The campus sexual assault epidemic, 5-7-2014

Posted on May 8, 2014 by David

Dartmouth College students and activists Jillian Mayer and Becca Rothfeld and Dartmouth Professor Peter Hackett discuss the prevalence and impact of sexual assault
both personally and on their campus. The students outline the changes that they are
demanding, including why they sat in at the president’s office and why they are calling for ending the fraternity system. UVM vice provost for student affairs Annie Stevens talks about sexual assault at UVM. Scott Buckingham of VBSR previews the upcoming VBSR spring conference and Dan Barlow recaps the status of legislation at the State House.

Fighting poverty with jobs & recycling, 4-30-14

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Posted on April 30, 2014 by David

ReSource is reducing poverty in Vermont by training low income people how to fix recycled household goods and computers, and training high school dropouts to weatherize homes and install solar systems. We talk about this unique poverty reduction program with Curtis Ostler, … Continue reading →

Domestic spying in Vermont; Landmark GMO labeling law, 4-23-2014

Posted on April 23, 2014 by David

Vermont attorney David Kelley discusses domestic surveillance vs. the bill of rights. In the second half of the show, Vermont Senator David Zuckerman discusses the passage of Vt’s historic GMO labeling bill today and what it means for the state and the nation.

Is our democracy for sale? Vt. Sec. of State Jim Condos, 4-9-14

Posted on April 9, 2014 by David

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos and Public Citizen’s Aquene Freechild talk about money in politics after the US Supreme Court McCutcheon decision.

Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize winner, 4-1-2014

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Posted on April 2, 2014 by David

Jody Williams, 1997 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Vermont native, on how she became an activist, why she can’t quit, the key role of women in making peace, and her advice to others who want to make change.

The road to universal health care in Vermont, 3-26-2014

Posted on March 26, 2014 by David

Mark Larson, commissioner of the Vermont Dept. of Health Access, talks about Vermont Health Connect and the larger need for universal health care. Peter Sterling, executive director of Vermont Leads, a nonprofit organization working towards a universal, publicly
funded single payer health care system in Vermont, discusses the history and
status of Vermont’s struggle for universal health care.

Vermont Secretary of Education Rebecca Holcombe, 3-19-2014

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Posted on March 20, 2014 by David

Vermont Secretary of Education Rebecca Holcombe discusses her childhood attending schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, her work as a teacher and principal, her view of education as the new civil rights issue, equity and school funding, and what she hopes … Continue reading →

Alan Gilbert, Vt ACLU, on privacy, drones, & education, 2-26-2014

Posted on February 27, 2014 by David

Allen Gilbert, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont, discusses his concerns about Tasers, threats to privacy, surveillance, drones, the revolving door in politics, education overhaul, and how his experiences traveling in former Soviet bloc countries after college shaped his views on protecting civil liberties.

Bill McKibben on climate change and activism, 2-19-2014

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Bill McKibben, author, activist and co-founder of the global grassroots climate change organization 350.org, joins David Goodman in a public conversation. Time Magazine called McKibben “the planet’s best green journalist” and the Boston Globe says that he is “probably the country’s most important environmentalist.” In this public conversaiton, McKibben recounts his journey from journalism to activism, the three scariest numbers relating to climate change, the struggle against the Keystone XL pipeline, being arrested, and his other great passion, the Boston Red Sox. This was the inaugural event in the Vermont Town Hall public conversation series. It took place on January 31, 2014, at the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center in Stowe, VT.

Jostein Solheim, CEO of Ben & Jerry’s, 2-12-2014

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Posted on February 12, 2014 by David

Jostein Solheim, CEO of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, discusses political stands that have cost him business (and why it’s worth it), why businesses need to offer solutions to global problems,

What is a social entrepreneur? 2-5-2014

Posted on February 6, 2014 by David

What is a social entrepreneur and how do you become one? The Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Middlebury College is a leader in the field of social mission-driven business. We speak with faculty director Jon Isham, student Gaby Fuentes, and Per LaFarge, a Middlebury grad and CEO of Spark about dreaming big and doing good.

Affording college; Voices of LGBTQ Vermonters, 1-29-2014

Posted on January 29, 2014 by David

Affording college: Scott Giles, president of the Vermont Student AssistanceCorp. (VSAC); Pam McNulty, TIAA CREFF, and Rich Westman, who oversees the 529 college savings plan for VSAC, discuss how Vermont students and families can save and pay for college.

Voices of LGBTQ Vermonters: Ariel Goodman and Eloise Reid traveled the state to record
the stories and experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer
(LGBTQ) Vermonters. This broadcast includes an edited version 23 minute version of their piece. The full 28 minute version of this audio documentary and the website can be found here.

Vermont Gov. Madeleine Kunin, 1-22-2014

Posted on January 22, 2014 by David

Former Vermont Gov. Madeleine Kunin discusses her new book, We Do!, about same-sex marriage, her lifelong campaign to encourage more women to run for elected office, and her legacy.

Under the golden dome: Perspectives on Gov. Shumlin’s initiatives, 1-14-2014

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Posted on January 15, 2014 by David

Mark Johnson of WDEV previews Gov. Peter Shumlin’s 2014 budget address. Advocates discuss their legislative priorities: Avram Patt, energy consultant and former general manager of Washington Electric Co-op, talks about net metering; Chris Miller, activism manager of Ben & Jerry’s speaks about GMO labeling; and … Continue reading →

Surviving the Shark Tank; Skiing and climate change, 12-18-13

Posted on December 18, 2013 by David

David Glickman, owner of Vermont Butcher Block and Board Co., talks about surviving rejection when he asked for money on the ABC TV show “Shark Tank,” and Janice St. Onge, president of the the Vermont Flex Fund, talks about the financial lifeline and socially responsible investment the Flex Fund made in Vt. Butcher Block. In the second half, Porter Fox, author of Deep: The Story ofSkiing and the Future of Snow, talks about his global journey to explore the impact of climate change on skiing.

Stopping cervical cancer; Vt Community Loan Fund, 12-4-13

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Posted on December 4, 2013 by David

Investing in the future: August Burns and Jane Dale discuss how Grounds for Health, a small international nonprofit organization based in Waterbury, Vt., has pioneered a low-cost way to screen and treat cervical cancer, the #1 killer of women in developing countries. And … Continue reading →

Children’s Literacy Foundation; Soldiers returning from war, 11-27-13

Posted on December 3, 2013 by David

Duncan McDougall discusses the work of the Children’s Literacy Foundation in prisons and in rural communities in Vermont and New Hampshire. Author Ann Jones speaks about the plight of soldiers returning from war, which she writes about in her book, “They Were Soldiers: How the Wounded Return from America’s Wars—The Untold Story.”

Jeffrey and Meika Hollender, SRB pioneers, 11-20-13

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Posted on November 20, 2013 by David

Jeffrey Hollender, social biz pioneer and founder of Seventh Generation, and his daughter Meika Hollender talk about their new business venture: sustainable fair trade condoms, along with the challenges and opportunities of starting a family business. We also talk with Andrea Cohen and … Continue reading →

Sustainable communities; The Vermont Movie, 11-13-13

Posted on November 13, 2013 by David

Bruce Seifer and Ed Antczak discuss their new book, Sustainable Communities: Creating a Durable Local Economy. Filmmakers Nora Jacobson and Nat Winthrop talk about their 6-part film project, “Freedom & Unity: The Vermont Movie.”

Literacy and adult learning in Vermont, 11-6-13

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Posted on November 6, 2013 by David

Four guests discuss literacy and school dropout in Vermont and what is being done about it. Pixie Loomis and Ethan Maurer from Vermont Adult Learning (VAL); Roger Sweet, a retired logger who learned to read at age 60, and Calvin … Continue reading →

Journalists Jeremy Scahill and Chris Hedges, 10-30-2013

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Posted on October 30, 2013 by David

Dirty wars, peace, & the media: A conversation with two of America’s top muckraking journalists: former NY Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner Chris Hedges, and Jeremy Scahill, bestselling author of Dirty Wars and national security correspondent of The Nation.

Global Adventurer Jan Reynolds; Accessible Vt. Adventures, 10-23-13

Posted on October 28, 2013 by David

Vermont global adventurer and author Jan Reynolds talks about her life as “one of the guys” and her new book, High-Altitude Woman. We also speak with Peter Kriff, director of the Vt Statewide Independent Living Council and founder of AccessibleAdventuresVT.org, which helps people with disabilities navigate Vermont.

Workers: Vt labor struggles; Saru Jayaraman & restaurant workers, 10-16-13

Posted on October 16, 2013 by David

Workers: We look at key current issues confronting workers in Vermont and nationally with James Haslam, executive director of the Vermont Workers Center; Amanda Sheppard, organizer with AFSCME Vt.; Shelly Mangden, organizer with the Vermont Fair Food Campaign; and Saru Jayaraman, founder and director of Restaurant Opportunities Center-United.

Obamacare in Vermont: Vt Health Connect, 10-9-13

Posted on October 9, 2013 by David

We discuss the details of Health Connect, Vermont’s new health insurance marketplace, the state exchange that is part of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, with Mark Larson, commissioner of the Dept. of Health Access, VBSR executive director Andrea Cohen and Anissa Lewis, health care exchange navigator with VBSR.

Vermont Corrections Commissioner Andy Pallito, 10-2-13

Posted on October 2, 2013 by David

Vermont Corrections Commissioner Andy Pallito discusses restorative justice, the roots of crime, the exploding prison population, and where he finds hope.

Social entrepreneurship & B Corporations, 9-25-2013

Posted on September 25, 2013 by David

Jay Coen Gilbert, co-founder of B Lab, talks about how to create and protect B corporations, businesses that include a social mission. We also speak with Cheryl Dorsey, president of Echoing Green, a global social venture fund, and Sofia Appelgren, founder of the Swedish social enterprise Mitt Liv (My Life), which helps immigrants enter the workforce.

Jan Blomstrann of Renewable NRG Systems, 9-18-2013

Posted on September 19, 2013 by David

Jan Blomstrann, CEO of Renewable NRG Systems, a Vermont manufacturer of wind monitoring systems that are sold worldwide, talks about the future of wind power, the unique challenges that women in business face, and what it means to be socially responsible. Blomstrann is the recipient of VBSR’s 2013 Terry Ehrich Award for Excellence in Socially Responsible Business.

Reflections on 9/11; Journalist Chris Hedges, 9-11-2013

Posted on September 12, 2013 by David

Reflections on the impact of the 9/11 terror attacks, with comments (at end) from former New York Times reporter Chris Hedges.

Labor Day: Ai-Jen Poo on low-wage workers and living wage, 9-4-2013

Posted on September 5, 2013 by David

We discuss the national campaign for a living wage for low wage workers with Ai-Jen Poo, director the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and Olivia Roffle, a fast food worker in St. Louis who has participated in one-day strikes in support of doubling the minimum wage.

Vermont 2 Years After Tropical Storm Irene, 8-28-2013

Posted on August 28, 2013 by David

Reflections on the aftermath of a disaster from Peter Edlund, disaster reconstruction supervisor; Larry Straus, Rochester selectman; Jeremy Ayers, Waterbury resident and potter; and Rev. Peter Plagge, pastor of the Waterbury Congregational Church and administrator of the Waterbury Good Neighbor Fund.

Back to School: Diverse paths to college, 8-21-2013

Posted on August 21, 2013 by David

Joyce Judy, president of Community College of Vermont, and Barbara Murphy, president of Johnson State College, discuss who attends college today, the diverse paths to a college degree, how to afford it, and whether it’s worth it.

The Alchemist Story: Brewing the World’s Best Beer & Giving Back, 8-14-2013

Posted on August 14, 2013 by David

John Kimmich, co-owner of The Alchemist Brewery, discusses staying small and local, recovering from disaster, giving back, and the secrets behind Heady Topper, rated the world’s best beer. We also talk bikes with Larry Gordon of Zoombikes and Brian Somers of Tin Pot Ice Cream, who delivers ice cream by bike.

True adventure: National Geographic writer Mark Jenkins, 8-7-2013

Posted on August 7, 2013 by David

Mark Jenkins, award winning writer for National Geographic, mountaineer and international explorer, talks about his global journeys, including his recent climb of Mt. Everest, biking the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Vietnam, searching for gorillas and getting detained in Rwanda, investigating landmines in Cambodia, as well as the meaning of life, death, and the quest for true adventure.

Geoff Tabin & the Himalayan Cataract Project, 7-31-2013

Posted on July 31, 2013 by David

Vermont’s Global Vision: Dr. Geoff Tabin, co-founder of the Himalayan Cataract Project, and Job Heintz, CEO of the international NGO based in Waterbury, Vt., discuss their mission to treat and end preventable blindness throughout the world, and the new book about the work of Tabin and his Nepalese colleague Dr. Sanduk Ruit, Second Suns: Two Doctors and Their Amazing Quest to Restore Sight and Save Lives, by the late David Oliver Relin.

Partners in business & life: Judy Geer & Dick Dreissigacker of Concept2, 7-24-2013

Posted on July 24, 2013 by David

Judy Geer and Dick Dreissigacker, co-owners of Concept2, makers of high end oars and rowing machines in Morrisville, talk
about their partnership in business, life and in their community. They are also co-owners of the nonprofit Craftsbury Outdoor Center and Hosmer Point Camp in Craftsbury, Vermont.

Guerrilla marketing, 7-17-2013

Posted on July 17, 2013 by David

Alternative marketing gurus Duane Peterson of SunCommon and Chris Miller of Ben & Jerry’s talk about the value of values in business and guerrilla marketing that works.

Surviving the Shark Tank: Liz Lovely & Vermont Flex Fund, 7/10/13

Posted on July 10, 2013 by David

Dan Holtz, co-owner of Liz Lovely, Vermont-based baker of gluten-free cookies, discusses how he and his wife Liz survived Shark Tank, the ABC reality TV show on which they made a pitch to raise $200,000 for their growing business. Janice St. Onge, president of the VSJF Flexible Capital Fund explains why they chose to invest in Liz Lovely.

John Replogle of Seventh Generation, 7/3/2013

Posted on July 8, 2013 by David

John Replogle, CEO of Seventh Generation, the #1 green business in the US, talks of the rewards, mistakes, roadblocks & the Next Big Thing in sustainable biz, and the unique challenges he has faced succeeding the company’s founder as CEO.

Author Ben Hewitt on consumerism & happiness; Vermont Migrant Justice, 6/26/2013

Posted on June 26, 2013 by David

Vermont author Ben Hewitt discusses money, consumerism, and contentment — the subject of his new book, Saved: How I Quit Worrying About Money and Became the Richest Guy in the World. We also speak with Vermont farm worker Danilo Lopez and Natalia Fajardo of Vermont Migrant Justice about Danilo’s fight against deportation.

David Blittersdorf & All Earth Renewables, 6/19/2013

Posted on June 20, 2013 by David

All things All Earth: Vermont renewable energy pioneer David Blittersdorf, founder of wind energy company NRG Systems and solar power company All Earth Renewables, talks about his green journey, the importance of mixing business and politics, and his advice to new graduates. Andrew Savage of All Earth discusses the company’s innovative green employee benefits.

Journalist Mark Johnson, 6/12/2013

Posted on June 12, 2013 by David

Renowned Vermont journalist Mark Johnson talks about his life in journalism, thoughts on Vermont media and politicians in his first interview. Johnson is longtime host of the Mark Johnson Show on WDEV.

The Legislative Year in Review, 6/5/2013

Posted on June 11, 2013 by David

VBSR Public Policy Manager Daniel Barlow guest hosts The Vermont Conversation with a focus on the Legislative Year in Review.

Andrew Stein, a reporter for VTDigger.org joins Dan in the studio and offers his thoughts on the session highlights and memorable moments.

Sen. Tim Ashe, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee; Sen. Claire Ayer, chair of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee; and Rep. Margaret Cheney, the vice-chair of the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee call into the show to share their points of view.

Program Assistant Russ Elek discusses VBSR events and announcements for the upcoming months.

Is Vermont a surveillance state?; Alternatives to capitalism, 5/29/2013

Posted on May 29, 2013 by David

Allen Gilbert, executive director of the Vermont ACLU, discusses threats to privacy and civil liberties and the ways that Vermont is becoming “a surveillance state.” And Gar Alperovitz talks about practical alternatives to capitalism in the U.S. and his new book, What Then Must We Do? Straight Talk About the Next American Revolution.

Sustainable agriculture: Allison Hooper & Pete Johnson, 5/22/2013

Posted on May 23, 2013 by David

Allison Hooper, founder of Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery, talks about the rewards and challenges of farming in Vermont and being a woman farmer. Pete Johnson, the farmer-owner of Pete’s Greens discusses sustainable ag, GMOs, and his vision for a state that sustains itself on local agriculture. Kathryn Blume talks in our closing minutes about Vermontivate, a community sustainability game.

The high price of cheap clothes; Journalist Candace Page, 5/15/2013

Posted on May 15, 2013 by David

Sweatshops, worker’s rights, fair trade and the Bangladesh garment factory disaster, with Barbara Briggs, assistant director of the Institute for Global Labour and Human Rights. In our second half we talk with Candace Page, recently retired after 30 years as a reporter with the Burlington Free Press, about her life in Vermont journalism.

Coffee, social change, and the perfect cup of Joe: Keurig Green Mountain, 5/8/2013

Posted on May 8, 2013 by David

We join the global hunt for the perfect cup of Joe and learn how coffee can be used to promote social change with Lindsey Bolger, “a celebrity superstar in the coffee world” and Senior Director of Coffee for Keurig Green Mountain, and Rick Peyser, Keurig Green Mountain’s Director of Social Advocacy and Supply Chain Community Outreach.

Vermont’s hidden migrant workers, 5/1/2013

Posted on May 1, 2013 by David

A May Day special live from the Vt State House on Vermont’s hidden workers: Undocumented Mexican workers Oliver Lopez and Danilo Lopez talk about their life in Vermont, their role in the economy and the importance of being able to drive a car legally. We are also joined by Brendan O’Neil of Migrant Justice and Mary Gerisch, president of the Vermont Worker’s Center. Dan Barlow of VBSR also updates us on pending legislation.

Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s; Labeling GMO’s, 4/17/2013

Posted on April 17, 2013 by David

Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, discusses what makes a business socially responsible, his Stamp Stampede campaign to get money out of politics, the boycott campaign against Ben & Jerry’s over ice cream sales in Israel and the Occupied Territories, his thoughts on Occupy Wall Street, and humor in organizing. We also talk with Falko Schilling of VPIRG about the campaign to require labeling of genetically engineered food.

Judy Wicks, socially responsible business pioneer, 4/10/2013

Posted on April 10, 2013 by David

Judy Wicks, VBSR’s 2013 Spring Conference keynote speaker, socially responsible business pioneer and founder of the White Dog Cafe in Philadelphia, talks about her work, life, and her new memoir, Good Morning, Beautiful Business: The Unexpected Journey of an Activist Entrepreneur and Local Economy Pioneer.

What does it take to be a socially responsible business? 4/3/2013

Posted on April 3, 2013 by David

Larry Plesent, founder and CEO of Vermont Soap and Anna Barrett, owner of Way Out Wax, talk about the trials, tribulations, and satisfaction of running businesses consistent with their values.