this engaging conversation with host Joan Michelson.

You’ll hear:

• What she and her family experienced that was her wake up call to use her talents to address climate change more broadly
• What kinds of stories they are doing and plan to do to reach a broader audience than the typical “eco” audience.
• Why language matters and how to talk about climate change to reach more people
• Plus, insightful career advice.

And much more!

“It's really important to me that not only am I coming to work every day and making money, but I'm also doing something that I feel is making an impact in the world. And at different times in my life, that's been different things. And I think tapping into what you need in your life at any specific moment.…And so always evaluating what you need and where you want to go, and not being afraid to have the conversation.”

Anna Robertson on Electric Ladies podcast

Read Joan’s Forbes articles here.

You’ll also want to listen to (some of these are under the name Green Connections Radio):

• Lori Harrison-Kahan, Author of “The Superwoman” book about renowned female journalist who helped women gain the right to vote (Miriam Michelson)
• Marcia Chatelain, Ph.D, Professor of American History at Georgetown University on the role of black women suffragists in getting women the right to vote.
• Brooke Kroeger, journalist, professor and author of “The Suffragents” about the role of men in securing women the right to vote.
• Michele Wucker, thought leaders and author of “You Are What You Risk: The New Art & Science to Navigating an Uncertain World.”

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“Do you understand what customers are looking for?…Do you know where you want to go? Can you tell a story? Are you the right person to lead this team and bring others on board?...The financial model is often the number side of your story. It is storytelling through numbers.” Ginger Rothrock on Electric Ladies Podcast

Between the pandemic shifting our ideas of “work,” an increased focus on values, and the resulting “Great Realignment” of careers, more women are becoming entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, the road to raising capital for those businesses is fraught for women, since women founders only get about 2.3% of venture funding.

But here’s hope! In this episode of Electric Ladies podcast, venture investor, scientist and former entrepreneur Ginger Rothrock of HG Ventures shares secrets on how to be successful in your fundraising while female in conversation with host Joan Michelson. So, grab a pen and paper or tablet or laptop to take notes and click “play.”

You’ll hear:

• What you need to put in your pitch deck – and why
• What you need to understand about your business – and it may not be obvious.
• How to identify the assumptions you’re making that may be holding you back.
• How to do credible yet ambitious financial modeling and forecasting.
• Plus, insightful career advice.

And much more!

“What would you do if you were fearless? What choices would you make? What actions would you take?... We outperform men, we get better grades. We learn that hard work, leads to results…(often we make) professional choices because of a perceived need or what am I supposed to do…(But) what if I could do anything I wanted?” Ginger Rothrock on Electric Ladies podcast

Read Joan’s Forbes articles here.

You’ll also want to listen to (some of these are under the name Green Connections Radio):

• Shelly Porges, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Beyond the Billion and Billion Dollar Fund for Women
• Julie Lenzer, Chief Innovation Officer, University of Maryland and serial entrepreneur
• Jenny Kassan, fundraising consultant and entrepreneur
• Michele Wucker, thought leaders and author of “You Are What You Risk: The New Art & Science to Navigating an Uncertain World.”

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Follow us on Twitter @joanmichelson   and @electricgalspod

“Trust in the corporation today is higher than in your own government. That really gives them this moment and the trust factor that they should not squander because the majority of Americans do believe in climate change and do want something done about. And so, I think there are some real opportunities …. And this is for boards of directors…If it's a basic functioning of the company…the board of directions will be held liable for failure to mitigate climate change damage.” Trisa Thompson on Electric Ladies Podcast

A recent study by Edelman found that trust in companies is higher than trust in government, despite the flurry of people leaving their jobs for greener pastures.  Trisa Thompson, former longtime Chief Sustainability Officer of Dell Technologies, says this represents a window of opportunity that companies should seize to make a difference, grow, and recruit and retain the best talent, including women.

Listen to Trisa Thompson explain why in this engaging interview on Electric Ladies Podcast with host Joan Michelson.

You’ll hear:

• What’s creating this window of opportunity for companies to mitigate climate change and grow.
• Why boards of directors are vulnerable and need to step up, as part of their fiduciary responsibilities.
• What she would do if she was still a Chief Sustainability Officer today – including who she would partner with.
• How to persuade executives and others who are not on board with sustainable practices.
• Plus, insightful career advice.

And much more!

“You have a job, whatever it is, you could be in marketing, you could be a supply chain engineer. Where do you see low hanging fruit, whether it's in your job description or not, that can make a difference in your company? And how do you go get that done?... , I would say let's all grab the moment with this Inflation Reduction Act and let's go see what change we can make happen by 2030!” Trisa Thompson on Electric Ladies podcast

Read Joan’s Forbes articles here.

You’ll also want to listen to (some of these are under the name Green Connections Radio):

• Kristen Siemen, Chief Sustainability Officer, General Motors – on how they are pivoting to be more sustainable.
• Bridget Hughes, Donnelly Financial Solutions, on ESG software and what to look for.
• Kristina Wyatt, Former head of the SEC Climate Risk Disclosure Rules Task force, now at Persefoni
• Suzanne DiBianca, SVP, Corporate Relations, Salesforce on ESG tracking software
• Michele Wucker, thought leaders and author of “You Are What You Risk: The New Art & Science to Navigating an Uncertain World.”

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Follow us on Twitter @joanmichelson   and @electricgalspod

“We'll have over 50% of our facilities producing EVs here in the U.S. by 2025. We've announced four battery plants here in the U.S., a number of supply chain agreements, again, to really get those critical minerals happening here. So, so really excited to see where this, this is going to take us.” Kristen Siemen on Electric Ladies Podcast

General Motors announced it was going all-electric by around 2035, in some ways pushing the legacy automakers to accelerate their transitions too. They also committed to reducing their carbon footprint overall aggressively, from materials, to how they power their plants, to the supply chain. How are they doing it?

Listen to Kristen Siemen, Chief Sustainability Officer at General Motors in this remarkable interview with host Joan Michelson on Electric Ladies Podcast about how General Motors is pivoting its entire manufacturing process to electric vehicles, and driving more innovation at the same time.

You’ll hear:

• How GM is bringing its 25 year history in electric vehicles to 21^st century mobility needs.
• How GM is allocating the $35 billion they committed to this transformation to EVs – in all types of vehicles, from luxury cars to Hummers.
• What it’s going to take for EVs to go mainstream.
• How the much-needed EV infrastructure gets built, including with the new federal legislation and GM’s recent charging deal.
• Plus, insightful career advice ….

“It's really about being transparent, you know, and being comfortable to give your opinion and, and ask for what you want to do and where you want to work or, or what type of assignment you'd like to have. And so, it all circles back to that passion. If you like what you're doing, you're going to work harder and you're going to be the person that they want on the team.” Kristen Siemen on Electric Ladies podcast

You’ll also want to listen to:

• Telva McGruder, Chief Diversity Officer of General Motors – on pivoting that 100+ year old company from gas-powered cars to electric cars
• Suzy Deering, Chief Marketing Officer at Ford Motor Company, on disrupting a 100+ automaker.
• Neha Palmer, Founder/CEO of TeraWatt Infrastructure on charging for EV trucks
• Maureen Kline, Head of Sustainability, Pirelli Tires, on smart and sustainable tires
• Jackie Birdsall, Toyota, Senior Engineer, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles

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Reach us on Twitter @joanmichelson

“The climate emergency is urgent and climate risk is financial risk. And the SEC is all about the protection of investors and the financial markets. And if you have this looming financial risk, that's not being adequately addressed. …And, investors were saying, look, the information that we're getting just doesn't cut it. It's not sufficiently clear, consistent, comparable, reliable. We need more and we need the SEC to step in and provide clearer guidance, clearer rules to help ensure that investors are getting the information that they need.”

Kristina Wyatt on Electric Ladies Podcast

We see the wrath of climate change vividly today in the damage from Hurricanes Ian and Fiona -- which also reflects the financial risk and impact of climate change. That's why the Securities and Exchange Commission, the SEC, is finalizing its climate risk disclosure rules right now. How did they develop them? Today you'll find out.

This episode of Electric Ladies podcast takes you literally into the SEC’s room where those deliberations happened. Listen to Kristina Wyatt who literally led the SEC’s Task Force developing these rules, explain how they did it and what happens next in this riveting conversation with Electric Ladies host Joan Michelson. Kristina’s formal title was Senior Counsel for Climate and ESG to the Director of the Division of Corporate Finance, and now she’s SVP of Global Regulatory Climate Disclosure and Deputy General Counsel of Persefoni.

You’ll hear:

• How the SEC Task Force literally developed the proposed climate risk disclosure rules – and what happens next.
• Whose input they sought out to achieve their goals of serving investors and providing clarity.
• How to make sense of the different ESG-related standards
• Why this is a great time for a career with purpose
• Plus, insightful career advice.

And much more!

“What's happening now is that as this focus on climate….on diversity equity, and inclusion, all of these things are making their way up to the board. They're making their way to the C-suite, they're becoming central investor issues. They're financial issues…. What we need to have is these women who are sitting over in the CSOs office to make sure that they've got the chops on the financial piece, right? So, if you need to take courses, learn about how to read financial statements, get very familiar with your company’s financials, understand balance sheets, understand income statements, understand cash flow statements and how they work so that you can really speak the financial talk and understand how your sustainability issues integrate with your financial issues.” Kristina Wyatt on Electric Ladies podcast

Read Joan’s Forbes articles here.

You’ll also want to listen to:

• Joan Michelson on Eisner Amper’s “Fast Forward” podcast about “Why ESG Matters.
• Bridget Hughes, Donnelly Financial Solutions, on ESG software and what to look for.
• Natalie Jaresko, former Finance Minister of Ukraine, on the hidden power of ESG
• Michele Wucker, thought leaders and author of “You Are What You Risk: The New Art & Science to Navigating an Uncertain World.”

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Follow us on Twitter @joanmichelson   and @electricgalspod

“I started this meeting every Friday that was called Marketing Modernization, but, really, it was kind of almost like an open mic type of meeting, because I had teams come in and they could make a choice as to what topics (we would talk about). I'd say, ‘What is it you feel that we're not doing that we should be doing? Or what's holding you back from making some of the changes we need to make?’ It's my favorite meeting of the week….It's not just my team, it's multiple different people across the organization.” 

Suzy Deering on Electric Ladies Podcast

Ford, GM and other major automakers committed to going all-electric by around 2035 – but how? How do you do it – without losing your core customers? How do you know the right approach? To answer these questions Ford brought in a woman with no experience in the auto industry. Literally.

Listen to Suzy Deering, Chief Marketing Officer at Ford Motor company in this extraordinary interview with host Joan Michelson on Electric Ladies Podcast as she takes us into the room as she disrupts how Ford thinks about marketing vehicles. It might change how you do your job too.

You’ll hear:

• How coming from totally different industries helped Suzy disrupt Ford to reach different customers
• What Ford has in common with Verizon and tech other companies might surprise you
• Why “what are we missing” and “what are we spending too much time on” can transform the conversation, the processes and the outcomes.
• How to drive change in a big organization – even as an outsider coming in.
• Plus, insightful career advice ….

“Number one, go learn something from scratch and get really, really get dirty. Like get in there and understand from a scrappy standpoint. You're going to fail and you're going to learn things and then some things are going to work, some things aren't….if you're not uncomfortable, then you're not growing. And if you're not growing, you're not learning. If you're not learning, you're not per, you're not progressing….and Don't chase the title.”

Suzy Deering on Electric Ladies podcast

You’ll also want to listen to:

• Telva McGruder, Chief Diversity Officer of General Motors – on pivoting that 100+ year old company from gas-powered cars to electric cars
• Neha Palmer, Founder/CEO of TeraWatt Infrastructure on charging for EV trucks
• Maureen Kline, Head of Sustainability, Pirelli Tires, on smart and sustainable tires
• Jackie Birdsall, Toyota, Senior Engineer, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles

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Reach us on Twitter @joanmichelson

“What's interesting about the ESG data, when you start to collect just the greenhouse gas, it's all surveys, it's all subjective information that you're collecting on a monthly basis. So, I think… the more questions you ask and the more data you're asking for and get to retrieve, and then collect, I think, starts to mold… your decision making ability."

Bridget Hughes on Electric Ladies Podcast

 If you think you aren’t affected by the massive economic shift towards ESG – environment, social and governance – then think again.  Whether you’re a small business doing business with large companies, or want to, OR a large company subject to SEC regulations, OR a leader in either of those, or an investor, you’ll need to have your ESG tracking and reporting systems in place. How?

Listen to Bridget Hughes of Donnelley Financial Solutions in this fascinating interview with Electric Ladies host Joan Michelson.

You’ll hear:

• How what industry you’re in matters.
• Their five points strategy for starting on the ESG journey
• How to make sense of the different ESG-related standards
• Plus, insightful career advice.

And much more!

“I think you want to go into something where, um, you you'll always be able to serve a purpose… I think women really need to be aware that things are going to happen in life and you should be prepared to be able to support yourself….But also do what you enjoy to do. Don't stay in a job because you think you have to stay in a job, but just make sure that you are leaving yourself options and doing what you like to do but still making a difference.“ Bridget Hughes on Electric Ladies podcast

Read Joan’s Forbes articles here.

You’ll also want to listen to (some of these are under the name Green Connections Radio):

• Joan Michelson on Eisner Amper’s “Fast Forward” podcast about “Why ESG Matters.
• Janet Gail Besser, Smart Electric Power Alliance, on their 5-point plan to get to net zero in any industry
• Kristen Sullivan, Deloitte Sustainability Practice lead, on the transformation and ESG
• Michele Wucker, thought leaders and author of “You Are What You Risk: The New Art & Science to Navigating an Uncertain World.”

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Follow us on Twitter @joanmichelson   and @electricgalspod

”Think about food design as a system. We are innovating at the product end, but we’re also trying to innovate ….to get food that would be otherwise be wasted back into the food supply chain…(including through) canned (and frozen) fruit and vegetables, which are really good accessible nutrition,” especially in the face of climate change. Dr. Lara Ramdin on Electric Ladies Podcast

We spend Labor Day weekend focused in part on food, from BBQs to picnics, to meals with friends and family. But our food supply is threatened by climate change – as we’ve seen with tons of food destroyed by droughts and floods. Today, there are 2.37 billion people across the world who are food insecure, including millions in the U.S.  Believe it or not, packaged fruits and vegetables may be a way to address these challenges.

How? Listen to Dr. Lara Ramdin, Chief Innovation Officer of Dole Sunshine Foods explain it and much more in this enlightening and inspiring interview with Electric Ladies podcast host Joan Michelson.

You’ll hear:

• What a circular food supply looks like, from farm to table to plant to table.
• How surprisingly nutritious canned, frozen and dried fruits and vegetables are – especially for people living in “food deserts” where fresh fruits and vegetables are scarce.
• How packaged fruits and vegetables help combat climate change, and reduce food loss from it.
• How design thinking is reinventing their process of developing new and more nutritious fruit and vegetable products, and more sustainable packaging for them that also retains the food’s nutrition.
• Great career advice, especially for women in mid-career.

“Look for things outside of your comfort zone…And, I think that, especially in mid-career and above, what becomes more important is…that whoever it is that you report to…understands what it is that you bring to the organization and what your strengths are and allows you to be authentic to yourself…and is also able to give you feedback and allow you to grow.” Dr. Lara Ramdin on Electric Ladies Podcast

Read Joan’s related Forbes articles here too.

You’ll also want to listen to: (some of these were recorded under our previous name, Green Connections Radio)

• Michele Wucker, thought leaders and author of “You Are What You Risk: The New Art & Science to Navigating an Uncertain World.”
• Gabrielle Rubenstein, Managing Partner and Founder, Manna Tree Partners, investors in food companies making our food supply more transparent and healthier.
• Rosemary Atieno, Women Climate Central International, on women addressing climate change through everyday activities like feeding their families
• Robin Currey, Professor of Sustainable Food Systems at Prescott College.
• Jackie Roberts, AppHarvest, on their massive sustainable indoor farm
• Cindi Bigelow, CEO, Bigelow Tea, on converting a 75-year old tea company to combat climate change.

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Reach us on Twitter @joanmichelson

“We asked the Forest Stewardship Council to go on the ground and do the whole certification process, just like they do for paper…Then they're following that rubber throughout the chain of custody all the way through to the factory here in Georgia….We have just produced the first FSC certified tire.” Maureen Kline on Electric Ladies Podcast

With President Biden’s recent signature on the Inflation Reduction Act, the U.S. is making the largest investment in mitigating climate change in history, $369 billion.  Part of those funds go toward boosting the transition to electric vehicles, from charging to creating a sustainable supply chain – augmenting the Infrastructure Bill investments earlier this year.  One of those parts is tires.

As the rubber literally hits the road with these huge government investments in transforming our auto sector, Listen to Maureen Kline, head of sustainability for Pirelli Tires, explain how Pirelli is making sustainable – and smart! – tires to host Joan Michelson on Electric Ladies Podcast. It might change how you buy your next car.

You’ll hear:

• How Pirelli is using outside sources like the Forest Stewardship Council to help them make sustainable tires in a credible and responsible way.
• What “smart tires” are, how they work, and how they keep passengers safer than “normal” tires do.
• How Maureen got Pirelli to include an option in the company’s 401K plan options to invest according to ESG criteria.
• Plus, insightful career advice ….

“I think what's really important is to gain knowledge of sustainability and weave it into every career… Use all possible, learning opportunities, whether it's online courses, listening to your podcast, reading, and just get your overall sustainability education in order. And then you can really start diving into how to make what you do, more sustainability focused.”

Maureen Kline on Electric Ladies podcast

You’ll also want to listen to:

• Telva McGruder, Chief Diversity Officer of General Motors – on pivoting that 100+ year old company from gas-powered cars to electric cars
• Neha Palmer, Founder/CEO of TeraWatt Infrastructure on charging for EV trucks
• Sandrine Dixson, Co-President of the Club of Rome (country leaders, CEOs) on transitioning to a net zero economy
• Jackie Birdsall, Toyota, Senior Engineer, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles

• Margaret Lewis, New Flyer electric buses

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Reach us on Twitter @joanmichelson