How to Talk Science to Policy Makers – Michelle Wyman, National Council For Science and the Environment

The COVID-19 pandemic has given us all a renewed appreciation for the importance of science in decision-making, especially in policy making.  It can mean the difference between life and death, literally. But how do you do it, especially with policymakers and elected officials who resist the science?
Listen to Michelle Wyman, Executive Director of the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE), who has been involved in policy for 20 years, share her tips in this engaging interview on Green Connections Radio podcast with host Joan Michelson.

Why Our Lives Depend Upon Women On Boards – Dr. Corinne Post, Lehigh University

“In a (brand new) study…focused on the medical products industry – which includes medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biologics – a group of researchers found that…firms with female directors announced (life-threatening) high-severity product recalls 28 days sooner.”  The Study’s Executive Summary, April 20, 2020… So, before you get that stent put in or new COVID-19 treatment or vaccine, find out how many women are on the board.  It could literally save your life, according to a new first-of-its-kind study by a group of researchers from four top universities,  which found that public medical products companies with more women on their boards recalled defective more often and much sooner that all-male or one-woman boards. Listen to one of the study’s co-authors, Dr. Corinne Post of Lehigh University, in this important interview on Green Connections Radio podcast with host Joan Michelson.

Ecopsychology? A Decision-Making Model – Tabitha Jayne, Coaching With Nature

Could combining how nature functions (such as how a rose easily blooms), with the systems in professional coaching help us achieve more of our potential? Tabitha Jayne says it worked for her after personal tragedy, so she created the “Coaching With Nature” program to help others too. Listen to Tabi describe this novel coaching program and why she says it works, complete with an understanding of “ecopsychology,” in this enlightening interview on Green Connections Radio podcast with host Joan Michelson.

Branding in This Pandemic  – Anne Bahr Thompson, Author, “Do Good: Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit

What Business Should and Should Not Do During This Pandemic Crisis. Do you get mad seeing ads selling normal stuff these days, as if we’re not in a global health crisis? What should companies, leaders and marketers do in this unprecedented crisis? Should you just post messages of support for first responders and healthcare workers? Do special offers work now?  
Listen to this fascinating Green Connections Radio podcast interview with Anne Bahr Thompson, veteran branding expert, former head of a division of megabranding agency Interbrand and author of “Do Good: Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit,” to find out.

Managing Creativity – Deborah Rutter, President,  John F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts

As we cope with complete upheaval in our lives and work due to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s time to step back, take a breath, and find creative ways forward.
Some of us are naturally creative, others of us are managers and leaders, needing to elicit and nurture creative ideas from our teams. But how? Listen to this enlightening and inspiring conversation between Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson and a master at doing this: Deborah Rutter, President of The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for The Performing Arts, the nation’s premier arts center.

Strategies for Women’s Rights – Brooke Kroeger, Professor, Author, ‘The Suffragents”

As we embark on a crucial presidential election this year, women voters are the largest single voting bloc, but, that right was a hard-fought battle until passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Brooke Kroeger, NYU. To commemorate it, listen to my fascinating interview with one of the foremost chroniclers of the suffrage movement, Brooke Kroeger, including lessons for today. She is an NYU journalism professor, author of several books, including “The Suffragents: How Women Used Men To Get The Vote,” creator of  SuffrageandtheMedia.org, and a former top journalist.  Including lessons for women today.

Buildings Made From Plants – Laura Busse Dolan, Owner, CEO & President, Applied Imagination

When I visited the U.S. Botanic Gardens in Washington, DC a couple of months ago, I saw these amazing miniatures of landmark buildings – the Capitol, the Smithsonian Museums, the Lincoln Memorial and even historic train stations – made from plants, nuts, and other botanics. They were such magical creations, I tracked down the company that makes them.
Listen to Laura Busse Dolan, the Owner, CEO & President of Applied Imagination tell Green Connections Radio podcast host Joan Michelson how these amazing sculptures are made, what they are made from, and who makes them, how she took over the family business and career advice too. You’ll be inspired….

Advancing Women in STEM – Telle Whitney, Diversity Expert, Founder, Largest Women in Tech Conference

“The companies that have really made a commitment to creating change, they look at the ways promotions are decided, because often it’s very ad hoc….and consciously or unconsciously, the managers, who are primarily men, just don’t see the characteristics (in women) that they believe you need in order to advance.” Telle Whitney on Green Connections Radio podcast. Pursuing a career in STEM requires investing many years in education and dedication, so why do women leave these fields so often? How can we attract, retain and promote more women in STEM into leadership? Listen to Telle Whitney, diversity expert, former long-time CEO of the Anita Borg Institute and founder of the famed Grace Hopper Conference in this insightful interview with Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson. She provides valuable career advice too.

Sea-Level Rise “Detective” – Andrea Dutton, MacArthur “Genius” Winner 2019

“A lot of these times we see these problems as having binary solutions, it’s either we stay and defend…or we just pick up and leave, but there’s a lot of space in between.” Andrea Dutton on Green Connections Radio
Geologist Dr. Andrea Dutton was awarded the coveted MacArthur “Genius” award recently for her work in finding an innovative way to predict sea-level rise and identify the options for managing it. Listen to her explain her innovative approach – and how that approach might be used in other context too – to Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson in this inspiring and fascinating interview.

12 Tips To Be A Great Public Speaker – From Emceeing A Gala Joan Michelson Joan Michelson Contributor ForbesWomen

On my way back from New York after emceeing the 2019 annual Ernesto Illy International Coffee Awards Gala at Lincoln Center, it occurred to me that there are a number of important tips I could share for anyone who wants to be an engaging public speaker.
It was gratifying to have so many people in the audience compliment my emceeing after the gala, including top members of the company’s team, one of whom thanked me for “capturing the soul and spirit of the event.” So, what worked? Here are a dozen tips: