Send us a text

Aidan Meany is a young clothing entrepreneur defining a new era of apparel. His team at Found Surface uses 21st-century technology and traditional, natural fibers to produce eco-friendly clothing for companies looking for ethically and thoughtfully produced garments. His new factory in Cleveland's Slavic Village neighborhood is one of the first in the nation to use digital knitting machines to make clothing that is plastic-free, waste-free, and guilt-free. Aidan found his place in the design industry after educating himself about the fast fashion industry and the toll of overseas production on our fellow human beings and the environment. His mission is to bring production back to Cleveland and rebuild our long-lost apparel manufacturing industry in a way that prioritizes sustainable and regional production and sets the standard for ethical fashion. Join us to hear the origins of his company's name, his innovations, and how he works with his partners in the Rust Belt Fibershed to enable local farmers to process their fiber and take it to market. We also decipher our clothing labels to help make informed choices about our apparel.

Our Guest:

Aidan Meany, CEO and Founder of Found Surface

Learn More:

Found Surface - Products, Services

About the Stoll Digital Knitting Machines

About Rust Belt Fibershed

Weaving a Local and Sustainable Textile Economy - Eco Speaks CLE

Creating a Bioregional Textile Economy with Rust Belt Fibershed - Eco Speaks CLE

Designing a Circular fashion Brand with Faan - Eco Speaks CLE

Follow us:
https://www.facebook.com/ecospeakscle
https://www.instagram.com/ecospeakscle

Contact us:
hello@ecospeakscle.com

Send us a text

In our first episode of 2025, we discuss sports and sustainability with Danielle Doza, the Cleveland Cavaliers' Vice President of Sustainability and Environmental Services. As the first executive-level professional in the NBA, Danielle shares how the CAVS organization integrates award-winning eco-friendly practices in fresh and exciting new ways and the collaborative spirit driving sustainability within sports organizations.

Join us as Danielle speaks about her dream job and key initiatives at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. These initiatives, including recycling, energy efficiency, education, and various partnerships with WM, Found Surface, and the Green Sports Alliance, drive sustainability in the sports industry.

Finally, Danielle offers valuable career advice for aspiring sustainability professionals in our tip time. This episode is a must-listen for anyone eager to see sustainability thrive in sports.

Guest:
Danielle Doza, Vice President of Sustainability and Environmental Services with Cleveland Cavaliers (Rock Entertainment Group)

Learn More:
CAVS sustainability initiatives
Partnership with Waste Management (WM)
Green Sports Alliance
GOAL (Green Operations and Advanced Leadership)
5 Tool Sports Group (sustainability toolkit for sports)

Follow us:
https://www.facebook.com/ecospeakscle
https://www.instagram.com/ecospeakscle

Contact us:
hello@ecospeakscle.com

Send us a text

Join us as we wrap up 2024 with community leader and food sovereignty advocate Sara Continenza. Sara is the founder and executive director of Food Strong, a non-profit connecting kids with food since 2016. Sara and her staff work with the Cleveland Municipal School District and other inner-city schools to provide hands-on learning experiences in gardening, nutrition, and entrepreneurship. Recently, Food Strong's mission to educate, empower, and cultivate health through fresh foods just got a significant boost. Community Greenhouse Partners recently gifted them a three-acre farm site on Superior Avenue in Cleveland's east side. The property includes a historic house, church, food forest, farmland, and hoop houses that Food Strong is transforming into its Superior Farm. This neighborhood hub will support food sovereignty, climate resistance, and community connections. An estimated $5 million is needed to realize her vision for the property, along with the help of thousands of volunteers and neighbors. This extraordinary project is urban restoration at its best, feeding bodies, minds, and souls. Join us as we speak with Sara about this project, the wisdom of kids, Food Strong's work, and ways you can help.

Our Guest:
Sara Continenza, Founder and Executive Director of Food Strong

Learn More:
About Food Strong
About The Superior Farm Fix-Up Project
Donate to Food Strong's Farm Project
Become a Supporter
Volunteer Evenings
Food Strong's Programs
Follow Food Strong on Facebook and Instagram

Follow us:
https://www.facebook.com/ecospeakscle
https://www.instagram.com/ecospeakscle

Contact us:
hello@ecospeakscle.com

Send us a text

Eco Meet CLE is a gathering of Cleveland's environmental community, organized by the Eco Speaks CLE podcast and friends, to share a beer, have fun, and connect the people and the threads of the exciting work happening in our region. We recorded this episode during our seventh Eco Meet held recently at our favorite watering hole, Great Lakes Brewing Company. This evening featured an "open mic" where people shared news of their work, sought collaborators and promoted opportunities. Ours is a vibrant community with a common denominator: we care about our planet, our community, and each other. Hear about local sustainability initiatives in the northeast Ohio region and ways you can support them and get involved.

Learn more about the speakers and their work
Jennifer McMillin: Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council
Tait Ferguson: Trust for Public Land
Lexie St. Denis: Great Lakes Brewing Company
Val Flors: Surfrider Foundation and Great Lakes Friendly Restaurants
Ditte Wolin and Mary Beth Naim: Third Act Ohio
Andrea Villalón: The Lavender Project
India Johnson: UA Vistas
Tori Agnew-Camiener: Great Lakes International Joint Commission
Renata Brown: Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Kimberly Lessman: Holden Forest & Gardens Restoration Seed Bank
Kelly Clark: Gless Bioregion Network
Lisa Hardin: The FarmSTED - St. Edwards High School
Jeff McNaught: Edgewater Surf Foam Recycling
Erika Meschkat: J.M. Smucker Company Corporate Sustainability
Angela Yaeger: NEO Climate Summit - Laurel School

Follow us:
https://www.facebook.com/ecospeakscle
https://www.instagram.com/ecospeakscle

Contact us:
hello@ecospeakscle.com

Send us a text

In this episode, Cleveland filmmaker Chris Langer speaks with us speak about his new documentary, Ripples of Plastic, which premiered this year at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival and locally at the Chagrin Falls Documentary Film Fest. Chris is a director, producer, and cinematographer and owns Wonderhouse Films in Cleveland. Ripples of Plastic is Chris's first documentary film, which he began during COVID to expose the vast problem of plastic pollution present in our Great Lakes and its effects on aquatic life and human health. Chris tells this story through the voices of those leading the research and working on solutions. Many of those voices have been guests on this podcast. Hear Chris speak about how he came to make this film, the impact it had on him, and the impact he can make through grassroots distribution within the Great Lakes region. Documentary films are powerful tools to transform and spur change. Ripples of Plastic is a call to join the fight against plastic pollution caused by plastic producers and to demand action from our policymakers. Learn how you can help Chris screen this important film far and wide.

Learn More:
About our Guest - Filmmaker Chris Langer
Ripples of Plastic - Trailer
About Wonderhouse Films
The Story of Plastic
Eco Speaks CLE - The Perpetual Problem of Plastic with Jill Bartolotta
Eco Speaks CLE - Trash Fishing with Eddie Olschanski
Eco Speaks CLE - Little Spark Refill Shop with Rachel Regula Gonzalez

Follow us:
https://www.facebook.com/ecospeakscle
https://www.instagram.com/ecospeakscle

Contact us:
hello@ecospeakscle.com

Send us a text

If you need a reason to love Mondays, Slow Roll Cleveland is it. In this episode, Greg and I join Slow Roll Cleveland and several hundred other cyclists for a leisurely-paced bike parade through our urban streets. Slow Roll Cleveland hosts these ten-mile Monday evening rides during warmer months to highlight Cleveland neighborhoods and bring joy and community to riders and residents alike. Our slow roll took off from Shaker Square and took us through the Shaker, Buckeye, and Mount Pleasant neighborhoods. It was a blast. Hundreds of cyclists on bikes tricked out with bells, boom boxes, and lights shouted "Happy Monday" to excited onlookers waving from tree lawns, porches, and driveways. Slow Roll Cleveland has been hosting these inclusive social bike rides since 2013. Board President, Kevin Jones, spoke with us before the ride about the mission of Slow Roll, how it was founded, and why these rides are so popular. We also spoke with several participants and members of the Squad, the crack volunteers who ensure the rides run smoothly and safely. Come along with us. There is magic in our neighborhoods, in our people, and in the simple joy of riding bikes together.

Guest:
Kevin Jones, President of the Board, Slow Roll Cleveland

Resources:
About Slow Roll Cleveland
Slow Roll Schedule
Volunteer with Slow Roll Squad

Follow us:
https://www.facebook.com/ecospeakscle
https://www.instagram.com/ecospeakscle

Contact us:
hello@ecospeakscle.com

Send us a text

Are you curious about making smarter, greener choices for your electricity supply? In this episode, we speak with Jennifer McMillin with the Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council (SOPEC). Jenn is SOPEC's Regional Director for Northeast Ohio and provides tips and insights for choosing a 100% renewable energy supplier for your electricity needs. SOPEC is a leader in community choice aggregation in Ohio, providing competitive rates and substantial savings to residents in member communities, including the City of Cleveland.

In Ohio, we can choose where our electricity comes from and there are many ways to choose renewable energy for your home or business. Green energy suppliers such as SOPEC use Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to document, authenticate, and track that energy flowing into the power grid comes from a clean, renewable power source. Consumers can then select one of these renewable energy suppliers either on their own or participating in their community's contract with an aggregator like SOPEC or NOPEC. Join us as we break it all down for you so you can make and informed, sustainable energy choices. Investments in renewable energy projects are paying off but we have far to go to further green our grid. Choosing a renewable power supplier through our consumer choice is one way we can all show our support.

Guest:
Jennifer McMillin, Regional Director for Northeast Ohio with the Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council (SOPEC)

Resources:
About SOPEC
CIty of Cleveland Community Choice Aggregation Program
SOPEC Job Openings
Green-e® Certified renewable energy
SOPEC Solar Assessment Programs
PUCO Apples to Apples
EPA Green Power Communities

Follow us:
https://www.facebook.com/ecospeakscle
https://www.instagram.com/ecospeakscle

Contact us:
hello@ecospeakscle.com

Send us a text

In this bonus to our conversation with Maria Paparella, Maria shares a personal story of one of the young adults she deeply connected with through her organization Chair-ity. This young adult faced several challenges as she aged out of the foster care system and started life on her own. But with her perseverance, strength, intelligence, and support from Maria, she has become one of the many Chair-ity success stories. This organization truly makes a difference, one person at a time.

Follow us:
https://www.facebook.com/ecospeakscle
https://www.instagram.com/ecospeakscle

Contact us:
hello@ecospeakscle.com