In this episode, Bard MBA student Anastasia 'Stacy' Gramotneva interviews Lenore Kantor, founder of Growth Warrior, about her journey from corporate marketing executive to transformational coach and author. Lenore shares her personal 'tower moment' that led to an existential crisis after 20 years in the financial technology sector, and how it sparked her mission to help others find alignment between their personal values and professional lives. She discusses her eight-step 'Authentic Alchemy Path' framework that combines business strategy, coaching methodologies, and holistic practices like Feng Shui and energy medicine. Lenore offers insights on recognizing misalignment, creating intentional space for change, and transforming breakdowns into breakthroughs, while emphasizing that 'we have more choice than we realize once we become aware of the ways we may inadvertently be blocking ourselves.

In this episode, MBA Sustainability candidate Toni Skidmore interviews fashion experts Donald Pollard Jr. and Ngozi Okaro about creating a more ethical and sustainable fashion industry. They discuss how education must include business fundamentals alongside design skills, emphasizing human-centered approaches that balance profit with ethical labor practices. Both guests share how they preserve traditional craftsmanship while embracing innovation and the power of authentic storytelling in fashion. They conclude that creating a more sustainable future requires genuine commitment from industry leaders to prioritize people alongside profit.

In this episode, MBA candidate Erin Malaney interviews Michelle Gabriel, Director of Sustainable Fashion at IE and NYC, and Ken Pucker, former COO of Timberland and professor at Tufts University. They discuss why current sustainability approaches in fashion aren't working, highlighting business models that prioritize profit over planet, lack of regulation, and externalized environmental costs. Both experts emphasize that policy is essential for meaningful change, as voluntary corporate sustainability efforts have proven insufficient. They also address the critical need for fashion education to include business strategy, climate science basics, and policy understanding to create effective industry change.