Big Vision Podcast

Save Your Trash: An Interview with Ari Derfel

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:12:00 GMT

Ari Derfel talks about what he learned after saving his trash for one year. You can read more about his experiment on his blog, Save Your Trash at http://saveyourtrash.typepad.com.

Ari is the co-founder of Back to Earth Catering and Outdoor Adventures. Long time Big Vision Podcast listeners may have heard an interview with Ari and his co-founder, Eric Fenster, in 2006.

A transcript of this interview will be available in a couple weeks on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

What Can I Do About Genocide? An Interview with Janessa Goldbeck

Tue, 13 May 2008 15:53:00 GMT

Janessa Goldbeck is the Director of Membership at the Genocide Intervention Network, a nonprofit organization that provides individuals and communities with the tools to prevent and stop genocide. As a college student, Janessa served as the first National Outreach Coordinator for STAND, helping to build what started as a group of students at a few schools nationwide into an international clearinghouse organization for student anti-genocide activism. In just two years, Janessa served a pivotal role in expanding STAND to more than 850 schools worldwide and merging the organization with the Genocide Intervention Network. Since graduation, she has produced several short films on the student anti-genocide movement, and appeared at numerous conferences, forums and trainings on behalf of STAND and the Genocide Intervention Network. Her work now focuses on building a constituency of conscience among all age groups. Janessa is a graduate of Northwestern University and holds a degree in Magazine Journalism and a certificate in African Studies, as well as a certificate in Sustainable Development from the School for International Training in Uganda.

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog Have Fun * Do Good.

Women of Color Resource Center: An Interview with Anisha Desai

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:54:00 GMT

Anisha Desai is the Executive Director of the Women of Color Resource Center. Founded in 1990, the Women of Color Resource Center is headquartered in the Bay Area and promotes the political, economic, social and cultural well being of women and girls of color in the United States.

Desai came to the Women of Color Resource Center from a Deputy Director role at United for a Fair Economy in Boston, where she had oversight over a national economic justice program. She has co-authored publications on fair taxation, housing and the racial wealth divide.

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

The Global Fund for Women: An Interview with Kavita Ramdas

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 03:27:00 GMT

This month's interview is with Kavita Ramdas, the President and CEO of the Global Fund for Women. The Global Fund for Women is an international network of women and men committed to a world of equality and social justice. They advocate for and defend women's human rights by making grants to support women's groups around the world. Ramdas has been the recipient of many awards including Fast Company's 2007 Social Capitalist Award, and the League of Women Votersâ Women Who Could Be President Award.

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

Empowering Women Citizen Journalists: An Interview with Cristi Hegranes

Thu, 7 Feb 2008 05:25:00 GMT

Cristi Hegranes is the Founder of The Press Institute for Women in the Developing World.

"The Press Institute for Women in the Developing World is an international nonprofit organization and citizen journalism initiative. The Institute was founded on the belief that journalism is an empowering tool that can bring voice, strength and light to issues that are hidden and people who are oppressed."

Women's eNews named her one of the 21 Leaders of the 21st Century for 2008, and she was also awarded the annual Ida B. Wells prize for Bravery in Journalism.

You can read an edited transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

Preventing Human Trafficking: An Interview with Christina Arnold

Mon, 7 Jan 2008 00:50:00 GMT

Christina Arnold is the Founder of Prevent Human Trafficking. Prevent Human Trafficking is a Washington DC-based nonprofit working to build a bridge between South East Asia and the United States to prevent human trafficking. Prevent Human Trafficking empowers individuals, organizations and governments to tackle the root causes of human trafficking through direct support and technical assistance.

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

Training Social Changemakers: An Interview with Andre Carothers, Rockwood Leadership Program

Sun, 9 Dec 2007 00:24:00 GMT

The Rockwood Leadership Program specializes in delivering the best practices and methodologies in leadership development to the non-profit community. Andre Carothers is the Rockwood Leadership Program's Executive Director and Co-founder. Since 2000, Rockwood has trained more than 1500 leaders from thousands of organizations in the US and Canada through a variety of programs designed to increase the collaborative capacity of the non-profit advocacy sector. Andre served on the staff and Board of Directors of Greenpeace USA, and currently serves on the boards of the International Rivers Network and the Rainforest Action Network.

You can read a transcript of the interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

Women Who Light the Dark: An Interview with Paola Gianturco

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:59:00 GMT

For the past twelve years, Paola Gianturco has worked as a photojournalist, documenting womenâs lives in forty countries. Her new book, Women Who Light the Dark (September 2007) is her fourth published by powerHouse Books.

In 2006, Gianturco co-authored with David Hill, ÂViva Colores! A Salute to the Indomitable People of Guatemala, a bilingual book met with critical acclaim.

Her previous book, Celebrating Women (powerHouse Books, October 2004) was the subject of the first exhibit ever curated by the International Museum of Women, San Francisco.

Paola is also the co-author/photographer with Toby Tuttle of the best-seller, In Her Hands: Craftswomen Changing the World (powerHouse Books, paperback, 2004; Monacelli Press, hardcover, 2000). This was Gianturcoâs first book, inspired by the 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.

All of Gianturco's books are philanthropic projects, for which she donates her royalties to carefully-selected nonprofit organizations that relate to each book's content. For Women Who Light the Dark, Gianturco is giving 100% of her author royalties to the Global Fund for Women, which advocates for and defends women's human rights by making grants to support women's groups
around the world.

You can learn more about Paola's work and Women Who Light the Dark on the book's web site: womenwholightthedark.com

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

Using Film to Change the World: An Interview with Shalini Kantayya

Sun, 7 Oct 2007 06:16:00 GMT

Shalini Kantayya is a filmmaker, educator, and activist who uses film/video as a tool to educate, inspire, and empower audiences. Shalini believes in making films that spark positive social change. The mission of her production company, 7th Empire Media, is to bring a professional voice to the unheard through media. Shalini finished in the top 10 out of 12,000 filmmakers on FOXâs ON THE LOT, a reality show by Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett, in search of Hollywoodâs next great director. You can see a trailer from her film, A Drop of Life, at www.adropoflife.tv.

You can read a transcript of this interview on Have Fun * Do Good.

The Power of Giving Circles: An Interview with Marsha Wallace of Dining for Women

Mon, 3 Sep 2007 19:14:00 GMT

Marsha Wallace is the founder of Dining for Women. Dining for Women's mission is to empower women and children living in extreme poverty by funding programs that foster good health, education, and economic self-sufficiency and to cultivate educational giving circles inspiring individuals to make a difference through the power of collective giving.

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

Writing for Change Conference: An Interview with Elizabeth Pomada

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 04:09:00 GMT

Elizabeth Pomada is a literary agent who co-founded the Writing for Change Conference and the San Francisco Writers Conference with her husband, Michael Larsen. Together, they started Michael Larsen - Elizabeth Pomada Literary Agents in 1972.

She talks about the Writing for Change Conference and tips for writers who want to write for change.

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

Green Coworking: Interview with Chris Messina and Ivan Storck

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 22:57:00 GMT

Chris Messina of Citizen Agency and Ivan Storck of SustainableMarketing.com and SustainableWebsites.com talk about how to start a green coworking space based on their experience with Citizen Space in San Francisco, CA.

For more info about coworking go to coworking.info or wiki.coworking.info

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

Solutionary Women: Alli Chagi-Starr, Ilyse Hogue, Melinda Kramer and Reem Rahim

Fri, 8 Jun 2007 00:16:00 GMT

In this episode, rather than hearing an interview with one individual, I wanted to share a recording from a panel I organized for the Stanford Women's Leadership Conference in April called, Solutionary Women: How Can I Create Social Change? I asked four of the women who I had previously interviewed for the Big Vision Podcast to share what brought them to their work, and their advice to the graduate and undergraduate women who attended the conference.

You'll hear from Alli Chagi-Starr who is the Co-Founder of Art in Action, and the Art and Media Director of Reclaim the Future for the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Ilyse Hogue, the Campaign Director of MoveOn.org, Melinda Kramer, the Founder and Director of Women's Earth Alliance, and Reem Rahim, the Co-Founder and Vice President of Marketing for Numi Tea.

You can read a transcript of this panel on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

An Interview with Van Jones of the Ella Baker Center

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 22:48:00 GMT

Van Jones is working to combine solutions to America's two biggest problems: social inequality and environmental destruction.

In 1996, Van founded the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. Named for an unsung civil rights heroine, the Center promotes alternatives to violence and incarceration. As an advocate for the toughest urban constituencies and causes, Van has won many honors. These include the 1998 Reebok International Human Rights Award, the international Ashoka Fellowship, selection as a World Economic Forum "Young Global Leader," and the Rockefeller Foundation "Next Generation Leadership" Fellowship.

Van is also a national environmental leader, having served on the boards of the National Apollo Alliance, Social Ventures Network, Rainforest Action Network, Bioneers and Julia Butterfly Hill's Circle of Life organization.

Van's dual roles have given him a unique perspective on the country's problems and its potential solutions. He is calling for green economic development for urban America. The City of Oakland has adopted the Ella Baker Center's "Green Jobs Corps" proposal, which will train youth for eco-friendly "green-collar jobs." Now Van is pushing to create the first-ever Green Enterprise Zone, to attract environmentally-sound industry to Oakland.

A 1993 Yale Law graduate, he is also a husband and father. A rising star, Van champions the most hopeful solutions to America's toughest challenges.

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

An Interview with Paul Rice of TransFair USA

Mon, 2 Apr 2007 05:25:00 GMT

Paul Rice is the founding President & CEO of TransFair USA, the only Fair Trade certification organization in the U.S. today. Since launching the Fair Trade Certified label eight years ago, TransFair has established Fair Trade as the fastest growing segment of the $19 billion coffee industry. TransFair is rapidly expanding Fair Trade certification into tea, chocolate, rice, sugar, bananas and other fresh fruits.

Previously, Paul worked for 11 years as a rural development specialist in the Segovias region of Nicaragua, where he founded and led an organic coffee export cooperative called PRODECOOP. In 2000 he received the international Ashoka Fellowship for his pioneering work as a social entrepreneur in the Fair Trade movement. Paul was also honored by the Klaus Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship as one of the world's top 40 Social Entrepreneurs in 2002. More recently, Paul spoke on Fair Trade at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2004 and 2005.

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

An Interview with Priya Haji of World of Good

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 20:53:00 GMT

Priya Haji is the CEO and Co-founder of World of Good. World of Good creates opportunities for hundreds of artisan cooperatives around the world to share their best work by serving as a bridge to the U.S. retail market

Priya Haji built the concept for World of Good while completing her MBA at UC Berkeley. She has led the company from inception to its current stage with a focus on using the engine of enterprise to create social impact. She also serves as the Board Chair for the World of Good: Development Organization, the 501(c)3 non-profit sister organization of World of Good, Inc.

She was recognized in 1998 as one of America's 10 Most Outstanding Young Leaders (Brick Award) by the Do Something Foundation, MTV and Mademoiselle Magazine.

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

Interview with Jodie Van Horn of Freedom from Oil and Plug-in Bay Area

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 22:19:00 GMT

Jodie Van Horn is an organizer for the Freedom from Oil campaign with Rainforest Action Network, a coalition that is working to free America of its oil addiction. Jodie also coordinates Plug-in Bay Area, an initiative aimed at promoting the commercialization of plug-in hybrid vehicles to demonstrate that a demand exists for ultra fuel efficient transportation alternatives.

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

Bio taken from the Green Festival

An Interview with Reem Rahim of Numi Tea

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 17:01:00 GMT

Reem Rahim is the Co-founder and Vice President of Marketing of the Oakland-based green business Numi Tea. She is also the creator of the beautiful cover art on the tea's boxes. In the Fall of 1999, brother and sister Ahmed and Reem had a vision to revive the "serenity, creativity, and comfort that is inspired by the simple art of tea." Now they are the #9 brand in the natural food industry out of about 225 tea companies. Reem talks about how the company balances the triple bottom line of profits, people and planet.

A transcript of this interview is available on my blog Have Fun * Do Good.

An Interview with Kevin Danaher of Global Exchange

Mon, 1 Jan 2007 00:52:00 GMT

Kevin Danaher is the co-founder of the nonprofit, Global Exchange. In addition to its Reality Tours and Fair Trade stores, Global Exchange co-sponsors the Green Festivals with Co-op America. Kevin talks about The Global Citizen Center. The Center will be a large, mixed-use building in downtown San Francisco that will serve as a hub for ecologically and socially responsible enterprise, education, and economic development.

A transcript of this interview is available on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

An Interview with Melinda Kramer of Women's Global Green Action Network

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 22:16:00 GMT

Melinda Kramer is the co-founder of Women's Global Green Action Network(WGGAN). WGGAN cultivates global partnerships of grassroots women environmental leaders by providing access to communication tools, support services and networking capabilities.

Working with organizations like Pacific Environment, the PIRGs, the Sierra Club, CARE Kenya, and the St. Louis Lead Prevention Coalition, Melinda has been involved in multi-stakeholderwork, coalition-building, campaign-organizing, legal assistance and capacity building.

A transcript of this interview is available on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

An Interview with Ingrid Severson of Bay Localize

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 05:17:00 GMT

Ingrid Severson is the Lead Organizer of the Rooftop Resources Project, a project of Bay Localize. The Rooftop Resources project is researching the applicability and benefits of green roofs, rainwater catchment and solar power in in the Bay Area.

Ingrid gained experience in the environmental field at San Francisco State University, New College of California, and an intensive permaculture design course. She has worked with Sonoma County Conservation Action, the Sierra Club Bay Chapter, and a video production group that promotes environmental awareness and education.

A transcript of the interview is available on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

An Interview with Jessica Jackley Flannery of Kiva

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 20:09:00 GMT

Jessica Jackley Flannery is the co-founder and a board member of Kiva, a nonprofit that is using the Internet to connect people through loans to alleviate global poverty. Jessica has worked in rural Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda with the Village Enterprise Fund and Project Baobab on impact evaluation and program development. Earlier, Jessica spent three years in the Stanford Business School's Center for Social Innovation and Public Management Program, where she helped launch the inaugural Global Philanthropy Forum. Jessica is currently pursuing an MBA at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

A transcript of the interview is available on my blog Have Fun * Do Good.

You can watch a documentary about Kiva on FRONTLINE World on Tuesday, October 31,2006, or on the FRONTLINE World web site via streaming video a few days after the broadcast.

You can view a brief preview of the October 31st show on Google video.

Full disclosure: I'm friends with the Editor for FRONTLINE World, David Ritsher.

An Interview with Jonah Sachs of Free Range Studios

Wed, 13 Sep 2006 13:00:00 GMT

Jonah Sachs is the Principal of Free Range Studios, an advertising and marketing firm with offices in Washington DC and Berkeley, CA that specializes in nonprofits and socially responsible businesses. His company created the award-winning film, The Meatrix, about factory farms, and the hilarious film, Store Wars, about the importance of organic farming.

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

An Interview with Lisa Russ of the Movement Strategy Center*

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 17:21:00 GMT

Lisa Russ is the Associate Director of the Movement Strategy Center. The Movement Strategy Center is a nonprofit organization that is committed to advancing the next generation of leaders for a sustainable progressive movement. Lisa talks about the joys and challenges of being a mom in the movement.

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

An Interview with Nola Brantley of the George P. Scotlan Youth Program

Sat, 9 Sep 2006 05:19:00 GMT

Nola Brantley is the Parenting and Youth Enrichment Director, and the Coordinator of the Sexually Abused and Commercially Exploited Youth Program at the George P. Scotlan Youth Program in West Oakland.

According to Nola, not only is the sexual exploitation of minors increasing, "the young ladies are getting more savvy because some of them, who went in at 14, are now 16 or 17. They're recruiting 12 or 13 year olds. . . . We have girls that come from out of state to prostitute in Oakland who are under 18 and I've asked them, 'Well, how did you end up in Oakland?' They say, 'Don't you know that everywhere else, coming to Oakland to do your thing is a big thing?'"

One of the many aspects of Nola's job is to be an advocate for young girls who are arrested for prostitution and she is often called upon to use her expertise in the field of sexually exploited minors to train clinicians and case managers in Oakland and the surrounding counties.

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

An Interview with Anna Lappe of Grub & the Small Planet Institute

Tue, 8 Aug 2006 22:02:00 GMT

If you've been listening to the last seven shows, they were all recorded between February and June 2006 and originally hosted on Gcast. Now I'm done with the transfer of old interviews and we're on to the new!

I'm thrilled to have had an opportunity to interview Anna Lappe, the co-author of Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen with Bryant Terry, and co-author of Hope's Edge with her mother Frances Moore Lappe. Anna is also a co-founder, with her mother, of the Small Planet Fund, and a founding principal of the Small Planet Institute, based in Cambridge Massachusetts.

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

An Interview with Steve Williams of POWER

Tue, 8 Aug 2006 21:57:00 GMT

Steve Williams is the Executive Director and co-founder of POWER: People Organized to Win Employment Rights on the Big Vision Podcast. Steve also happens to be engaged to Mei-ying Ho (:

You can read a transcript of this podcast on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

An Interview with Ilyse Hogue of MoveOn.org

Tue, 8 Aug 2006 21:50:00 GMT

When I interviewed Ilyse Hogue back in June, she was still the Global Finance Campaign Director for the Rainforest Action Network, but now she is the Campaigns Director for MoveOn.org.

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

An Interview with Abby Rosenheck of Urban Sprouts

Tue, 8 Aug 2006 21:42:00 GMT

Abby Rosenheck (actually, she is Abby Jaramillo now) is the founder and Executive Director of Urban Sprouts, a school gardening program in San Francisco.

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

An Interview with Mei-ying Ho of SOUL

Tue, 8 Aug 2006 21:31:00 GMT

Mei-ying Ho is the co-Director of SOUL (The School of Unity and Liberation) a youth activist training program.

You can read a transcript of this interview at my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

An Interview with Brahm Ahmadi of People's Grocery

Tue, 8 Aug 2006 21:27:00 GMT

Brahm Ahmadi is the Executive Director of People's Grocery, an awesome food justice nonprofit in Oakland.

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

An Interview with Ari Derfel & Eric Fenster of Back to Earth

Tue, 8 Aug 2006 21:18:00 GMT

Back in April I interviewed Eric Fenster and Ari Derfel, the founders of Back to Earth, an organic catering and outdoor adventure company.

You can read a transcript of their interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.

An Interview with Alli Chagi-Starr of Art in Action and the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights

Tue, 8 Aug 2006 21:15:00 GMT

Welcome Big Vision Podcast listeners new and old. I am transferring my interviews over from Gcast, where I started posting the Big Vision podcast in February of 2006. My first interview was with Alli Chagi-Starr. Alli is the Art and Media Director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights' Reclaim the Future Program. Alli is also the co-founder of Art and Revolution, and founder of Art in Action, Dancers without Borders, and the Radical Performance Fest. In addition to being an artist, performer and dancer, Alli is also a writer, whose most recent piece can be found in the Code Pink anthology, Stop the Next War Now.

You can read a transcript of this interview on my blog, Have Fun * Do Good.