Awarepreneurs
Business & Finance
About
Thanks for checking out the Awarepreneurs podcast! My name is Paul Zelizer and I am passionate - you could say obsessed - about the intersection of 3 things: a) conscious business, b) social impact and c) awareness practices. I believe these 3 movements are some of the most dynamic movements on our planet at this time.Around the world. people are discovering how to lead with compassion and create businesses that truly are a force for good. Each week, I do a deep dive interview with a thought leader in this intersection. Someone who has an enterprise that is market tested and already transforming many lives. I ask the gritty and sometimes challenging questions - like how they earn their money, how many people they help and what some of their biggest failures are. My goal for this show is to help you grow your businesses, enhance your well being and increase your social impact.
Episodes
- 395 | My Strategic Pause to Protect Quality with Paul Zelizer
Bio: Paul Zelizer is the host of Awarepreneurs, the world's longest running social entrepreneur podcast, and a coach and consultant who works with clean energy companies and climatetech startups. My latest role is Fractional VP of Business…
- 394 | Creating Effective Impact Networks in Chaotic Times with Cole Hoover
Bio: Cole Hoover has spent 17 years designing the spaces where social impact leaders learn together. He's built fellowships, cohort programs, and learning communities serving over 1,500 changemakers globally—from social entrepreneurs in Gh…
- 393 | Economic Development - Leading Through Uncertain Times with Elyse Cherry
Bio: Elyse Cherry has served as the CEO of BlueHub Capital since 1997. Under Cherry's leadership, BlueHub has invested over $3.2 billion, leveraged an additional $16.1 billion, and built a national tax credit practice to: finance affordab…
- 392 | A New Business Model Rooted in Regeneration with Matthew Britt
Bio: Matthew Britt is driven by a lifelong passion for innovation and connection. He brings more than two decades of entrepreneurial experience to his work redefining how individuals and communities live. As Chief Execution Officer of The…
- 391 | Raising Smarter: How Cleantech Startups are Adapting with Paul Zelizer
Bio: Paul Zelizer has been a business coach and consultant for social entrepreneurs and cleantech companies for the past 18 years, the host of the Awarepreneurs podcast and co-founder of NM Tech Talks and NMClimate. A growing portion of hi…
- 390 | How to 100X Your Social Impact with Kurt Avery
Bio: Kurt Avery is the founder and president of Sawyer Products , a company at the forefront of innovation in outdoor protection and humanitarian aid. With a background in marketing for Fortune 500 companies and an MBA from Northwestern Un…
- 389 | Vetting Investors as Much as They Vet You with Lauren Howard
Bio: Lauren "L2" Howard is a telehealth program operator, mental health advocate, and women's champion who believes, above all, that isolation lies —it's not just you, and help is available. She is the CEO of LBee Health, a virtual mental…
- 388 | Navigating the Cost of Living Crisis with Fuzzy Jardine
Bio: Kolaiah "Fuzzy" Jardine, co-founder of HUI Mastermind, empowers Native Hawaiians and locals to build generational wealth through real estate in their homeland, the Pono Way. A former drug addict and dealer who spent time in federal pr…
- 387 | Making Circularity Possible Today with Adam Baruchowitz
Bio: Adam Baruchowitz, Chief Recycling Officer at Return to Vendor, is a pioneer in textile recycling. He began collecting and recycling clothing as a personal project and has now recycled over 35 million lbs. of clothing and textiles. He…
- 386 | The Cost of Sloppy AI Marketing + A Holiday Break with Paul Zelizer
BIO: I've been a business coach for social entrepreneurs and cleantech companies for the past 18 years, the host of the Awarepreneurs podcast and co-founder of NM Tech Talks and NMClimate. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company…
- 385 | Leaning in Rather Than Leaning Out with Brian Thompson
BIO: Brian Thompson is the Founder and Financial Planner of Brian Thompson Financial LLC, where he helps LGBTQ+ and mission-driven entrepreneurs build profitable businesses that reflect who they are and support the impact they want to make…
- 384 | Building Companies of Consequence within the Electron Economy with Phillip Krim
Bio: Philip Krim is the Co-Founder and CEO of Montauk Climate. Previously he founded early-stage investment firm Montauk Ventures. He also co-founded, led, and served as Chairman of Casper Sleep, scaling it to over $500M in revenue, taking…
- 383 | New Mexico is Building America's Sovereign Wealth Fund with Jon Clark
Clark is an Albuquerque native and the state investment officer for the New Mexico State Investment Council, which manages a $67 billion portfolio—one of the nation's three largest sovereign wealth funds and on track to become the largest…
- 382 | Inside New Mexico's First Climate Hackathon with Paul Zelizer
Paul Zelizer is the host of Awarepreneurs, the world's longest running social entrepreneur podcast, the co-founder of NM Tech Talks, the co-founder of NMClimate and a business coach/consultant for social entrepreneurs and cleantech startup…
- 381 | Return to the Origin: Using Earth For the Future with Daniel Parra
What if the path to climate resilience was not found in glass and steel — but in earth, craft, and community? This is just one of the provocative questions we explored with Daniel Parra on the latest Awarepreneurs podcast episode, hosted b…
- 380 | A Community Building Organization Disguised As a Soccer Team with Ron Patel
Is it possible that the heart of social entrepreneurship beats just as strongly in a stadium as in a startup? This is just one of the provocative questions we explored with Ron Patel on the latest Awarepreneurs podcast episode, hosted by o…
- 379 | You're in Business to Win with Dr. John E. Harmon
Bio: John E. Harmon, Sr. is the Founder, President, and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (AACCNJ), the state's leading organization advocating for Black-owned businesses and economic empowerment. A former chair…
- 378 | The Growth Benefits of Second Chances Hiring with Scott Gates
BIO: Scott Gates is the Co-Founder and CEO of Awake Window & Door Co., a luxury window and door manufacturer specializing in building windows and door at massive sizes, with minimal frames, to maximize views in luxury custom homes. But eve…
- 377 | Tech for Good: Using Software & Data to Solve Society's Biggest Problems with Jim Fruchterman
Bio: Jim Fruchterman is a leading social entrepreneur, author, MacArthur Fellow, recipient of the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and Distinguished Alumnus of Caltech. After starting two successful for-profit AI companies, he went…
- 376 | To Sell Sustainability, Don't Talk About Sustainability with Josh Dorfman
Bio: Josh Dorfman is a climate entrepreneur, author, and media personality. He is the CEO and host of Supercool, a media company covering real-world climate solutions that cut carbon, increase profits, and enhance modern life. Josh was pre…
- 375 | Scarcity, Abundance & New Mexico's Permanent Fund with Lawrence Chavez
Lawrence Chavez is a passionate innovator focused on meaningful innovation. Lawrence has been on both sides of the table and understands the demands of the investor and the needs of the founder. Most recently as CEO & Founder of EveryDay C…
- 374 | The Startup Advantage in a Downturn with Paul Zelizer
Paul Zelizer is the host of Awarepreneurs, the world's longest running social entrepreneur podcast, the co-founder of NM Tech Talks and a business coach/consultant for social entrepreneurs and cleantech startups for the past 18 years. This…
- EP 373 | Building Community Through Movement: The Running Medicine Story with Dr. Anthony Fleg
Anthony Fleg is a family medicine physician at UNM in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. Originally from Baltimore, Anthony grounds his healing work in undoing racism, health equity, movement as medicine, and with a focus on…
- 372 | Building an Advanced Energy Ecosystem in New Mexico with Rep. Meredith Dixon
In a political climate that is more partisan and polarized than ever, the idea of working together for the common good seems impossible. State Representative Meredith Dixon has a different view. Her approach - one which is focused on bring…
- 371 | Bootstraps and Bootcamps: New Mexico's Pathways Into Tech with Rudy Parra
Rudy Parra is a Mechatronics & Lab Technician at GridFlow, where he supports the development of next-generation lithium-sulfur flow batteries. He specializes in IoT integration, rapid prototyping, and lab operations, helping bridge the gap…
- 370 | Boosting Collaborative Accountability in Impact Organizations with Dr. David Gruder
Dr. David Gruder is a Corporate Counsel who is a 12-award-winning multi-bestselling clinical and organizational psychologist. As an Executive Team Orchestrator and Culture Catalyst, he makes integrity profitable by equipping socially respo…
- 369 | Space for Good and SpaceValley Foundation with Bryce Kennedy
Former attorney turned space advocate, Bryce Kennedy is the Executive Director of SpaceValley Foundation and Space Connectivity Officer under the International Telecommunication Union and UN. He works with emerging economies to ensure that…
- 368 | Solar on Multi-family: Good for Owners, Good for Tenants with Owen Barrett
Owen, a former Global Energy Manager at a Fortune 500 company, implemented $60M in clean technology before founding lumeo, a niche ESCO that hit eight figures in three years. After a successful exit, he launched ZNE Capital to decarbonize…
- 367 | The Business Impact of Social Impact with Sona Khosla
Sona Khosla, Chief Impact Officer at Benevity, has worked with mission-driven organizations for over 15 years. As Chief Impact Officer, she is responsible for infusing impact into Benevity's business and culture and overseeing the company'…
- 366 | Moving Forward Together Through Employee Ownership with Benjamin Gardner
Benjamin Gardner is the Chief Executive Officer of Dekker Designs and a working principal of the D/P/S commercial group, Benjamin is dedicated to improving the built environment using skills acquired from combined backgrounds in architectu…
- 365 | Community, Diversity and the Growth of New Mexico as a Tech Hub with Vicki Apodaca
Once called a "unicorn" for her entrepreneurial approach, Vicki Apodaca is a seasoned marketer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Vicki has been a founding member of several tech startups (Phalanx, StellarFi, Joust, and Soply), and have al…
- 364 | Beyond the Budget Cuts: Staying Profitable When Everything Changes with Paul Zelizer
Paul Zelizer is the host of the Awarepreneurs Podcast, the world's longest running social entrepreneur podcast, and has been a Business Coach who specializes in working with social entrepreneurs and climate tech founders for the past 18 ye…
- 363 | Building a Network of Investors & Founders for Positive Impact with Manuela Guzman
Manuela Guzmán is the Head of Network at Top Tier Impact (TTI), a global ecosystem of 600+ investors, founders, and corporates dedicated to solving the world's most pressing challenges. She leads TTI's network strategy, fostering high-impa…
- 362 | Creating Community-Wide Change Through Banking with David Reiling
David Reiling is the President and CEO of Sunrise Banks, a mission-driven, values-based bank with locations in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. David has worked in the community development banking industry fo…
- 361 | How New Mexico is Supporting Clean Tech Startups with Rebecca Puck Stair
For four decades, Rebecca "Puck" Stair has built teams to tackle complex, high-profile, high-dollar projects. In 2023, she came to the New Mexico state energy office after two decades in the New Mexico film industry, where she worked as a…
- 360 | How to Fire People Compassionately and Ethically with Paul Zelizer
Paul Zelizer is the host of the Awarepreneurs Podcast, the world's longest running social entrepreneur podcast, and has been a Business Coach who specializes in working with social entrepreneurs and climate tech founders for the past 18 ye…
- 359 | The Intersection of Technology and Co-Working: A Formula for Community Change with Dana Koller
Dana Koller is President and CEO of Kactus Brewery, a highly community active brewing company and the Executive Director of UN-17. UN-17 is on track to be the #1 resource within New Mexico to help guide businesses and governments to accomp…
- 358 | Water Innovation Rising Out of the Desert with Ben Shultz
Ben Shultz is a dedicated product/marketing manager at Aqua Membranes, where he combines his background in environmental planning and design with strong relationship-building and event-planning skills to drive innovative water treatment an…
- 357 | Connecting Top Talent with Sustainability Organizations with Kristy Drutman
Kristy Drutman, otherwise known as "Browngirl Green" is a speaker, consultant, media producer, and environmental educator passionate about working at the intersections between media, diversity, and environmentalism. As a young entrepreneur…
- 356 | Climate Despair Sucks: How to Find Purpose in the Chaos with Paul Zelizer
Paul Zelizer is the host of the Awarepreneurs Podcast, one of the world's longest running social entrepreneur podcasts, and has been a Business Coach for social entrepreneurs and climate tech startups for over 17 years. This episode is spo…
- 355 | Crushing Misogyny and Building an Auto Repair Empire with Jesse Jackson
As CEO of Mango Automotive, Jesse's vision is not just to lead but to revolutionize the automotive repair industry. They are ambitiously scaling towards a $100 million empire in the EV repair and maintenance domain, balancing this with the…
- 354 | The Social Entrepreneur Tipping Point in New Mexico with Rep. Andrea D. Romero
Representative Andrea D. Romero is a daughter of New Mexico. After attending the Santa Fe Public Schools, Andrea graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Political Science and received her J.D. from the University of New Mexico…
- 353 | $58 Billion Funds, 2025 Headwinds and a Winter Break with Paul Zelizer
Welcome to another episode of Awarepreneurs with your host, Paul Zelizer. In today's special solo episode, Paul dives into three critical topics that will shape the landscape for social entrepreneurs and climate tech founders as we head in…
- 352 | Helping Justice Involved Individuals Get Living Wage Jobs with Rose Velasquez
Rose Velasquez is the CEO of Hiring Hub, an executive recruitment firm specializing in helping high-performing companies find top talent. With over a decade of experience, Rose is passionate about matching individuals with roles that align…
- 351 | The Power of Podcasting in Africa with Tony Doe
Tony Onwuchekwa aka Tony Doe is an Audio Content Strategist, with years of experience on-air, in production and management for multi-format radio stations, most recently at 93.7 FM, Onitsha, where he led a team of on-air talents as Program…
- 350 | Creating a 2025 Growth Plan for Your Impact Business with Paul Zelizer
Paul Zelizer is a business coach and consultant that has specialized in supporting social entrepreneurs for the past 17 years. And, he's the host of the Awarepreneurs podcast - which is now one of the longest running social entrepreneur po…
- 349 | Investing in Climate, Health and Equity Tech Startups with Dan Barker
Dan Barker is the President and CEO of Halcyon, an incubator and investor in early-stage, impact-driven startups from around the globe. Dan joined Halcyon from the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth where he was vice president focused…
- 348 | Making Work Work for Women in India with Achyuta Adhvaryu
Achyuta Adhvaryu is a Tata Chancellor's Endowed Professor of Economics, UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy and the Co-founder and CEO of the Good Business Lab. Good Business Lab uses rigorous research to find a common ground…
- 347 | Lessons from the Amazon to Help Solve the Climate Crisis with Brando Crespi
Brando Crespi is the Founder and Executive Chair of Global Biochar Inc, a company focused on the deployment of biochar and green charcoal as the most effective way to mitigate our climate crisis while also addressing food security, defores…
- 346 | 3 Things Social Entrepreneurs Do That Stop Growth with Paul Zelizer
Paul Zelizer is a business coach and consultant that has specialized in supporting social entrepreneurs for the past 17 years. And, he's the host of the Awarepreneurs podcast - which is now one of the longest running social entrepreneur po…