The Chicago Sustainability Series

WATER, a Chicago Sustainability Series Season II Dialogue held on July 24th, 2020 with Dean Alonistiotis, Chief of Staff forMWRD Commissioner Kimberly Neely du Buclet of Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater ChicagoWe discussed the intersections of water, racial and socioeconomic equity, essential workers, the impacts and pioneering research around the COVID-19 pandemic, and more.This Dialogue was conducted over Zoom, in recognition of the importance of safety and social distancing in the pandemic.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com, and more about Commissioner du Buclet at https://mwrd.org/kimberly-neely-du-buclet and more about MWRDGC at https://mwrd.org/.

FOOD, a Chicago Sustainability Series Season II Dialogue held on June 26th, 2020 with Thomas Jonas, Co-Founder + CEO of Nature's Fynd. Nature's Fynd is an innovative Chicago-based firm innovating the food space with products harvested from the Fy microbe protein, originally sourced from Yellowstone National Park geysers. The Fy protein requires 99% less land, and 87% less water than traditional beef production to become a range of foods from breakfast to dinner, with 9 essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. *This Dialogue was conducted over Zoom, in recognition of the importance of safety and social distancing in the pandemic. *In their own words, "Everything we do at Nature's Fynd is driven by curiosity. It's what led us to explore the springs of Yellowstone's ancient volcano for NASA-supported research on extreme ecosystems.That's how we discovered a remarkable, protein-rich microorganism.Using the microorganism, we developed a breakthrough fermentation technology to create Fy (“fai”), a highly nutritious source of animal-free protein with all 9 essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and fiber."*Thomas discussed how he came to the alternative protein space, the range of their products (diary, meat substitutes, dessert, and more), the poetry of developing a new protein that uses a fraction of the resources of standard protein production in the same space as Chicago's Union Stock Yards, the challenges and opportunities of the pandemic, their funding journey, and what is next. **Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com, and more about Nature's Fynd at https://www.naturesfynd.com/. *

A preview of POLICY, a Chicago Sustainability Series Dialogue with Joyce Coffee (President, Climate Resilience Consulting), held on March 30th, 2017 in support of The People's Climate March (via Food+Water Watch - Midwest) at Civis Analytics.Featuring a panel discussion with Joyce Coffee (President, Climate Resilience Consulting), Ashley Munson (Policy Coordinator, Illinois Environmental Council), and Deborah Stone (Cook County Chief Sustainability Officer, Director of Cook County Department of Environmental Control).In partnership with Assembly Required, we produced intersectional environmental justice posters and signs that we utilized at the 2017 People's Climate March in Chicago.In keeping with our ongoing partnership with Healthy Soil Compost + Nature's Little Recyclers, all food and food waste was composted.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com.

"...which gives me tremendous hope for the region." - Deborah Stone (Director + Chief Sustainability Officer, Cook County Department of Environmental Control)•A preview of POLICY, a Chicago Sustainability Series Dialogue with Deborah Stone (Cook County Chief Sustainability Officer, Director of Cook County Department of Environmental Control), held on March 30th, 2017 in support of The People's Climate March (via Food+Water Watch - Midwest) at Civis Analytics.Featuring a panel discussion with Deborah Stone (Cook County Chief Sustainability Officer, Director of Cook County Department of Environmental Control), Joyce Coffee (President, Climate Resilience Consulting), and Ashley Munson (Policy Coordinator, Illinois Environmental Council).In partnership with Assembly Required, we produced intersectional environmental justice posters and signs that we utilized at the 2017 People's Climate March in Chicago.In keeping with our ongoing partnership with Healthy Soil Compost + Nature's Little Recyclers, all food and food waste was composted.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com.

"... we ultimately vote these people into office." - Ashley Munson (Policy Coordinator, Illinois Environmental Council)•A preview of POLICY, a Chicago Sustainability Series Dialogue with Ashley Munson (Policy Coordinator, Illinois Environmental Council), held on March 30th, 2017 in support of The People's Climate March (via Food+Water Watch - Midwest) at Civis Analytics.Featuring a panel discussion with Ashley Munson (Policy Coordinator, Illinois Environmental Council), Deborah Stone (Cook County Chief Sustainability Officer, Director of Cook County Department of Environmental Control), and Joyce Coffee (President, Climate Resilience Consulting).In partnership with Assembly Required, we produced intersectional environmental justice posters and signs that we utilized at the 2017 People's Climate March in Chicago.In keeping with our ongoing partnership with Healthy Soil Compost + Nature's Little Recyclers, all food and food waste was composted.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com.

POLICY, a Chicago Sustainability Series Dialogue held on March 30th, 2017 in support of Food + Water Watch-Midwest's efforts at The People's Climate March at Civis Analytics.Featuring a panel discussion with Joyce Coffee (The President of Climate Resilience Consulting), Deborah Stone, (Cook County's Chief Sustainability Officer and the Director of the Cook County Department of Environmental Control), and Ashley Munson, (then Policy Coordinator at the Illinois Environmental Council).In keeping with our ongoing partnership with Healthy Soil Compost + Nature's Little Recyclers, all food and food waste was composted.In partnership with Assembly Required, we produced intersectional environmental justice posters and signs that we utilized at the 2017 People's Climate March in Chicago.The POLICY Dialogue raised $165 for Food + Water Watch-Midwest in support of their co-organizing efforts for The People's Climate March in Chicago.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com.

“If there was the magical funding, the thing that I would like to see done is to set up a materials processing facility in Chicago, most notably on the west or south side where it could provide some jobs. … the biggest hold up in the reuse industry when connected to the building and demolition industry is ‘time is money.'” - Meegan Czop (Owner + Creator, Great Lakes Yard).•A preview of PLACE, a Chicago Sustainability Series Dialogue held on September 14th, 2016 in support of Teen Living Programs at Savage Smyth. Featuring a panel discussion with Meegan Czop (Owner + Creator, Great Lakes Yard), Molly Meyer (Founder + CEO, Omni Ecosystems), Paviella Foster (CaSSA Manager, Teen Living Programs), and Dan French (Founder + CEO, Brownfield Listings).In partnership with Healthy Soil Compost + Nature's Little Recyclers, all food waste was transported by bike and composted, and courtesy of partner, Chicago Votes, voter registration was conducted.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com.

""But the sad part that came with it is I never knew that we had that many homeless youth in the city of Chicago. You know, you grow up and you may see people like under the viaducts, or you may see people sleeping on the bus stops or whatever, but I always saw them as adults. You know, I never saw anybody that's 15, and 16, and 17 years old that's couch surfing, or you know they're sleeping in parks, they're sleeping in trains, they're anywhere just to make sure they're getting some kind of rest. They're all over the place, and it was really sad, but it motivated me to say, 'okay, this is something that we really need to address in the city of Chicago." - Paviella Foster (CaSSA Manager, Ignite, formerly Teen Living Programs)•A preview of PLACE, a Chicago Sustainability Series Dialogue held on September 14th, 2016 in support of Teen Living Programs at Savage Smyth. Featuring a panel discussion with Paviella Foster (CaSSA Manager, Ignite, formerly Teen Living Programs), Molly Meyer (Founder + CEO, Omni Ecosystems), Meegan Czop (Owner + Creator, Great Lakes Yard), and Dan French (Founder + CEO, Brownfield Listings).In partnership with Healthy Soil Compost + Nature's Little Recyclers, all food waste was transported by bike and composted, and courtesy of partner, Chicago Votes, voter registration was conducted.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com.

"...part of the struggle I think is the time we live in now. This deindustrialization, or this post-industrialization development, right? We just had the turn of a new millennium, we had a huge real estate crash, and things are kind of changing. And we're at the center of that. That's what Chicago is to me. We're one of the great industrial cities, we still are a great city. . . . I think of us as like the beating heart of North America, right?" - Dan French (Founder + CEO, Brownfield Listings)•A preview of PLACE, a Chicago Sustainability Series Dialogue held on September 14th, 2016 in support of Teen Living Programs at Savage Smyth. Featuring a panel discussion with Dan French (Founder + CEO, Brownfield Listings), Paviella Foster (CaSSA Manager, Teen Living Programs), Meegan Czop (Owner + Creator, Great Lakes Yard), and Molly Meyer (Founder + CEO, Omni Ecosystems).In partnership with Healthy Soil Compost + Nature's Little Recyclers, all food waste was transported by bike and composted, and courtesy of partner, Chicago Votes, voter registration was conducted.To learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series, visit SustainTheChi.com.

"Along with After School Matters about 30,000 Chicago youth get paid jobs for the summer. And so at our facility ... 50 students, youth, worked with us over the summer. About 10 of them in Omni and The Roof Crop, and the rest with non-profits that are in our building." - Molly Meyer (Founder + CEO, Omni Ecosystems)•A preview of PLACE, a Chicago Sustainability Series Dialogue held on September 14th, 2016 in support of Teen Living Programs at Savage Smyth. Featuring a panel discussion with Molly Meyer (Founder + CEO, Omni Ecosystems), Paviella Foster (CaSSA Manager, Teen Living Programs), Dan French (Founder + CEO, Brownfield Listings), and Meegan Czop (Owner + Creator, Great Lakes Yard).In partnership with Healthy Soil Compost + Nature's Little Recyclers, all food waste was transported by bike and composted, and courtesy of partner, Chicago Votes, voter registration was conducted.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com.

PLACE, a Chicago Sustainability Series Dialogue held on September 14th, 2016 in support of Teen Living Programs at Savage Smyth.Featuring a panel discussion with Molly Meyer (Founder + CEO, Omni Ecosystems), Paviella Foster (CaSSA Manager, Teen Living Programs), Dan French (Founder + CEO, Brownfield Listings), and Meegan Czop (Owner + Creator, Great Lakes Yard).In partnership with Healthy Soil Compost + Nature's Little Recyclers, all food waste was transported by bike and composted, and courtesy of partner, Chicago Votes, voter registration was conducted.The Dialogue raised $130 for the Drop In Center of Teen Living Programs in support of their mission to address youth homelessness in Chicago.Editing courtesy of Fix My Mixes.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com.

“To now talk to these customers . . . about where the meat is coming from, and how it's raised, how we it's take it apart has been fantastic.” - Ian James Anthony (Apprentice, Harrison Quality Meats)•A preview of FOOD, a Chicago Sustainability Series Dialogue held on July 21st, 2016 in support of The Christmas Cheer Foundation at Life Creative co-working space. Featuring a panel discussion with Ian James Anthony (Apprentice) + Costa Lapaseotes (Co-Founder) both of Harrison Quality Meats, Benjamin Kant (Founder, CEO of Metropolitan Farms), Jonathan Scheffel (Founder of Healthy Soil Compost).Proud to say that Healthy Soil Compost is our composting partner, and the first partner of The Series. Through them, that partnership extends to Nature's Little Recyclers.Priscilla Monsivais (Chicago Votes) conducted voter registration at The Dialogue, as part of our partnership with them.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com.

“. . .when you have a diversity of, whether its animals or plants, . . . growing together it's an ecosystem that feeds, and sustains, and nourishes itself.” - Costa Lapaseotes (Co-Founder, Harrison Quality Meats)•A preview of FOOD, a Chicago Sustainability Series Dialogue held on July 21st, 2016 in support of The Christmas Cheer Foundation at Life Creative co-working space. Featuring a panel discussion with Costa Lapaseotes (Co-Founder) + Ian James Anthony (Apprentice) both of Harrison Quality Meats, Jonathan Scheffel (Founder of Healthy Soil Compost), & Benjamin Kant (Founder, CEO of Metropolitan Farms).Proud to say that Healthy Soil Compost is our composting partner, and the first partner of The Series. Through them, that partnership extends to Nature's Little Recyclers.Priscilla Monsivais (Chicago Votes) conducted voter registration at The Dialogue, as part of our partnership with them.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com.

“It's almost an input commodity that makes it very difficult to have our crop be labeled then as organic because it goes all the way down the chain.” - Benjamin Kant (Founder + CEO, Metropolitan Farms)•A preview of The FOOD Dialogue a Chicago Sustainability Series Dialogue held on July 21st in support of The Christmas Cheer Foundation at Life Creative. Featuring a panel discussion with Benjamin Kant (Metropolitan Farms), Jon Scheffel (Healthy Soil Compost), Costa Lapaseotes (Harrison Quality Meats), and Ian James Anthony (Harrison Quality Meats).Priscilla Monsivais (Chicago Votes) conducted voter registration at The Dialogue, as part of our partnership with them.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com.

“Look in here! It's energy! And I'm carting it around on my back!” - Jonathan Scheffel (Founder, Healthy Soil Compost)•A preview of FOOD, a Chicago Sustainability Series Dialogue held on July 21st, 2016 in support of The Christmas Cheer Foundation at Life Creative co-working space. Featuring a panel discussion with Jonathan Scheffel (Founder of Healthy Soil Compost), Benjamin Kant (Founder, CEO of Metropolitan Farms), & Costa Lapaseotes (Co-Founder) + Ian James Anthony (Apprentice) both of Harrison Quality Meats.Proud to say that Healthy Soil Compost is our composting partner, and the first partner of The Series. Through them, that partnership extends to Nature's Little Recyclers.Priscilla Monsivais (Chicago Votes) conducted voter registration at The Dialogue, as part of our partnership with them.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com.

“. . . we want to empower folks, specifically young folks and minorities in order to register to vote, and actually perform that action of voting.” - Priscilla Monsivais (Field Coordinator, Chicago Votes)•A preview of The FOOD Dialogue a Chicago Sustainability Series Dialogue held on July 21st in support of The Christmas Cheer Foundation at Life Creative. Featuring a panel discussion with Benjamin Kant (Metropolitan Farms), Jon Scheffel (Healthy Soil Compost), Costa Lapaseotes (Harrison Quality Meats), and Ian James Anthony (Harrison Quality Meats).Priscilla conducted voter registration at The Dialogue, as part of our partnership with them.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com.

Featuring a panel discussion with Benjamin Kant (Founder, CEO of Metropolitan Farms), Jonathan Scheffel (Founder of Healthy Soil Compost), & Costa Lapaseotes (Co-Founder) + Ian James Anthony (Apprentice) both of Harrison Quality Meats.The Dialogue raised $100 for The Christmas Cheer Foundation's daily efforts to feed Chicagoans, and composting was provided by Healthy Soil Compost + Nature's Little Recyclers.Priscilla Monsivais (Chicago Votes) conducted voter registration at The Dialogue, as part of our partnership with them.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com.

“We're all connected.” - Patrick Thomas (Public Affairs Specialist, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago)•A preview of WATER, the inaugural Chicago Sustainability Series Dialogue with Patrick Thomas  (Public Affairs Specialist, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago) held on May 24th in support of the Environmental Law and Policy Center at Clique Studios.Featuring a panel discussion with  MeLena Hessel (ELPC), Eddie Paulino (MWRDGC), Patrick Thomas (MWRDGC), and Shilpa Alva (Surge For Water).The Dialogue raised funds for the Chicago River initiatives of ELPC, and composting was provided by Healthy Soil Compost + Nature's Little Recyclers.Voter Registration conducted by Chicago Votes.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com.

“Climate change has been making water issues really relevant to the general public.” - Eddie Paulino (Associate Civil Engineer, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago•A preview of WATER, the inaugural Chicago Sustainability Series Dialogue with Eddie Paulino (Associate Civil Engineer, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago) held on May 24th in support of the Environmental Law and Policy Center at Clique Studios. Featuring a panel discussion with  Eddie Paulino (MWRDGC), Patrick Thomas (MWRDGC), Shilpa Alva (Surge For Water), and MeLena Hessel (ELPC).The Dialogue raised funds for the Chicago River initiatives of ELPC, and composting was provided by Healthy Soil Compost + Nature's Little Recyclers.Voter Registration conducted by Chicago Votes.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com.

“If we raise this urgency, what are people supposed to do?” - Shilpa Alva (Co-Founder + Executive Director, Surge for Water)•A preview of WATER, the inaugural Chicago Sustainability Series Dialogue with Shilpa Alva (Founder, Surge for Water) held on May 24th in support of the Environmental Law and Policy Center at Clique Studios.Featuring a panel discussion with Shilpa Alva (Surge For Water), Eddie Paulino (MWRDGC), Patrick Thomas (MWRDGC), and MeLena Hessel (ELPC).The Dialogue raised funds for the Chicago River initiatives of ELPC, and composting was provided by Healthy Soil Compost + Nature's Little Recyclers.Voter Registration conducted by Chicago Votes.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com.

Featuring a panel discussion with Shilpa Alva (Surge For Water), Eddie Paulino (MWRDGC), Patrick Thomas (MWRDGC), and MeLena Hessel (ELPC).The Dialogue raised $135 for the Chicago River initiatives of ELPC, and composting was provided by Healthy Soil Compost + Nature's Little Recyclers.Voter Registration conducted by Chicago Votes.Editing courtesy Dynasty Podcasts & Fix My Mixes.Moderated and produced by Tomás de'Medici.Learn more about The Chicago Sustainability Series at SustainTheChi.com.