Previous Impact Episodes
Impact with John Shegerian produces new episodes every week. Visit regularly to explore our archive of past conversations below.
Connecting Communities for Positive Impact with Tilly Josephson of Zoom
Tilly Josephson has spent the last 15 years forging impact at the intersection of business, technology, and social good. Her career has taken her across continents and sectors—from leading corporate social impact programs at tech giants like Zoom, Salesforce, and Microsoft, to advising nonprofits and global coalitions on how to harness technology for systems change….
Decarbonizing the Built Environment with Rob Bernard of CBRE
As CBRE’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Rob Bernard is at the forefront of working to create value for clients through sustainability. Rob comes to this role with a business and environmental background. He is leading teams across the company to help CBRE clients decarbonize the built environment, meet increasing regulatory requirements, and drive strong economic returns…
Advancing Small Business Growth with Najada Kumbuli of Visa Foundation
Najada Kumbuli is the Head of Investments and Partnerships at Visa Foundation, where she advances financial inclusion and ecosystem growth for small businesses and entrepreneurs worldwide. Leveraging her unique upbringing in Albania and global expertise, Najada leads a holistic investment and grantmaking strategy with a focus on supporting the growth of small businesses by enabling…
Pioneering Digital and Sustainable Agriculture Solutions with Paul Backman of Syngenta
As Syngenta’s Head of Digital and Sustainable Solutions for North America, Paul Backman brings over 30 years of expertise to his role, a position he assumed on October 1, 2024. This appointment follows his successful tenure as Global Head of Value Chain, where he served from June 2023. Throughout his career at Syngenta, Paul has…
Innovating Critical Mineral Refining Solutions with Mark Jensen of ReElement
Mark Jensen is CEO and co-founder of ReElement Technologies Corporation, American Resources Corporation, and Chairman at Land Betterment Corporation, based in Fishers, Indiana. ReElement is a leading refiner of high-performance critical battery and rare earth elements required in energy, transportation, defense and other technologies. His experience integrates nearly two decades on Wall Street with hands-on…
Driving Impact Strategies with Grady Crosby of Northwestern Mutual
As chief sustainability and impact officer at Northwestern Mutual, Grady Crosby is responsible for developing strategies and driving the overall execution of the company’s community impact and sustainability initiatives. He and his team collaborate with the enterprise sustainability and impact (ESI) leadership council to address the organization’s approach to sustainability and impact matters across a…
Innovating Sustainable Food Packaging with Lindsay Philpott of KIND Snacks
Lindsay Philpott, currently the Senior Sustainability Communications Manager at KIND, is a driven leader fueled by a passion for climate action and equity. With nearly 10 years of expertise in social impact communications, Lindsay has led purpose campaigns that have driven growth and built a competitive advantage. Subscribe For The Latest Impact UpdatesSubscribe to get…
Delivering Disaster Relief with Bettina Stix of Amazon
Bettina Stix is Amazon’s Director of Disaster Relief, Food Security & Education, and Amazon Community Impact. She joined Amazon in 1999. Her career at Amazon started as a books editor. She led international website teams for both Germany and France, and was responsible for global policy in Customer Service and the worldwide expansion and benefits…
Bringing Sustainability Home with George Bandy of Andersen Corporation
George Bandy, Andersen Corporation’s Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, has more than 25 years of leadership experience in the sustainability space, working across a wide variety of industries, including sustainability leadership roles at Amazon and Mohawk Industries. Most recently, he served as chief sustainability officer at Darling Fibers, a polyester chip and fiber manufacturer,…
Engaging in Responsible Sourcing with Christina Niemelä Ström of IKEA
Christina Niemelä Ström is committed to bring values-based decision making and comprehensive thinking on sustainability into the everyday business. Christina is leading the global sustainability agenda for Supply at IKEA, integrating the strategic sustainability ambitions and commitments into the business operations and decision-making across purchasing, transport, wholesale, manufacturing functions and supply chain.While materials stand for…
Stirring Up Homemade Compassion and Cuisine with Joanne Molinaro, “The Korean Vegan”
With over 5 million fans spread across her social media platforms, New York Times best-selling author Joanne Molinaro, (a.k.a The Korean Vegan), has appeared on The Food Network, CBS Saturday Morning, ABC’s Live with Kelly and Ryan, The Today Show, PBS, and The Rich Roll Podcast. She’s been featured in the Los Angeles Times, The…
Understanding China with Global Economist Keyu Jin
John Shegerian: Do you have a suggestion for a Rockstar Impact Podcast guest? Go to impactpodcast.com and just click “Be a Guest” to recommend someone today. Dr. Keyu Jin is a global economist who was a tenured professor at the London school of economics for 15 years, and is currently affiliated with HKUST and Harvard…