Hey Change Podcast

Did you know that the roots of regenerative agriculture, organic farming, and the farm-to-table movement grew from the work of Black farmers like Dr. Booker T. Whatley and Dr. George Washington Carver? And yet today, Black farmers are highly underrepresented in farming and farm ownership. While the Black population of the US is approximately 13.4%, Black farmers represent 1.3 % of farmers across the US.In this episode, we had the honor and privilege of speaking with Kiani Conley-Wilson, a grower, activist, and organizer based in Troy, NY. She is passionate about environmental justice, anti-racist/pro-feminist organizing, and the power of food across cultures, economies, and environments. Kiani is the Community Empowerment Coordinator for Soul Fire Farm, which is an Afro-Indigenous-centered community farm committed to uprooting racism and seeding sovereignty in the food system. She also organizes with local organizations to develop people-centered systems and spaces.This is such a powerful conversation and anyone interested in sustainability, environmentalism and low waste living will learn a lot about how to make their advocacy and daily lives more intersectional.Also mentioned in this episode:Film: Sacred CowBook: Farming While BlackQuote: “I'm no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I'm and changing the things I cannot accept" by Angela DavidsLearn more about Soul Fire Farm:Website: https://www.soulfirefarm.org/Instagram: @soulfirefarm  Follow Kiani on Instagram: @kiani4troy  CONNECT + FOLLOW:Podcast Instagram: @heychange_podcastThis episode is dedicated to the Black Farmer Fund. The Black Farmer Fund supports a thriving, resilient food economy, repairing Black communities' relationship to food and land. Hey Change Podcast listeners, you are invited to join us in supporting the Black Farmer Fund. A donation of any size supports and strengthens the economic infrastructure of Black food businesses and helps to build community power through a reparative capital framework. Go to https://www.blackfarmerfund.org/ and let’s support a more fair, equitable and regenerative world by supporting Black farmers today.Website: www.heychangepodcast.comFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heychange_podcast/Host: https://www.instagram.com/annetheresegennari/Hosted by The Climate Optimist: https://www.theclimateoptimist.com/Music produced by Jackson Whalan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you know that there isn’t a single corner of the Earth where microplastics do not exist? Yes, plastics are taking over our world, but how bad is it, really? We sat down with our friend and colleague Madeleine MacGillivray to take a deep dive (no pun intended) into the topic of microplastics. Tune in to gain a full understanding of what they are, where they come from, and what we can all do about it!In this episode:What are microplastics?How do microplastics affect human health?That recycling is a myth (but that we should still keep recycling)The truth behind biodegradable packagingWhat plastics are actually recyclable?How microfibers (from clothes) actually make up most of the plastic pollutionWhat you - and all of us - can do now to make a differenceNerd out further:Blood plasma: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6586940/They're literally everywhere: https://www.americanscientist.org/article/plastics-plastics-everywhereMicroplastics and male fertility: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7967748/Madeleine MacGillivray is a microplastics expert, a 5 Gyres Ambassador, and a model with Role Models Management in NYC. Since the age of nine, she has been speaking out against water issues when she founded her first non-profit organization, raising awareness about climate change and drought in Africa, and was acknowledged by Bill McKibben's national climate rally. At the age of 16, she was part of the highly influential Our Children’s Trust lawsuit, which sued the US government and the EPA. Madeleine specializes in marine microplastic pollution and legislation, conducting research in Indonesia, the Arctic, the Bermuda Triangle, and the Galápagos Islands. She’s also the Microplastics Policy and Science Fellow at the women and Indigenous-led environmental organization Seeding Sovereignty. This conversation is so informative and helpful to understand what is going on when it comes to plastic products and their impact on our world. If you’ve been wanting to learn more about microplastics this is your episode.Website: https://madeleinewallacenyc.com/ Instagram: @madeleinemacgillivray CONNECT + FOLLOW:Podcast Instagram: @heychange_podcastThis episode is sponsored by Parents for the Planet, a new platform created by our very own Robin Shaw. Parents for the Planet is helping families create a better planet for our children and better children for our planet. Empowered parents change the world, so follow along on IG at @parentsxplanet or check out https://parentsxplanet.com/ and stay tuned for resources, blogs, and a podcast coming soon! Parents for the Planet is here to help you raise the next generation of changemakers.Website: www.heychangepodcast.comFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heychange_podcast/Host: https://www.instagram.com/annetheresegennari/Hosted by The Climate Optimist: https://www.theclimateoptimist.com/Music produced by Jackson Whalan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lonely Whale’s #stopsucking campaign has eliminated approximately 20 billion single-use plastic straws from the waste stream. Today, we learned from Kendall Starkman, the Director of NextWave Plastics, about her work with the consortium of companies convened by the award-winning non-profit Lonely Whale.In this conversation: Plastic credits & plastic neutralityHow our waste system relies on informal workers in low-income countries What does the future of plastic looks like? One garbage truck full of plastic is being dumped into the ocean every minuteHow has covid affected plastic reduction efforts?What are companies doing to turn to change the future of plastics?You're gonna love this one, let’s turn off the tap on ocean-bound plastic!Kendall's Mantra: “What I don’t know is a very good place to start”Learn more about Lonely Whale:Website: https://www.lonelywhale.org/Instagram: @lonelywhale  CONNECT + FOLLOW:Podcast Instagram: @heychange_podcast Anne Therese:Website: https://theclimateoptimist.com/Instagram: @annetheresegennari Robin:Website: https://parentsxplanet.com/Instagram: @robinxshawA special thank you to our sponsor Luxe Botanics. More than a skincare company, Luxe Botanics are beauty activists, featuring rare and transformational botanicals that have been globally sourced and sustainably harvested while taking action to support local communities and safeguard the environment. Each botanical has been selected for its purity, scientific performance, and clinical efficacy, targeting specific skin concerns, while balancing and protecting the skin. Plus, proceeds from every Luxe Botanics purchase go back to the communities that harvest their incredible ingredients. Luxe Botanics is offering Change Podcast listeners 15% off with code HEYCHANGE. With carbon-neutral shipping and planet-conscious packaging, get ready to fall in love with the vegan, organic, cruelty-free, and ethically sourced high-performance skincare line that is Luxe Botanics.Intro + outro music: No Copyright Music by SapajouWebsite: www.heychangepodcast.comFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heychange_podcast/Host: https://www.instagram.com/annetheresegennari/Hosted by The Climate Optimist: https://www.theclimateoptimist.com/Music produced by Jackson Whalan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A guided meditation to look beyond climate change and envision a new kind of world!Scripted, recorded, and edited by your host, Anne Therese Gennari.Visit the website for more resources: www.theclimateoptimist.com-----What future could we find ourselves in if we kept some room in our hearts for the unimaginable? What life could YOU have if you allowed yourself to dream and believe?Too often, we’re bound by our current realities, stressed and filled with worry and fear because we don’t know what the future will look like. We fear change because we don’t know what that change will bring. But we know that everything we’ve ever built, invented, or created, has come from an ability to look beyond what we know to be true now. Our world today consists of millions of manifestations - big and small - made by people who had the courage to dream of something new. People who were brave enough to think of realities that lingered outside their comfort zones; who dared to believe in the unbelievable and imagine the unimaginable, and who found the courage to go explore those new worlds.When it comes to climate change, the only hope we truly have is to be found in that courage. We must expand our hearts and minds, begin to question everything, and dare to dream. Because maybe change isn’t so bad. Maybe change means that things could be even better. Better in the most unimaginable ways!I created this guided meditation to help you find the place where YOUR dreams, ideas, and visions live. It will help you broaden your perspective and trust that it’s OK to not know everything. And that the sooner you let go of that need, the sooner you can move into the future where we’re meant to be.Listen to this meditation daily and you will notice the world around you begin to shift, and you with it, as you become the hero this time needs!Enjoy!Website: www.heychangepodcast.comFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heychange_podcast/Host: https://www.instagram.com/annetheresegennari/Hosted by The Climate Optimist: https://www.theclimateoptimist.com/Music produced by Jackson Whalan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we speak with Val Emanuel, sustainability advocate, animal activist, entrepreneur and co-founder, with Anne Therese, of the world’s first ethical modeling agency, Role Models Management. Val shares with us how growing up in an immigrant family shaped her views on sustainable living, and how she practices a sustainable lifestyle, not because it’s trendy, but because it’s the only way she knows to be true.We were so inspired to talk with Val about her journey, how sobriety led to self-discovery and how doing the inner work is what makes you feel like you belong and can be powerful in the world. Val believes in the power of a mentor, and we learned so much from her in this episode. We hope you do too.Learn more about Val Emanuel:Website: https://www.rolemodelsmgmt.com/founders-storyInstagram: @malibumama__ CONNECT + FOLLOW:Podcast Instagram: @heychange_podcast Anne Therese:Website: https://theclimateoptimist.com/Instagram: @annetheresegennari Robin:Website: https://parentsxplanet.com/Instagram: @robinxshawA special thank you to our sponsor Cupid & Psyche Beauty. Created by fashion photographer Tracy Toler-Phillips, Leaping Bunny approved, vegan and cruelty free, Cupid & Psyche offers a gorgeous range of buildable lip colors that are also paraben free and made with nourishing, organic ingredients. Their nail lacquers are made without the top 10 most toxic ingredients found in most polishes, and instead are infused with Marula Oil to protect and nourish your nails. Cupid & Psyche donates a percentage of all profits to save the bees and help our animal friends. Check out cupidandpsychebeauty.com and help create a world where no animal has to suffer in order for you to shine!Intro + outro music: No Copyright Music by SapajouWebsite: www.heychangepodcast.comFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heychange_podcast/Host: https://www.instagram.com/annetheresegennari/Hosted by The Climate Optimist: https://www.theclimateoptimist.com/Music produced by Jackson Whalan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, you’ll hear the incredible story of refugee-turned-model/entrepreneur and humanitarian Mari Malek. Mari shares with us how she went from fleeing South Sudan as a child refugee to modeling and DJ'ing for top magazines and luxury brands in NYC. Mari has worked with clients like Lanvin, Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar, acted in the feature film The Nile Hilton Incident, started a wellness coaching practice, and is the CVO for the charity she founded, Stand for Education. We are honored and humbled to speak with Mari and this episode is dedicated to her amazing charity, which we’d love for you to support. Stand for Education is a global community of changemakers helping children, women and refugees in conflict-ridden areas access quality education, creative arts programs, and vocational training along with nutritious meals and medical support. By empowering children, women and refugees in South Sudan and beyond, Mari and Stand for Education are changing lives and uplifting communities. Go to standforeducation.com to learn more about the projects that you can stand up for. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” - Nelson MandelaBook recommendation: The Richest Man in BabylonMantra she lives by: “I am in alignment with all that helps me grow”Learn more about Mari Malek:Website: http://www.marimalek.com/Charity: https://www.standforeducation.com/Instagram: @iammarimalek CONNECT + FOLLOW:Podcast Instagram: @heychange_podcast Anne Therese:Website: https://theclimateoptimist.com/Instagram: @annetheresegennari Robin:Website: https://parentsxplanet.com/Instagram: @robinxshawIntro + outro music: No Copyright Music by SapajouWebsite: www.heychangepodcast.comFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heychange_podcast/Host: https://www.instagram.com/annetheresegennari/Hosted by The Climate Optimist: https://www.theclimateoptimist.com/Music produced by Jackson Whalan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we speak with the incredible Dr. Julie Pullen about the importance of building community around climate solutions. Dr. Julie Pullen is a climate scientist using advanced computing technology and open-source software to quantify climate risk in the financial sector and beyond. With a background in earth system prediction and complex systems, Dr Julie brings a unique perspective as an oceanographer and former engineering professor, holding leadership roles in academia, non-profit, government, private sector, and scientific societies. Her work catalyzes sustainable investing in climate solutions and women-led ventures, and our conversation with Julie is nothing short of empowering.In this episode:The importance of slowing downEmbracing observation + learning to support a fair climate transitionWhat will happen to stranded assets as we make necessary changes towards a climate positive future?Things we can do to mitigate climate change todayWhat part does money play in climate action?Re-envisioning greener citiesThe power of imaginationWe also talk about her work with Women Power Our Planet, an organization she co-founded that channels the financial power of women as an impactful climate solution. You’ll hear Dr. Julie talk about three things we can do to mitigate climate change today, as well as her praise for the book All We Can Save by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Dr. Katharine K. Wilkinson. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did. We know you, too, will feel optimistic and empowered!Learn more about Dr. Julie Pullen:Website: https://www.juliepullen.com/Instagram: @julie_pullen CONNECT + FOLLOW:Podcast Instagram: @heychange_podcast Anne Therese:Website: https://theclimateoptimist.com/Instagram: @annetheresegennari Robin:Website: https://parentsxplanet.com/Instagram: @robinxshawA special thank you to this episode’s sponsor, Clearloop. Hey Change Podcast Listeners can go to clearloop.us through the month of June and get your name on a solar panel! Let the sun shine in! Intro + outro music: No Copyright Music by SapajouWebsite: www.heychangepodcast.comFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heychange_podcast/Host: https://www.instagram.com/annetheresegennari/Hosted by The Climate Optimist: https://www.theclimateoptimist.com/Music produced by Jackson Whalan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is for the creatives and creators! We had the pleasure of speaking with 26 year old, London-based poetic phenomenon, Tom Roberts, aka Tomfoolery. His poem “The Great Realization” has been viewed over 60 million times and been transcribed into languages all over the world. Tom’s mission to spread a message of hope, optimism, and socially constructive ideas inspired us deeply and we knew you’d love to hear from him too.In the early stages of the pandemic, Tom started putting out narrated videos that caught global attention. His sincerity, honesty, and ability with words made a lasting impression, enjoy this uplifting conversation with the one and only Tomfoolery.In this episode:How do we facilitate creativity?How do we put power to words to successfully share the message of change and optimism?How happiness is a bi-product of a meaningful lifeAlso mentioned:Book recommendation: Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred LansingDostoyevsky quote “…we are all responsible to all for all.”Learn more about Tomfoolery:Website: https://www.probablytomfoolery.com/Instagram: @probablytomfoolery CONNECT + FOLLOW:Podcast Instagram: @heychange_podcast Anne Therese:Website: https://theclimateoptimist.com/Instagram: @annetheresegennari Robin:Website: https://parentsxplanet.com/Instagram: @robinxshawA special thank you to this episode’s sponsor, 2BDetermined. A career services firm that provides coaching for individuals and organizations, 2BDetermined can help you find success and satisfaction in work aligned with your values. As a socially conscious firm, they welcome the opportunity to support marginalized people with empathy, understanding and a passion to see their clients succeed on their own terms. 2BDetermined offers a complimentary consultation to understand your needs and see how they might help. For anyone looking for work with meaning and purpose, with a payoff that’s more than a paycheck, please contact Day Merrill from 2BDetermined today.  E-Mail: dmerrill@2BDetermined.ca  Office: 705.293.0492  Cell: 416.725.2947Or book your free consultation here:  https://calendly.com/2bd-day www.2BDetermined.ca Your future is still to be determined, so be determined!Website: www.heychangepodcast.comFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heychange_podcast/Host: https://www.instagram.com/annetheresegennari/Hosted by The Climate Optimist: https://www.theclimateoptimist.com/Music produced by Jackson Whalan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Money is power but is it OK to use that power to change the world? Here are my few cents on this right now - tune in and see what resonates, contemplate what feels new and different, and please challenge me on whatever doesn't feel right!My four truths right now:It's OK to make (a lot of) money changing the worldIt’s OK to not have the answers and still be optimistic about the future!⁣It’s OK to hold space for pain/fear and optimism at the same time!⁣You’re probably wrong about a lot of things and that’s OK, the sooner we can be OK with being wrong, the sooner we can let go and choose 𝘽𝙀𝙏𝙏𝙀𝙍!⁣CLIMATE OPTIMIST MASTER CLASS - Learn more + Sign up here: Hey Change SpecialConnect with Anne Therese:Website: https://theclimateoptimist.com/Instagram: @annetheresegennariLinkedIn: Anne Therese GennariTwitter: @AnneTherese_GWebsite: www.heychangepodcast.comFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heychange_podcast/Host: https://www.instagram.com/annetheresegennari/Hosted by The Climate Optimist: https://www.theclimateoptimist.com/Music produced by Jackson Whalan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, we speak with two advocates for garment worker rights, Yeni and Nayantara, about what it’s like to be a garment worker in America today. Yeni Dewi has worked in the garment industry in Los Angeles and in Indonesia for over a decade. She is a leader at the Garment Worker Center, fighting for dignity and fair wages for all garment workers, as well as a CAST LA member advocating against human trafficking. Nayantara Banerjee is a former small business owner with over a decade of experience in tailoring & alterations. She has an undergraduate degree in Fashion Design from Syracuse University and has pursued graduate studies researching Labor & Responsibility in the Apparel Industry at New York University. After several years of volunteering with Los Angeles' Garment Worker Center, including leading creative sewing and pattern-making classes for its members, Nayantara now serves full-time in Industry Research & Strategic Partnerships for GWC.In this episode:Learn about Yeni's personal experience as a garment worker in the USWhy "Made in America" isn't necessarily a good thingThe important work of the Garment Worker CenterHow Senate Bill 62 could change the apparel industry in the US for goodWhy Yeni and Nayantara are hopeful about the futureAnd lots more...This conversation really opened our eyes to how we view the clothing we wear every day and we hope it makes you think differently about your clothes too!Learn more about the Garment Worker Center:Website: https://garmentworkercenter.org/Instagram: @garmentworkercenterSupport SB62: Petition CONNECT + FOLLOW:Podcast Instagram: @heychange_podcastSIGN UP FOR THE CLIMATE OPTIMIST MASTER CLASS with the Hey Change Special___ Anne Therese:Website: https://theclimateoptimist.com/Instagram: @annetheresegennariLinkedIn: Anne Therese GennariTwitter: @AnneTherese_G Robin:Website: https://parentsxplanet.com/Instagram: @robinxshawSIGN UP FOR THE CLIMATE OPTIMIST MASTER CLASS with the Hey Change Special___Intro + outro music: No Copyright Music by SapajouWebsite: www.heychangepodcast.comFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heychange_podcast/Host: https://www.instagram.com/annetheresegennari/Hosted by The Climate Optimist: https://www.theclimateoptimist.com/Music produced by Jackson Whalan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.