Consensus in Conversation

Roger McClendon is always near the top: he finished as the second all-time scorer for the University of Cincinnati men’s basketball’s team, behind only Oscar Robertson, became Yum! Brands’ first-ever Chief Sustainability Officer, and now leads the Green Sports Alliance, a national organization promoting sustainability in sports. Roger’s talent and leadership has taken him from hardwood courts to boardrooms, leaving behind a trail of success and positive impact. Our conversation bridges his career path, the power of sports, the need for sustainability, and so much more. If you’re itching for some basketball between March Madness and the NBA Playoffs, look no further: it’s live on all major podcasting platforms. Listen now! More on the Green Sports Alliance and Roger:GSA's Upcoming Summit, June 26-28, 2023Green Sports Alliance Linktr.eeRoger’s LinkedInEpisode Highlights:0:00: Background and Basketball5:55: Early Career and Yum! Brands11:11: Sustainability 15:49: Green Sports Alliance24:26: Sports and Community29:37: The Future Follow our host Conor on LinkedIn and Twitter to stay up to date!

Navy SEALs and successful entrepreneurs share at least one thing: both are hard work! Meet Tim Sheehy, a former US Navy SEAL officer turned successful entrepreneur. Tim is Founder and CEO of Bridger Aerospace, an aerial firefighting company. He previously founded and sold Ascent Vision Technologies (AVT), a data and surveillance-driven defense and aerospace company. If anyone has found a way to make challenging work look easy, it might just be Tim. The episode’s live, so click play and listen on all major podcasting platforms.More on Tim Sheehy:Bridger AerospaceTim’s LinkedInAscent Vision Technologies (AVT)Time Stamps:0:00: Background and Military Career5:55: Bridger Aerospace11:35: Ascent Vision Technologies (AVT)15:00 Key Business Themes21:48 Sustainability and Conservation25:05 Looking Forward Follow our host, Conor Gaughan, on LinkedIn and Twitter to stay up to date!

Imagine a restaurant that changes its menu twice a day, every week. Why? To reduce food waste and support local farmers. Enter Chef Steve McHugh: a record six-time finalist for Best Chef in Texas. We talk about his time at the CIA (no, not that one), learning cooking skills, rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina, and overcoming non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Oh, and, launching restaurants while growing a community in San Antonio too.If you’re hungry, grab a snack, sit back, and hit play! More Chef SteveCheck out his Instagram @chefstevemchughLandrace at the Thompson HotelCured at PearlLuminaire (opened last month!)Time Stamps!0:00: Background 8:30: Culinary Path13:50: Food, Community, and Resilience22:28: New Projects 25:25: Inspiration for the FutureFollow our host Conor on LinkedIn and Twitter to stay up to date!

I'm joined by Vailia and Russell From, two friends and winemakers pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation in the wine industry, while staying focused on sustainability and being good stewards of the lands they cultivate. Vailia has worked in all things wine– from the restaurant floor to sales to importing to harvesting, and now she’s running her very own Desparada, a vineyard rooted in spirit and elegance. Russell is a wine creative– whether it’s a wine that stays in contact with the grape skins for the duration of harvesting or the Tomboy, his only white wine offering that’s described as “a white for red wine lovers– he’s constantly pushing creative boundaries at Herman Story Wines, which he owns and operates. Join our conversation on winemaking, organic agriculture, stewardship of the land, sustainability, and taking the path less traveled. All you have to do is sit back, uncork (or unscrew, no judgements) some wine, and hit play. For more information on Herman Story Wines: https://www.hermanstorywines.com/ Want more details on Desparada? Visit: https://www.desparada.com/

We're joined by Juliana Garaizar, an angel investor working as the head of innovation for Greentown Labs, the largest climate tech incubator in North America. Juliana has lived across the globe, and now she’s now in Houston– working on the intersection of climate tech, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. We discuss entrepreneurship, supporting climate-positive startups, advocating for inclusivity in the workspace - particularly in finance - how to create maximum impact with minimal environmental harm, and the best place to vacation (just kidding…I didn’t get around to that question) – so sit back, hit play, and join this episode of Consensus in Conversation!For more information on Greentown Labs, check out their website: https://greentownlabs.com/

Today we welcome Charles Dimmler, CEO and co-founder of Checkerspot, and Matt Sterbenz, GM of Wintersports. Checkerspot is a high performance materials company proving that you don’t have to choose between sustainability and performance. Founded in 2016, the company is pioneering a planet-first approach to product creation and innovating the outdoor industry through biotechnology and sustainability. WNDR Alpine, Checkerspot’s consumer-facing backcountry skis are made from algae, and the first of its kind. Charles’ expertise in biotechnology and Matt’s professional skiing background provide great insights into the future of industry on this episode of Consensus in Conversation. Since our recording, Checkerspot released an amazing new product: The Pollinator™ Kit. It gives individuals, small businesses, and big corporations the ability to create new products and designs with some of Checkerspots’ sustainable materials like polyurethane, which is derived from algae oil. To get your own pair of WNDR Alpine skis, check out: https://wndr-alpine.com/collections/shop For more details on The Pollinator™ Kit: https://www.pollinatorkit.com/ And check out their partnerships with different innovators: https://checkerspot.com/innovators/

This week’s guest is Lew Moorman, co-founder of Scaleworks, a venture capital firm, and Soilworks Natural Capital, an investment fund. Lew grew up in Texas Hill Country, home to some of America’s best ranchland, and although he started his career in consulting, he found his passion in venture capital, helping small software companies flourish. Now, he has turned his sights towards one of America’s oldest (and largest industries) – agriculture – where he is helping to lead the regenerative agriculture sector to new heights while championing the idea that smart livestock ranching and natural climate solutions are one in the same. Whether it’s about innovation in the agriculture sector or how maximizing profits incentivizes sustainability, you’ll want to hear what Lew has to say on this episode of Consensus in Conversation.

This week’s guest is Brent Harris. He’s the VP of Governance at Meta, where he has played an integral role in the organization’s approach towards governance, including the creation and development of the Oversight Board. He is currently helping the company and broader industry to envision and build a Metaverse with empathy, accessibility, and sustainability at its core. Brent’s career has stretched from nonprofits to public service and the private sector. This diverse background makes him well-suited to help lead one of the most powerful companies in the world as they work on some of their toughest challenges, ultimately figuring out the power and potential of the Metaverse as a force for good in the world. You won’t want to miss our fascinating conversation on governance, the Metaverse, empathy, and Meta’s place in this ever-changing world of technology.

We welcome Michael Blaugrund, Chief Operating Officer at the New York Stock Exchange, to talk about Natural Asset Companies (NACs), ESG, the capital market landscape, and the NYSE’s role in it all. Nature and the related ecosystem services are worth an estimated $100-$150 trillion a year, revealing a massive opportunity for nature in the business world. NACs aim to unlock that value as they support and protect our natural resources. Find out what this all means for the future of business, the markets, and our country on this episode of CiC.

We’re joined by Jonathan Goldberg, founder and CEO of Carbon Direct, a company at the forefront of scaling carbon management and the negative emission industry. Jonathan’s diverse career, from trading at Goldman Sachs to founding a commodity hedge fund to becoming a partner at Glencore, gives him a unique perspective on the future of energy, particularly at this moment in history as we transition to the clean economy. As America’s big businesses work to lower emissions and achieve carbon neutrality, companies like Carbon Direct are playing a massive role in this increasingly net neutral world. Listen to the conversation to get the fully story!