EnvAns®

Episode 119 : Offshore Wind Works

In this episode, Tiana Elame connects with Liz Burdock, founder, president, and CEO of Oceantic Network, the leading nonprofit organization driving growth and collaboration across the U.S. offshore wind and ocean renewables supply chains.Since launching the Network in 2013 in Baltimore, Maryland, Liz has become one of the most influential voices shaping America’s clean energy transformation. Under her leadership, Oceantic has built the International Partnering Forum (IPF)—a leading, global offshore wind and ocean renewables conference —and created cornerstone initiatives like Supply Chain Connect, the Offshore Wind Market Dashboard, and the Foundation 2 Blade and OSW Ready training programs.Liz brings decades of experience forging public–private partnerships that unite government, industry, academia, and communities to accelerate renewable energy deployment, strengthen the American supply chain, and create good-paying, local jobs.In our conversation, Liz shares insights on:-The evolution of the U.S. offshore wind industry-Building a resilient domestic supply chain for homegrown energy-The power of collaboration and partnership in driving innovation-How offshore wind is an proven asset to managing energy costs.Liz’s leadership has been recognized by the League of Conservation Voters, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and Windpower Monthly, and her perspective has been featured in major outlets including Forbes, Reuters, and The Wall Street Journal.When she’s not advancing the future of offshore wind, Liz enjoys cooking for her family, watching hockey, gardening with her dog Finn, and dreaming up new ideas.Tune in for a conversation that captures both the vision and grit it takes to power a secure energy future.

Episode 118: Food As Medicine

In this episode, Tiana Elame, EnvAns podcast host connects with Perri Kramer, a dedicated leader who has spent her entire career working to build healthier, more sustainable food systems. Perri believes that good, high-quality food should bring both joy and well-being—and she has committed her life to making that belief real for communities everywhere.Her journey spans nearly every corner of the food ecosystem:—from grocery stores and restaurants,—to supporting food entrepreneurs,—to transforming school lunch programs,—to working within the charitable food sector to ensure access for all.Perri brings a rare combination of hands-on experience, operational insight, and deep compassion. In our conversation, she shares what she’s learned along the way, what keeps her committed to this work, and what she sees as the most promising opportunities for building a sustainable, resilient food future.If you care about food, community health, or creating systems that actually work for people, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Episode 117: Harvesting with Cultural Memory

In this episode of EnvAns, we sit down with Brittney Shelby Sessoms — guide, advocate, artisan maker, and cultural storyteller — whose work bridges ancestral wisdom with modern food justice. Known to many as “the youngest Big Ma,” Brittney embodies the spirit of the traditional Black Southern matriarch, grounding her community work in love, legacy, and lived experience.As the founder of Charlotte & Pickens, Brittney explores how Black communities have always sustained themselves through farming, storytelling, textile arts, and communal care. Her work turns cultural preservation into a living practice — one that empowers today’s urban and rural spaces alike to build resilient, self-determined futures. We’ll explore how her creative and agricultural practices weave together heritage and innovation, and how food sovereignty and storytelling can serve as acts of liberation.Join us as Brittney shares how ancestral knowledge, passed down through generations, can shape our collective path toward abundance, justice, and community transformation.Featuring insights from a 2025 Echoing Green Fellow and 2024 VOQAL Fellow, this conversation honors the crossroads of culture, sustainability, and self-determination — right where tradition meets tomorrow.

Episode 116: Keep Powering On

On this episode of the EnvAns Podcast we will get to sit down with Antonia “Toni” Tahia Ginsberg-Klemmt, founder of GismoPower! Toni invented and co-patented the MEGA (Mobile Electricity Generating Appliance), a 6kW plug-in solar carport on wheels for renters. She’s a trilingual “mermaid,” rower, and UC Berkeley graduate in mechanical engineering who holds a physics degree from New College of Florida. She runs the company with her parents, Erika and Achim, to make solar affordable without costly installations. Her innovation won the American-Made Solar Prize, SBIR Phase II grant, and 2025 SXSW Student Innovation Award. She was named a Top 25 Entrepreneur Under 25 by Tampa Bay Business Journal and is going to be featured on season 13 of Entrepreneur’s show “Elevator Pitch”.

Episode 114: A Reuse Rising

In this episode, host Tiana Elame sits down with Crystal Dreisbach, CEO of Upstream, a nonprofit leading the charge to advance a robust and enduring reuse economy. Crystal shares why reuse isn’t just an environmental solution, but also an economic and social imperative—one that saves money, creates jobs, and builds more resilient communities.From her early work founding Don’t Waste Durham to her current leadership at Upstream, Crystal has been at the forefront of transforming policy, infrastructure, and public perception around reuse. She discusses the real costs of extraction and waste, the systems we need to normalize recirculation, and how reuse can power a just transition toward a fair economy.Crystal’s journey is as inspiring as it is practical—her initiatives include developing tech-powered reuse systems, influencing health codes, and even launching the first curbside pickup program for reusables. Recognized nationally for her impact, her story has been featured on PBS, NPR, and Fast Company, and in 2021 she was named Activist of the Year at The Reusies®.Tune in to learn how reuse is rising as a transformative force—and why it’s key to building stronger, more self-sufficient communities.