Ever wonder what happens when a PR matchmaker draws a hard line against fossil fuel clients? Meet Steven Shimek. In this eye-opening conversation, Keith Zackheim welcomes the owner and CMO of Shimek Strategic—an influential voice who helps determine which agencies win multi-million dollar RFPs. Steven pulls back the curtain on agency practices most clients never see. "What I try to do is educate our world of marketers about what's not in the deck, what's not on the logo slides," he explains, rev...
Jun 17, 2025•23 min•Ep. 77
If buildings contribute 40% of global carbon emissions, what's stopping us from transforming the built environment? In this episode of Age of Adoption, recorded on Earth Day 2025, host Keith Zackheim speaks with Breana Wheeler, Director of Operations for BREEAM USA, about the critical role of certification in decarbonizing the built environment. Wheeler shares how BREEAM, the world's first science-based validation standard for sustainable building performance, has evolved since its 1990 inceptio...
Jun 05, 2025•25 min•Ep. 76
"It's important that we share the knowledge that we create. We won't get where we need to go unless all ships rise." - Anica Landreneau As Global Director of Sustainability at HOK, Anica leads the firm that designed Mercedes-Benz Stadium—the NFL's first LEED Platinum-certified venue. From a Texas architecture student told she'd "never find a job" in sustainability to becoming one of the industry's most influential voices, her journey reflects the evolution of green building itself. "It's not sus...
Jun 04, 2025•20 min•Ep. 75
In this episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, host Keith Zakheim welcomes Duncan Meisel, Executive Director of Clean Creatives, an organization challenging PR and advertising agencies to reject fossil fuel clients. Drawing from his background in climate NGO communications, Duncan has pioneered a global movement to eliminate ties between creative agencies and fossil fuel companies. The conversation explores how Clean Creatives provides a pledge for agencies and brands, targets those working wit...
Apr 14, 2025•21 min•Ep. 74
In this episode of Age of Adoption, host Keith Zakheim welcomes Neal Rickner, CEO of Airloom Energy, about reimagining wind turbine technology. Neal, a former F-18 pilot with the Marines who later worked at Google X on the Makani project, explains how Airloom Energy is developing revolutionary wind turbines that can be mass-manufactured, easily transported, and deployed without specialized equipment—all while significantly reducing costs. Instead of pursuing marginal improvements through larger ...
Mar 25, 2025•22 min•Ep. 73
How does a transit-dependent child from Los Angeles become the Chief Mobility Officer for America's automotive heartland? In this episode of Age of Adoption, host Keith Zakheim welcomes Justine Johnson, Chief Mobility Officer for the State of Michigan. Drawing from her extensive background spanning from the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission to Ford Smart Mobility, Johnson provides unique insights into how Michigan is pioneering mobility solutions beyond traditional electric and autonomous vehicl...
Mar 18, 2025•20 min•Ep. 72
What innovative strategies is SunOpta implementing to transform food waste into valuable resources, and how is their new Texas facility contributing to sustainability goals? In this episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, host Keith Zakheim sits down with Stacy Seidel, Senior Director of ESG at SunOpta, to explore how the plant-based food and beverage company is revolutionizing sustainable food production. Seidel shares her fascinating journey from communications and law to becoming a sustainabi...
Feb 27, 2025•19 min•Ep. 71
How did Rachel Posner Ross, the Former Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer for the U.S. Department of Defense, help transform the largest energy consumer in the nation into a leader in sustainability? Host Keith Zakheim has a compelling conversation (at the Pentagon!) with Rachel Posner Ross, the Former Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer at the Department of Defense. Rachel explains the crucial balance between energy management and national security. You’ll hear about the Department's ambitious...
Feb 18, 2025•17 min•Ep. 70
How is Breene Murphy pioneering sustainable investment strategies that challenge the status quo of traditional financial systems? Host Keith Zakheim speaks with Breene Murphy, President of Carbon Collective, as he recounts his extraordinary shift from the bustling world of NBA journalism to spearheading the movement for sustainable investing. Breene takes us through his journey, sharing how his creative aspirations and a pivotal influence from his grandmother set him on a path to climate advocac...
Feb 04, 2025•25 min•Ep. 69
What inspired Jan Stanek to become a leading influencer in the clean energy sector, known as 'Electro Dad' on YouTube? In this episode, Keith talks with Jan, aka 'Electro Dad,' a climate advocate and YouTube influencer passionate about electric vehicles. Jan shares his transition from living in extreme industrial pollution while working in Nanjing, to leading the clean energy movement in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Jan is on a mission to inspire one million Czech and Slovakian people to emb...
Jan 21, 2025•12 min•Ep. 68
On this episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, Keith Zakheim sits down with Sonny Masero, Managing Director at Hines. Sonny discusses the integration of sustainability into investment decisions and the need for a collective movement toward a more sustainable built environment. He also emphasizes the importance of community to spur meaningful change and highlights the legacy of leadership that drives Hines' sustainability initiatives.
Jan 06, 2025•25 min•Ep. 67
In this episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, Keith Zakheim interviews Kevin Rabinovitch, VP of Sustainability and Chief Climate Officer at Mars. Kevin shares his 30-year journey at Mars, starting as a chocolate engineer and evolving into a leader in sustainability. He discusses Mars' proactive approach to climate initiatives, including the organization’s ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The conversation highlights the challenges and strategies involved in achieving net z...
Dec 16, 2024•19 min•Ep. 66
On the latest episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith chats with Sean Carroll, Director of Communications, Social Impact, and Sustainability at Jackson Family Wines. Sean shares insights on the environmental impact of wine production and the initiatives Jackson Family Wines is undertaking to promote sustainable practices. The discussion highlights the need for climate leadership in the wine industry and the role of community and collaboration in achieving these goals.
Dec 10, 2024•21 min•Ep. 65
In the latest episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith chats with Sean Drygas, Global Head of Sustainability for Colliers International. With a responsibility to decarbonize approximately two billion square feet of real estate, Colliers International is not only embracing the Age of Adoption; it's spearheading it within the real estate sector. Sean discusses the pivotal role that real estate plays in global carbon emissions and the enormous opportunity to reduce this footprint by adopting s...
Nov 18, 2024•19 min•Ep. 64
Filium Corp. President Doug Lynch shares his unexpected journey from pro hockey to pioneering sustainable textiles. Hear how his passion for natural materials and climate consciousness is reshaping the fashion industry.
Nov 11, 2024•16 min•Ep. 63
In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, sits down with Romain Liot, the co-founder and COO of Adore Me. Romain shares how he wanted to combine sustainable practices into Adore Me's highly successful e-commerce lifestyle apparel brand, and how they sold the business in 2022 for $400 million dollars.
Oct 29, 2024•17 min•Ep. 62
Keith Zakheim, the CEO of Antenna Group, sat down with Meir Rabkin, the founder of Blue Vision Capital, to learn how Meir transitioned from working in finance to creating an investment fund that supports climate tech start ups and entrepeneurs. In this episode, Meir shares how he built a network of high net worth individuals, and leveraged those relationships to get funding to invest in the future of climate tech.
Oct 22, 2024•17 min•Ep. 61
In this episode of The Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, interviews Hap Klopp, one of the original founders and 20-year CEO of The North Face. Hap shares his journey from starting small in San Francisco to building an internationally recognized brand known for its sustainable, high-quality products. Together, they explore Hap’s entrepreneurial beginnings, his forward-thinking approach to sustainability, and how he helped grow The North Face into a $4 billion company.
Oct 15, 2024•20 min•Ep. 60
In this exciting episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, sits down with Eric Kohlmann, Partner at Climate First, to discuss the Future of Investing in Climate Technology. Keith and Eric dive deep into Eric's previous experience working in the financial sector, and how he sees investing in climate technology will help pave the way for new companies to emerge that have the opportunity to not only be profitable, but have a positive impact on the planet.
Oct 08, 2024•13 min•Ep. 59
In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, host Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group, sits down with Chris Robinson, a United States Marine Veteran turned climate tech entrepreneur and the CEO of Clearyst, a leader in sustainable software solutions. Together, they explore Chris’s journey into the climate tech industry, diving deep into the pivotal moments that inspired him to create a business that balances profitability with a positive environmental impact. From early technology breakthroug...
Oct 01, 2024•14 min•Ep. 58
In this insightful episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith Zakheim, CEO of Antenna Group is joined by Justin Saia, VP, European Communications and CEO Public Relations, recently named by Time Magazine as the World's Most Sustainable Business. Justin and Keith discuss how Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles are placed at the core of Schneider's business strategy, and their commitment to electrification, automation, and digitization—all critical components in driving effic...
Sep 24, 2024•17 min•Ep. 57
In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith interviews Jess Bergman, Acting Director of Marketing and Communications at the New Buildings Institute. Jess shares her extensive career journey across nonprofits, government, Google, and more, offering lessons learned in the fields of energy efficiency and building decarbonization. The discussion explores the major barriers to climate adoption, both perceived and actual, and emphasizes the importance of effective messaging and policy incent...
Aug 21, 2024•14 min•Ep. 56
In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith sits down with Gareth Evans, CEO of VECKTA. Growing up in Liverpool, England, Gareth dreamed of becoming a fast jet pilot with the Royal Air Force. Sponsored by the Air Force to study environmental science, his career journey began in environmental remediation, where he worked to clean up old oil and gas well sites in post-Gulf War Iraq. The experience revealed to Gareth the instability and inefficiencies of relying on central energy grids an...
Jul 31, 2024•10 min•Ep. 55
In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith hosts long-time friend and fellow climate warrior Scott Kitcher, President and CEO of Sustain SoCal. Scott takes us through his professional journey, highlighting how his start in the financial services industry led him to becoming a passionate advocate for sustainability and climate action. Keith and Scott then reflect on the lessons learned from early investments in climate tech companies and how these experiences laid the groundwork for mo...
Jul 16, 2024•10 min•Ep. 54
In this episode of the Age of Adoption Podcast, Keith interviews Mike Robinson, Head of Retail Solutions at the Eighth Notch. Mike shares how he made the leap from consumer products and management consulting to becoming an 'accidental retailer' and spearheading major initiatives at Gap and Macy's. Mike discusses his pivot toward sustainable retail solutions, focusing on more efficient and eco-friendly final mile delivery processes. Keith and Mike then explore the industry’s shift from promoting ...
Jul 02, 2024•13 min•Ep. 53
Amy Heart shares her career journey from her roots in Wisconsin to her pivotal role as SVP of Public Policy at Sunrun. Keith and Amy discuss the increasing consumer interest in sustainability and Sunrun's customer-focused approach to making solar energy accessible and affordable for homeowners.
Jun 18, 2024•11 min•Ep. 52
Sophie emphasizes the importance of leaning into emotional and personal connections in climate-focused storytelling. By crafting compelling narratives around social justice, health perspectives, and the overall wellbeing of future generations, Sophie believes we can better motivate audiences to drive meaningful change. In the Age of Adoption, organizations across the economy are furiously adopting climate and sustainability solutions. The Climate Change Committee is committed to forging partners...
Mar 19, 2024•11 min•Ep. 51
The Mission to Zero: ABB has fully embraced the challenge of achieving net-zero targets with a goal to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations by 2030. The company’s Mission to Zero initiative aims to significantly reduce emissions from its global facilities by implementing solar, energy storage, and smart switchgear solutions. By adopting digitalization, ABB seeks to optimize electricity utilization and make informed decisions for a more sustainable future. The Evolution of the Customer Min...
Mar 05, 2024•14 min•Ep. 50
In the latest episode of the Age of Adoption podcast, we had the privilege of hosting Dr. Eric Cioè-Peña, MD, MPH an emergency physician, and the vice president and founder of the Center for Global Health at Northwell Health, the largest healthcare provider and private employer in New York State. Dr. Cioè Peña shares Northwell Health’s Age of Adoption story, with insights into Northwell's vision for transforming the healthcare system into a more decarbonized and sustainable model. Listen to or w...
Jan 04, 2024•18 min•Ep. 49
Nikki Sumpter, Chief Administrative Officer of Atlantic Health System , joins us to discuss the health system's efforts to address health equity and sustainability in the Age of Adoption. Nikki shares how Atlantic Health System is working to create a more equitable and sustainable healthcare system for its staff, patients, and the communities in which it operates. She explains that by increasing access to transportation, providing language assistance, and improving health education, the hospital...
Sep 12, 2023•20 min•Ep. 48
