Hiring….There are so many approaches to hiring, right? And what does hiring have to do with the future of the planet. Well, I would contend you want the right person in the job you can provide maximum impact and value to build better companies and organizations for our world. We are inundated with statistics and methods advising us on the best, effective method to engage in hiring. Do you rely on personality assessments? Do you have your potential employee take multiple cognitive and social tests? Do you put them through an interview with tricky problems to see how they react to stress? Do you LQ, IQ, EQ? Or, do you just go with your gut, like Malcolm Gladwell? Maybe there is a better way. Mike Brady, was CEO of Greyston Inc. and launched The Greyston Center for Open Hiring advocates a decidedly different approach, one which you may want to consider. Join me in my conversation with Mike as we talk about the nature of his business and approach to hiring the best person for the job. A little more about Mike: Mike Brady is an experienced chief executive, business advisor and entrepreneur specializing in using regenerative business practices to unlock value for businesses and communities. His passion for social entrepreneurism and the use of business to solve social issues are fundamental to his work. Most recently, Mike was the President and CEO of Greyston Inc., one of North America’s largest and oldest social enterprises. During his tenure, he achieved record growth by overhauling operations at Greyston’s 23,000 sq. ft. commercial bakery and tapping into global development opportunities with Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever. His TED Talk titled "https://www.ted.com/talks/mike_brady_and_dion_drew_why_we_hire_unemployable_people (Why We Hire Unemployable People)" established the vision that led to launching the Greyston Center for Open Hiring in 2018 and to his selection to the inaugural global list of the Top 100 Meaningful Business Leaders in 2019. In 2020, Mike was selected as a member of the Council of Criminal Justice. Mike is a frequent speaker on the topic of the future of work and creating opportunities for people excluded from the workforce. Mike earned an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School. He grew up in Rochester, New York and now lives outside of New York City with his wife and two sons.

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29 – Mike Brady – Opportunities and Hiring

Hiring….There are so many approaches to hiring, right? And what does hiring have to do with the future of the planet. Well, I would contend you want the right person in the job you can provide maximum impact and value to build better companies and organizations for our world. We are inundated with statistics and methods advising us on the best, effective method to engage in hiring. Do you rely on personality assessments? Do you have your potential employee take multiple cognitive and social tests? Do you put them through an interview with tricky problems to see how they react to stress? Do you LQ, IQ, EQ? Or, do you just go with your gut, like Malcolm Gladwell? Maybe there is a better way. Mike Brady, was CEO of Greyston Inc. and launched The Greyston Center for Open Hiring advocates a decidedly different approach, one which you may want to consider. Join me in my conversation with Mike as we talk about the nature of his business and approach to hiring the best person for the job. A little more about Mike: Mike Brady is an experienced chief executive, business advisor and entrepreneur specializing in using regenerative business practices to unlock value for businesses and communities. His passion for social entrepreneurism and the use of business to solve social issues are fundamental to his work. Most recently, Mike was the President and CEO of Greyston Inc., one of North America’s largest and oldest social enterprises. During his tenure, he achieved record growth by overhauling operations at Greyston’s 23,000 sq. ft. commercial bakery and tapping into global development opportunities with Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever. His TED Talk titled " (https://www.ted.com/talks/mike_brady_and_dion_drew_why_we_hire_unemployable_people)" established the vision that led to launching the Greyston Center for Open Hiring in 2018 and to his selection to the inaugural global list of the Top 100 Meaningful Business Leaders in 2019. In 2020, Mike was selected as a member of the Council of Criminal Justice. Mike is a frequent speaker on the topic of the future of work and creating opportunities for people excluded from the workforce. Mike earned an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School. He grew up in Rochester, New York and now lives outside of New York City with his wife and two sons.

My guest for today's podcast is Susan Masino, a professor of neuroscience at Trinity College, who stresses the link between healthy brain metabolism and nature. I don't think there are many of us who would deny that joy that one feels by taking a walk in the woods. However, Susan explains to us how and why we need that type of experience to maintain our health and sanity. Forests are not something to be exploited for purely commercial gain. Forests, and nature preserves are a necessary component of a healthy society, and planet. Humans have approached forests in myriad ways throughout our history. Today, many forests are threatened by human exploitation. Susan Masino is a leader in a "movement" to ensure that we fully understand the power of these ecosytems to the health of humanity. Susan A. Masino, Ph.D. is the Vernon Roosa Professor of Applied Science at Trinity College and a recent Bullard Fellow in Forest Research at Harvard University. Her research focuses on links among metabolism, brain activity and behavior, and she is dedicated to educational, environmental and public policy issues affecting brain health. The link between forests and brain health is a public policy imperative: we face increasing costs for disorders ranging from Alzheimer’s disease to addiction, and forests offer exercise, mindfulness and stress reduction. We are still discovering new species, and forests are a former and a likely future source of new medicines. Research on cardiovascular, immune and neurological systems is expanding worldwide. In people of all ages a forest can increase kindness, altruism, and generosity by provoking awe – the sense of wonder you feel in the presence of something beyond your understanding. For these and many other reasons, natural forests should be protected and accessible to all of us.

28 – Susan Masino: The Brain Health and Forests

Welcome to Part 3 of 3 of my conversation with Keith Merron where we look at the strategy to solve the problems we described in our two previous episodes. Keith Merron is the founder and Managing Partner of Leadership Pathways, an organizational consulting and leadership development firm dedicated to helping organizations and leaders achieve bold visions, and realize sustainable, impactful goals for tomorrow’s world. With a PhD from Harvard, Keith has spent 35 years working with small and large organizations in the private, non-profit and government arenas to achieve better outcomes. He told me that he stopped counting after he reached 400 clients. Keith wrote 5 books and numerous articles on human and organizational development. He has led hundreds of workshops and seminars for leaders. In a nutshell, Keith is an expert on Leadership and organizational behavior. With the challenges we face today, and the failure of our current of leaders, we need to chart a better path, one that is resolving problems thinking about the greater good, and working to be inclusive rather than its opposite. I think that you will find that Keith offers us an approach that will ultimately create better organizations from top to bottom. I hope you enjoy our conversation. Learn more at his website here: https://www.leadership-pathways.com/ (https://www.leadership-pathways.com/)

27 – Keith Merron: Transformational Leadership, Part 3

Welcome to Part 2 of 3 of my conversation with Keith Merron where we exploring the deeper reasons why we face the problems we do in our modern world. Keith Merron is the founder and Managing Partner of Leadership Pathways, an organizational consulting and leadership development firm dedicated to helping organizations and leaders achieve bold visions, and realize sustainable, impactful goals for tomorrow’s world. With a PhD from Harvard, Keith has spent 35 years working with small and large organizations in the private, non-profit and government arenas to achieve better outcomes. He told me that he stopped counting after he reached 400 clients. Keith wrote 5 books and numerous articles on human and organizational development. He has led hundreds of workshops and seminars for leaders. In a nutshell, Keith is an expert on Leadership and organizational behavior. With the challenges we face today, and the failure of our current of leaders, we need to chart a better path, one that is resolving problems thinking about the greater good, and working to be inclusive rather than its opposite. I think that you will find that Keith offers us an approach that will ultimately create better organizations from top to bottom. I hope you enjoy our conversation. Learn more at his website here:  https://www.leadership-pathways.com/ (https://www.leadership-pathways.com/)

26 – Keith Merron: Transformational Leadership, Part 2

Keith Merron is the founder and Managing Partner of Leadership Pathways, an organizational consulting and leadership development firm dedicated to helping organizations and leaders achieve bold visions, and realize sustainable, impactful goals for tomorrow's world. With a PhD from Harvard, Keith has spent 35 years working with small and large organizations in the private, non-profit and government arenas to achieve better outcomes. He told me that he stopped counting after he reached 400 clients. Keith wrote 5 books and numerous articles on human and organizational development. He has led hundreds of workshops and seminars for leaders. In a nutshell, Keith is an expert on Leadership and organizational behavior. We the challenges we face today, and the failure of our current of leaders we need to chart a better path, one that is resolving problems thinking about the greater good, and working to be inclusive rather than its opposite. I think that you will find that Keith offers us an approach that will ultimately create better organizations from top to bottom. I hope you enjoy our conversation. Learn more at his website here: https://www.leadership-pathways.com/ (https://www.leadership-pathways.com/)

25 – Keith Merron: Transformational Leadership, Part 1

Michael Mulcahy is the Chief Executive and the Founder of Ascalon; and is the inventor of the company’s innovative technology. After graduation from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a degree in Materials Engineering, Mr. Mulcahy began his professional career with the US Navy as an aircraft carrier pilot line officer. Upon leaving the US Navy after twenty-two years as a Captain, he held Executive positions at Tyco and United Technologies. Building on these experiences, he formed Ascalon to focus on non-toxic, environmentally sustainable technologies that promote human health and well-being. The origins that guided the idea and creation for Ascalon’s base technology began in the Navy by attempting to solve the challenges to deliver a non-toxic liquid that is universally effective as a decontaminant to mitigate chemical and biological weapon toxins. From that experience, it became clear that there were much larger applications for disinfectants, sanitizers, and cleaning products in substantial and diverse markets that were collectively underserved by inferior performance using toxic, hazardous, and polluting products.  Michael’s research led to the invention and development of a series of products made entirely from botanically-derived and food grade components that out perform all disinfectant products available today. The core of this technology product is distinguished by its unique capability to remove biofilm. By removing the biofilm, the remaining harmful microorganisms are either removed or destroyed in the process. The target markets served by Ascalon’s technology are: healthcare, food processing, hospitality, institutional hygiene, hospitality, athletics and fitness, schools and universities, health and wellness industry, and consumer products. The aggregated annual sales volume for these market segments exceeds $25 billion globally; $14 billion in US markets. Ascalon’s product portfolio consists of multipurpose cleaning products, hospital grade disinfectants, sterilizers for surfaces and surgical instruments, and wound care applications. Future prototype products now in development include skin healing and rejuvenating applications for healthcare and beauty products market segments.

24 – Mike Mulcahy: Laurinex – The New Standard of Clean

(http://earthplus30.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Michael-Moynihan_2-photo2.jpg) Michael Moynihan is a data wrestler. He has worked in the internet and data world for roughly 30 years. While in the Clinton White House, he focused on issues related to data security and privacy in the first days of the internet. Today, he is CEO of a company that developed a crowd sourced productivity application called Boonan, that helps uses make better decisions to achieve their goals. As a friend, Michael and I have had numerous conversations about the complicated inter-dependency between individuals and the corporations that are providing all the enticing services on the Internet. I thought that he would make a wonderful podcast guest who could help all of us better understand the myriad layers and complexity of our data infused world. Please join my conversation with Michael.

23 – Michael Moynihan: Data Privacy and Boonan

(http://earthplus30.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Rory-Varrato-headshot-July-2018.jpg) Rory Varrato is a co-founder of the NYC chapter of the Extinction Rebellion. He, and his organization, recognize that we are quickly facing a point of no return with regard to humanity, our place on the planet, and Earth's climate. It is a crisis. The current economic and political structures are failing and we have to do whatever is necessary, minus violence, to affect significant change. This requires massive action and altering how we think about our place in the world. Join me, as Rory and I discuss what got us here, where we need to be and the journey we need to make in order to reach our goals.

22 – Rory Varrato: The Extinction Rebellion Calls For Action

(http://earthplus30.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Bob-Perschel-Head-Shot.jpg) Bob Perschel, Executive Director of the New England Forestry Foundation, runs a non-profit that manages over 140 forests. Until speaking to him, I never really understood the issues with managing our woodlands. And, I totally did not see the huge economic and environmental opportunities for our planet. Did you know there are plans to build a 50 story skyscraper out of wood? Did you know that if we used wood for construction in the North East instead of steel and concrete, we could neutralize the carbon emissions of every car in New England? Bob gave me such an amazing education about the many aspects of the wood world. I hope you enjoy and get as much out of it as I did.

21 – Bob Perschel and the New England Forestry Foundation

 One Sunday I went out to lunch with my girlfriend. In and of itself, not such an unusual thing to do on the weekend, however during that meal, a friend sitting at a neighboring table introduced me to Sarah Evans. She very well could be one of the most inspirational women I have ever met. Listen to her story and I think you will agree. When a friend in Texas asked her to help raise money to save her family’s farm animals from a drought in Kenya, Sarah realized there was a bigger need and a much larger opportunity to transform the life of a village, and a region. She set up a non-profit, Well Aware World, and began drilling water wells in small villages in both Kenya and Tanzania. Doing extensive research, she developed an efficient, adaptable, sustainable process to build high functioning, and high quality, wells. With good, clean, convenient water, thousands more children could go to school and many, many women were freed from millions of hours fetching and carrying water each day. They were now able to start businesses, and work to build a better future for themselves and their families. Recently, Sarah started a second venture, Well Beyond Water, a consulting firm to help other water related non-profits be more successful using data analytics and metrics. Give a listen, be inspired!

20 – Sarah Evans: Dig a Water Well, Make Magic Happen

 Wei-Tai Kwok went out to a movie with his wife. Little did he know that it would change his life. Inspired by the Oscar winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, Wei-Tai left the theater realizing that he had the ability, and the desire, to do more to make a difference in addressing a problem that was becoming increasingly acute to the survival of a large part of our species. It was not enough to think about doing something, he knew that to actually make a difference he would have to make some major changes in his life. Many of us have those thoughts, but few of us manage the step. Very understandably, we are paying for our mortgages, cars, kids expenses, colleges, etc. It is difficult to find a way to follow your passion and still manage to cover the bills. Somehow Wei-Tai figured out how to make it work. He inspires me, I hope he does the same for you.

19 – Wei-Tai Kwok – Inspired To Do More

 We live in challenging times. Populism/Nationalism is on the rise all over the world. We confront increased political, cultural, and economic discord. Religious animosity is high. It seems people distrust one another more than ever. Tribalism is on the rise. What do we do? What do you do? How do we reverse the trend? Dr. Karin Tamerius, is the founder of Smart Politics, an organization focused on teaching us how to have more engaging and less confrontational conversations with people who think differently than we do. Considering current divisions, with the anger, and frustrations that permeate much of the western world, I think she has something extremely valuable to teach all of us. Karin attended U. of Michigan Graduate School in Political Science, then received a medical degree from U. of California, San Francisco, and is a member of the Psychiatry Residency program there. As a trained Psychiatrist, Karin realized a huge opportunity to address what a problem in how we approach conversations with people who do not agree with us, no matter the subject. She developed a process to help find common ground, to understand that we all have the same basic concerns, we just have different methods to deal with them. We must do better if we are going to solve many of the problems facing our planet. One way or another we have to move across some of these divides. Karin helps turn down the rhetoric and really digs into root causes that can assist bridging the deep chasms between us. I learned a great deal from her. I hope you do too. 

18 – Karin Tamerius – Talking across the Great Divides

 Roland Bopp, is an international businessman. A German-American, he has lead multiple companies, many based in Europe and Russia. Though living in the US, Roland spends much of his time traveling and working in Europe. After meeting at a friend’s wedding and having a great conversation over dinner, I have gotten to know him much better and have found his insights and knowledge of Europe, Germany, and Russia to be both broad and deep. Though I read about international politics and business extensively, Roland opened my eyes to so much more than I knew. Traveling far beyond the typical talking heads and writers he paints a much more interesting and personal view of what is happening in Europe, Russia and the wider world. I hope you enjoy and learn as much as I did.

17 – Roland Bopp – International Executive and Political Savant

 In Part 3 of my series related to the Federated Conservationists of Westchester County, better known as FCWC, I interview Peter Schlactus, who co-founded the Coalition to Prevent Westchester Airport Expansion. Peter grew up in Westchester, left for school, graduated from Harvard and returned after a time to help with the family business. However, like many who live near the airport, he was concerned about its potential for growth and its risks to the environment and Westchester communities, so he got involved, first participating in specific community mobiliziation efforts against airport expansion plans. Now he Chairs the Westchester County Airport Advisory Board and his Village Airport Council. Through our conversation, I found that he was very thoughtful and extremely perceptive. He understood that issues like the growth of an airport are complicated, there are more than a few perspectives, and that how we choose a path forward matters- at least if we care about where we want to end up. He provided me new insights that I had never considered. I hope you find him as engaging as interesting as I did. 

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