Woman With The Most Patents – Lisa DeLuca, IBM

“All great ideas stem from a really good problem. There’s problems all around us….The really good problems are the ones you’re hearing about consistently….and hearing those problems and starting to think about, ‘how can I solve this in a way that nobody else has thought of before?’ or, we can take it a step further. That’s where the great ideas come from.” Lisa DeLuca on Green Connections Radio podcast. We hear about people coming up with great new businesses or products or technologies all the time, but we don’t often find out how they did so.  Today you will. Listen to IBM’s most prolific female inventor, Lisa DeLuca, with about 500 patents already and 250 more pending.  Lisa talks about where she gets her ideas, what happens to them, hos she decides which ones to file patents on and more in this truly engaging and entertaining interview with Joan Michelson on Green Connections Radio podcast.

Masks From Recycled Fabric – Jennifer (JJ) Lee, United We Mask

“100% of the materials used in our back to school (mask-making) kits were …from deadstock (discarded) materials…to provide a sustainable mask alternative for kids in need to that they ….can keep their communities safe.” Jennifer Lee on Green Connections Radio. As we all adapt to the temporary normal of having to wear a mask to protect ourselves and others from the Covid-19 pandemic, Jennifer Lee came up with a creative eco-friendly way to make mask-wearing fun for kids and give masks to people of all ages in need.  Building this nonprofit is Jennifer’s side hustle; her day job is as a global technology manager in cosmetic giant L’Oréal’s incubator. Listen to Jennifer describe to Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson how she came up with the idea for United We Mask, who else is on board (including Fabscrap, a previous guest on this show), and how L’Oréal is responding.

Planet Word Museum – Ann Friedman, CEO, Founder, Creator

“You learn the techniques that make a song or a speech or that ad really effective and persuasive..” Ann Friedman on Green Connections Radio. We are experiencing every day how powerful words are, ours and other people’s. From the 2020 election to social media, to the protests for equality and climate change, to advertisements and music.  Now, there’s a brand new interactive museum in Washington, DC about language and how it’s effective and persuasive. Listen to this enlightening conversation with Ann Friedman, Founder, CEO & Creator of Planet Word and Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson about how to bring language to life. We included some sound from the exhibits too, to take you inside.

Making Women Extraordinary Leaders  – Coco Brown, A Top 100 Woman in Silicon Valley, CEO of Athena Alliance

“It’s time (for women) to pick our heads up and look around the executive realm and really think broadly about how big our impact can be…Don’t underestimate your value.”  Coco Brown on Green Connections Radio podcast
The economy is in the midst of a massive global shift when the old ways of doing business are giving way to new paradigms – in every sense from managing supply chains to marketing to employee relations, to financial reporting – to a focus more on sustainable business aligned with ESG factors (environment, social and governance). As a result, leadership is changing and it’s becoming more and more apparent every day that the way women tend to lead is more effective and drives stronger performance across all those metrics. Listen to this fascinating interview with Coco Brown, ranked one of the top 100 women in Silicon Valley and Founder/CEO of the Athena Alliance, to find out what the new paradigm of leadership is and how women are uniquely suited to it.

Getting Women on Boards – Jocelyn Mangan, Him For Her

“It’s a network gap…Every board has its own ecosystem.” Jocelyn Mangan on Green Connections Radio podcastWomen still make up only 26.1% of corporate boards, despite clear evidence that companies with more women on the board perform better on all metrics, including financially. So, if you want to figure out how to grab one of those coveted seats, it’s important to get prepared, network, especially with men and make it known. Listen to this fascinating interview with Jocelyn Mangan to find out how.

What Motivates Women To Be Leaders? – Maggi Reiss, IDS Publishing

“If you have a strong need for something, you need to do things to satisfy that need, you will go out of your way to fulfill those needs. …(Since) work is a big part of your day,” it’s natural to want your work to satisfy your strong needs. With women still only 7.4% of the… Continue reading What Motivates Women To Be Leaders? – Maggi Reiss, IDS Publishing

“Ecosystem of Social Good” – Rachel Hutchisson, Blackbaud

“This idea of ‘voice and choice’ is, ask me what I think and then listen to what I have to say and then give me a choice as to how I can participate. Don’t forget that I’m an individual…That’s a really big trend.”
Rachel Hutchisson on Green Connections Radio
Do you volunteer at a nonprofit, or donate to one? Does your employer even know what causes align with you?  More and more employers are realizing that it’s important to offer ways their employees can give back. Listen to Rachel Hutchisson of Blackbaud describe how to create “an ecosystem of social good” for employees tailored to your team, in this enlightening interview with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson.

Seeing Opportunities in Crisis – Colleen Biggs, Founder/CEO & Leadership Coach, Lead Up for Women

“People aren’t looking for the perfect you, they’re looking for you and what you can do for their company – and your ‘why.’”  Colleen Biggs on Green Connections Radio podcast. We are all having to find new ways to generate revenue, be seen and heard, conduct business, stay connected to our audiences and make a difference in this pandemic economy. Some are thriving while others are struggling, and we wanted to know what the thrivers are doing, so we sat down with a serial entrepreneur who has mastered the art of reinvention in both business and as a person. Listen to Colleen Biggs, Founder and CEO of Lead Up for Women, discuss tips for how women in her network are thriving in these uncertain upside down times with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson.  Biggs founded and runs a community of women leaders and business owners focused on advancement and doing good, is a leadership coach and hosts her own podcast.

100 Years of Women Voting – Lori Harrison-Kahan, Author of Book on Female Suffrage Journalist Miriam Michelson

Lori-Harrison-Kahan-Author

As we commemorate the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, here is a glimpse into an untold part of the story: a woman journalist who supported the cause by using her work to keep the movement in the headlines: Miriam Michelson, She also happens to be my great-great aunt.… Continue reading 100 Years of Women Voting – Lori Harrison-Kahan, Author of Book on Female Suffrage Journalist Miriam Michelson

Making Gov’t Data Usable – Olivia Martin, USAFacts.org

Olivia Martin, USAFacts data scientist

“These are historical metrics for perspective—whether they mark positive, negative, or neutral changes for land, energy, and air (or any other part of American life) in the US is up to you.” From government funding allocations to cities and states, or even to schools and communities, to how healthcare is administered and paid for, to… Continue reading Making Gov’t Data Usable – Olivia Martin, USAFacts.org