The Green Collar Pod – Details, episodes & analysis

Sandra is the co-founder of Good On You, the platform helping millions of shoppers instantly understand the sustainability of fashion and beauty brands. Since 2015, her team has rated over 7,000 brands, making it easier for us and many others to shop with our values.

We chat about her journey from banking to building a global sustainability startup, the realities of fast (and ultra-fast) fashion, and how consumer choices can drive meaningful industry change. Sandra also shares insights on navigating overwhelm in sustainability, the power of thoughtful decision-making, and why communication is key to creating impact. We hope you enjoy! 

Resources and terms mentioned: 

• Good On You
• ThredUp
• Poshmark
• Ultra-fast fashion 
• Fast fashion
• Fashion Sleuth Influencer
• Buyerarchy

As podcasting goes, we had a few tech hiccups towards the end of the episode. Good thing we take notes while recording! Here are some resources Sandra mentioned that were not included on the final episode: 

• The True Cost - film 
• Elizabeth Cline - investigative journalist 
• Over Dressed - Elizabeth Cline - book
• The Conscious Closet - Elizabeth Cline - book
• Sarah Kent - Business of Fashion 

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To celebrate the upcoming Earth day and more than a year of podcasting, Green Collar presents a special episode! 

In this special role-reversal, the hosts become the hosted when a dear friend, Max Kriegsfeld, takes over the mic to interview us. What follows? A candid, occasionally chaotic, fun (and funny?) chat. The vibe is joining three pals for coffee to chat about a passion project.

We span from childhood recycling squads (global edition 🌍), career considerations that almost included actuarial science and culinary school, to our hottest takes on the public transit, reusable water bottle hierarchies, and a few greenwashing myths that deserve to be thrown out (composted!) immediately.

Resources Mentioned:

🌱 Organizations, Professional Groups, & Frameworks

• Carbon Leadership Forum (CLF) 
• U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) 
• Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) 
• American Institute of Architects (AIA) 
  • Architecture 2030
• American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
• Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) 

🎓 Certifications & Credentials

• LEED Green Associate
• Certified Energy Manager
• LEED Certification
• WELL Certification
• TRUE Certification

📱 Other things to Check Out

• Climate Action Now
• Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)'s iconic social media
•  Plant-based plastic from Japan that dissolves in saltwater  
•  Legislation to standardize “sell by / use by” labels to reduce food waste

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Greg Ross is a senior climate analyst at Cheniere Energy, where he focuses on greenhouse gas measurement, mitigation, and verification across the North American natural gas supply chain. A Houston native now based in Washington, DC, Greg brings a rare combination of deep technical expertise and genuine climate motivation to his work—shaped in part by his background in chemical engineering and liberal arts at the University of Texas at Austin. With experience in electricity modeling, supply-chain emissions analysis, and industry-leading methane measurement initiatives, Greg offers an insider’s perspective on how the oil and gas sector is evolving to meet modern climate challenges. 

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn. 

Books

• One Thousand Vines by Pascaline Lepeltier

Other Energy Concepts & Definitions

• OGMP 2.0 (Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0) 
• EEMDL – Energy Emissions Modeling & Data Lab 
• Fugitive Methane Emissions 
• Emission Factors 
• Interconnection Queue 
• Mercaptan 
• QMRV (Quantification, Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification)

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Today we’re joined by Jillian Hansen, Market Intelligence Lead at US Solar, who shares her journey from aspiring political campaigner to renewable energy expert and distributed generation advocate. Jillian walks listeners through her evolving roles in community solar development, subscriber origination, and now market expansion, while breaking down key industry concepts like distributed generation, non-wires alternatives, and the growing role of battery energy storage. 

She reflects on the mentors and peers who shaped her path, how graduate school unlocked her passion for energy markets, and how she brings sustainability into her community through St. Paul’s Climate Action Advisory Board. Packed with technical insights, career advice, and a clear-eyed view of where solar is headed, the episode shines a light on the rapidly changing energy landscape—and the people helping shape its future. 

Connect with Jillian on LinkedIn. 

Podcasts 

• Volts
• Catalyst
• Currents (Norton Rose Fulbright)
• The Energy Gang

News & Analysis Resources

• Utility Dive
• Constellation Energy weekly market updates
• RTO Insider (subscription-based but frequently referenced)

Conferences & Industry Events

• New Project Media DG Conference
• Wood Mackenzie Distributed Generation Conference
• VERGE (broader climate & sustainability conference, part of Trellis)

Energy & Policy Concepts Mentioned

• FERC Order 2222
• PJM 
• ERCOT market structure
• Energy Markets Explainer
• Non-Wires Alternatives 101
• Distributed Generation (DG) overview

Local Sustainability

• St. Paul, MN Climate Action

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Today we’re joined by Laurent Canneva, co-founder and CEO of Spare It. 

Trained as a pharmacist with a business background, he spent 17 years at Sanofi leading commercial operations across France, Belgium, and the U.S. Five years ago, he made the leap from human health to planetary health, founding Spare-it, a company using data and technology to help organizations cut waste, lower carbon emissions, and drive real sustainability impact.

Connect with Laurent on LinkedIn. 

Concepts, Terms, & Certifications mentioned: 

• TRUE Zero Waste Advisor Certification
• EPA Waste Stats
• Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)

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Today we’re joined by Peyton Ridland, Business Development Lead for FuelCell Energy across the western U.S. 

Peyton has dedicated his career to driving decarbonization through clean energy technologies like fuel cells, hydrogen production, and carbon capture. His work bridges technical innovation and commercial strategy—all with a focus on helping both people and the planet thrive.

Connect with Peyton on LinkedIn. 

Books mentioned: 

• The Hydrogen Revolution - Marco Alverà
• The Story of CO2 - Geoffrey Ozin, Mireille Ghoussoub 
• Drawdown - Paul Hawken

Terms mentioned: 

• Fuel cells 
• Electrolyzers 
• Carbon capture

Individuals mentioned: 

• Mark Feasel 
• Alan Leong
• Jim McNerny

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Welcome back to the Green Color Pod! Today we’re joined by Mahesh Ramanujam, co-founder, president, and CEO of the Global Network for Zero, and former CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council—an internationally recognized leader driving health, equity, and decarbonization in the built environment and beyond.

Connect with Mahesh on LinkedIn. 

Books mentioned: 

• Start With Why by Simon Sinek

Initiatives/Organizations mentioned: 

• Global Network for Zero 
• USGBC
• GBCI
• Arc
• LEED
• GRESB

Terms mentioned:  

• Scopes 1, 2, 3
• Net Zero 

Individuals mentioned: 

• Rick Fedrizzi
• Sarah Merricks 

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Forester, author, and social media educator Ethan Tapper joins the podcast to share his unconventional journey into forestry, from wilderness expeditions done for love to becoming a leading voice on ecosystem stewardship. He reflects on the dualities of forestry—how cutting trees or using tools like chainsaws can be acts of regeneration and love—while stressing the importance of communication, responsibility, and hope in caring for forests. Listeners will walk away with a deeper understanding of how to build more meaningful relationships with nature and how to embrace both nuance and action in environmentalism

Connect with Ethan on Instagram and his website.

Resources: 

Books & Authors

• How to Love a Forest — Ethan Tapper
• Nature’s Best Hope — Doug Tallamy
• Eager and Crossings — Ben Goldfarb
• The Hidden Forest: Biography of an Ecosystem — Jon Luoma
• Runes of the North — Sigurd Olson
• A Sand County Almanac — Aldo Leopold
• Braiding Sweetgrass and Gathering Moss — Robin Wall Kimmerer
• The Sixth Extinction — Elizabeth Kolbert
• Works by E.O. Wilson

 Apps

• Merlin Bird ID from Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• Seek (Android or Apple) from iNaturalist 

Organizations

• Audubon Vermont
• Vermont Land Trust
• Vermont Woodlands Association
• The Nature Conservancy

Terms mentioned: 

• Consulting Forester — A forester who works with private landowners to manage their forests sustainably.
• Service Forester / County Forester — A publicly funded forester who provides guidance and resources to landowners, conservation groups, and loggers (in Vermont, called county foresters).
• Production Forestry — A forestry approach focused on maximizing timber yield efficiently, often contrasted with ecological or conservation-focused forestry.
• Ecosystem Stewardship — The practice of managing forests (or other ecosystems) with a holistic focus on health, biodiversity, and long-term sustainability.
• Deep Environmentalism — A term Ethan coined to describe an evolved form of environmentalism that goes beyond preventing harm to actively healing and regenerating ecosystems.
• Introduced Invasive Plants — Non-native plants that spread aggressively, displacing native species and disrupting ecosystems.

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Norwegian economist Ingrid Eileen Stevens joins us to share her journey from oil & gas to sustainable waste and water management, exploring biogas, circular economy innovations, and how Norway balances oil wealth with climate leadership.

Connect with Ingrid on LinkedIn and learn more about IVAR. 

Resources: 

• In Good Company - podcast
• Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson - book
• Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman - book
• Read up about how folks set a max price on electricity by looking at a recent case study from the PJM capacity market. 

Terms mentioned: 

• Biogas
• VAT
• Biochar

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 Featuring Scott Tew, founder of Trane Technologies’ Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability, we talk about growing up on a small farm, translating science into action, embedding sustainability into business strategy, and leading the company’s bold Gigaton Challenge. 

Connect with Scott on LinkedIn. Learn more about Trane Technologies.

Resources:

• Books:
  • Make Work Matter: How to Create Positive Change in Your Company and Meaning in Your Career by Nancy McGaw
  • Net Positive by Paul Polman
  • Navigating Sustainable Growth: A Roadmap for Boards and Corporate Leaders Perfect by Gib Hedstrom
• Others:
  • Gigaton Challenge
  • ESG Navigator

Terms Mentioned:

• Refrigerant
• Materiality Assessment
• Pareto Principle
• Electric Arc Furniture vs Traditional Furnaces

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