In this episode, Bard MBA faculty member and Lead the Change host Renay Loper sits down with colleague and fellow Bard MBA instructor Ayana Fernandes Pilgrim, founder and CEO of the Talent Cornerstone, for a candid conversation about the seismic shifts reshaping the future of work. Drawing on decades of experience leading global talent initiatives, Ayana examines the dangerous intersection of declining DEI commitments and the rapid rise of AI in hiring. She introduces the concept of "divine dualism" to describe AI's simultaneous promise and peril, makes the case for why soft skills are actually the essential skills of the new economy, and offers practical guidance for employees and job seekers on how to shift from an employee consciousness to an ownership mindset and lead themselves well in an era of relentless change.

In this episode, Bard MBA director Eban Goodstein interviews Alejandro Juárez Crawford and Miriam Plavin-Masterman, co-authors of One Size Fits None, about how VC-driven scale and corporate cost-cutting have created unresponsive systems that squeeze consumers and workers alike. They share stories of grassroots innovators using platforms like Rebel Base to solve local problems—from disability employment in the Philippines to vegan leather made from jackfruit peels in Bangladesh—and discuss alternative funding models that keep capital and decision-making in communities. Their message: structured opportunities to experiment can awaken entrepreneurial capabilities everywhere, because "there's no Hollywood hero riding in to save us.

In this episode, Bard MBA student Sarah Bergman interviews Carrie Ellen Phillips, Partner at BPCM and sustainability policy advocate, and Erin Beatty, founder of Rentrayage, about the evolving landscape of sustainable fashion. They discuss how global disruptions are revealing which companies are truly committed to change, the promise of European textile circularity legislation, and why upcycling and dead stock sourcing are becoming easier to scale. Together, they make the case that sustainable fashion is becoming an inevitability, driven by falling costs and a younger generation demanding better.

In this episode recorded live at Bard College's Brooklyn campus, Bard MBA faculty member Dr. Michael Shuman interviews Karla Pinzón, manager of curriculum development at Solar One. Karla discusses her vision for sustainability in New York City through the lens of "local power by local people," emphasizing the importance of investing in local workforce development programs to train New Yorkers in the energy transition. She shares insights on navigating New York's Climate Mobilization Act, creative financing strategies for building retrofits, and developing HVAC and decarbonization curriculum for NYC public schools. The conversation explores how local investment, community empowerment, and career technical education can drive equitable sustainability outcomes while building economic self-determination in urban environments.

In this live episode recorded during Climate Week NYC 2025, Bard MBA professor Renay Loper hosts a conversation with Alec Turnbull, co-founder of Climate Tech Cities and the Climate Film Festival, and Lauren Kiel, Global Head of Community Innovation at Bloomberg Media. The panel tackles communicating climate action in a polarized environment, discussing why talking about 'value instead of values' resonates with business leaders and why 89% of people care about climate despite the stigma around discussing it. They explore the shift from headlines to action, the power of personal stories over macro messaging, and why record-breaking Climate Week attendance suggests real momentum continues. The conversation emphasizes that incremental progress matters, long-term planning persists despite political headwinds, and the most important climate action we can take is simply talking about it.

In this special live episode recorded at Bard College's Brooklyn campus, host Renay Loper sits down with Reagan Richmond, a 2017 Bard MBA graduate who consults Fortune 500 companies on climate strategy, and Eban Goodstein, who leads Bard's Graduate Programs in Sustainability. They explore how to navigate sustainable business in an increasingly polarized political landscape, discussing Reagan's diagnostic framework for companies facing pushback and the evolution of sustainability leadership from pioneering figureheads to thousands of practitioners worldwide. Key insights include using resilience as a unifying narrative, integrating climate and nature risk assessment, and the growing influence of the Global South in driving environmental progress.

This episode captures the energy of Bard's new 'Inside Sustainability Live' series, where real-world practitioners and academics come together to build community and share strategies for advancing sustainability work in challenging times.

In this episode, Bard MBA candidate Milana Pakes interviews Tamara Stands and Looks Back-Spotted Tail about creating sustainable earth-block housing for the Shanju Lakota tribe. Tamara shares her entrepreneurial journey from jewelry artist to sustainable housing advocate, discussing how she bridges traditional Lakota values with modern sustainability practices. She explains her vision for self-sufficient homesteads powered by renewable energy that enable economic independence while honoring cultural heritage. Tamara emphasizes reclaiming language, land, and food sovereignty while maintaining deep connections to the earth, noting that “giving back to the earth is also protecting the earth and keeping things in balance.”

In this episode, Bard MBA in Sustainability student Deanna Diaz interviews Dale Ewing, Founder & CEO of Installnet, and John Friedman, sustainability expert and author, about transforming the office furniture industry. They discuss how 9 million tons of furniture end up in landfills annually and share Installnet's Ecoserv program for sustainable decommissioning. The conversation explores the limitations of current environmental impact models, the need for better metrics, and the business case for sustainability despite political headwinds. Dale and John emphasize that furniture reuse creates both environmental benefits and social impact through community donations, highlighting that "what gets measured inaccurately gets mismanaged.”