393 | Economic Development - Leading Through Uncertain Times with Elyse Cherry

BIO: Lindsay Wrege is the co-founder and CEO of 321 Coffee, a coffee shop and roaster based in Raleigh, NC that employs individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her inclusive staff, featuring people with down syndrome, autism, and other forms of neurodiversity, together are modeling inclusion for others to follow. She started this company in her college dorm room, and it now has 5 locations and employs over 50 adults with IDD. Lindsay believes in the power of using business for social impact. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: 321 Coffee site Lindsay on LinkedIn Paul's Strategy Sessions Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

BIO: Sandhya Sabapathy is the Founder & CEO of Kaleidoscope, a sustainability and business resilience accelerator that helps builders scale profitable, purpose-driven products and services. She has worked across 40+ global markets and in FTSE100, Fortune 500, and public-private partnerships, driving ESG strategy, innovation, and equity into the heart of business models. She's scaled multi-million-dollar innovations that prove sustainability and profit can grow side by side. Her work has been recognized globally: she was named one of the Financial Times' Women of the Future 50 ESG Stars, nominated by the Institute of Directors for her contributions to Diversity & Inclusion, and listed in the SustainabilityX Global 50 Sustainability Leaders. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Kaleidoscope site Burn Bright, Build Slow book Sandhya on LinkedIn Paul's Strategy Sessions Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

Bio:  Scott Lopez is the Founder and CEO of the New Mexico Nuclear Alliance, where he advances New Mexico's nuclear energy ecosystem through advocacy, policy, and economic development. He is also the Founder and CEO of Vida Mejor Capital and one of the principal organizers of the annual New Mexico Energy Policy Symposium, now in its third year, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, Tribal governments, investors, and communities to shape the state's energy future. With more than 25 years of experience in business development, public policy, and capital formation, Scott works to align policy, investment, and partnerships while emphasizing responsible stewardship of New Mexico's nuclear legacy through cleanup, community engagement, and long-term accountability as well as supporting the growth of the state's broadband infrastructure.  

BIO:  Paul Zelizer has 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.  A growing portion of my work is as a fractional VP of Business Development for cleantech startups and mission driven companies. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: New Mexico Tech Week site Paul's Strategy Sessions Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

BIO: Tim Shaler is the CEO of 639 Solar & 639 Cloud.  His 30 year career has focused on client retention, ESG investing, valuation work and investing in electricity and gas companies to help manage a solar & battery -powered datacenter business. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: 639 Solar site 639 Cloud site Tim on LinkedIn Paul's Strategy Sessions Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

BIO: For the past 20 years, Paul Zelizer has been a coach and consultant for mission driven entrepreneurs and businesses. You can find out more about his services at PaulZelizer.com This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Episode 390: How to 100X Your Social Impact with Kurt Avery Pii Energy website Avanyu LLC website Episode 396: Incorruptible with Eric Ries Paul's Strategy Sessions Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

Bio:  Riley Neugebauer is a licensed residential electrician and solar tradeswoman based in Colorado. She works as a technical trainer with Unirac, a solar racking manufacturer, and founded a non-profit, Solar for Women, to help create community, training opportunities, and advocacy for solar tradeswomen across the U.S.  This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include:   Solar for Women group Paul's Strategy Sessions Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

Over the last two decades, Eric Ries's ideas about continuous innovation, long-term thinking, governance, and market reform have reshaped company building and management practices. He is the creator of the Lean Startup method, and the author of the New York Times bestseller The Lean Startup; The Leader's Guide; and The Startup Way.  As a founder, he has put his own ideas into practice with The Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE); Answer.AI, an AI R&D lab; the Lean Startup Co, which teaches and supports the implementation of Lean Startup; Virgil, a legal services startup; and IMVU, where the ideas that became the Lean Startup method were forged. On his podcast, The Eric Ries Show, he talks to guests including world-class technologists, thought leaders, and executives working to build profitable companies for the long-term benefit of society. Eric has served as an entrepreneur-in-residence at Harvard Business School and IDEO. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and three children. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Incorruptable site Miyoko Awarepreneurs interview The Lean Startup site Long Term Stock Exchange site Paul's Strategy Sessions Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode  

                            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 Development for Pii Energy, a plug-in solar startup. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Pii Energy site TechFest 2026 site Paul on LinkedIn Facilitating Change Podcast Utah Tech Week site Paul's services Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

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 Ghana to corporate partners navigating sustainability transitions. His work focuses on community infrastructure: the peer networks, shared analysis, and coordination capacity that determine whether movements survive and scale.  He is the founder of Ponto Social Impact Consulting. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Skoll Foundation site The Soil of Leadership book Cole on LinkedIn Facilitating Change Podcast Ponto Consulting site Paul's services Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode