Podcasts about progress energy

On this episode of the Crazy Wisdom Podcast, Stewart Alsop sits down with Ben Kohlmann, an investment partner at Qubit Capital, to discuss topics ranging from Argentina's socio-political shifts and libertarian experimentation to frontier technologies like AI, space exploration, and energy abundance. Ben shares his insights on how technology can enhance human flourishing, grounded in both innovation and a philosophical perspective. The conversation touches on everything from cultural and historical shifts to the future of interplanetary economies and the challenges of regulatory frameworks in space. You can connect with Ben on Twitter @BenKohlmann or email him at ben@cubit.capital for more.Check out this GPT we trained on the conversation!Timestamps00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:28 Argentina's Socio-Political Revolution01:34 The Argentinian Experiment and Free Market04:00 Technology, Venture Capital, and Market Dynamics06:06 Argentina's Economic Potential and Challenges08:14 Qubit Capital's Investment Focus09:06 Faith, Technology, and Human Flourishing11:36 The 1960s, Spirituality, and Cultural Shifts19:53 Community, Religion, and Modern Society26:01 AI, Space, and Energy Abundance27:39 Future of Small Modular Reactors27:59 Energy Consumption Trends and AI's Role28:18 Space Economy and Asteroid Mining29:55 Energy Production and Human Flourishing32:25 Solar Power in Space and Data Centers36:46 Asteroid Mining and Space Colonies43:04 Regulatory Challenges and Global Frameworks46:17 Asynchronous Work and Social Media Evolution50:13 Conclusion and Contact InformationKey InsightsThe Libertarian Experiment in Argentina: Ben Kohlmann and Stewart Alsop discuss Argentina's current socio-political shift under Javier Milei, highlighting its potential as a libertarian experiment. They contrast it with historical welfare state policies, reflecting on Argentina's past prosperity in the late 1800s and exploring the implications of free-market approaches on long-term economic and cultural revitalization.Frontier Technologies as Drivers of Human Flourishing: Ben emphasizes Qubit Capital's focus on frontier technologies like AI, space exploration, and energy abundance, underscoring their role in advancing human flourishing. The conversation connects these innovations to philosophical and theological perspectives, arguing that technology can serve as a bridge to a higher purpose in human development.Energy Abundance as the Foundation for Progress: Energy consumption is highlighted as a critical driver of human and societal progress. The episode explores how nuclear power, space-based solar energy, and other breakthroughs in energy generation and consumption are unlocking new possibilities for innovation, economic growth, and global resilience.The Future of Space Exploration and the Space Economy: A major theme is the transformative potential of space exploration and the burgeoning space economy. From asteroid mining to on-orbit data centers, the episode examines how reducing launch costs and advancing technology can catalyze manufacturing and economic systems in space, leading to unprecedented opportunities.The Role of Failure in Innovation: Drawing parallels between technological and societal experimentation, Ben argues that failure is a necessary precursor to success. Whether it's in space exploration, national policies, or personal growth, the willingness to take risks and learn from setbacks is presented as a cornerstone of progress.The Fracturing of Social Media and Communities: The conversation touches on the evolving nature of social media, suggesting that global, interconnected platforms are giving way to more tribalistic, niche communities. This shift echoes historical patterns of societal organization and reflects humanity's inherent need for smaller, more cohesive groups to navigate cultural and generational changes.The Intersection of Technology, Faith, and Society: Ben shares a unique perspective on integrating faith with technology and investment. He posits that both fields share a common goal of enabling human flourishing, arguing that spiritual and technological frameworks can work together to solve pressing global challenges while fostering a sense of purpose and connection.

Erin is the lead for RILA's ESG and corporate responsibility portfolio, encompassing its Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Sustainability, and Responsible Sourcing Committees, and ESG engagement activities. She organizes educational content and convenes and facilitates benchmarking discussions, resource development, and stakeholder engagement for corporate retail issue leads in each of these areas. Erin has been with RILA since 2012, serving in a variety of roles supporting and leading the association's CSR communities. Erin serves on the International Sustainable Standards Board's (ISSB) Technical Reference Group. Prior to joining RILA, Erin interned for two years with the Progress Energy as their EnergyWise (smart grid) Change Management and Business Processes Intern while finishing her undergraduate degrees. Erin holds Bachelors of Arts in Public Policy with Honors and French from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was the recipient of both the Edward Kidder Graham Chancellor's Award and Michael A. Stegman Award for Policy Research and Advocacy as well as an inductee of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Erin Joins Sustainable Nation to Discuss: How sustainability was embedded into the work at RILA as a trade association RILA's climate action blueprint for member companies The development of RILAs new tool to help measure scope 3 emissions in collaboration with Optera Engaging members in advocacy for climate related initiatives Erin's Final Five Questions Responses: What is one piece of advice you would give other sustainability professionals that might help them in their careers?  Invest in being a really good listener. I think that a lot of folks go into sustainability because they have a major passion for it, and they want to help other folks see the world and things as they do. But at the end of the day, the best communicators, the best collaborators are really good listeners, really good empathizers.  What are you most excited about right now in the world of sustainability?  I am probably biased working for a trade association, but I feel like we are entering this era of creative and widespread collaboration. We're recognizing which of these challenges are too big for an individual company to take on on their own, any individual player in the space. So it's some of the projects like the DPED database with Optera, that sort of thing where we're hearing creative ideas, we're seeing them and trying to make sure that we're elevating them and giving them space so that as many companies can collaborate in them as one. So this era of collaboration has been really exciting to see,  What is one book you would recommend sustainability professionals read?  I would say first and foremost to read whatever gives you energy and be creative first and foremost. I think that's a big part of staying sane in this space, and I see reading as an outlet to really relax and again, think creatively. I like reading Sci-Fi.  I will say I think that Alison Taylor's Higher Ground that just came out, I haven't finished it yet, but to the point about being a good communicator, there's such a focus on people and such a focus on trust in that book. I think it gets back to that communicator role and us remembering at the at the end of the day that we're trying to collaborate and work with and understand how others think and feel.  What are some of your favorite resources or tools that really help you in your work?  Two structural frameworks that have helped guide my thinking a lot are some of the pillars around design thinking and systems thinking and that question of how might we that a lot of those leverage. I think it's a really good process for again, empathizing with your user so to speak, your end consumer. What do we really want to get to? Who needs to be involved? Who can we ask? And the value of quick iteration on an idea. It's easy to come up with something that we think is going to fix everything or be a silver bullet, and it's really about being willing to adjust so that it gets to where everyone needs it to be. I also think another one that's been interesting for me to learn more about is that my partner is actually a product manager and I've started to find myself adopting some of his processes around how you set up stakeholder engagement and how you really reflect on a project and break down the needs there. So I think borrowing from those other frameworks that well serve any issue set  that structures your thinking to to empathize, think creatively, but also be something that's pretty intuitive when you read about it, it clicks pretty quickly.  Where can our listeners go to learn more about you and the work being done at RILA?  I would definitely say to check out our website, as you discovered. I love how much we're able to post publicly because we know it'll be beneficial beyond just the retail industry. So certainly the holistic sustainability ESG content that we have on the site and then on LinkedIn as well. I always like to talk about what we're doing there, and that's certainly my favorite way for connecting with folks.

Welcome to Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people. On today's episode, we are joined by John Nelms, the president of the N.C. Economic Development Association and Senior Economic Development Manager at Duke Energy. The Oxford native talks about the group's passion for supporting the state's community colleges and why North Carolina consistently ranks among the most attractive states for relocating businesses. Nelms has a bachelor's degree from N.C. State University and a Campbell University MBA. He worked in state government before joining Duke predecessor Progress Energy.

Welcome to Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people. On today's episode, we are joined by John Nelms, the president of the N.C. Economic Development Association and Senior Economic Development Manager at Duke Energy. The Oxford native talks about the group's passion for supporting the state's community colleges and why North Carolina consistently ranks among the most attractive states for relocating businesses. Nelms has a bachelor's degree from N.C. State University and a Campbell University MBA. He worked in state government before joining Duke predecessor Progress Energy.

Environmental, Social, and Governance factors (ESG's) refer to a set of standards that socially conscious investors use to screen potential investments. ESG's are increasing in importance and many companies are looking to ESGs to guide sustainability decisions and to prove their sustainability commitment to customers and stakeholders.  Join us for this episode as Cari Boyce, Katherine Neebe, and Doug Esamann join host John Failla to discuss the steps Duke Energy has taken in the adoption and implementation of ESGs in moving toward its sustainability goals. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... Introducing this episode’s guests and their experience with renewable energy [2:01] Why Katherine chose to move from Walmart to join Duke Energy [5:30] What is ESG investing and why is it of such importance these days? [10:01] Duke’s 20-year history in sustainability planning and its current goals [18:20] To what degree are ESG goals a business imperative for energy companies? [29:39] The role energy storage and emerging tech will play in Duke’s ESG picture [42:16] Collaboration is key in the energy transition [50:01] The role of investment in moving forward in a greener, cleaner way [53:13] A closer look at the role of ESG in corporate responsibility ESG refers to how a company performs in these three key areas: Environmental criteria: how does the company perform in terms of its ecological and environmental responsibility to the community? Social criteria: how does the company manage relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities where it operates? Governance: how does a company’s leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights operate? Companies that navigate trends in the ESG space tend to outperform companies that ignore those trends. For that reason, ESG's should be a core consideration to a company’s strategy and fundamental to the way the company does business. Sustainability has been a core value at Duke Energy for 20 years Duke Energy, being a major electricity provider, sees itself as a major contributor to the well-being and fulfillment of the people who live in the communities it serves. As a result, the team at Duke has learned to listen to stakeholders, customers, and investors to know what’s important to everyone. The company also pays close attention to the environmental needs and impact of any projects it is involved with. When it comes to ESG goals, Duke’s emphasis tends to be more on environmental aspects since it is a company that impacts the environment directly by virtue of what it supplies. But the social and governance aspects are just as important. The challenges are many; among them are the pressures to “green” their energy supply while doing it in ways that are affordable for customers. The Duke team is committed to continuing the search for the right balance and proper perspective to make it possible to do both. It’s imperative for companies like Duke to focus on ESG goals As the demand for ESG consideration increases from investors and customers alike, Duke Energy is proving themselves to be a leader in the field. Emerging energy technologies like solar and wind are options customers want to have as energy options, and Duke is providing them. As proof of its commitment in these areas, to-date, Duke has retired more coal-based power plants than any other industry player and by 2030 Duke will no longer be producing energy via coal within the Carolinas. In Indiana (which is considered “coal country”) it will only be 10 to 15 years before coal-based energy production is no more for Duke. As a result of these commitments, the carbon intensity Duke is serving to its customers is some of the lowest in the country. Though many who are driving the renewable energy transition want Duke and other energy suppliers to make this transition more quickly, it’s an issue where goals have to be pursued at the proper pace. Duke has a two-fold commitment, to supply reliable energy for customers while at the same time moving the needle forward in the renewable transition.  Resources & People Mentioned The Principles for Responsible Investment RP 101: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP2sujth2AU&feature=youtu.be  OR www.duke-energy.com/our-company/irp The Electric Power Research Institute Connect With Our Guests Cari P. Boyce - SVP Enterprise Strategy & Planning, Duke Energy Cari Boyce serves as senior vice president of enterprise strategy and planning for Duke Energy. She leads the company’s strategy development and strategic analysis efforts. Her team is also responsible for market fundamentals and load forecasting. Before assuming her current position in October 2019, Boyce was Duke Energy’s Senior Vice President of Stakeholder Strategy and Sustainability and President of the Duke Energy Foundation. She led the company’s philanthropic activities to address the needs of the communities where its customers live and work. The Duke Energy Foundation annually provides more than $30 million in charitable grants. In addition, she was responsible for developing the company’s stakeholder outreach strategy and overseeing sustainability initiatives and reporting. Prior to that, Boyce was Duke Energy’s Vice President of Policy, Sustainability, and Stakeholder Strategy. She was responsible for the development, communication, and integration of the company’s position on environmental and energy policy issues, sustainability initiatives and reporting, as well as stakeholder outreach. From August 2016 through March 2017, she also served as the interim lead of the company’s federal government affairs office. Boyce served as Vice President of Environmental and Energy Policy from 2012 through 2015. She also served as Vice President of Corporate Communications for Progress Energy from 2009 through 2012. Boyce joined Progress Energy in 2006, initially serving in the role of Director, External Communications. Prior to her employment at Progress Energy, Boyce worked in state government in New York and North Carolina for 15 years. She served as the Director of Communications for the North Carolina governor’s office and was later promoted to the role of Director of External Affairs, where she was responsible for managing the federal and regional offices for the governor, as well as the governor’s communications and constituent relations offices. She also served as a senior adviser for policy and communications for the North Carolina attorney general, and as a legislative assistant in the New York State General Assembly.  Boyce currently serves on the board of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. A native of Ticonderoga, N.Y., Boyce earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and history from Siena College. She also earned a Master of Education degree from North Carolina State University. Boyce has one sheltie, Archie. Follow Cari P. Boyce on LinkedIn Katherine Neebe, President, Duke Energy Foundation, VP National Engagement & Strategy, and Chief Sustainability Officer  Katherine Neebe serves as Vice President of National Engagement and Strategy and Chief Sustainability Officer for Duke Energy. She also serves as President of the Duke Energy Foundation. In these capacities, she leads Duke Energy’s stakeholder engagement efforts to develop solutions to meet customer needs for continued reliable and affordable energy – while simultaneously working to achieve the company’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. Katherine joined Duke Energy in August 2020 from Walmart, where she led environmental, social, and governance strategy and oversaw stakeholder engagement on behalf of Walmart’s sustainability team. From 2007-2013, Katherine worked for the World Wildlife Fund where she managed one of the world’s largest corporate-NGO partnerships, a $97 million sustainability-driven initiative focused on water, agriculture, and climate that was active in over 45 countries. Over the past 20 years, Katherine has worked with a wide range of corporate, government, and nonprofit organizations. Weaving together her intensive business experience and commitment to social and environmental responsibility, she brings in-depth insight to effective stakeholder engagement and an ability to ground sustainability into actionable terms. Katherine is a First Movers fellow through the Aspen Institute, received her Master of Business Administration from The Darden School at the University of Virginia, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Colorado College. Follow Katherine Neebe on LinkedIn Doug Esamann, EVP Energy Solutions, President, Midwest/Florida Regions, and President Natural Gas Business, Duke Energy As Executive Vice President, Energy Solutions, Doug Esamann is responsible for corporate strategy and planning, emerging technology, and the company’s regulated and commercial renewable energy operations. Additionally, he has responsibility for sales and services to commercial, industrial and wholesale customers; the development and marketing of products and solutions for all customer segments; and the company’s economic development efforts. As President of the Midwest and Florida regions, he has responsibility for the profit/loss, strategic direction, and performance of the company’s regulated electric utilities in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Florida. Esamann also serves as President of Duke Energy’s natural gas business, where he oversees all of the company’s natural gas operations in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Previously, Esamann served as President of Duke Energy Indiana, the state’s largest electric utility, serving approximately 810,000 customers in 69 of the state’s 92 counties. He was responsible for the company’s regulatory, governmental relations, economic development, and community affairs work in Indiana. He served in that role from November 2010 until June 2015. He assumed added responsibility for the natural gas business in October 2019. Prior to that, Esamann was Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy for Duke Energy, where he led the company’s strategy development and business planning efforts, including load forecasting and market fundamentals. Following the merger between Duke Energy and Cinergy in April 2006, Esamann served as Group Vice President of Strategy and Planning for Duke Energy’s regulated utilities, with responsibility for integrated resource planning, environmental compliance planning, transactional support, customer market analytics, load research, and renewable energy compliance. With Cinergy, he served as Senior Vice President of Energy Portfolio Strategy and Management for Cinergy’s commercial business unit, with responsibility for fuel management, environmental risk management, generation dispatch, power purchases and sales, portfolio analytics, load forecasting, generation asset planning, demand-side management planning, and environmental compliance planning. Esamann began his employment with Public Service Indiana (predecessor of PSI Energy) in 1979. In the course of his PSI/Cinergy career, he held a variety of leadership roles, including Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the commercial business unit from 1999 until 2001, and president of PSI Energy from 2001 until 2004. Esamann has been active on a number of community and industry boards. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board for Energy Systems Network, a nonprofit industry initiative focused on clean technology development. He is a member of the board of directors for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). He also serves on the board of trustees for Discovery Place, a hands-on science and technology museum for visitors of all ages based in Charlotte, N.C. A native of Plainfield, Ind., Esamann earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Indiana University. He and his wife, Kimberly, have two daughters, a son, and six grandchildren. Follow Douglas F. Esamann on LinkedIn Connect With Smart Energy Decisions https://www.smartenergydecisions.com/ Follow them on Facebook Follow them on Twitter Follow them on LinkedIn  

We’ve all heard of the new electric vehicles that Tesla and other manufacturers are producing, but when you look at electric vehicles from a broader fleet perspective, the possibilities for reducing carbon emissions long-term are exciting! The Smart Energy Decisions team believes this issue of fleet and public transportation conversion to be a key component in moving the energy transition forward, so this conversation was especially interesting to us.   Our guests on this episode are Catherine Kummer, Climate Advisor for the American Cities Climate Challenge to the City of Charlotte, NC, and Michael Luhrs, Vice President of Market Strategy and Solutions for Duke Energy. Speaking from their unique positions, each of them provides a wonderful perspective on the issues driving the move toward fleet and public transportation electrification, how it’s being accomplished on the ground, how the issue impacts corporations, and what role utilities like Duke are playing in making the transition possible. It’s exciting to hear what’s happening and what is projected to happen in the years to come. Don’t miss this enlightening and encouraging conversation.   You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...   Catherine Kummer’s background in renewable energy and transportation [1:44] Michael Luhrs’ work with clean energy and energy efficiency at Duke Energy [2:39] What is driving interest in electric vehicle pilot programs in cities? [3:42] The key drivers of corporate initiatives to create electrified fleets [11:06] Why utilities are embracing the move toward electrification of vehicles [13:47] Reasons cities and businesses believe electrification of vehicles is essential [17:57] Why the total cost of ownership makes the Electric Vehicle (EV) transition a total win [22:28] The role utilities need to play in the EV transition [33:21] Barriers to making the EV switch and how to overcome them [43:55] Looking 3 to 5 years into the future when it comes to vehicle electrification [49:50]   Charlotte, NC is leading the charge in electrifying its fleets   When asked what is fueling the drive behind the electrification of municipality fleets and public transportation, Catherine says that, quite honestly, it’s the cities themselves. As the Climate Advisor for the City of Charlotte, NC she has a front-row seat to the initiatives that the City Hall and City Council are taking in this important step toward the smart energy transition.    The city of Charlotte has implemented an aggressive public education campaign surrounding its clean energy goals, which include community outreach and engagement via many platforms. The city has also put into place two new policies that support electrification goals. These come directly from their Strategic Energy Action plan and aim to entirely electrify the city's fleet by 2030. Currently, as part of that plan, they are working toward the addition of 27 electric vehicles to their light-duty fleet, at an investment of over $740,000, which would make 42 total electric vehicles for the city. The city is also ensuring that the charging infrastructure required is part of that expansion. It’s cities like Charlotte that are leading the way nationwide.   Corporate & utility drivers toward electrification of vehicles   When it comes to why corporations are moving toward the electrification of their vehicles, Michael puts it best when he says it's about sustainability and efficiency — or being clean and cost-effective. Duke Energy has recognized that its constituents are taking on the mantle of the renewable energy transition. With that, corporations are adapting to provide the value to their customers that they want and need. A significant benefit can also be derived from the cost savings involved when implementing electric vehicles. Maintenance, fuel expenditures, noise and emissions pollution, and more go into these savings.    Utilities see the fundamental shift occurring globally in the form of mandates from many cities around the globe that ban emission-producing vehicles by specific dates. Utility companies like Duke can look across the value chain to both produce and deliver the resources needed. The initial load increase for utilities will only be 2% to 4% in most cases, but long term, that demand will grow. The ability to put the infrastructure needed in place is the strength of the value proposition utilities provide.    The total cost of ownership enables the cost of EVs to make sense   Much of the debate about the cost of electrifying municipal or corporate fleets and public transportation has to do with the initial outlay of cash required to get started. While it is a significant upfront investment, that should not be allowed to be the deciding factor. Why? Simply put, it’s an extremely short-sighted approach.   Both Catherine and Michael speak persuasively about the long-term benefits that come from fleet electrification in terms of cost reduction, emissions reduction, and other infrequently considered benefits. Because of this issue, Catherine has developed her own “Total Cost of Ownership” calculations to show exactly how and when cost reductions will occur in the implementation of the Charlotte plan so that all stakeholders can see the black and white of the issue and make informed decisions that benefit the big picture.     Connect With Our Guests   Catherine Kummer - Climate Advisor American Cities Climate Challenge    Catherine Kummer serves as a Climate Advisor for the City of Charlotte as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies American Cities Climate Challenge—and in partnership with NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)—which works to accelerate climate action in 25 cities throughout the United States. Catherine joined the Climate Challenge advising the City of Charlotte after spending the last eight years as the Senior Director of Green Innovation for the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing, NASCAR.  A native of Raeford, North Carolina, Catherine holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.A. in Sustainability from Wake Forest University and Executive Education for Sustainability Leadership from Harvard University.   Follow Catherine Kummer on LinkedIn   Michael Luhrs - VP Market Strategy & Solutions   Michael Luhrs serves as Vice President of Market Strategy and Solutions for Duke Energy. In this role, he is responsible for bringing integrated solutions across the digital and physical energy infrastructure to provide unique value and solutions nationally. Michael’s strong focus on innovation, transformation and growth of customer solutions has proven successful with improving and accelerating departments through disciplined innovation, strategy alignment, revenue growth, regulatory adaptation and driving cost efficiencies.   The teams aligned under Michael’s purview are: Home & Business Services, Market Strategy, Connected Communities, Solutions Development, Solutions Partner, Transportation Electrification, and Portfolio Structuring. Collectively, the Market Strategy and Solution team generate approximately $500M in EBIT each year. The functions of these departments lead the evolution of the business from strategy to solutions development to execution across all customer segments. They cover a broad range of solutions from demand response, non-regulated products (such as behind the meter energy protection and insurance/risk mitigation services), digital infrastructure services, small cell and macro wireless, outdoor lighting, and electrification of transportation. Michael offers more than 20 years of experience in the energy industry. Known for his excellence in business strategy and operations, Michael is a creative thinker and problem solver. He has a knack for developing client-centered solutions and generating a positive impact to the bottom line.   Before assuming his current position, Michael served as General Manager of Business Excellence for Duke Energy. Prior to the merger with Progress Energy in 2012, Michael served as General Manager of Energy Supply Finance for Progress Energy. He has held several other leadership roles including Resource Planning Manager, Audit Manager, as well as roles in Generation Operations. Born in Colorado, Michael holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering, as well as Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Management Finance and Economics, from North Carolina State University. He was also distinguished with Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa honors.   Follow Michael Luhrs on LinkedIn   Connect With Smart Energy Decisions   https://www.smartenergydecisions.com/ Follow them on Facebook Follow them on Twitter Follow them on LinkedIn

Dorothy L. Harris is a nature nerd, writer, volunteer coordinator, wife, parent, avid hiker & glamper. This bUneke writer is mother to a freeloading dingo and five cats loves coffee a little too much, is known to wander off path and has a deep love for the silence of the woods. She's likely to bird watch in urban locations and has the peculiar habit of physically hugging ancient trees, though we don't find that at all peculiar, as we are tree huggers at bUneke, ourselves! Her humorous essay won Progress Energy's $10,000 Home Energy Makeover contest in 2007 and she's been featured on Ask.com. She is the author of Adventures of City Girl a coming of age middle grade novel and is working on her second book. @dorothylharrisfreelancewriter Check out her blog, Harris & Co.com

Lindon has over thirty years experience in corporate communications. At Landor Associates, San Francisco, he was responsible for broad rang of branding programs that included, among others, Federal Express, Ryder Systems, Motorola and the NCAA. Lindon was also Executive Creative Director at Addison in San Francisco where he led branding assignments for Hawaiian Airlines, Intelsat, Progress Energy and Avery Dennison.   A graduate of Stanford University and of Art Center College of Design, Lindon has received over 40 major design awards worldwide.  His work has appeared in numerous publications and is included in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution.   I met Lindon while at Landor and worked under his direction on several projects including FedEx. I remember being extremely impressed by his ability at articulating the strategy beyond the designs being presented to the client. 

Jonathan Blue loves finding new opportunities and growing them into successful enterprises. Blue is chairman and managing director of Blue Equity, LLC. As chairman, he oversees the acquisition and management of all Blue Equity businesses and was responsible for the development and sale of the nation’s largest Spanish directory publications to Telmex International. In 2005, Blue formed BEST (Blue Entertainment Sports Television), a full-service sports and entertainment marketing, management and production firm. Before his involvement with private equity investments, Blue was vice president for Progress Rail Services Corporation, then a subsidiary of Progress Energy, Inc. (NYSE: PGN), now part of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT). Blue received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. A frequent public speaker, Blue has been profiled in many national and international publications. When he is not searching out new opportunities you may find him on the North America triathlon circuit.

Moses Salcido, SIOR, is the Managing Director of CNL Commercial Real Estate, Senior Development Manager of North Florida at the Panattoni Development Co. LLC. Vice President Joe Biden encourages Americans to spend now to bolster infrastructure, or the U.S. will fall behind its competitors. Salcido explains what this means for commercial real estate and how more infrastructure will boost the economy. Salcido also identifies areas where infrastructure is lacking and explains whether they are worth more government spending. Salcido was Principal of Lee & Associates Central Florida, LLC. Mr. Salcido has over 24 years of Central & North Florida real estate experience ranging from landlord/tenant representation, corporate real estate, to development thus providing a very unique perspective for this real estate executive. During his 22 year real estate career in Central Florida, Mr. Salcido has held senior level positions with ComTech Properties, Weeks Corporation, Duke Realty, Progress Energy, and Panattoni Development. During his initial 10 year tenure in real estate, Mr. Salcido transacted a number of industrial real estate deals throughout Central Florida. Mr. Salcido's career highlights include leading the initial entry into the Central Florida market by a Southeast Regional office/industrial REIT in 1995 and managing corporate real estate assets for Progress Energy, Florida and initiating a 200,000-sf corporate headquarters facility for the major Southeast utility company. He has been a Board Member for CoreNet Global CoreNet since 2007. Mr. Salcido serves as a Member of the Advisory Board at Real Estate Media, Inc. He has been Ex-Officio of NAIOP Central Florida since 2009. He has been the President of NAIOP Central Florida Chapter since 2007. He has been a Board Member of NAIOP Florida State Chapter since 2008. He serves as a Member of Advisory Board at Florida Real Estate Forum. He is a Member of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR). He is Florida Licensed Real Estate Broker.

Just because you get to the top of the mountain doesn’t mean you can stay there. Bad style had the proverbial door hitting CEO Bill Johnson on his way out. North Carolina Utilities Commission Board of Directors fired CEO Bill Johnson 20 minutes after the $32 billion merger of Duke Energy and Progress Energy. Why? Because the Board “felt Johnson’s style was too autocratic and discouraged different points of view”. Good leadership characteristics and bad leadership characteristics can be hidden, especially when you reach high levels of compensation. Great leaders create cultures where employees feel free to speak up rather than merely “buying in” to the vision and mission. Click Here to Subscribe in iTunes: Open for Business

Nuclear Hotseat presents a realistic picture of a nuclear disaster 's impact on California agriculture, economy and image in an interview w/organic farmer Paul Frey of Frey Winery in Mendocino; peaceful women anti-nuke protestors in India attacked by hired thugs and government reps; NRC calls Level One accident at Illinois nuke reactor; German nuke waste to be shipped and burned in Tennessee; and Progress Energy in Florida continues to collect advance fees from consumers for a nuke plant they no longer plan to build -- another nuclear scam on par with "The Producers!"

Nuclear Hotseat presents a realistic picture of a nuclear disaster 's impact on California agriculture, economy and image in an interview w/organic farmer Paul Frey of Frey Winery in Mendocino; peaceful women anti-nuke protestors in India attacked by hired thugs and government reps; NRC calls Level One accident at Illinois nuke reactor; German nuke waste to be shipped and burned in Tennessee; and Progress Energy in Florida continues to collect advance fees from consumers for a nuke plant they no longer plan to build -- another nuclear scam on par with "The Producers!"

The camp offers practical instruction and hands-on experiments in the areas of energy transfer/conservation along with wind, solar, fuel cell and biomass technologies. Engineers from Progress Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas guest speak and discuss energy topics such as conservation, political and social impacts, and careers in energy production. For each topic, teams build a model of an energy generation/consumption machine and use their finished product to compete with the other teams. There are four competitions during the week; energy transfer, wind, solar, and fuel cells. For example, students build windmills and the power from a given amount of air flow wins the competition.

Bill Johnson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and President of Progress Energy speaks on the topic of Securing Our Energy Future.