Shows
The Syncreate Podcast: Empowering CreativityEpisode 95: Poetry, Nature, and Beautiful Mistakes with Brian KirvenBrian Kirven is a poet, traveler, and teacher living in Point Reyes Station in Northern California. He's the author of Shorelines: A Traveler Comes Home to the Tide Zone. He's served as a California Poet in the Schools, as well as the Poetry Inside Out program, and hosted a radio show on KWMR in Point Reyes for many years. His poetry has been featured in numerous literary journals, including California Quarterly, Inverness Almanac, The Kerf, West Marin Review, and most recently, the Haight Ashbury Literary Journal. His work is rooted in a deep sense of place and connection to...2025-06-2653 min
The Syncreate Podcast: Empowering CreativityEpisode 83: Proprioception with Poet and Professor C. Prudence ArceneauxPoet C. Prudence Arceneaux is Chair of the Creative Writing Department at Austin Community College. Her work has appeared in various journals, including The Academy of American Poets’ Poem-A-Day, Limestone, New Texas, African Voices and Inkwell. She is the author of two chapbooks of poetry — Dirt (awarded the 2018 Jean Pedrick Prize) and Liberty. Her new full-length collection Proprioception is now available Texas Review Press. Fellow Texas poet Naomi Shihab Nye writes of Propriception: “How Arceneaux manages to be wry, sexy, contemplative, and rueful all at once, is a wonder.” Our conversation ranges from the earthy sensuality of Arceneaux’s poems to t...2025-04-0256 min
The Syncreate Podcast: Empowering CreativityEpisode 52: Texas Poet Laureate Amanda JohnstonAmanda Johnston is the 2024 Texas Poet Laureate, the first Black woman appointed to the role by the Texas State Legislature. She is also the recipient of a 2024 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship. She is the author of two chapbooks, GUAP and Lock & Key, and the full-length collection Another Way to Say Enter. Her work has appeared in numerous online and print publications. Named one of Blavity’s "13 Black Poets You Should Know," Amanda’s work has been featured on Bill Moyers, the Poetry Society of America’s series In Their Own Words, The Moth Radio Hour, and the...2024-08-2944 minThe Syncreate Podcast: Empowering CreativityEpisode 15: Leadership, Burnout & Personal Sustainability with Dr. Katherine SemlerWe’ve all likely experienced some degree of burnout or overwhelm in the course of our lives, especially since the pandemic. But what exactly is burnout? How can we recognize the signs of it, prevent it from overtaking us, and heal from it once we’ve experienced it? My guest on the show today is Dr. Katherine Semler. Katherine has worked for 25 years in the field of leadership development. She is a senior partner at Korn Ferry and an adjunct faculty member at Ashridge Hult Business School. She is the co-author of Running On Empty, a book about burnout and...2023-11-3025 minThe Syncreate Podcast: Empowering CreativityEpisode 12: Creativity, Inclusivity and Community Theater with Sharanya RaoSharanya Rao is a leadership, team, and career coach with an emphasis on equity and inclusion. She’s also the Artistic Director of Leela - An Indian Community Theatre in Austin, Texas. Her current project, Anklets in the Boardroom, gives voice to South Asian women’s experiences in the workplace. Her project is a living example of creating in community, in service of positive social change, which is one of Syncreate’s core principles. Our conversation in this episode focuses on how she’s brought together a “confluence of passions” with her work in coaching, DEI, and theater, culminating in Anklets i...2023-10-1929 minThe Syncreate Podcast: Empowering CreativityEpisode 11: Leadership, Values, and Criminal Justice Reform with Dylan HayreDylan Hayre is a leader in criminal justice reform focusing on supervision in probation and parole. We connected through his work and leadership, and from the start I was struck by his passion and drive, not only for criminal justice work, but in his striving for self-cultivation in leading from his core values and principles. Dylan is a highly creative thinker, bringing an innovative approach to solving the problems of a complex and highly entrenched institutional system. Our conversation in this episode focuses on the creativity in Dylan’s work, as well as the values and principles he brings to...2023-10-0526 minThe Syncreate Podcast: Empowering CreativityEpisode 6: Gratitude, Gentleness, and Generosity with Mayela Padilla ManasjanOne of the most powerfully creative things we can do as leaders and changemakers in this complex world is to identify and live from our core values. As a creativity and leadership coach and consultant, I always encourage my clients to articulate their core values and utilize them as compass points in their work. My guest in this episode, Mayela Padilla Manasjan, exemplifies this values-driven creative leadership. Mayela is an environmental scientist as well as a poet and photographer. She’s also the Executive Director of Casa Werma, a Buddhist retreat center in Patzcuaro, Mexico. She leads from what sh...2023-07-2726 min
Tiny Climate ChallengeCreating Community with Amanda Essoh & Jim WangIn this Tiny Climate Challenge episode, our Guest Challengers Amanda Essoh and Jim Wang discuss how they serendipitously met each other on a plane, spontaneously connected with folks in their local communities and organically created communities of their own to help elevate their voices and make a difference in our world. Guest Expert/Challenger Contact Information LinkedIn: Amanda Essoh LinkedIn: Jim Wang Expert/Guest Challenger Bio Amanda Essoh is a second-year Ph.D. student of Medical Sciences focusing on the intersection of stress and addiction. She joined a career...2021-11-1141 minTiny Climate ChallengePermission to be Great is Granted with Joan KlingLeadership matters and how we show up in the world is just as important as the work we do. In this Tiny Climate Challenge episode, our Guest Expert Joan Kling teaches us her coaching philosophy that she developed called PIES and we discuss how this can be applied in all of our lives. Her Tiny Climate challenge for each of us is to find or create a community to help support us in both our personal and professional lives. Guest Expert/Challenger Contact Information Website: Joan Kling Coaching LinkedIn: Joan Kling ...2021-07-2146 minTiny Climate ChallengeBruce Bekkar: Climate ConfessionsIn this Tiny Climate Challenge episode our Guest Expert Dr. Bruce Bekkar and Mayela Manasjan share some of their own climate confessions and discuss what we can all do to enhance our personal resilience as we relate to our eco-anxiety. Dr. Bekkar also shares some tiny tips on the importance of being aware and honest about our own environmental shortcomings, accepting our imperfections, finding the joy in climate activism and taking care of ourselves and others as we work to solve our climate crisis. Expert/Guest Challenger Bio Bruce Bekkar, M.D. is a women’s...2021-04-0831 minTiny Climate ChallengeSophia Militello: Conscientious ConsumerismIn this Tiny Climate Challenge episode our Guest Challenger Sophia Militello’s talks about her journey to becoming a more conscious consumer. She discusses how she researched some of her favorite brands and companies and gained a greater awareness of her ecological footprint. Sophia also shares some tiny tips on how we can all become more sustainable in every purchase that we make. Guest Challenger Bio Sophia Militello graduated from the University of Washington with a double major in Chemistry and Community, Environment, & Planning. She spent this past year living in Madrid, Spain teaching English an...2021-02-2342 min
Tiny Climate ChallengeNancy Mancilla: Corporate Social ResponsibilityIn this Tiny Climate Challenge episode our Guest Expert Nancy Mancilla talks about the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) a management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and interactions with their stakeholders. As the Founder and CEO of ISOS group, Nancy has trained and enabled numerous sustainability professionals and students to understand and use leading global sustainability standards and frameworks to promote a healthy planet, resilient communities, and thriving economies. Her Tiny Climate Challenge for all us is to research the CSR reports of our favorite companies and brands. Guest...2020-12-0936 min
We Are Diverse CreatorsMayela Manasjan Talks About Tiny Climate ChallengeMayela Manasjan believes in the importance of leading with 3 G’s: Gratitude, Gentleness, and Generosity. She has worked diligently throughout her 19 year career as an environmental scientist and advocate in local government to protect the environment for the benefit of all current and future generations. Listen to this mini-episode where we talk about her podcast, subscribe to it and take action!
https://tinyclimate.com/2020-10-1509 minTiny Climate ChallengeMolly Basler: Living the Green DreamIn this Tiny Climate Challenge episode, our Guest Expert Molly Basler talks about the importance of running a sustainable grassroots political campaign. As a current candidate for Los Angeles City Council District 5, she developed the “Green Dream Pledge” and “Code of Ethics” to encourage all democratic institutions and candidates to commit to sustainability. Her Tiny Climate Challenge for all of us is to get involved in the political process by registering to vote and supporting political candidates that care about people and our planet. Links mentioned Green Dream Campaign Green Dream Pledge Green Dream Podcast C...2020-09-2343 minTiny Climate ChallengeLeonard Grossberg: Environmental Activism for a LifetimeIn this Tiny Climate Challenge episode our Guest Challenger Leonard Grossberg talks about his evolution from being a career environmental professional to becoming a passionate environmental and political activist as a retiree. He discusses the importance of raising eco-conscious families, connecting with our communities, being civically engaged, volunteering with environmental organizations and staying politically active. Guest Expert Bio Leonard Grossberg is happily retired after working more than 25 years with the City of Vernon Health & Environmental Control Department. He started as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) and worked his way up to Director/Health Officer.2020-09-0133 minTiny Climate ChallengeBrian Ettling: How to be a Climate ChampionIn this Tiny Climate Challenge episode, our Guest Expert Brian Ettling talks about his commitment to caring for our environment as a former National Park Ranger and current climate activist for Climate Reality Project, Citizens Climate Lobby, and Renew Oregon. He reminds us that we can all make a difference in the world by the way we vote, the products we buy, and the attitudes that we share with each other. His Tiny Climate Challenge for all of us is to get out into nature, initiate climate conversations with everyone we meet, and take daily actions to...2020-08-0441 minTiny Climate ChallengeAna Clara Farria: Global Climate Reality Leaders UniteIn this Tiny Climate Challenge episode, our Guest Expert Ana Clara Faria talks about her experience attending a recent Climate Reality Project Leadership Corp training. She also shares her current efforts to engage, educate, and empower people on climate change in her home country, Brazil. Guest Challenger Bio Ana Clara Faria has a Bachelor of Journalism with a specialized degree in International Relations and Diplomacy. She is interested in writing about themes such as public policy, social and economic issues, and sustainable development. She attended the Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training in March 2019, i...2020-07-2129 min
Green Dream Podcast with Molly BaslerRound-table: Climate Reality Leaders Lead on ClimateRound-table participants Michael Zelniker on LinkedIn, on Twitter Mayela Manasjan on LinkedIn, on Twitter, on Tiny Climate Podcast Jill MacIntyre Witt on LinkedIn, on TEDx (YouTube), and Fought Big Coal in Her Backyard 2020-07-191h 04
Green Dream Podcast with Molly BaslerMayela Manasjan: Facing the Climate Emergency with HeartA Guided Meditation led by Mayela Manasjan of the Tiny Climate Challenge podcast. "I offer this guided meditation as a practice for awakening to both the crisis and the great potential for transformation." Sir Jewel.2020-07-0310 minTiny Climate ChallengeTaylor Leigh Cannizarro: Passion in ActionIn this Tiny Climate Challenge episode, we learn to create environmental and social impact with our Guest Expert Taylor Leigh Cannizarro. She inspires all of us to turn humanity's greatest threats into humanity's greatest opportunities through her work with Plastic Bank and invites us all to make our own impact in the world by joining her “Impact with Taylor” challenge. Guest Challenger Bio Meet Taylor Leigh Cannizzaro, Chief Alliance Officer at Plastic Bank, an economic development firm monetizing plastic waste to provide an opportunity for the impoverished to collect and trade plastic as a currency. Her visionary lead...2020-06-3049 minTiny Climate ChallengeErika Morgan: Watts Up with your Electricity Bill?In this Tiny Climate Challenge, our Guest Expert Erika Morgan is back to teach us how to read our electricity bills so that we can make our kilowatt-hours go a lot further to saving the planet. Guest Challenger Bio Erika Morgan is an independent clean energy consultant dedicated to speeding the transition to zero-carbon energy solutions. She works with non-profit and private entities, providing technical, operations and business facilitation, policy advocacy, and market development for clean energy solutions, including community choice energy programs. She also provides operational support to the California Alliance for Community Energy - a s...2020-06-1653 minTiny Climate ChallengeApril and May: Sustainability Survival Tips from the Quaran-QueensIn this Tiny Climate Challenge episode, April and May (The Quaran-Queens) are back to talk about their sustainable swaps and drops and how they’re surviving the COVID-19 pandemic together. April Powers is a Quaran-Queen with a YouTube channel for everyone wondering how to cook in COVID times. She just started a bilingual children’s book and website called Finicky Fiona (Fiona Melindrosa for YouTube en español) to encourage children to eat the rainbow and to help people with allergies learn how to cook delicious food. Links mentioned Finicky Fiona April Powers TV (YouTub...2020-05-1249 minTiny Climate ChallengeMarta Hynan: DIY Cleaning SuppliesIn this Tiny Climate Challenge episode our Guest Challenger Marta Hynan teaches us how easy it is to be a Zero Waste Badass by minimizing her waste and making her own do-it-yourself (DIY) cleaning supplies. Guest Challenger Bio Marta Hynan originally from Brazil is a fitness and cleaning professional living in San Diego, California. She loves the outdoors, nature, people and our planet and is committed to finding new ways to living sustainably. She believes in the importance of cleaning up our environment “one small plastic bottle cap at a time” and loves to educate and...2020-04-2123 min
Tiny Climate ChallengeMarina Qutab: The EcoGoddessIn this Tiny Climate Challenge episode our Guest Expert, Marina Qutab (aka the Eco Goddess) teaches us how to be a Zero Waste Badass. She talks about how she tracked and reduced her trash and fit two years of her waste into a tiny mason jar. She also challenges all of us to embrace the philosophy of ecocentrism by becoming more resourceful in our own lives and creating our own DIY solutions for living more sustainably. Guest Challenger Bio Marina Qutab is the personality behind Eco Goddess. Through her online presence, she shares zero waste living tips, p...2020-02-2537 min
Tiny Climate ChallengePia Piscitelli: Slow Fashion ChallengerPia Piscitelli committed to her own slow fashion challenge for an entire year in 2019. In this episode, she shares her best ideas and inspirations to help us all take eco-actions to create a more sustainable closet. Guest Challenger Bio Pia Piscitelli is passionate about eco-action and finding tangible ways to make a difference. For over five years, she has worked in environmental education organizations helping kids and adults take steps to live a more sustainable life. She was trained as a Climate Reality Leader with former Vice President Al Gore, and she's certified as a...2020-02-0448 min
Tiny Climate ChallengeErika Lopez Lara: Slow Fashion ExpertIn this Tiny Climate Challenge, our Guest Expert Erika Lopez Lara talks about slow fashion, the alternative to fast fashion which advocates for good quality clothing that is friendly to consumers, producers, and our planet. She shares great tips for buying local, second-hand clothing, and participating in clothing swaps. Guest Challenger Bio Erika Lopez Lara is the Founder of WEEDS Association a non-profit that aims to empower people to solve the environmental crisis we are facing through education, research and entrepreneurship in Mexico. She recently graduated from Tecnológico de Monterrey with a degree in N...2020-01-2115 min
Tiny Climate ChallengeErika Morgan: A Good Traveler Program ChampionIn Tiny Climate Challenge Episode 12 our Guest Challenger and Energy Consultant Extraordinaire Erika Morgan talks about the benefits and ease of purchasing carbon offsets through The Good Traveler program for her recent car and air travel from San Diego to Boston. Guest Challenger Bio Erika Morgan is an independent clean energy consultant dedicated to speeding the transition to zero-carbon energy solutions. She works with non-profit and private entities, providing technical, operations and business facilitation, policy advocacy and market development for clean energy solutions, including community choice energy programs. She also provides operational support to the...2019-12-0323 min
Tiny Climate ChallengePaul Manasjan and Steve Statler: A Good Traveler Leaves No Tracewww.TinyClimate.com In Tiny Climate Challenge Episode 11 our Guest Experts, Paul Manasjan and Steve Statler talk about The Good Traveler, a program they co-founded to engage the traveling public to fly carbon neutral through the purchase of carbon offsets. Their Tiny Climate Challenges for all of us is to purchase carbon offsets as individuals, organizations (private, public and non-profit), to promote sustainable conferences and events and encourage all airports to achieve carbon neutrality. Visit The Good Traveller for more information. Guest Expert Information Paul Manasjan619-990-1767The Manasjan Consultancy2019-11-1243 min
Tiny Climate ChallengeChristina Burress: Tiny Plastic EcoArtIn Tiny Climate Challenge Episode 10 our Guest Challenger, poet and artist Christina Burress talks about how she uses found objects (tiny plastic trash that she picks up off our beaches) to create artwork while raising awareness of the threats of plastic ocean pollution. She also shares a reading of her powerful poem, “In the Crease”. Guest Challenger Information Christina Burress is passionate about teaching her students to notice the world around them for inspiration and healing. Currently, she is Chair of the English Department at the Grauer School in Encinitas, California where she teaches 10th and 1...2019-10-2940 min
Tiny Climate ChallengeAshley Mazanec: EcoArtsIn Tiny Climate Challenge Episode 9 our Guest Expert Ashley Mazanec talks about the importance of EcoArts in addressing our climate crisis. Guest Expert Information Ashley Mazanec is an environmental policy and non-profit professional, eco-art educator, and eco musician committed to optimizing human and environmental health. As Assistant Executive Director of the San Diego Energy District, she is deeply invested in the future of clean energy in San Diego. Founding EcoArts Foundation in 2016 led to her current position in teaching and programming eco-art education at Del Sur Elementary. EcoArts Foundation's mission is to inspire the regeneration...2019-10-1131 min
Tiny Climate ChallengeMode Shifting: Tiny Mayela Gillanwww.TinyClimate.com In Tiny Climate Challenge Episode 8 our Guest Challenger “Tiny Mayela” Gillan talks about how she reduced her carbon footprint by exploring alternative modes of transportation after she was forced to park her car for a week. Guest Challenger Mayela Gillan is currently getting her Masters Degree in Environmental Health Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. She also works as a researcher with the State of California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) and the Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health (CERCH). Her research is focused on artific...2019-09-2731 min
Tiny Climate ChallengeMode Shiftingwww.TinyClimate.com Get out of your car and into your life. Tiny Climate Challenge Episode 7 is all about our Guest Expert: John Biethan’s year-long journey to improve his quality of life by slowing down and driving less. Guest Expert Tiny Climate Challenge Expert: John Biethan is actively involved in helping organizations move from surviving to thriving utilizing the NEATT for non-profits program. John has been producing podcasts for 14+ years working primarily with socially responsible organizations. His comment of service to mankind was first born while at the age of 25 on Orcas Isl...2019-09-1316 min
Tiny Climate ChallengeIdle Free: John BottorffWe Hold the Key to Being Idle Free. Tiny Climate Challenge Episode 6 is all about the simple act of turning off our engines and reducing our air pollution. Our Challenge Guest, John Bottorff from Clean Earth 4 Kids challenged himself to turning his car engine off to eliminate idling. Tiny Climate Challenge Guest: John Bottorff is a board member and Chief Informational Officer (CIO), for CleanEarth4Kids.org. He has donated thousands of hours to help students develop and deliver presentations, work on projects, build and refine models and calculations, play in parks, study, take Teddy on walks...2019-08-3024 min
Tiny Climate ChallengeIdle Free: Clean Earth 4 Kidswww.TinyClimate.com Tiny Climate Challenge Episode 5 is all about the simple act of turning off our engines and reducing our air pollution. Our Challenge Expert - Suzanne M. Hume and her fellow Youth Board Members, Hannah Smith, Li Phillips, and Gideon Phillips from CleanEarth4Kids join us to discuss how they’re helping school districts adopt Climate Action Plans and No Idling Resolutions. Tiny Climate Challenge Expert: Suzanne M. Hume is the educational director and founder of CleanEarth4Kids.org, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting children’s health, clean air, water and non-toxic lands throug...2019-08-1628 min
Tiny Climate ChallengePlastic Surgery: Cutting Plastic Out of Our LivesPlastic Surgery: Cutting Plastic Out of Our Lives. Tiny Climate Challenge Episode 4 is all about minimizing waste, eliminating plastic from our daily lives and reducing our carbon footprint. @ 0:50 Our Challenge Guest - my lifelong best friend, April Powers and her kids learn to flex their sustainability muscle by eliminating single-use plastic from their school lunches and their dining experiences. @ 29:10 Our Challenge Expert, Lori Sommers from Waste Management provides us with an update on recycling, China’s National Sword policy and the R’s of sustainability. Tiny Climate Challenge Guest: April Powers is the Manag...2019-07-2253 min
Tiny Climate ChallengeChristine Bevilacqua: A Rotten Episodewww.TinyClimate.com Tiny Climate Challenge Episode 3 is all about vermicomposting. Our Challenge Expert and Guest Christine Bevilacqua started vermicompost (aka worm compost bin) at her home to help reduce organic waste and her carbon footprint. Challenge Expert and Guest: Christine Bevilacqua was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, but has called Southern California her home for over 20 years. She has a Master's Degree in Urban Sustainability and experience with Environmental Justice, Urban Agriculture and City Planning. She is currently employed in the renewable energy sector, focusing on innovative solar technology. Links mentioned2019-06-1126 min
Tiny Climate ChallengeMoving to Mexicowww.TinyClimate.com Mayela shares her inspiration for moving to Mexico along with a recitation of her poem “An Inconvenient Truth.” This poem was written at the conclusion of the Global Climate Action Summit 2018 to address climate change, personal relationships, power, and privilege. She shares it with her listeners in honor of Earth Day and National Poetry Month. People/Organizations Mentioned in Podcast Climate Reality Project Former Vice President Al Gore, Founder, and Chairman of Climate Reality Project Ken Berlin, President, and CEO of the Climate Reality Project Mayela Manasjan “Climate Reality Leaders: Who We Are...2019-04-2013 min
Tiny Climate ChallengeIntroduction to the Tiny Climate Challenge podcastThis is a podcast for busy people who want to save the planet by completing one simple eco-challenge at a time. The vision for this show is to engage, educate and empower people to reduce their carbon footprint and solve our climate crisis by completing various small eco-challenges. Mayela Manasjan believes in the importance of leading with 3 G’s: Gratitude, Gentleness, and Generosity. She has worked diligently throughout her 18-year career as an environmental scientist and advocates in local government to protect the environment for the benefit of all current and future generations. Ma...2019-03-0908 min
Seek The Joy PodcastConnecting Through Activism and Sharing Our Stories with Divya Nawale - Plus a Climate Reality Leader Catch-UpHappy #SeekTheJoy Tuesday! Today's episode is jam packed, and it's a good one. First you'll hear my conversation with Divya Nawale. Divya and I met last year in Denver, Colorado when we attended the Climate Reality Leadership Corps training with The Climate Reality Project. Then you'll hear from five Climate Reality Leaders who I also met in Denver - Andrea McGimsey, Karen Harrington, Linda Kraemer, Joanclair Richter, and Mayela Manasjan. It was so fun to catch-up with everyone and hear about what they’ve been up to in the last year!
I know the topic of climate chang...2018-03-131h 09