SDG Talks

• How does Wisconsin Water Week provide an opportunity for collaboration, learning, and networking?

• What workshops and hands-on opportunities help attendees learn about various topics related to water management?
• Why is it important to take a holistic approach and share best practices to address climate change and invasive species?

Click play now to soak up what Grace Hasse, Ally Spang, and Kirsten James have to share about Wisconsin Water Week!

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Do you have a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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• How can communities balance self-interest with collective environmental responsibility to effectively manage natural resources like lakes and rivers?
• In what ways can personal experiences and stories, like those shared at Wisconsin Water Week, influence and enhance our approach to environmental conservation and mental health?
• What role can and should farmer-led initiatives play in watershed management, and how can different stakeholders collaborate to address challenges like nonpoint source pollution?

Dive in with Eric Olson - the Director and Lakes Specialist at Extinction Lakes at the University of Wisconsin's College of Natural Resources.

Eric assists communities and non-governmental organizations in their natural resource stewardship efforts by developing leadership and community capacity to address challenges and problems related to sustainable natural resource use. Interpreting research related to ecological and community resiliency and conveying significant results to relevant publics.

He delves into the history and significance of Wisconsin Water Week, emphasizing the state's unique approach to lake management and conservation through community involvement and local governance, and much more...

So hit play now to hear what he has to share!

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Do you have a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠.

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We are joined by Laura Sofen who shares her melanoma diagnosis story and emphasizes the importance of sun safety.

She highlights her journey from melanoma diagnosis to becoming an advocate for skin health. Laura, alongside her sister Rebecca, created an Instagram page @sun_safety_sisters to share sun safety tips, UPF clothing recommendations, and more.

Follow along with them on Instagram and help them throw shade at skin cancer!

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Do you have a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our ⁠⁠website⁠⁠.

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• The history & evolution of Wisconsin Water Week
• Why you should participate in the Wisconsin Water Week experience
• A chance to explore the biggest threats & opportunities around Wisconsin’s waterways

Hear from Wisconsin Water Week speakers Sara Windjue & Amy Kowalski.

Sara is a Leadership & Capacity Development Specialist while Amy is a Communications Specialist, Extension Lakes in the College of Natural Resources at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Both of their careers have been dedicated to environmental education and sustainability, and both are passionate about bringing attention to encouraging others to preserve the legacy of Wisconsin's lakes.

So hit play now to get the inside scoop!

Episode Resources:

• Wisconsin Water Week Lake & Rivers Convention

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our ⁠website⁠!

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• Where do your donations to Kevin's Chicago Marathon fundraiser go?
• What makes Shirley Ryan AbilityLab the top rehab hospital in the world?
• Examples of using technology to support & empower each patient throughout the road to recovery

Find out from Dr. Allen Heinemann - the Director of the AbilityLab's Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research (CROR)

Dr. Heinemann conducts health services research with a focus on developing and applying outcome measures in rehabilitation care. His team developed the Rehabilitation Measures Database to help clinicians and scientists select instruments for patient care and research applications.

Hit play now to discover a broader perspective on what it means to empower people in need!

And don't forget to DONATE TO THE SHIRLEY RYAN ABILITYLAB by visiting this link!

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Hear from Isabela Espíndola who has over 10 years of experience in international relations and environmental issues.

She holds a PhD in Human Geography, an MSc. in Environmental Sciences and a BA in International Relations and Economics. Isabela has also been a passionate advocate for Women & Youth's effective engagement, especially in the global arena.

At the International Water Association (IWA), she is the focal point for Young Water Professionals and regulators communities within IWA, working to create cohesive forces for collaborations and among different stakeholders.

Resources:

• Isabela Battistello Espíndola - Google Acadêmico
• Isabela's Instagram and Twitter

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Find out from Emily Friedman, the Director of Innovation and Operations with the Oda Foundation based in Karnali, Nepal.

Emily is passionate about international development and has deepened her understanding of rural community development by working in Eastern Panama, Vietnam, and now in Karnali, Nepal - a place deemed a 'silent emergency' by Unicef for the lack of access to clean water, health resources, economic opportunity and more.

Emily's goal is to use her skills in administrative strategy, human-centered design, and strong people skills to lift up and support the most marginalized populations through grass-root sustainable solutions, because "when we lift up the most vulnerable, we lift the human race as a whole." Her specific interest lies in tackling the most pressing issues, including ongoing humanitarian crises, cyclical poverty, lack of educational resources, and food shortage issues/malnutrition effects.

Resources:

• Oda Foundation's LinkedIn and Instagram

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Learn from Tayler Ava Friar who is a writer, art historian, TEDx speaker, and global communications specialist with previous roles at The United Nations, World Bank, and Google. She is also the founder of ART|unknown. - a platform that explores the intersection of art, black voices and the SDGs. Her most recent exhibition FLOW of Change: focused around Black voices for climate action was the largest climate-inspired water installation in Mexico City, marking the opening of the COP27 Conference in Egypt.

With a deep commitment to reexamining histories from a decolonized lens, Tayler is a PhD candidate in Art History at the University of Cape Town. Her thesis is entitled “A NUANCED GAZE: EXPLORING THE BLACK FEMALE BODY ARCHETYPE THROUGH CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN WOMEN ARTISTS” which has been partially published with Aix-Marseille University in Provence, France.

So listen now to get inspired from her passion and discover collaboration opportunities!

Resources:

• Creative Knowledge Resources Fellowship
• Vogue feature

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Hear what WASH expert Jacob Amengor has to share!

Jacob has over 8 years of experience in drinking water treatment, on-the-ground project management and community engagement. Jacob chairs the International Water Association Young Water Professionals Steering Committee and is a former Young Leadership award winner. Jacob started the WASH Advancement Centre, which focuses on provision of solar-mechanized water systems and clean toilets in rural areas. So listen now to discover his incredible insights!

Resources:

• UN Water Conference: From Mar del Plata to New York and Beyond

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Thanks for joining us for our mini series recorded at the Forum on Circular Water Economy hosted at NYU in partnership with the Water Environment Federation and the NYU Department of Civil and Urban Engineering.

In This Mini Series: You'll hear from students attending:

• Manhattan College
• Columbia University
• NYU
• The University of Missouri

Find out what Luana de Brito Anton, a full time Doctoral Student at New York University, has to share about photodegradation!

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Thanks for joining us for our mini series recorded at the Forum on Circular Water Economy hosted at NYU in partnership with the Water Environment Federation and the NYU Department of Civil and Urban Engineering.

In This Mini Series: You'll hear from students attending:

• Manhattan College
• Columbia University
• NYU
• The University of Missouri

Get to know Alma Rocha, a Future Leader Fellowship PhD student at New York University's Silverman Laboratory, and an InFLOW Intern at the Water Environment Federation.

At WEF, Alma assists with the WEF INFLOW Program (INtroducing Future Leaders to Opportunities in Water) and other
workforce initiatives, prepares material for scholars, connects water industry professionals, plus has led students and young professionals of under-represented backgrounds through the world's largest water conference-WEFTEC.

So find out what she has to share about her research on the extracellular antibiotic resistance gene ampR now!

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

Thanks for joining us for our mini series recorded at the Forum on Circular Water Economy hosted at NYU in partnership with the Water Environment Federation and the NYU Department of Civil and Urban Engineering.

In This Mini Series: You'll hear from students attending:

• Manhattan College
• Columbia University
• NYU
• The University of Missouri

We chatted with Mwale Chiyenge - an Environmental Engineering Ph.D. Candidate at New York University.

Listen now to discover more about her research on bacteriophage and sunlight inactivation!

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

Thanks for joining us for our mini series recorded at the Forum on Circular Water Economy hosted at NYU in partnership with the Water Environment Federation and the NYU Department of Civil and Urban Engineering.

In This Mini Series: You'll hear from students attending:

• Manhattan College
• Columbia University
• NYU
• The University of Missouri

Hear from Gnanaraj Augustine, a Graduate Research Assistant at Columbia University.

Gnanaraj recently earned his M.S.-Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Engineering degree from Columbia, and is now working on 1) quantifying the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) from wastewater treatment facilities in aerobic and anoxic zones; and 2) characterizing the emission caused by microbial activity within the treatment facility.

While an undergrad, Gnanaraj incorporated sustainability into cutting-edge technologies to improve the need for current water quality technology and worked on projects that center on wastewater quality and treatment methods. He has a strong interest in climate change and water quality systems, and enjoys learning new things - with a particular interest in microbiology, GHG climate change, water and wastewater - plus taking advantage of the numerous research opportunities that are made accessible to him. So take a listen to find out what he's currently researching!

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

Thanks for joining us for our mini series recorded at the Forum on Circular Water Economy hosted at NYU in partnership with the Water Environment Federation and the NYU Department of Civil and Urban Engineering.

In This Mini Series: You'll hear from students attending:

• Manhattan College
• Columbia University
• NYU
• The University of Missouri

Let's chat with Isabel Vasquez who is a Graduate Research Assistant at with Manhattan College's Chemistry and Environmental Engineering Departments.

Isabel graduated with a BS in Civil Engineering, Concentration in Applied Mathematics, and Minor in Environmental and Civil Engineering from Manhattan College in 2022, and earned her MS in Environmental Health Engineering this year. She is currently conducting research concerning the reduction of petroleum-related contaminants in water using ultraviolet lights and chemical powders with the goal of transforming water reuse in the petroleum industry at her alma mater, so take a listen to find out more!

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

Thanks for joining us for our mini series recorded at the Forum on Circular Water Economy hosted at NYU in partnership with the Water Environment Federation and the NYU Department of Civil and Urban Engineering.

In This Mini Series: You'll hear from students attending:

• Manhattan College
• Columbia University
• NYU
• The University of Missouri

First we'll hear from Gerardo Gentil Orozco who is currently working as Doctoral Researcher at the School of Natural Resources in the University of Missouri.

Gerardo has earned his LL.M from Pennsylvania State University, law degree from Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla-Colombia, and is former public law teaching assistant. Having interned at the Global Network for the Study of Human Rights and the Environment, been a member of the Environmental Law Clinic of Universidad del Norte, and worked in the submission of contributions to bills in the Colombian Congress as well as reports to the United Nations Bodies, Gerardo stands out for his research work and high impact litigation on national matters.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Let's find out from UNLEASH talents Helena Karatvuo and Melody Waterworth!

Helena currently works in Seaport OPX's engineering division, holding responsibilities from climate change and environmental module development to client support and training and front-end prototyping plus much in between.

Melody is the Founder and Managing Director of Waterworth Consulting - a Private Limited Company providing a wide range of front-to-back solutions for iNGOs, Non-profits, Governments, Social Businesses and Private entities.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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A huge congrats to the Super Girl app team - one of the top teams in the entire UNLEASH lab and "Most Inclusive Solution" within the SDG 4 Quality Education Track!

We get to chat with team members Khanimnisa Ismayilova, Chetna Gupta, Prayog Mali, & Kim Chouard about their winning idea.

As part of the lab's innovation process, the team had to frame a problem, ideate solutions, create a prototype and test it in just 5 days. Then they pitched their ideas to experts, and the chosen SDG Track Winners (one for each SDG) were sent to the finals.

This dynamic team came up with the Super Girl app as their solution, and was awarded as the "Most Inclusive Solution" among 200 teams! They are currently building a community through the mobile app to enable Azeri high school girls to create awareness, foster engagement, and take action to achieve the SDGs.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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• How can water & economic modeling improve Bolivian water access?
• Why should you explore the global UNLEASH community?
• Reflections on UNLEASH 2019 in Shenzhen, China

Check out what UNLEASH 2019 Talent, the Latin American Ambassador for WaterSciencePolicy, and Research Associate at Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Cláudia Coleoni has to share!

At SEI, Cláudia provides technical and scientific support in the implementation of strategies and projects related to water management, river basin planning, and sustainable sanitation. With more than a handful of degrees and over 4 years of experience in water resources management, her main interests lie on water resources management and governance, climate change, sustainable development, international relations and public policy, urban environmental management, urban forestry, and geographic information systems (GIS).

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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We got to chat with the InAGlobe team members: Jaime Aguilera Garcia, Sergi Fayos Villalta, Davide Villa, and Olivia Cauvi!

InAGlobe is a non-profit educational organization that aims to redirect innovation and development through educational institutions and their students. By giving engineering students the possibility to solve current problems as well as problems found in the context of developing countries, the team aims to drive a new generation of socially aware problem solvers, enable a dynamic interchange of ideas, plus bridge and save the gaps between educational systems and cultures in an ever more connected and globalized world.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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We hope this great conversation with the UNLEASH Plus Co-Leads Lakshmi Hiranandani and Bryce Watson will inspire you to apply and/or read more about the program, so head over to the UNLEASH Plus website here!

You can also find out more by joining a conversation with Lakshmi and Bryce on March 8th or 14th, where you can get an overview of the program and literally “Ask Them Anything!”

Register at the links below!

• Option 1: Wednesday, March 8th from 11:00 am – 12:30 pm (GMT) – Registration link here!
• Option 2: Thursday, March 14th, from 3:00 am – 4:30 am (GMT) – Registration link here!

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Find out from Adam Mostogl - CEO & Chief Entrepreneur for The Van Diemen Project which helps people, businesses, and communities to start, scale and sustain businesses, through training, events and education backed up by one-on-one mentoring and business advice.

Adam is also the founder of illuminate Education Australia, where the focus is to activate young people to be confident, creative and capable people to reach their full potential, and do this through delivering authentic entrepreneurial education programs where problems in the community are solved by students. All of their programs are focused around developing a core set of skills that help students be prepared for the changing world.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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A big congrats to the Black Panthers - aka the winners of UNLEASH's SDG 13 Climate Action Track & one of the top 7 teams in the entire lab!

We get to chat with 3 of the 5 team members: Aarushi Tripathi, Vipul Agarwal, & Nasha Cuvelier.

As part of the lab's innovation process, the team had to frame a problem, ideate solutions, create a prototype and test it in just 5 days. Then they pitched their ideas to experts, and the chosen SDG Track Winners (one for each SDG) were sent to the finals.

Having started out as a computer science graduate with an interest and experience in Machine Learning and Data Science, Aarushi recently found her calling in the field of public policy & development, with a focus in building sustainable solutions that use rigorously-researched evidence & centre communities.

Vipul has been involved in research projects ranging from the development of a national pollution database for China, to scourging through garbage to spur waste segregation on a University level, based on positive & negative incentives. He's currently building a platform that would drive meaningful change in consumer/business behavior in the realm of carbon footprint and GHG emissions.

Nasha is an environmental scientist specializing in climate change, & is the co-founder of "sustentabilidad sin fronteras". In 2015, she was chosen as the UNESCO Young Delegate for the Paris Agreement; in 2016 she was recognized as one of the 10 most influential women of the year in the country. She's held leadership positions within the private sector, but is now a consultant to international organizations such as UNDP & UNICEF.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Get the inside scoop from UNLEASH Global Talent 2022 Geeta Vaishnavi!

A street artist herself, Geeta has painted murals around India to use art as a mode of activism & raise a voice for climate change, child rights, girl child education and women empowerment. For more than half a decade, she has painted across community shelters, government schools and orphanages; transformed massive slums into walking street galleries, painted fairytale on school walls, and much more. Working on such projects made Geeta aware about the lack of arts in the Indian education system.

Geeta is also the Founder of the JK Arts Foundation, which aspires to leverage technology & democratize ‘Arts in Education’ by facilitating visual arts-based learning modules through workshops that are incorporated into traditional education curriculum. Their goal is to impact 1 million children by 2030 via artistic interventions to drive equity in education.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Hear from Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC)'s Assistant Manager of Ventures Rafiqul Khan!

An enthusiastic & determined leader, Rafiqul specializes in in project management, operations, financial management of startups, with several years of experience in diverse industries and vast co-curricular involvement during the academic year. 

His role at BYLC involves many facets, including but not limited to ensuring a valuable program for all involved, implementing growth tactics & consulting with entrepreneurs about strategy.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Hear from UNLEASH ambassadors Jacob Amengor & Andrews Akoto-Addo!

Beyond being an UNLEASH 2019  Talent, Jacob is currently Chair of the International Water Association Young Water Professionals Steering Committee 2022-2024, plus the Water Quality Assurance Supervisor for Ghana Water Company Ltd. His keen initiative & in-depth understanding of theoretical / practical aspects of Water & Sanitation Management provides him with the ability to work under pressure to monitor the parameters of the water during the treatment process & ensure it's in line with WHO drinking water standards.

Andrews has been an UNLEASH ambassador for over a year, and works as the Program & Communications Officer for Reach for Change in Ghana. He designs & manages purpose-driven programs and supports social entrepreneurs to scale, plus has experience working in diverse and complex contexts across the African startup, social entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Hear from the Chairman of the Board of UNLEASH Flemming Besenbacher!

Flemming is also the Founding Director of iNANO at Aarhus University where he was Professor of Nanoscience and Physics for many years. He has ample experience researching Nanoscience, nanotechnology, nanocatalysis, scanning tunnelling microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and is committed to bringing the world together to create a better tomorrow.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Find out from Lee Crockford - a freelance social impact advisor and strategist working to solve complex global challenges through innovation, design, impact measurement, and behavior change. His work spans the domains of health, education, environment, technology, and justice across private, public, and non-profit sectors.

Lee has been a G20 Youth Representative, Victorian LGBTIQ+ Leader, AMP Tomorrowmaker, Global Laureate Fellow, Impact Academy Fellow, and D&F Academy Fellow. His work has also been awarded by Good Design, UNLEASH, Impact 25, and Australian Scholarships, Pro Bono Australia, and Advance Queensland.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Hear from Henry Glogau and Nathan Baring - two winning team members from UNLEASH Greenland Lab! Their teammates Hörn Halldórudóttir Heiðarsdóttir, a Project Lead at Transition Labs, and Sofie Jordheim, a research assistant for The University of Bergen's Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation, couldn't join us for this chat, but have been just as pivotal in creating LooPoop.

LooPoop is a reimagined approach for the management of human waste in remote Arctic communities. It closes the loop and provides the potential for economic opportunities in local communities. The current situation in many remote Arctic communities is unsustainable and not environmentally friendly, with human waste being left out in nature or dumped into the ocean in plastic bags. Starting in the bathroom, Loopoop converts urine into fertilizer and turns the feces into soil. The soil and fertilizer can then be used for local food production. Loopoop’s mission is a clean environment and a sustainable and dignified waste management system that offers the opportunity for added value to a previously discarded resource.

Henry Glogau is a New Zealand Architect working at GXN Innovation in Copenhagen, Denmark. He specializes in Architecture in Extreme Environments, where his site-specific and 1:1 projects explore the interconnecting relationships between architecture, technology, people, and the environment.

Nathan Baring is a policy wonk and Master’s student in Arctic and Northern Studies at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. He brings expertise in climate law, arctic policy and business development with a focus on diversifying Alaska’s oil-based economy and advocating for the unique interests of the Arctic region.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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- What is UNLEASH?

- What can upcoming talents expect?

- What should upcoming talents do and NOT do?

- How to professionally leverage UNLEASH post-event

Corina Shika Kwami, PhD is a qualified and experienced Director of Strategy of Purpose, a strategy consultancy, a creative agency and a social movement incubator. She achieves first-rate results by combining her in-depth knowledge of a wide range of subject matters (e.g. ESG, Infrastructure & Cities, and Public Health) with a ‘hands on’ approach to program delivery. Corina is also well versed in transforming and growing an enterprise by defining an ambitious corporate vision, setting out actions required, igniting the message, and creating a culture of positivity and determination to drive complex projects to success.

Aside from the technical aspects of her roles, she is a successful musician/performer, and able to tap into her artistic talent to inspire and convey powerful messages that reach global audiences. This special aptitude has been demonstrated on numerous occasions, e.g. as Artist-Composer with SIX, e.g. expressing through artistic practice a pathway to challenge global issues; and creating and presenting her radical ‘Jazz for wayfinding’ lectures, to strengthen civil society by through the power music and dance to supercharge storytelling efforts.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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- What is UNLEASH Global Innovation Lab?

- What is the UNLEASH methodology?

- What can we expect from UNLEASH 2022?

Fun fact: host Kevin Sofen attended UNLEASH 2019 which inspired him to start this podcast plus connected him with an abundance of likeminded activists - such as today's guests Ana Jiménez Núñez and Serene Habbal!

So who better to get the inside scoop about UNLEASH other than the team behind-the-scenes? Ana is UNLEASH's Communications Lead while Serene is the Talent Experience Lead, and both also work full-time as Communications Consultants for Dalberg Media, a media consultancy aiming to increase awareness and mobilize partners and resources to the global development agenda. Ana and Serene have dedicated their careers to uniting media with international development and finding powerful insights that bring sustainability projects to their full potential.

The next UNLEASH Global Innovation Lab will take place in the state of Karnataka in India (at Infosys Mysore, the world’s largest corporate university!) from December 3 – 11, 2022. The lab will gather 1,000 young teams of participants between the ages of 18 - 35 to brainstorm ideas and co-create innovative initiatives through human-centered design thinking – a process that focuses on the real needs of the people that the solution focuses on. Experienced facilitators and experts will guide the participants through different stages of the innovation process.

You can apply for UNLEASH India HERE until June 19.

Follow UNLEASH: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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We got the inside scoop from expert Rachel Svetanoff, a young leader dedicated to championing innovation in social impact. Over the past 10 years, Rachel has helped work on all 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals where she has contributed to over 100 projects with 112 organizations across 35 countries. She is the Co-Founder of Global Futurist Initiative, which aims to elevate youth contributions to sustainable development and social progress. This effort is housed by and in partnership with InternetBar.Org Institute of which Rachel leads as Executive Director.

Rachel is a Global Goodwill Ambassador, an International Monetary Fund Youth Fellow, Liechtenstein Institute for Strategic Development LEAP fellow, One Better World Collective Liaison, UNITE 2030 Youth Delegate alumna, Youth Marketplace YOMA Rules! Taskforce member, and Harvard Seminar for Leaders in China instructor. She is also a founding member of the North American Changemaker Xchange global community, selected as 1 of 19 youth innovators from the continent. For her service, Rachel is the recipient of the Top 10 Under 40 of Tippecanoe County Award, 2021 Purdue University Student Life Young Alumni Award, 2021 Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award of AmeriCorps, the 2021 J.B. Dondolo, Inc. WASH Changemaker Award, and an InnoCentive Challenge winner.

Connect with Rachel: LinkedIn | Twitter

Episode Resources:

- Lessons from young people on how to organise a humanitarian response | World Economic Forum

- Climate change, Ukraine and pitfalls of international goodwill | The Hill

- A beginner's guide to the SDGs | Innovators Box

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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You may recognize our second time guest Camilo Huneeus Guzmán who is leading the way in operations most of us never even consider: wastewater engineering. With a Graduate Teaching Fellow from Yale and his experience working as the Water & Energy Subject Matter Specialist plus the World Security STC for The World Bank, Camilo created AInwater. 

AInwater uses artificial intelligence (AI) and treatment plants' operational data to optimize the energy consumption of our wastewater treatment plans without the need to invest in equipment or modify processes. As the company's current Chief Executive Officer, Camilo aims to make water accessible to all and sustainable for our ecosystems via innovative technology.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

We got to hear from the expert working at the nexus of civic engagement, community development and equity and climate advocacy: Catherine Flowers.

Catherine lived in Louisiana for many years, but when Hurricane Katrina hit she moved her family to Houston where she was hired to develop the city's Department of Neighborhoods whose mission is to improve the quality of life in Houston through people-focused programs and strong community partnerships. She has held leadership roles with the City of Houston, Capital One Bank, and the Louisiana Lt. Governor's Office, has chaired the City of Houston's Climate Action Plan Equity Committee, and - as the CEO of Bread of Life - she even expanded their services to meet the diverse needs of the greater Houston market and helped to serve over 100,000 after Hurricane Harvey.

Within her current consulting position, Catherine works with elected officials, municipalities, community organizations and national campaigns like the Moms Clean Air Force to deliver social impact. Last but not least, she is the founder of Altruistic Endeavors NGO - a disaster relief organization that responds to life disasters while also operating an apiary and urban farm, co-founded Energy Well Texas - a new kind of electric company, and is the finance chair for Texas' first Green Bank.

Connect with Catherine: Instagram | Facebook

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

Let's find out from climate tech startup founder and Nature-based Solutions expert Joona Mikkola. Obvious by his years of experience in developing, managing and monitoring agriculture, natural resources, and food security projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, Joona is passionate about ecological economics, and sees his mission as inciting humanity to better value nature.

As a result, Joona started SoilWatch which gives satellite and artificially intelligent tools to project developers and land-users so they can easily monitor and model environmental changes. SoilWatch takes a (literal) grassroots approach to sustainable development and climate action by unlocking finance for sustainable land-use and Nature-based Solutions while providing a scalable solution for monitoring and valuing soil organic carbon and other natural assets and ecosystem services.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

We learned from the champion of bioinspired innovation and the Founder & Managing Director of Biomimicry LA: Colin Mangham.

Colin creates and communicates the value of new and important ideas, initiatives, and brands, and solves complex problems for global brands and NGOs, locally-rooted nonprofits and hundreds of entrepreneurs. He enjoys guiding, inspiring and motivating individuals, teams, organizations and whole communities to connect with purpose and perform optimally. Colin has an extensive background in the natural and applied sciences, with a special focus around biomimicry. 

Connect with Colin: LinkedIn | Twitter

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

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Sustainability marketer George Brigandi is deeply involved in the development and launching of innovative products that can benefit a business' stakeholders, environmental footprint, and the bottom line. Since refocusing his career on impact brands, George has worked on various water projects in the Chicago area, now with Current as their Partnership and Development Manager. 

Current is a catalyst for better, cleaner water. Their mission is to grow the blue economy, accelerate innovation and solve pressing water challenges. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Chicago, Current collaborates with corporations, universities, nonprofits and governments to develop solutions that would be too risky or even impossible to undertake alone.

George led the marketing and communications efforts for Current's novel project H2NOW, an innovative public-private partnership that measures the water quality of the Chicago River and publishes it on a first-of-its-kind monitoring platform. In other words, H2NOW tests new sensing and analytic technologies to measure water quality parameters and communicate them with the public in real-time. The platforms goal is to increase public understanding about Chicago River water quality and empower Chicago residents and visitors to be more informed and engaged river users and stewards.

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

Let's learn how biotech startup Test At Home Pte. Ltd. is simplifying diagnostics with a ‘lollipop-like’ device from the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer himself Dr. Vivek Manoharan, Ph.D.

Dr. Manoharan has merged academia, hospital, research and entrepreneurship to enable SDG 3, evident through the success of his Singapore-India-based startup (which is already being valued at $1 million USD!). Test At Home Pte. Ltd. has been working on proprietary home-based healthcare testing technologies - in simpler terms, non-invasive, at-home testing - with the goal to bring it into the daily lives of people everywhere.

With more than 10 years of entrepreneurial experience in leading hospital, biomedical and biomedical commercialization research, as well as a prestigious track record at institutions such as but not limited to National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Entrepreneur First, Dr. Manoharan is also an official SDGs ambassador, talent and judge at the UNLEASH and UNLEASH+ Innovation Lab. According to Dr. Manoharan, UNLEASH has been a crucial, supportive resource in his transition from idea to project implementation, helping him drive his next steps.

Connect with Dr. Manoharan: LinkedIn

Follow UNLEASH: LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Episode Resources:

- UNLEASH - News

- India Today

- The Hindu Business Line

- India Times

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

Full of passion with a desire to disrupt and advance society forward, CEO/CTO Samantha Mathews founded LOCI, an innovative safety training platform that measurably reduces risk in any environment. An early adopter of webXR and Web3 protocols, Samantha uses immersive learning, digital presence and web-based accessibility to build behavior-changing training tools and bring safety into the future.

Connect with Samantha: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram

Follow LOCI: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram

Episode Resources:

- LOCI's YouTube Channel

- Learn By LOCI on Apple Podcasts

- Learn By LOCI on Spotify

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

She has recently transitioned jobs during the pandemic and now serves as Communications Advisor at the United Nations Development Programme. Additionally, she is a newly appointed contributing writer at Business Insider and founder of ART|unknown. - a platform that explores the intersection of the art, black avant-garde and travel in the African Diaspora.

Ms. Friar previously served as a lecturer and is in the final year of her PhD program in Art History at the University of Cape Town. Her thesis is entitled “Black sexual politics and the erotic: The intersection of gender politics and sexuality in contemporary visual art in Africa” which will be partially published this year with Aix-Marseille University in Provence, France.

Finally, Ms. Friar can be seen as a feature in Vogue Magazine’s November 2020 issue, speaking to the importance of black voices in the 2020 US elections.

Connect with Tayler: LinkedIn | Instagram 

Episode Resources:

- ArtNet.com: Climate Change Research

- Bloomberg.org: Public Art Pieces Responds to Climate Change

- GFDRR's YouTube: Art for Resilience in the Caribbean (World Bank) 

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

Rianna Patterson is a personal development coach and social entrepreneur who founded a youth-led dementia charity called Dominica Dementia Foundation in memory of her grandfather who passed away with Dementia in 2016. She is currently working on a documentary film on Dementia to tackle ageism in the media.

Back in June 2017, she was awarded her Majesty the Queen as a Queens Young Leader. She was also selected to speak on BBC One Show with Prince Harry during the Queens Young Leader award ceremony.

Given the various initiatives and projects Rianna has developed over the last years, she is also a brand strategist, helping small companies to understand their social impact projects. She provides support and resources for productivity and healthy habits.

Connect with Rianna: LinkedIn

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

SDG Talks got to hear from Lottie Dowling, the manager of the Educ8 Conference club on Clubhouse who runs weekly chats and global, free conferences on a variety of topics. Beyond holding the titles as HundrED Ambassador and Manager of International Programming in the first Twitter Spaces Conference (June 2021), Lottie is a primary trained educator who has travelled the globe teaching in several contexts. Over the last 20 years, she has worked in education as a school practitioner and professional learning leader on a global, national and regional levels. She has run networks of schools with educators working on pedagogical change and school improvement and delivered professional learning in a range of contexts including face to face and digitally, including through social media.

She is passionate about building Global Citizenship in meaningful, authentic ways, through intercultural experiences and working with schools for whole school transformation. She strongly feels education shapes society and that is how we can truly engage the next generation to achieve their maximum potential.

Connect with Lottie: LinkedIn | Clubhouse

Connect with Educ8: Facebook | Instagram

Episode Resources:

- Meg E-learning: the blog

- Future Schools Alliance

- Global Competence - PISA

- AMP Project

- Skills for Your Child's Future

- Edumaxi: Providing Students with Global Perspectives

- Asia Education Foundation

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

And who better to hear about Greenlight Planet's efforts than the Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Business Global Development herself Radhika Thakkar? Radhika joined the Greenlight Planet team while still a startup and expanded the company's presence from India to Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America within one year of operations to include hundreds of channel partners in more than 50 countries around the world today. She also launched Greenlight's office in Nairobi, Kenya and led significant growth of the company across sub-Saharan Africa and is additionally the President of the Board of Directors of GOGLA: "the voice of the off-grid solar energy industry."

Connect with Radhika: LinkedIn

Episode Resources:

- Greenlight Planet's YouTube Channel

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN USA) is a network of universities and research institutions across the United States committed to building pathways towards achieving the SDGs and Paris Climate Agreement by mobilizing research, outreach and collective action. We were lucky enough to talk with SDSN's very own Senior Research Manager Alianna Lynch and Co-Chair Dr. Helen Bond to share their findings from the Racial Inequality Index report with all of you!

Prior to SDSN, Alainna Lynch worked with Overseas Development Institute (ODI) on the Leave No One Behind Agenda. She has a degree in Sociology from the University of Chicago and a Master’s in Evidence-Based Social Intervention from Oxford University. Her research interests include understanding how poverty and inequality become entrenched in social systems, and how to prevent harm when designing policy and programs. 

Dr. Helen Bond is an Associate Professor at Howard University in Washington D.C. and former director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Assessment. She is a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar to India and is a contributing author of the UNESCO publication, Teaching Respect for All: Implementation Guide, which outlines a curricular framework to promote respect which countries can adapt to their respective contexts and needs. She was also the contributing author to the UNESCO publication entitled, Teacher’s Guide on the Prevention of Violent Extremism, the first contribution to the implementation of the UN Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, announced in January 2016. She authored a series of Teacher Guides for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Education for Justice (E4J) initiative that seeks to promote a culture of lawfulness through education.

Connect with Alainna: LinkedIn

Connect with Helen: LinkedIn

Resources:

- Never More Urgent - Full Report

- In the Red - Full Report

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

Fashion industry revolutionary Romain Liot joined our episode to share his journey co-founding and becoming COO of the disruptive e-commerce startup Adore Me. With revenues growing exponentially from $1M in 2012 to over $100M, Romain has led Adore Me to become one of the fastest-growing companies in New York (ranked #17 on Crain’s Fast 50 in 2017) and one of the fastest-growing retailers in the U.S. (ranked three times on the Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America).

Connect with Romain: LinkedIn 

Let’s get SDG Talking!!

Got a good story or want to collaborate? Send us an email at sdgtalkspodcast@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

And don’t forget to check out our Virtual Roundtables on our website!

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

Kiko Hirakawa, one of the few ethical models in the fashion industry, shares her experience and growth throughout her years in modeling, which she started when she was 12 years old. She has had a difficult journey overcoming many challenges regarding mental and physical health issues, such as an eating disorder, self-love and self-doubt. Kiko utilized her experiences to make powerful decisions by choosing to model only for sustainable brands and additionally founded Ethical Models, the first ethical agency based in Europe, connecting sustainable brands with models who share the same ethical beliefs.  

Website: https://www.jeremymckane.com/about/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candice-pettaway-45528213b/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/candice.pettaway 

Unleash Hacks USA: https://www.unleashhacksusa.com/

Perman Hardy grew up in a family of sharecroppers and has worked for decades as an advocate to improve the lives of people within Lowndes County.  She has recently stepped into the role of board chair for the Lowndes County Unincorporated Wastewater Project.  Through the hard work of their team, they have obtained grants (to the tune of $2.9M) to supply engineered onsite wastewater treatment systems for low income homeowners with failing or non-existent systems.

You should also consider watching this powerful video https://vimeo.com/346751909.

To stay in touch with the UNELASH USA hack please visit https://www.unleashhacksusa.com/

In this episode:

- Challenges and opportunities to working in rural communities

- Moving from “Straight Pipes” to sustainable waste water systems

- Less talk, more action for Lowndes County

- A message to everyone that wants to help

Relevant articles: https://www.nola.com/nation_world/article_c9e95207-f612-5809-8109-0a4e80ff5575.html 

To learn more about all the UNLEASH hacks please visit: https://unleash.org/hacks/

To sign up for the UNLEASH USA hack please visit https://www.unleashhacksusa.com/

Speakers:

Lindsey Broderick's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseybroderick/

Anniestacia Miskel's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anniestacia-miskel-454781161/