Green Champions

From energy to agriculture, retail to tech — Green Champions tells the stories of real people building sustainable solutions across every industry. Hosted by Dominique Hadad and Christy Cook, each episode provides that progress is already happening and environmental work takes many forms. New episodes every Tuesday.

Green Champions is a society podcast hosted by Dominique Hadad & Christy Cook, with 127 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Dominique Hadad & Christy Cook hosts Green Champions, a society show with 127 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #24

  Mary Cropenbaker - Building a Green Program Any Business Can Join

  Aug 18, 202626 minS5

  Most people think a solid waste district exists to run the landfill. Mary Cropenbaker's job is the opposite: keep as much material out of it as possible. As the Assistant Solid Waste Manager at Hamilton County ReSource, she works with businesses, schools, and communities across the Cincinnati region to divert waste, and she does it without a single mandate to force anyone's hand. Her answer to that challenge is 513 Green, a free sustainability certification any business can earn. 513 Green started from a frustration. Mary could help a business start recycling, but she had no way to keep it moving toward bigger goals, until a free program she saw at a conference gave her the model. This episode presses on the mechanics: how a certification built around employee behavior works for everyone from the Cincinnati Zoo to a small Pilates studio, and how a checklist of 45 achievable steps turns good intentions into action. It also draws out the honest parts, including why the hardest thing to measure is the impact itself, and why she built the whole program to be copied by any community willing to try. Episode in a glance 02:42 The Waste District That Wants to Put Itself Out of a Job 05:12 Why Starting a Recycling Program Is Harder Than You Think 07:39 How 513 Green Went From Idea to Free Certification 11:27 What It Actually Takes to Get Certified 14:36 From the Cincinnati Zoo to a Pilates Studio 21:43 A Certification Built to Be Copied About Mary Cropenbaker Mary Cropenbaker is the Assistant Solid Waste Manager at Hamilton County ReSource, the solid waste district serving the Cincinnati, Ohio region, where she helps businesses, schools, and communities implement waste reduction strategies on the path to zero waste. She holds a master's in environmental science from Miami University's Institute for Environment and Sustainability and an MBA with a certificate in sustainable business, and her background spans psychology research, a sustainability practicum at the Cincinnati Zoo, and a role at the US EPA. She piloted the 513 Green Certification Program, a free sustainability certification that has certified 67 organizations across the region. Connect with Mary Cropenbaker and her work LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/marycropenbaker Hamilton County ReSource → hamiltoncountyresource.org 513 Green Certification → 513green.com Send us a message!

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  Episode #23

  Mary Cropenbaker - What Gambling Pigeons Taught Her About People

  Aug 11, 202624 minS5

  Mary Cropenbaker is the Assistant Solid Waste Manager at Hamilton County ReSource, the solid waste district for the Cincinnati region, where she helps businesses, schools, and communities cut what they send to the landfill. She piloted 513 Green, a free sustainability certification now used by dozens of local organizations. But her path into waste and sustainability started somewhere you would never guess: a psychology lab studying how pigeons gamble. Mary grew up along the Ohio River, hopping fences and running through cow pastures, and headed to college for animal cognition research, not the environment. A single class on business sustainability changed her direction. This first episode traces the human turns behind that shift, including the senior-year crisis of realizing research alone would never let her act on what she was learning. The conversation draws out that lived experience while pressing on how a foundation in data and science communication became the throughline of everything she does now. What emerges is a portrait of someone who kept following her curiosity until it added up to a career. Episode in a glance 00:57 Growing Up in Cow Pastures Along the Ohio River 02:38 The Psychology Major Who Fell for Sustainability 04:24 What Gambling Pigeons Taught Her About People 07:10 From a Zoo Practicum to the EPA to Zero Waste 13:04 Inside a Solid Waste District That Serves Everyone 21:44 Why This Work Still Gives Her Hope About Mary Cropenbaker Mary Cropenbaker is the Assistant Solid Waste Manager at Hamilton County ReSource, the solid waste district serving the Cincinnati, Ohio region, where she helps businesses, schools, and communities implement waste reduction strategies on the path to zero waste. She holds a master's in environmental science from Miami University's Institute for Environment and Sustainability and an MBA with a certificate in sustainable business, and her background spans psychology research, a sustainability practicum at the Cincinnati Zoo, and a role at the US EPA. She piloted the 513 Green Certification Program, a free sustainability certification that has certified 67 organizations across the region. Connect with Mary Cropenbaker and her work LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/marycropenbaker Hamilton County ReSource → hamiltoncountyresource.org 513 Green Certification → 513green.com Send us a message!

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  Episode #22

  Vin Valentino - Building Washington's First Green Bank From Scratch

  Aug 4, 202623 minS5

  There is not enough public money in the world to fund the clean energy transition. That gap sits at the center of Vin Valentino's work, and his answer is the green bank, a purpose-driven financial institution built to stretch every public dollar and pull private capital in behind it. As the Energy Economy Lead for the Washington State Department of Commerce, Vin helped stand up Washington's first green bank, capitalized at 25 million dollars in its first year. The build runs from one question in a Seattle conference room to a working institution. Vin breaks down what the Inflation Reduction Act actually unlocked, why a green bank can do what a grant cannot, and how a constitutional rule dating back to the railroads nearly killed the whole idea. The conversation presses on the mechanics and the financing models, from no-cost C-PACE solar to a 500 million dollar revolving loan fund, while keeping the thread tied back to why it matters. It lands at a port, in front of the governor and a crowd of unions, on a single question that captures what real climate progress feels like. Episode in a glance 00:21 Moving to Seattle to work on green economy after the IRA passes 05:06 Defining what "green economy" actually means 06:21 What the Inflation Reduction Act did and why it mattered 09:14 Building Washington's first green bank from scratch 15:07 How green finance tools like C-PACE work in practice 18:14 What's giving Vin hope despite the current political climate About Vin Valentino Vincent "Vin" Valentino is the Energy Economy Lead for the Washington State Department of Commerce, where he works to grow the state's clean energy economy through investment, policy strategy, and partnerships across government, industry, and communities. He earned an interdisciplinary degree in applied sustainability, spanning policy, economics, business, and design, from Ohio State University. His path runs from leading sustainability and operations at Land-Grant Brewing in Columbus, Ohio, to managing sustainability programs at Stanford Health Care, to serving as a Green Economy Strategic Advisor and division manager for the City of Seattle, where he helped establish Washington's first green bank. Connect with Vin Valentino and his work Vin Valentino on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinvalentinowa Washington State Department of Commerce → commerce.wa.gov Land-Grant Brewing Company → landgrantbrewing.com Send us a message!

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  Episode #21

  Vin Valentino - From Bartending to Decarbonizing a Hospital

  Jul 28, 202626 minS5

  Vin Valentino is the Energy Economy Lead for the Washington State Department of Commerce, where he works to grow the state's clean energy economy through investment, policy strategy, and partnerships across government, industry, and communities. He holds an interdisciplinary degree in applied sustainability from Ohio State University, and his path has run from a craft brewery in Columbus, Ohio, to Stanford Health Care, to the City of Seattle. Before any of it, though, he was a kid from Dayton who played in bands, bartended through school, and had no clear plan. His story starts there. His turning point was small and human. One political science class cracked open how climate, economics, and migration all cross borders, and a single nudge from his older sister sent him back to college. From there he talked his way into a sustainability role at Land-Grant Brewing over one beer, then leapt to Stanford Health Care. The conversation draws out the lived experience behind each jump while pressing on how Vin keeps spotting opportunity where other people see a dead end. What surfaces is a way of working that treats every messy, uncertain step as part of the build. Episode in a glance 00:53 Vin explains Washington State's clean energy economy 03:19 From Dayton to Columbus, dropping out and playing music 05:37 The college class that sparked his interest in climate 12:17 How a conversation at a brewery became a sustainability job 16:41 Getting laid off during COVID and landing at Stanford Health Care 21:56 His advice for breaking into sustainability work About Vin Valentino Vincent "Vin" Valentino is the Energy Economy Lead for the Washington State Department of Commerce, where he works to grow the state's clean energy economy through investment, policy strategy, and partnerships across government, industry, and communities. He earned an interdisciplinary degree in applied sustainability, spanning policy, economics, business, and design, from Ohio State University. His path runs from leading sustainability and operations at Land-Grant Brewing in Columbus, Ohio, to managing sustainability programs at Stanford Health Care, to serving as a Green Economy Strategic Advisor and division manager for the City of Seattle, where he helped establish Washington's first green bank. Connect with Vin Valentino and his work Vin Valentino on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinvalentinowa Washington State Department of Commerce → commerce.wa.gov Land-Grant Brewing Company → landgrantbrewing.com Send us a message!

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  Episode #20

  RE-RELEASE: Francesca Cercelletta - Using iPhone Storytelling to Frame the Change

  Jul 21, 202627 minS5

  Francesca Cercelletta, creative director for ReGeneration Hub Friuli and graphic designer for Zegna, brings a unique blend of artistic vision and sustainability passion to NanoValbruna. As the organizer of "Frame The Change," a short film festival within the forum, she champions the power of visual storytelling in communicating complex environmental issues. Francesca shares her journey into the world of filmmaking, recounting how her participation in a workshop in Naples inspired her to bring a similar experience to NanoValbruna. She describes the "Frame The Change" program, where young filmmakers, armed with just their iPhones, create short films centered around the theme of regeneration. Francesca emphasizes the importance of creativity, especially when working with limited resources, and how it can unlock innovative solutions and captivating narratives. She discusses her own short film, "O' mare è casa toja" ("The sea is your home"), which was selected for the Pimiento Film Festival in Rome, and how this experience further fueled her passion for filmmaking. Francesca also talks about the value of bringing together diverse perspectives, the power of mentorship, and the importance of providing young people with opportunities to explore their creative potential. She shares her perspective on regeneration, emphasizing the need for tangible, real-world solutions, particularly within the fashion industry. Episode in a glance - Francesca's Role at ReGeneration Hub Friuli and NanoValbruna - Frame The Change - Francesca's Short Film: 'O' mare è casa toja' - The Theme of Regeneration in Filmmaking - Regeneration vs. Sustainability: A Creative Perspective About Francesca Cercelletta Francesca Cercelletta is the creative director for ReGeneration Hub Friuli and graphic designer for Zegna. She is the organizer of "Frame The Change" at NanoValbruna. Connect with Francesca Cercelletta and her work Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/franziska.konrad/ Francesca on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/francescacercelletta Francesca's Short Film → "O' mare è casa toja” Website → http://nanovalbruna.com Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/nanovalbruna Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/nanovalbruna ReGeneration Hub Friuli LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/regeneration-hub-friuli Send us a message!

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