Green Champions
Conversations with real people sharing sustainability success stories
Not Sure Where To Begin?
Start with our curated episodes to get a feel for what Green Champions is all about. We’ve picked a few standout conversations to help you dive right in.
1
Feb. 25, 2024
Trailer - Green Champions
Green Champions is a podcast by Dominique Hadad and Adam Morris, focusing on environmental change through conversations with individuals making a difference in sustainability. Dominique brings her experience as the sustainability expert, while Adam adds his interest in social impact through social entrepreneurship. The show aims to demystify sustainability, share success stories, and address climate anxiety by presenting accessible, engaging content. We feature guests who have achieved sustainab
23
July 31, 2024
Kevin Butt - Three Decades of Driving Sustainability at Toyota
Kevin Butt is the Regional Environmental Sustainability Director at Toyota North America. Kevin shares his remarkable journey from a curious young mind exploring the woods to becoming a leading advocate for environmental sustainability in the automotive sector. Kevin talks about how his experiences working in a steel mill and his unwavering passion for the environment led him to champion sustainability at Toyota for over 30 years. Kevin provides a candid look at the evolving landscape of sustain
![Impact Award Winner - Non-Profit Breaking Tree-Planting Records Despite Federal Cuts [Shelly Douglas]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/5sf9mzhasoe0315scn6w2gkzsikq?.jpg "Impact Award Winner - Non-Profit Breaking Tree-Planting Records Despite Federal Cuts [Shelly Douglas]")
10
July 8, 2025
Impact Award Winner - Non-Profit Breaking Tree-Planting Records Despite Federal Cuts [Shelly Douglas]
Shelly Douglas is the Executive Director of Green Columbus, who was recently awarded the 2025 Impact Award from the Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit. Since her last appearance, Shelly has broken her tree-planting records for the second year in a row, planting 74,000 seedlings in 2024 and expanding her Columbus City Schools program from 4 to 24 schools with over 650 large trees planted. However, this success story takes a sobering turn as Shelly candidly discusses how Trump's executive orde
6
March 25, 2025
Nihat Akin Ercan - What If You Could Drink Florida’s Humidity?
Nihat Akin Ercan, co-founder of PiKARE SKYSOURCE and recent winner of the NanoValbruna innovation contest, is turning humidity into a valuable resource. His innovative system generates water from the air, offering a sustainable solution to water scarcity and contributing to a greener future. Nihat shares the story behind PiKARE SKYSOURCE, a system that generates water from humidity using concentrated solar panels, while also producing electricity and providing climatization. He discusses the
45
Jan. 8, 2025
Graham Oberly - From Football Fields to Farm Fields
What does it mean to "love your neighbor" through regenerative farming? Graham Oberly, co-owner of Oaks and Sprouts farm, shares his inspiring journey from environmental activism to sustainable agriculture. Growing up in Chesapeake, Ohio, Graham witnessed the effects of extractive industries on the Appalachian landscape, sparking a lifelong passion for environmental stewardship. He discusses his involvement with the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, his experiences in the Boy Scouts, and h
39
Nov. 20, 2024
Joya Elmore - Teaching Students with Environment Based Learning, Hydroponics and Honey
How is Joya Elmore turning her school into a zero-waste haven, one compostable pumpkin at a time? Episode at a glance - The Growers Program: Growing Food, Mind, and Soul - Hydroponics and Botany: A Deeper Dive into Plants - The Green Club: Student-Driven Sustainability - Balancing Leadership and Advocacy - The Wonder Bus: Expanding Learning Beyond the Classroom - Embracing the Process, Not Just the Goal - The Importance of Self-Care and Connecting with Nature About Joya Elmore Joya Elmor
2
March 13, 2024
Dominique Hadad - Sustainability as a Moving Target
Dominique is the co-host of Green Champions and founder of Green Scope Consulting, a company transforming organizations into zero waste operations. When she’s not supporting clients in reaching their sustainability goals, she is also the founder of MOJO, a mobile coffee company with single-serve pour over packets for conscious coffee enthusiasts. Dominique is passionate about demystifying sustainability and she is enthusiastic about battling climate anxiety with success stories from Green Champi
3
March 14, 2024
Adam Morris - Find Your Agency to Create Change
Adam is the co-host of Green Champions and founder behind People Helping People. This dual venture offers a rich tapestry of inspiration, practical tools, and educational resources tailored for social entrepreneurs aiming to realize positive social change. Beyond his professional endeavors, you can find Adam organizing events with GiveBackHack, the launchpad for social innovation. With an extensive background in technology and innovation, he leverages his expertise to foster social change. Adam
2
July 29, 2025
Lauren Click - How a Small Apartment Launched a National Nonprofit
Lauren Click is the award-winning founder and executive director of Let's Go Compost, a nonprofit making composting accessible to all. What started with a failed $500 composting device in a high-rise apartment has blossomed into a national movement, providing free resources to schools and communities across all 50 states. Lauren shares her unexpected journey into the world of waste, which began not in a garden, but in a high-rise apartment in Scottsdale, Arizona. Fueled by frustration with a ...
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21
July 28, 2026
Vin Valentino - From Bartending to Decarbonizing a Hospital
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 wh
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July 21, 2026
RE-RELEASE: Francesca Cercelletta - Using iPhone Storytelling to Frame the Change
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
18
July 14, 2026
Jake Kheel - Secrets Behind the Caribbean's Most Innovative Resort
A resort that generates 25 tons of waste every single day has two choices: manage it badly or build something worth talking about. Jake Kheel, VP of Sustainability at Grupo Puntacana, chose the latter. He's back this week to get into the real work: composting at industrial scale, coral reef restoration, a hawk conservation project that now has 150 birds on property, and why climate change has stopped being a future problem for coastal communities and started being a right-now one. Jake breaks d
17
July 7, 2026
Jake Kheel - How a Generalist Found His Calling in the Dominican Republic
Jake Kheel is VP of Sustainability at Grupo Puntacana, one of the Caribbean's most recognized leaders in sustainable tourism. He's also a conservationist, author, and co-director of the award-winning documentary Death By a Thousand Cuts. It started with a boarding school study abroad program Jake applied to on a whim. He had no idea his great-uncle Ted Kheel was one of the founders of Grupo Puntacana. But a phone call from his grandfather before the trip changed everything, and what began as ...
16
June 30, 2026
Regina Harmon - Why 235 Million Tons of Food Goes to Waste While 47 Million Go Hungry
In 2023 alone, 235 million tons of food went uneaten or unsold in the United States. The number one item clogging landfills is not furniture, not plastic, not diapers. It is food. And 47 million Americans are food insecure at the same time. Regina Harmon, CEO of Food Recovery Network, returns to break down exactly how that happens, what her organization is doing about it, and how college students across 46 states are at the center of the solution. Food waste is not mainly a story about bad choi
15
June 23, 2026
Regina Harmon - Who is Running America's Largest Food Recovery Movement?
Regina Harmon is the CEO of Food Recovery Network, the largest student-led movement fighting food waste and hunger in the US. Before she was leading a national nonprofit, she was a kid in Maine with a cloth lunch bag, a working poor family, and a growing sense that the world was not set up fairly. Dominique and Christy sit down with Regina to hear how a life shaped by nature, identity, and literature quietly built the leader she is today. Regina Harmon grew up in Maine at a time when it was the
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About the Hosts
Dominique Hadad
Co-Founder, Co-Host
Dominique is the co-host of Green Champions and founder of Green Scope Consulting, where she supports clients in reaching their sustainability goals. Dominique brings curiosity, clarity, and an ability to connect innovation, policy, and lived experience into engaging conversations that spotlight real-world solutions.. Dominique is passionate about demystifying sustainability and battling climate anxiety with success stories from Green Champions that deserve to be given a microphone more often.
Christy Cook
Co-Host
Christy Cook is a sustainability strategist, advisor, and storyteller focused on translating complex systems into clear, actionable insights for businesses and institutions. Her work spans food waste prevention, sustainable food systems, and cross-sector collaboration, with experience working alongside global brands, nonprofits, and policymakers. Christy brings a systems lens, operational understanding, and a strong commitment to integrity and impact-driven storytelling.
Adam Morris
Co-Founder, Producer
Adam is the producer of Green Champions and founder behind People Helping People. This dual venture offers a rich tapestry of inspiration, practical tools, and educational resources tailored for social entrepreneurs aiming to realize positive social change. Beyond his professional endeavors, you can find Adam organizing events with GiveBackHack, the launchpad for social innovation. Adam is a firm believer in the power of cultivating deep connections and shared experiences as catalysts for growth and the birth of innovative ideas.
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