Kristan Uhlenbrock, a scientist, writer, and communicator, leads the Institute for Science and Policy at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, where she is dedicated to weaving thoughtful science into public conversations and decision-making. Kristan shares the origin story of the Institute for Science and Policy, a unique organization born from a desire to address the growing politicization of science and create a space for nonpartisan, evidence-based dialogue. She describes the institute’s mission to make better decisions as a society by integrating science and evidence into public discourse. Kristan recounts the institute's early days, from its conceptualization in 2018 to navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which ultimately broadened their focus to include public health.

She discusses the institute's work in climate change, energy, natural resources, and public health, emphasizing the importance of partnerships and collaboration in tackling these complex, intersectional issues. Kristan details the institute's convening model, which brings together diverse stakeholders to find common ground and develop actionable solutions. She also introduces the new Colorado Science and Technology Policy Fellowship Program, a landmark initiative that will place scientists in the state legislature to provide technical expertise and support evidence-based policymaking. She also discusses her podcast, "Laws of Notion," explaining how it uses the power of storytelling to explore complex societal issues, from the energy transition in coal communities to the water crisis in the West.

Episode in a glance

- The Origin Story of the Institute
- Bridging the Gap Between Science and Decision-Making
- The Institute's Focus Areas
- Convenings and Collaborative Problem-Solving
- The Colorado Science and Technology Policy Fellowship Program
- The Power of Storytelling and the "Laws of Notion" Podcast

About Kristan Uhlenbrock

Kristan Uhlenbrock is a scientist, writer, and communicator who leads the Institute for Science and Policy at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. With a background in marine science and a passion for bridging the gap between science and society, she is dedicated to fostering thoughtful public conversations and evidence-based decision-making. Kristan is also the host of the "Laws of Notion" podcast, where she explores how we can rethink our ideas to create a more sustainable and equitable future.

Connect with Kristan Uhlenbrock and her work:

Laws of Notion Podcast → https://lawsofnotion.org/

Institute for Science and Policy → http://institute.dmns.org/

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/kuhlenbrock/

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Kristan Uhlenbrock, who leads the Institute for Science and Policy at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, is a scientist, writer, and communicator dedicated to bridging the gap between science, policy, and community. Her journey from a free-roaming kid in rural Indiana to a leading voice in public discourse on climate change is a testament to the power of curiosity, connection, and embracing the messiness of it all.

Kristan shares her origin story, recounting how a childhood spent exploring the creeks and forests of southeast Indiana nurtured a deep love for nature. She describes her unexpected path into science, from being a "pre-med kid" to discovering her passion for chemistry and marine science, a journey that took her from the heartland to the coasts of Florida. Kristan explains how her academic pursuits evolved from pure research to a fascination with the social and political dimensions of environmental issues, leading her to write op-eds, engage with local leaders, and eventually find her way to the world of science policy in Washington D.C.

She offers valuable insights on how to find your voice and engage in public discourse, emphasizing the importance of approaching conversations with humility, curiosity, and a genuine desire to understand different perspectives. Kristan discusses the "messiness" of both science and people, advocating for an embrace of uncertainty and a willingness to learn from failure. She shares her philosophy that being kind to yourself is the first step toward creating positive change in the world.

Episode in a glance

- A Childhood Rooted in Nature
- The Winding Path from Pre-Med to Marine Science
- Finding a Voice in Science and Policy
- How to Engage with Leaders and Find Your Voice
- Embracing the "Messiness" of Science and People
- Advice for a Younger Self Be Kind

About Kristan Uhlenbrock

Kristan Uhlenbrock is a scientist, writer, and communicator who leads the Institute for Science and Policy at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. With a background in marine science and a passion for bridging the gap between science and society, she is dedicated to fostering thoughtful public conversations and evidence-based decision-making. Kristan is also the host of the "Laws of Notion" podcast, where she explores how we can rethink our ideas to create a more sustainable and equitable future.

Connect with Kristan Uhlenbrock and her work

Laws of Notion Podcast → https://lawsofnotion.org/

Institute for Science and Policy → http://institute.dmns.org/

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/kuhlenbrock/

Send us a message!

Did you know that Columbus, Ohio generates a staggering one million pounds of food waste per day?

But the city taking concrete steps towards sustainability, and Aryeh Alex, its Sustainability Manager, is leading the charge. The city's ambitious Climate Action Plan has already seen success with its weekly recycling program. The new food scrap drop-off program, specifically targeting underserved communities, has collected an astounding 30,000 pounds of food scraps in just six months. Alex discussed the recently launched waste and reuse convenience centers, offering residents a free way to recycle and reuse items like electronics, clothing, and furniture. But perhaps most inspiring is Alex's vision for a circular economy in Columbus, a system that could create a thousand new jobs by transforming discarded materials, such as red solo cups, into valuable resources like marble tiles. The city's dedication to sustainability is not only reducing its environmental footprint but also empowering its residents and fostering a greener future.

Episode in a glance

- The Columbus's Climate Action Plan
- Waste reduction and the concept of a circular economy
- The potential for Food Rescue
- The success of Food Rescue Columbus
- Waste diversion successes in Columbus
- The Waste and Reuse Convenience Centers
- Aryeh's vision for a thousand circular economy jobs

About Aryeh Alex

Aryeh Alex is the Executive Director of Keep Columbus Beautiful and the Sustainability Manager for the City of Columbus, Ohio. In these roles, he leads the city's residential recycling, organic waste, waste reduction, community education, and volunteer litter programs. Aryeh also serves as the Sustainability Coordinator for the Division of Refuse Collection and is a Commissioner of the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks.

Connect with Aryeh Alex & Keep Columbus Beautiful

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/keepcolumbusbeautifuloh/

Tiktok → https://www.tiktok.com/@keepcbusbeautiful

X/Twitter → https://x.com/kcbcolumbus

LinkedIN → https://www.linkedin.com/company/keep-columbus-beautiful

Send us a message!

Joe Tegerdine is the General Manager of North America for Reencle. He is on a mission to make composting accessible, convenient, and impactful. Joe explains the science behind Reencle, a home composter that uses a unique blend of microbes, heat, oxygen, and moisture to emulate a hot composting environment, breaking down 90% of food waste in just 24 hours. He discusses the difference between Reencle’s "unfinished" compost and traditional compost, offering a clear and accessible explanation of the curing process and how to create a nutrient-rich soil amendment for your garden. He shares the impact Reencle is having around the world, with over 300,000 customers in 17 countries, and the company’s plans for future growth, including new products and partnerships. He discusses the company's commitment to research and development, highlighting collaborations with universities like Michigan State and Brigham Young to refine best practices and communicate the science behind their technology.

Joe also shares how Reencle is empowering communities, from donating refurbished units to schools for food security programs to partnering with the People's Co-op in Detroit to create a circular food system. He also discusses upcoming innovations, including a wifi-enabled unit, a smaller apartment-sized composter, and a line of Reencle-branded compostable products. Finally, he emphasizes the critical importance of addressing food waste as a key solution to climate change, highlighting the immense impact that composting can have on soil health, carbon sequestration, and global temperatures.

Episode in a glance

- What is Reencle and How Does It Work?
- Unfinished vs. Finished Compost
- The Global Impact of Reencle
- Overcoming Challenges in a Confusing Market
- The Future of Reencle
- Food Waste as the Low-Hanging Fruit of Sustainability

About Joe Tegerdine

Joe Tegerdine is the General Manager of North America for Reencle, a company dedicated to making composting accessible and convenient. With a diverse background that spans law, consumer electronics, and marketing, he brings a unique blend of strategic vision and hands-on experience to his role. Joe is passionate about finding practical, sustainable solutions that empower individuals to make a positive impact on the environment.

Connect with Joe Tegerdine and his work

Reencle Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/reencle_global

Reencle Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/reencleus

Reencle Website → https://reencle.co/

Joe’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/joetegerdine/

Send us a message!

Joe Tegerdine is the General Manager of North America for Reencle. He shares his unconventional journey from dissecting owl pellets to navigating the complex world of consumer electronics. His story is a testament to the power of following your curiosity, embracing diverse experiences, and finding your unique path to making a positive impact.

Joe recounts his childhood in the Pacific Northwest, where a love for nature and a healthy skepticism of extreme environmentalism shaped his worldview. He discusses his unexpected entry into the consumer electronics industry, a path that took him from a brief stint in real estate law to working with global manufacturing giants in Taiwan and navigating the intricate web of FCC regulations in Washington D.C. He shares how this experience gave him a deep understanding of manufacturing processes, supply chains, and the challenges of creating high-quality, long-lasting products.

He also shares his early experiences with composting, from messy backyard experiments to the realization that traditional methods weren't a perfect fit for his family's lifestyle. This set the stage for a chance encounter at a trade show in Hong Kong, where he discovered Reencle, a kitchen-to-garden composting solution that would ultimately redefine his career. Joe discusses his initial skepticism, his rigorous testing of the product, and how his passion for its potential led him to join the Reencle team.

Episode in a glance

- A Childhood Rooted in Nature
- An Unexpected Path into Consumer Electronics
- The Early Days of Composting
- Discovering Reencle in Hong Kong
- From Law to Electronics The Regulatory Maze
- Advice for Aspiring Professionals

About Joe Tegerdine

Joe Tegerdine is the General Manager of North America for Reencle, a company dedicated to making composting accessible and convenient. With a diverse background that spans law, consumer electronics, and marketing, he brings a unique blend of strategic vision and hands-on experience to his role. Joe is passionate about finding practical, sustainable solutions that empower individuals to make a positive impact on the environment.

Connect with Joe Tegerdine and his work

Reencle Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/reencle_global

Reencle Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/reencleus

Reencle Website → https://reencle.co/

Joe’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/joetegerdine/

Send us a message!

Jamie Richards, Director of ESG for Bansk Beauty's portfolio including Amika, Eva NYC, and Ethique, explains how sustainability is not just a value but a core business strategy. She details how Bansk’s "Five Goods" ESG framework guides their mission, creating what she calls "extended valuation" for each brand. Jamie shares how this high-level strategy is tailored to the unique identity of each brand—from Amika's deep engagement with the professional stylist community to Eva NYC's focus on accessible sustainability for the mass-market consumer.

The heart of the conversation explores Jamie's champion story: a groundbreaking regenerative agriculture project in East Africa. Frustrated by opaque beauty supply chains, Jamie’s team invested their climate transition budget into a direct-trade shea butter source in Uganda. This initiative not only provides a transparent, high-quality ingredient but also creates a dual income stream for the local collective through a carbon insetting model, a practice that directly invests in the company's own value chain. Jamie also discusses her work with Ethique, a brand so sustainable it presents the unique challenge of finding new ways to innovate. She offers practical advice for consumers on how to spot genuinely sustainable products, from looking for robust certifications like B Corp to checking for transparency on a brand's website.

Episode in a glance

- ESG at Bansk Beauty The Five Goods
- Consumer Demand and Brand Strategy
- The Regenerative Agriculture Project in East Africa
- Measuring Impact From Carbon Sequestration to Social Value
- The B Corp Certification Journey
- Navigating Greenwashing and Empowering Consumers

About Jamie Richards

Jamie Richards is the Director of ESG at Bansk Beauty, where she leads the integration of sustainability into the company's core business strategies. With a background in environmental policy and decision-making, she brings a unique blend of scientific knowledge, consumer insights, and business acumen to her role. Jamie is a passionate advocate for creating a more sustainable and ethical beauty industry.

Connect with Jamie Richards and her work:

LinkedIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/richards-jamie/

Bansk Beauty Website → https://banskbeauty.com/

Amika → http://loveamika.com/

Eva NYC → http://evanyc.com/

Ethique → https://ethique.com/

Send us a message!

Jamie Richards, Director of ESG at Bansk Beauty, home to iconic brands like amika, Eva NYC, and Ethique, shares her journey from a 9-year-old with a "Save the Earth" sign above her bunk bed to a leader in corporate sustainability. Jamie shares her story of discovering her passion for environmentalism and how it led her to study environmental policy and decision-making at Ohio State University. She describes her unique path, from feeling like an outsider in a traditional environmental science program to finding her niche in understanding consumer behavior and the psychology of environmental decision-making. Jamie opens up about reconciling her love for the environment with her self-professed love for "materialistic things," a conflict that ultimately motivated her to change the system from within. Jamie talks about the challenges of navigating a less-traveled career path, the importance of paving your own way, and the value of starting in supply chain to gain a deeper understanding of the business world.

She discusses the importance of integrating sustainability into core business strategies, emphasizing the need for data-driven decision-making, lifecycle assessments, and a willingness to explore innovative solutions. She offers valuable advice for aspiring sustainability professionals, encouraging them to be open to unconventional career paths, to embrace their unique perspectives, and to never stop learning.

Episode in a glance

- Jamie’s Lifelong Passion for the Environment
- Environmental Policy and Decision Making
- From Product Purchasing to ESG
- Learning Curves and Challenges in Sustainable Beauty
- Advice for Aspiring Sustainability Professionals
- Staying Motivated in a Challenging Climate

About Jamie Richards

Jamie Richards is the Director of ESG at Bansk Beauty, where she leads the integration of sustainability into the company's core business strategies. With a background in environmental policy and decision-making, she brings a unique blend of scientific knowledge, consumer insights, and business acumen to her role. Jamie is a passionate advocate for creating a more sustainable and ethical beauty industry.

Connect with Jamie Richards and her work

LinkedIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/richards-jamie/

Send us a message!

Nicholas Fox, is the 'Compost King' and founder of Soul and Soil, is on a mission to transform waste into a valuable resource in The Bahamas. He's building a movement from the ground up, proving that even a slow process can create profound change. Nicholas takes us into the daily life of a composter in The Bahamas, where he dodges the midday sun and turns community waste into black gold. He breaks down the science of composting with a brilliant and accessible analogy: baking a cake. By comparing greens and browns to wet and dry ingredients, he demystifies the process, making it feel achievable for anyone, regardless of their environment. He shares the core mission of Soul and Soil—to make composting accessible to all Bahamians through education and hands-on services.

Nicholas discusses the unique composting landscape in The Bahamas, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of leading this charge in an island nation. He reflects on the entrepreneurial journey, the periods of doubt, and the powerful moments of validation, like seeing a mother and daughter inspired to start their own compost pile because of his videos. He explains how he navigates a space with little government regulation by focusing on those eager for change and demonstrating the clear value of his services. Nicholas shares his vision for a more connected Caribbean community centered around sustainable practices and leaves listeners with a powerful reminder that making the planet just 1% better through small, consistent actions can lead to incredible growth.

Episode in a glance

- Composting is Like Baking a Cake
- The Mission of Soul and Soil
- The Entrepreneurial Journey and the Slow Process of Composting
- The Impact of Education and Inspiring a New Generation
- Making the Planet 1% Better The Avocado Tree Story

About Nicholas Fox

Nicholas Fox is the founder of Soul and Soil Composting and a passionate permaculture designer from The Bahamas. With a unique background that blends creative writing with a deep-rooted love for the environment, Nicholas is on a mission to tackle food waste and build a more resilient food system in the Caribbean. His work focuses on community-specific solutions, education, and restoring the vital connection between people, soil, and their food.

Connect with Nicholas Fox and his work

• Website → https://www.soulandsoilcomposting.com/
• Personal Socials:
  • TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@dacompostking
  • X → https://x.com/DaCompostKing
  • Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/dacompostking/?hl=en
  • Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089194027457#
• Soul and Soil Composting:
  • Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/p/Soul-and-Soil-100076023579996/
  • Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/soulandsoil.composting/
• Emerging Composter Challenge: https://www.compostingcouncil.org/page/EmergingComposterChallenge

Send us a message!