Engaging and enlightening interviews with women leaders on energy, climate, sustainability and corporate responsibility -- ESG, environment,social and governance issues. Business, policy and technology, money, the arts and careers. Topics include driving innovation, leadership, communications and career advice. Inspiration, trends and insights. Hosted and produced by Joan Michelson, acclaimed journalist, business leader, coach and speaker, based in Washington, DC.
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How Carbon Credits Work – with Donna Lee, CEO & CoFounder, Calyx Global
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 • Duration 52:53
"What I knew about Carbon Credits having watched them for many years is that they're not always what they seem...So, Calyx Global was founded in 2021 to help companies navigate the space, to really understand….(i)t's a promise that somebody has reduced methane in that landfill or planted some trees thousands of miles away. So that's what Calyx Global is, we're a Carbon Credit Ratings Agency. But really what we're doing is, for every one of these assets, helping buyers understand what's underneath that, what the quality of that asset is. Donna Leeon Electric Ladies Podcast
You've probably heard the words "carbon credits" banted about. But what are they exactly and how do they work?
Listento Donna Lee, CEO & Cofounder of Calyx Global (and former climate policy negotiator at the UN and U.S. State Dept.) in this fascinating conversation with Electric Ladies Podcast host Joan Michelson.
You'll hear about:
● What carbon credits are, how they're measured and verified, because they are not all equal.
● Where policies and regulations provide stability (or uncertainty)
● Why companies buy and trade carbon credits – the business case.
● Plus, career advice, such as:
"One is, follow your passion always. If you are passionate about making a difference, find a job where you make a difference. Don't settle for less and you will succeed more if you feel really strongly and you love what you're doing…The other thing, just being sort of a woman in late career and only maybe in some ways only finding my footing now as a co-founder is, don't underestimate your abilities….What's more important, competence or confidence? It is both in equal measure. Women always underestimate their abilities, right? Men always overestimate and women always underestimate. And so women double down on competence…You can be authentic and confident and don't undersell yourself… Lean in on the things that come naturally to you." Donna Lee on Electric Ladies Podcast
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You'll also like:
· Carbon Accounting 101: with Alyssa Zucker, Senior Industry Principal in Carbon at Workiva – aka The Carbon Lady
· Carbon Credits 101: with Lucy Hargreaves at Patch (now at Build Canada)
· How to Get To Carbon Zero, with Melissa Lott, Ph.D. at Columbia University Center for Global Energy Policy featured in the "Chasing Carbon Zero" documentary.
· A Biography of Carbon: with documentary filmmaker, writer and producer, Danielle Ortega of the Australian Film Commission on her extraordinary film "Carbon: An Unauthorized Biography
Creativity & Relationships Help Secure Grants – Megan Pater, CEO/Founder of Fund Nation & ECE Solutions
Tuesday, March 24, 2026 • Duration 52:31
"Number one reason that people get denied and they didn't read the eligibility criteria. So yeah, very, very important …If you don't have the qualifications or something for something, you partner with somebody who does and you guys go after it together.… If you don't know something, that gives you a reason to call the vendor and start that conversation and get that personal relationship with them.…Relationships, relationships, relationships. It really is the key to grants. It's really not about what you write, it's about who you're speaking to ahead of time." Megan Pateron Electric Ladies Podcast
Nonprofits and mission focused small businesses are facing historic funding threats at the moment due mostly to massive cuts in federal funding under the Trump administration and Republican-led Congress and related political pressures. The good news is that this crisis is also an opportunity for these nonprofits and mission-focused businesses to think differently about how they fund their operations and their goals. How?
Listento Megan Pater, CEO/Founder of Fund Nation and ECE Solutions on how to find and secure grants in this enlightening conversation with Electric Ladies Podcast host Joan Michelson. She also happens to be a member of the Native American Osage Nation.
You'll hear about:
● How you don't have to be a nonprofit -- even if the grant criteria requires one.
● How relationships, partnerships and creative strategic thinking are key.
● The magic of Megan's database to help small businesses and nonprofits secure grants
● Plus, career advice, such as:
"Relationships. If you are seeking to move even laterally in your career, just making some type of change, you need to know what you're getting into, speak to somebody who's been there, reach out for help.… There's so many programs that are government-funded or city- or county-funded that you can enter into and they will raise you up…There's no reason for you not to feel supported.…But there's so many resources out there that are free and available that we already pay for with our taxes, and if you're not utilizing them, you are hurting yourself….We've already paid for them when we pay our taxes and people don't utilize them enough."
How To Talk About Climate In A Polarized Culture – Katharine Hayhoe, Climate Scientist, Professor at Texas Tech University & Chief Scientist at The Nature Conservancy
Tuesday, January 20, 2026 • Duration 01:00:35
"We have to begin our conversations with what really matters to the person or people we're speaking with. And if we don't know what that is, we have to get to know them and build a relationship and then start the conversation where they're at…The second common misconception I see is that we have to load up our wheelbarrow with the biggest load of scary facts we can possibly find and just dump it on people because not enough people are worried about this.…But if we haven't connected the head to the heart, my life, the places I love, the people I love, the things I love my home, the price of my groceries, the price of my insurance, the quality of the air I'm breathing, or my child's breathing, if we haven't made the head to heart connection, people still see this issue as being distant and remote from them."
Katharine Hayhoeon Electric Ladies Podcast
Signs of climate change are all around us, from ferocious and more frequent hurricanes, and in unexpected places, to massive wildfires and floods, as well as cracking roads and bridges. But many still don't believe it or don't want to take steps to avoid it or become more resilient. So, how can we reach them, especially in the very polarized culture we have today?
Listento Katharine Hayhoe, Ph.D. acclaimed climate scientist, Professor at Texas Tech University and Chief Scientist of The Nature Conservancy in this enlightening conversation with Electric Ladies Podcast host Joan Michelson. Katharine is also the author of several books, including "Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World."
You'll hear about:
● How to talk about climate issues even without even talking about climate.
● What we can learn from the faith-based community about talking about the climate crisis.
● What is happening to the vitally important climate science data that was defunded and taken offline by the Trump administration…and so much more
The Tipping Point Business Is At Now – Isabelle Grosmaitre, Goodness & Co (from France)
Monday, October 30, 2023 • Duration 42:08
"We are at a tipping point when businesses need to reinvent themselves for a better future. In fact, I believe that they need to reinvent the model and even demonstrate the contribution to society. I believe. in fact, that only companies with a positive impact will thrive. Why? Because they will be chosen by people, by employees, as you said, by investors, by partners, by clients. This is what is happening right now. And the question is not anymore about the why, the question has become about the how," Isabelle Grosmaitre on Electric Ladies Podcast.
Businesses today across the globe are being pulled in many, many directions. Employees, suppliers, regulators, investors, communities, and customers are making demands that sometimes conflict and are speaking with their dollars and their time. Being perceived as a good corporate citizen and leader is more important and more complicated than ever, as is being a board member.
Listen to Isabelle Grosmaitre, Founder/CEO of Goodness & Co. on Electric Ladies Podcast with host Joan Michelson explain how executives and boards can frame these issues successfully. Goodness & Co is a management consulting firm based in Paris, France. I had the privilege of having Isabelle on a panel of mine at the huge ChangeNow Summit in Paris a few months ago. (Note: This was recorded before the barbaric attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent regional war involving Gaza.)
You'll hear:
Why she thinks this moment is a critical tipping point for businesses and leadership.
How conscious leadership is becoming a movement at the top of global corporations.
How business models need to change to include their impact on society writ large, as well as financial prosperity.
What the "new era of governance" is that she sees we need, why and how to get there.
Plus, insightful career advice, such as….
"One is, that you need to listen to your inner voice. Sometimes it may feel super scary, that's the reality a lot of times. But the reality is that the only way to thrive is to listen to your inner voice. The second thing is, that it's okay to be ambitious. I think it's one of the critical values that leadership needs is to be ambitious, because we need to really reinvent the way we do business. So, this will not happen without ambitious leaders. I believe that, in fact have the courage to…think big, to be a super bold and willing to change the world…the courage to act."
A Biography of Carbon! - Daniella Ortega, Direector of "Carbon: An Unauthorized Biography"
Wednesday, October 18, 2023 • Duration 57:18
"What surprised me was actually how profound, how deep I managed to have this relationship with carbon. Like, because in the end, I found, through the writing and embodying carbon for so long, I found the connections, the entanglement of carbon across so many aspects of all our lives so illuminating, so surprising. Sometimes I just felt so moved by the wonder of it all, and I still do. Just thinking about it now makes me think, God, it's so wondrous." Daniella Ortega on Electric Ladies Podcast
If you were making a film about carbon, what would it be like? On Electric Ladies Podcast today you'll hear from a woman who actually did that. She's science filmmaker Daniella Ortega, who is co-director of a new, extraordinary documentary called "Carbon: An Unauthorized Biography." They use a number of super-creative theatrical devices to tell the story, including personifying carbon and using 3D animation.
Listen to Daniella Ortega explain on Electric Ladies Podcast in this inspiring conversation with host Joan Michelson, how she came up with the idea and how she and her production team chose how to tell the story of the one element in the universe that is in everything, including us – yet that we are also trying to reduce.
You'll hear:
Why they made carbon and woman and how they secured one of the top actresses of the moment to voice "her."
How Daniella came up with the idea and how that was filtered throughout the film.
How to communicate climate messages in stories without being preachy or awkward.
How she developed an emotional connection to carbon in the process of learning more about it making the film
Plus, insightful career advice ….
"What I've come to learn about what it is to be a creative person with ambition and wanting to make an impact … I think finding the gaps of where you sit. You have some skills, that's great, but where are the gaps? What do you feel can empower you or make you feel or give you those skills that you need to fill those gaps? And then look to other people or ways in which ways to fill them… (Also) don't be isolated. Connect, connect, connect with those around you, and…don't give your power away, keep your power and try to build on it."
War & The Hidden Power of ESG - Natalie Jaresko, fmr Finance Minister of Ukraine
Wednesday, October 18, 2023 • Duration 01:09:36
War & The Hidden Power of ESG - Natalie Jaresko, fmr Finance Minister of Ukraine
"The global business community must understand that nurturing, upholding and protecting freedom and democracy is part of their ESG responsibility. It's not only in their best interest, but also in, in those of their increasingly noisy and numerous stakeholders…Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started, not all chief executives have had the courage to take actions which would be consistent with their ESG policies," Natalie Jaresko in the Financial Times.
How might ESG systems support peace and prosperity and disincentivize the brutality we see in the news from the barbaric attack on civilians in Israel and the continuing atrocities in Ukraine by Russia's unprovoked war? Natalie Jaresko, the former finance minister of Ukraine explained how to Electric Ladies Podcast host Joan Michelson in this riveting interview.
Natalie helps us step back a moment and think about how what's at the core of ESG systems might help drive a lasting peace. It's also vital that we continue to pressure lawmakers to approve aid to Ukraine immediately, as well as to Israel.
You'll hear:
How ESG can be a tool for democracy, as well as climate and social goals.
How globalization allows Russia's dark money to be a hidden influence on Western policies and institutions.
What you can do to support Ukraine, today.
Plus, insightful career advice.
And much more!
"I think today there are more ways to make a difference while making money than there ever have been before you don't need to remain or stay in public policy in the traditional kind of government think tank, uh, world. Now companies are establishing entire branches, departments, foundations to make a difference."
How Do We Talk About The Climate? – Jill Tidman, The Redford Center
Wednesday, September 20, 2023 • Duration 48:06
"When we're searching for projects to invest in and support, we're really trying to make sure that it's a story that has kind of a balanced narrative. It's not about just talking about what we can do and how we're, how we're winning. It's really making sure that we understand what's at stake and what the impacts are and who the impacts are hitting, and also seeing people in action addressing and dealing with the situation at hand. And I think that's where it's very hard, increasingly hard." Jill Tidman on Electric Ladies Podcast
How do we talk about the climate? The public is experiencing the effects of a warming – boiling – planet more each day with massive wildfires, massive floods and extreme heat, as well as destructive hurricanes and the like. But how do we tell the story of how those events reflect the actions we need to take to avert worse?
This is the challenge of today for those of us seeking to save humanity's ability to live on a warming planet. As I wrote in Forbes recently, how we talk about the weather matters. Listen to Jill Tidman, Executive Director of The Redford Center (founded by actor, producer, Robert Redford and his late son James Redford) on Electric Ladies Podcast in this inspiring conversation with host Joan Michelson.
You'll hear:
Why stories are vital to massive social, political and economic change.
How The Redford Center chooses its projects to motivate action.
How to communicate climate messages in stories without being preachy or awkward.
How culture can reach people who are disinclined toward the climate change message.
Plus, insightful career advice ….
"Any time you can find work that aligns with your, your personal values and goals, you're going to excel, you're going to feel better, you're going to be happier, you're going to have more value, you're going to succeed in the ways that I think are probably most meaningful for women. And, and then, I also think, don't be shy. I think that we have a tendency to not ask for what we need or put in an idea forward, um, or, go out on a limb. We don't need to play small. We're in the room, and if you're in the room, be in the room."
The Economy, Climate Change & Federal Funding Opportunities – Heather Boushey, White House Council of Economic Advisors & Chief Economist of Invest in America Cabinet
Tuesday, September 12, 2023 • Duration 44:31
"Much of our infrastructure isn't built to withstand certain kinds of flooding or certain levels of heat. And yet, as the climate changes, so many of the things… that we did know in a world with a stable climate, those are now being upended. And all of that affects costs fundamentally… So, we need to transition to net zero…The three pieces of (federal) legislation are all about investing in America and making sure that from the innovation to commercialization pipeline, we are helping those goods get to market at scale, at prices consumers can afford."Heather Boushey on Electric Ladies Podcast
Climate change affects the entire economy, especially our infrastructure, like transportation, energy and electric power systems, buildings, manufacturing, etc. and every one of us, from consumers to businesses to investors, to education etc. Every sector, every community, every income bracket. NOAA calculated it's already caused almost $3 trillion in damages. The Biden administration signed three massive bills into law with Congress's help that address this pivot to a net zero economy and upgrading our infrastructure.
Listen to Heather Boushey, Member of the White House Council of Economic Advisors and Chief Economist of the Invest in America Cabinet, in this exclusive and rare interview by Joan Michelson on Electric Ladies Podcast explain how we can economically do this transition and how this federal funding reduces our risks and costs to do, while also expediting this transition to help avert even far worse effects of climate change.
You'llhear:
How climate change affects the economy, and key sectors specifically.
Resources in the Inflation Reduction Act, Infrastructure Investment Act & CHIPS & Science Act to help homeowners, businesses and investors make these changes at reduced risks and lower costs.
Where the opportunities – and jobs – are in this transition, including for women.
The impact on women specifically and resources available
Plus, insightful career advice, such as…
Career Advice From 3 Women Innovators - By Listener Demand!
Thursday, August 31, 2023 • Duration 27:23
This is our next in the series – requested by our loyal Electric Ladies Podcast listeners – for a collection of career advice from a handful of our various guests. The last question I ask in every interview is for career advice for midcareer women who want to make a difference. Is that you?
If you want to make a difference with your career, and especially if you work in energy, climate, sustainability corporate responsibility or ESG (environment, social governance), or want to work in these fields, this advice will be especially relevant to you.
· Aimee Christensen, CEO/Founder of Christensen Global, of the Sun Valley Forum, and of the Sun Valley Center Institute
· Jane Poynter, CEO/Cofounder of Space Perspective
· Jacqui Patterson, Founder/Executive Director of the Chisholm Legacy Project, A Resource Hub
· Sarah Cumbers, Ph.D., Director of Evidence & Insight at Lloyd's Register Foundation
Zero Emissions Space Travel? – Jane Poynter, Space Perspective
Tuesday, August 15, 2023 • Duration 30:11
"People who have been to space really do speak about it with great reverence. And it is for that reason that we want to take people to space in our car. Neutral zero emission spaceship, spaceship vacuum, which as you saw is not a rocket. Enormous balloons. It's a very gentle flight. We want to take leaders to space. We want to take artists to space. We want to have teachers go to space." Jane Poynterat Earth Day Network's Climate Leadership Gala
As Virgin Galactic takes another set of civilians into space, think about all the emissions they are adding to the very airspace they are celebrating. Space Perspective says they are doing similar space travel but without hurting the planet. Imagine how much energy those trips use. And, though they are also doing climate research up there, the capsules and rockets are not generally carbon neutral. Can they be?
Listen to veteran space executive and former Biosphere 2 leader Jane Poynter, CEO and cofounder of Space Perspective describe how they are doing carbon neutral space travel in this extraordinary conversation with Electric Ladies host Joan Michelson conducted at the Earth Day Network Climate Leadership Gala (so there will be a lot of background sound).
You'llhear:
How Space Perspective is making space travel carbon neutral (from fuel to materials).
Who is paying for it (and what it will cost you to take ride with them)
The general carbon footprint of today's space shuttles and private companies' space travel.
How her experience in Biosphere 2 led to Space Perspectives.
Plus, insightful career advice, such as…
"There are so many ways to make a difference, right?... I think at the end of the day, you have to be true to yourself and what is it that fires you up. And, and what is it that that does light that fire within you that you have to pursue, that you're driven to pursue, and then go pursue it. And, you know, sometimes it takes going in at a level that maybe you don't feel is your level. Maybe it's beneath you, but if you are trying to move into a slightly adjacent career, you have to do that. Cuz you have to work your way up sometimes. And it's also the best way to learn."
Megan Pater on Electric Ladies Podcast
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"(W)hat am I uniquely good at? So there's certain things that I'm a lot better at than other people. So that's the filter that we should apply. But then my favorite's the last filter, which is what genuinely gives me joy, what charges my battery rather than depleting it. Now, of course, don't get me wrong, we all have to do things that deplete our battery every day. But if our work does not give us joy or if it gave us joy at some time in the past but is no longer doing so now, that's a sign to us to think differently about what we're doing….(And invest) in making our own lives sustainable is so important. It's something I feel like we often neglect and it falls by the wayside in our focus on everything else that needs to be sustainable. But really I think it starts with US." Katharine Hayhoe on Electric Ladies Podcast
· Climate Is A Security Emergency – Svitlana Krakovska, top Climate Scientist from Ukraine and Mirian Villela, head of Earth Charter International and the Center for Sustainable Development with Joan Michelson at The Earth Day Women's Summit 2025.
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You'll also want to listen to (some may have been recorded under our previous name, Green Connections Radio):
Jill Tidman, Executive Director, The Redford Center, founded by actor, filmmaker, producer, Robert Reford and his late son James, which produces and underwrites documentaries about the planet.
Deborah Rutter, President, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts – on managing creative people.
Ann Friedman, Creator and CEO, Planet Word Museum – on her new museum about the magic of language.
Tracy Edwards, Executive Producer of the documentary "Maiden" about her experience developing and Captaining the first all-female crew to run the Whitbread Round the World Yachting Race.
Dayna Reggero, Executive Producer of The Climate Listening Project, short films about community climate activists around the U.S.
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· Sandrine Dixson-Decléve, Co-president of the Club of Rome (global leaders) and Ambassador to the Climate
· Heather Boushey, Member of the White House Council of Economic Advisors
Michele Wucker, thought leaders and author of "You Are What You Risk: The New Art & Science to Navigating an Uncertain World."
· Gillian Tett, Financial Times, from COP26, about what the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) and its $130 trillion in commitments means for a net zero economy.
· Kathryn Pavlovsky, Deloitte Energy, Resources & Industrials, on the energy transformation and ESG
· Kristen Sullivan, Deloitte Sustainability & Supply Chain practice, on companies "doing" ESG, and the supply chain.
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Aimee Christensen, CEO, Christensen Global & the Sun Valley Forum & Sun Valley Institute For Resilience
Deborah Rutter, President, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts – on managing creative people.
Ann Friedman, Creator and CEO, Planet Word Museum – on her new museum about the magic of language.
Tracy Edwards, Executive Producer of the documentary "Maiden" about her experience developing and Captaining the first all-female crew to run the Whitbread Round the World Yachting Race.
Dayna Reggero, Executive Producer of The Climate Listening Project, short films about community climate activists around the U.S.
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Thanks for subscribing on Apple Podcasts or iHeartRadio and leaving us a review!
"For me, the key to my career was being clear on what my mission is….I feel so enormously fortunate that I found a president to be able to work for who shares that goal….So I think the lesson in that is either be the leader that you want to believe in, or find that leader and attach yourself to them and see what amazing things you can do together. But, for me, it's been about being clear on what it is that I wanted to achieve." Heather Boushey on Electric Ladies Podcast
You'll also like (some may have been recorded under our previous name, Green Connections Radio):
Kristina Wyatt, Chief Sustainability Officer & Deputy General Counsel, Persefoni and former leader of the SEC task force developing the Climate Risk Disclosure rules.
Aimee Christensen, Christensen Global, Former Clinton Administration Official, Founder/CEO Sun Valley Forum & Sun Valley institute For Resilience
Sandrine Dixson-Decléve, Co-President of Club of Rome, on transitioning to a people-planet first economy.
Melissa Lott, Ph.D., Director of Research, Global Energy Policy, Columbia University, on how exactly to get to carbon zero
Jean Case, CEO, the Case Foundation and Chair, National Geographic Society, on ESG and impact investing.
Anne Kelly, VP of Government Relations, Ceres, on business supporting the Inflation Reduction Act
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"People are looking for community, so even if you think you might be the only one who's raising this issue,…you will find your people. And if you don't speak your truth, if you don't ask the hard question, you won't find the people who are looking to align with that aggressive leadership and trust your gut on that. So trust your gut, whether it's about a new job, about a direction we need to be going in, even if it feels a little bit lonely, because… You'll be proven. People will find you and want to collaborate with you." Aimee Christensen on Electric Ladies Podcast
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