Table Stakes Podcast

When we think of leaders in sustainability, it’s unlikely we might think first of a 200-year old company. But a company’s age doesn’t always mean “old-school.” Today, we’re joined by the team from Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc. Their work is a gold standard example of a company who has built sustainability into the DNA of its business. With a passion for the environment and ingenuity, Monadnock is turning ideas into reality.

A special crossover episode with our sister podcast, Office Baggage. As companies around the world cope with the ramifications of a global crisis, it’s more important than ever to ensure our company’s leaders and future leaders feel engaged and supported and have the tools necessary to future-proof your talent and succession strategy. There needs to be a massive shift in how we are training and building successful and sustainable workforces at every level of seniority. Partners Kirsten Ramos, Elevate Performance Solutions and Sophia Ruffolo, femmebought, and Marcy Twete, MT Consulting, are sharing their new program – Upskilling Remotely, Building Talent and Trust for the Future – inspiring companies to invest in managerial trust, preventing “diversity drain” and more.

In today’s VUCA world (short for volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous), businesses around the world are asking what skills and traits are necessary for those leaders who will weather the storm well. What does it mean to be resilient during disruption? Today’s guest Henna Inam answers those questions and more in her new book “Wired for Disruption.” She highlights in our conversation five types of agility necessary for leaders to weather today’s storm and the storms of the future, and how ESG issues are at the forefront of the future of business and its ability to remain agile and resilient.

We’ve all probably heard about LEED Certified buildings, but mostly related to commercial buildings. Your home can also be LEED Certified. But most of us have some common misconceptions of so-called “green” homes – that they’re wildly expensive, that the process takes years of planning, that they’re out of reach for most of us. Our guest today, Aaron Stash, and his family, built a LEED Platinum home in the suburbs of Chicago – a home that continues to inspire his family to lead a more sustainable life. Tune in to see how this process might inspire you as well.

In 2008, only 358 companies globally were producing a sustainability report in accordance with GRI standards. Today, more than 30,000 companies use the GRI framework globally. As sustainability reporting has grown these last 10 years, another like-minded framework has risen simultaneously – the notion of integrated reporting and more deeply integrated thinking. The founder of the U.S. Integrated Reporting Community, Mary Adams, joins Table Stakes to dive deep on integrated reporting – what is it, how does it work, what are the barriers to adoption and how is it different and similar to sustainability reporting?

The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis earlier this year spurred a national movement toward racial justice different than any in recent years. Months later, many of us are asking ourselves: “What now?” How can we continue to invest in racial justice, help to spur the much needed change in our society, and ensure those actions are catalytic rather than performative in nature? The YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago’s CEO Dorri McWhorter joins us to talk about their new initiative to move the needle on anti-racism – The Racial Justice League. With their campaign “Until Justice Just Is,” and the resources they provide, the organization gives us all action steps to move forward.

Google “B Corp” and you’ll find: “Certified B Corporations are a new kind of business that balances purpose and profit.” But what does that really entail? We’re diving deep on B Corp certification with B Corp business owner Emily Lonigro of LimeRed. What is a B Corp? How does it work? And are there flaws in the B Corp system?

For those invested in sustainability, we are often thinking about how our purchasing patterns are connected to our values. We know the importance of reduce, reuse, recycle. We’ve had all the difficult conversations about “fast fashion.” But have we considered how some of the largest purchases of our lives – for instance, our wedding rings – are syncing with our values systems? Joined by gem expert and founder of All the Brilliants, Melissa Dusenberry joins the podcast to open our minds to the world of sustainably sourced, thoughtfully designed jewelry.

Today’s episode is a special “crossover” between Table Stakes Podcast and Office Baggage Podcast. In the environment of COVID-19, the issues surrounding employment and change management are affecting everyone whether through layoffs, furloughs, working from home, or training and safety for essential employees. All of us are dealing with both macro and micro economic issues as we consider a return to work and continued change and transformation in our work. CEO of the Prinz Law Firm, Kristen Prinz, and The Parker Avery Group’s Kathi Toll join us with expert commentary.