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

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 affordable housing, health centers, schools and other community facilities; create jobs; benchmark and drive down energy and utility costs.

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:

• Blue Hub Capital site

• Elyse on LinkedIn

• Paul's services

• Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

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 Food Biome and a leader in strategy and partnerships, Matthew helps homeowners, companies, builders, and communities integrate smart, regenerative systems for food and water. His work celebrates the global shift toward resilient, abundant living by showcasing world-class innovation in sustainability through education, technology, and hands-on demonstration.

A former national champion hockey player turned entrepreneur, Matthew has built and scaled multiple mission-driven ventures. He is a part owner of Food Forest Abundance, a global movement designing and installing permaculture-based food systems that decentralize food and medicine production. He is also a founding partner of U2Treat, a blockchain company focused on aligning human energy with nature's regenerative power.

Matthew is deeply committed to helping people reconnect with nature and reclaim self-reliance. By blending advanced technology with timeless natural principles, he works to create systems that generate true abundance. He is also the co-host of Seeds of Abundance, a show spotlighting visionary leaders and entrepreneurs who provide real-world solutions to the world's greatest challenges.

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:

• The Commonstead site

• Matthew on LinkedIn

• Seeds of Abundance podcast

• Matthew's email

• Paul's services

• Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

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 his work is as a fractional VP of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships 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:

• Paul's services

• Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

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 University's Kellogg School of Management, Kurt launched Sawyer with a mission to develop practical, life-saving solutions—most notably in water filtration and insect repellents. Under his leadership, the company has grown into a global force, serving both outdoor enthusiasts and vulnerable communities around the world.

Through partnerships with over 140 nonprofits in more than 80 countries, Sawyer has helped provide clean water to millions, significantly reducing waterborne diseases and improving health outcomes in underserved areas. Kurt's approach to business is deeply rooted in purpose, faith, and impact—a philosophy he shares in his book, Sawyer Think: How a Small Company Disrupts Markets and Changes the World.

Kurt and his company have been featured in major outlets, including New York Times, Yahoo Finance, and Newsbreak.

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:

• Sawyer Products site

• Sawyer Think book

• Sawyer Impact Stories

• Paul's services

• Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

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 health treatment program that supports people recovering from burnout, toxic work environments, and trauma, while also providing full-spectrum mental health care with an emphasis on accessibility and lower-cost options. Lauren is also the CEO of ElleTwo, a digital platform and community boldly calling BS on outdated ideas of "professionalism" for women and inviting them to join #teamdifficult as they redefine what leadership and success can look like. Across her companies and consulting work, L2 uses technology, storytelling, and care to build spaces where people can heal, tell the truth about what they're going through, and do work that feels more human and sustainable.

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:

• LBee Health site

• Lauren on LinkedIn

• Different Not Broken podcast

• Paul's services

• Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

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 prison, Fuzzy built a multi-million dollar real estate portfolio, including 100+ affordable homes and a $6 million rental portfolio. He uniquely teaches investing using Other People's Money and Time (OPM/OPT), making complex strategies accessible.

Fuzzy's journey began from growing up with nothing, leading to addiction, drug dealing, and federal prison. His pivotal turning point came during incarceration, igniting his pursuit of real estate investing as a path to freedom and legacy.

Through his unique experiences, Fuzzy developed the step-by-step HUI Framework to help aspiring investors ethically succeed in Hawaii's challenging market, proving that anyone can change their financial destiny.

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:

• Fuzzy's site

• HUI Mastermind site

• Fuzzy on Instagram

• Paul's services

• Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

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 began his career as a day trader, building and managing a team of 15 people. In 2001, he co-founded HEEB Magazine, one of the highest circulated Jewish culture magazines in the world. Adam has 15 years of experience creating collection hubs for municipalities, apartment buildings, organizations and fashion brands. 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:

• RTV site

• RTV Forbes article on circularity

• RTV Stretch product

• Paul's Fractional Services

• Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

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 of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

• Paul's consulting

• NM Tech Talks site

• Paul's Strategy Sessions

• Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

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. As a financial advisor, business strategist, and host of the Mission Driven Business podcast, Brian works with service-based founders who are building more than just a business. They're building movements, communities, and legacies. He helps them bring clarity and structure to their finances so they can grow with confidence and stay rooted in their purpose.

Before launching his firm, Brian spent nearly a decade as a tax attorney. That background, paired with his own entrepreneurial experience, informs a planning approach that's inclusive, strategic, and grounded in real life.

As a Black, queer financial advisor, Brian is especially passionate about creating space for diverse voices in business and finance—and showing that profit and purpose don't have to be mutually exclusive.

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:

• Brian's site
• Brian's podcast
• 6 Steps to Getting Clear on your Ideal Client
• Paul's Fractional Services
• Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

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 it public on the NYSE, and overseeing its eventual sale. Mr. Krim is a Director of the Travis Manion Foundation and on the Leadership Council of the Robin Hood Foundation. He holds a B.B.A. in Marketing from the Red McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin

Bio: Evan Caron is Co-Founder and CIO of Montauk Climate with over 20 years of experience in energy, electricity risk, and commodity management. He previously led Venture at Riverstone Holdings, a $40B energy investment firm, and co-founded ClearTrace, an ESG data platform for emissions tracking. Evan is also Co-Founder of Daylight Energy, a community energy software network. He serves on the Board of RPower, a distributed energy platform backed by Isquared, and previously served on MP2 Energy's Board before its acquisition by Shell. Earlier in his career, Evan held senior roles at Deutsche Bank, Mercuria, and Trailstone. Links:

• Montauk Capital site

• Clear Current site

• Haven Energy site

• Electron X site

• Phillip's email

• Phillip LinkedIn

• Evan LinkedIn