Episode 15: Curiosity & Consumption feat. Martellus Bennett, Mich Stevenson & Kristen Albrecht | Curiosity & Consumption is the second panel discussion hosted by Michael and Ruth at the Seattle Design Festival.   In this conversation Martellus Bennett, Mich Stevenson, and Kristen Albrecht share about the many ways curiosity guides them on their respective paths.  Martellus explores the arenas of imaginative play and representation in both his artwork and the stories he tells, Kristen talks about her ongoing pursuits of building an independent sustainable apparel brand, and Mich reflects on a number of impactful projects he is helping lead and support — particularly his ongoing project with Houston’s historic Freedmen’s Town.  This panel’s dialogue demonstrates that it is vital that we all keep asking questions and exploring how we can make a positive impact, as we all have our parts to play in facilitating progress for our communities.About the panel…Martellus Bennett is the founder and Chief Creative Officer at TOMONOSH! i + d LAB.  He has a diverse background spanning film, animation, television, music, and furniture design and seamlessly blends play, design, research, art, and technology into his multi-disciplinary artistic endeavors.Mich Stevenson is a Houston-based artist, curator and creative entrepreneur.  Stevenson’s expertise spans several fields, including sculpture, outdoor product design, manufacturing, community organizing, and art-related project management.  His creative practice utilizes public art, site-specific installations, technical drawing, design, photography, and writing.  His sculptural works were featured in Ruby City’s presentation of the 2021 Texas Biennial, Houston Airport Systems’ permanent collection of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, and Project Row Houses.  Additionally, he manages the multi-year partnership with the City of Houston, Houston Freedmen's Town Conservancy, Houston African American History & Research Center, Freedmen's Town Association, Rebuild Foundation and Studio KER dedicated to rebirth of Historic Houston Freedmen's Town.Kristen Albrecht is the President and Co-Founder of Nube, a sustainable apparel brand.  She is also the Chief Sustainability Officer & Co-Founder of Ravel, a textile-to-textile recycling startup.  Kristen has an MBA in Sustainable Solutions from Presidio Graduate School and her work focuses on sustainable apparel, local manufacturing and sourcing, intentional business strategy, and the circular economy.Visit: mindfulconsuming.comFollow: @mindful.consuming

Episode 14: CLT, The Present & Potential feat. Susan Jones, Rico Quirindongo & Ethan Martin | CLT, The Present & Potential is the first panel discussion that Ruth and Michael hosted during the Seattle Design Festival.  Featured guests were Susan Jones, Rico Quirindongo, and Ethan Martin and the conversation includes insight into each of their design journeys.  The panel discusses the work that has been done so far around CLT, while providing some ideas about the direction we can all go for the future.  Topics included building lifespan comparisons, the medical benefits of being exposed to natural materials, the power and privilege of education, access disparities, the necessity of pursuing equity in design teaching, and more.About the panel…Susan Jones, FAIA, is a renowned CLT architect and national leader in the mass timber community.  Susan is the founder of architecture and urban design firm Atelier Jones, which entwines design, research, and community engagement to create projects of urban reclamation of sites, buildings, materials, waste, and ways of living.  Jones’s work has been recognized by numerous national, regional, and local design awards, including an AIA National Honor Award.Rico Quirindongo is the Director of Seattle’s Office of Planning & Community Development and his work often closes the gap between urban development and community needs.  He is a past president of the American Institute of Architects Seattle Chapter, former mayoral appointee to the Historic Seattle Council, and founding member of the National Organization of Minority Architects Northwest Chapter.  Needless to say, Rico is a relentless advocate for empowering communities to have a positive influence through design.Ethan Martin, PE, is an engineer with DCI Engineers, Associate Principal & Director of Sustainability & Mass Timber Portland, and co-founder of the International Mass Timber Conference with Forest Business Network in Portland (now one of the leading mass timber conferences in the world). Having helped develop CLT in the US, Ethan assists general contractors with mass timber constructibility and works with architects on construction types and acoustics to create exciting projects for clients. Ethan also collaborated with state officials in Oregon to set up the permitting process for tall mass timber buildings, which helped develop the prototype buildings creating the Type IV-A, IV-B, and IV-C construction types that allowed for mass timber up to 18 stories.Visit: mindfulconsuming.comFollow: @mindful.consuming

Episode 13: April Pride | An entrepreneur and a visionary as well as an advocate for women who make unorthodox choices, April Pride is making her mark for good in the cannabis world.  Her first cannabis brand, Van der Pop, published 2017’s Women & Weed survey — the industry’s first comprehensive report on the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and behaviors of 1,500 North American women.  The success of Van der Pop led to the company being acquired by Canopy Growth (NYSE: CGC) in 2018.  Upon her exit from Canopy in 2019, she created, co-founded, and served as the inaugural host of How to Do the Pot podcast. Today, April is the creator & host of The High Guide, a podcast about women changing their lives thanks to altered states. Concurrent with her work at The High Guide, she is the CEO/Founder at Of Like Minds, a portfolio of women-founded companies in which she’s invested and advises.  April is also included on the High Times Female 50 inaugural list.  Before her formal pursuits in the cannabis world, April had a career as an interior and product designer.On this episode of Mindful Consuming, April talks to us about her journey, breaks down the power of effectively using THC and CBD together, and discusses the continually growing potential for psychedelics to positively impact our lives.  Her overall approach to openness is inspiring, encouraging us all to broaden our approach to healing and leisure.Visit: mindfulconsuming.comFollow: @mindful.consuming

Episode 12: Becca Stevens | Becca Stevens is a speaker, justice entrepreneur, author, priest, and founder and President of Thistle Farms.  Starting in 1997 with a single home for survivors of trafficking and addiction, Thistle Farms is now a global movement for women’s freedom. Today the Nashville flagship includes a residential program that serves as a national model for women’s recovery, and three justice social enterprises that provide jobs to survivors — amounting to $4M in earned income last year. Stevens developed the Thistle National Network to provide tools, workshops, and conferences to support young organizations wanting to follow its holistic recovery model and there are now 92 organizations providing over 500 beds to survivors in its network. She also created Thistle Farms Global Shared Trade which supports 1,400 artisan survivors through 39 partners in 21 countries. Becca has been featured on PBS NewsHour, The Today Show, CNN, ABC World News, was named a CNN Hero and White House Champion of Change, holds five honorary doctorates, and raised over $75M in funding for justice initiatives. Drawn from 25 years of leadership in mission-driven work, Becca leads important conversations across the country with an inspiring message that love is the strongest force for change in the world.Becca joins Mindful Consuming to talk about her passionate journey and the boundless potential for healing, encouraging us within the supply chain — of course, with love being the anchor every step of the way.Visit: mindfulconsuming.comFollow: @mindful.consuming

Episode 11: Sister Love feat. Molly Van Nostrand | Most of my few podcasts start with a pretty standard bio so you can get to know my guest. This one is different. This is my sister. While she’s owned a frame shop and a printing store and worked for many large and small companies, her relevant bio here is kicking my ass growing up!  Yes, the big sister… smarter, taller, prettier, funnier… until these silly er’s meant nothing.  For most of our life, she’s been the supportive, banter-loving side kick I could not imagine living without.  Molly is also the amazing mother of my ass-kicking nieces Jenny and Hannah (although Hannah has yet to listen to one of the podcasts because it’s my voice…hmmmm).  I wanted to do a family recording to give you some insight into our impacts as family members… and have some fun while doing it with Negronis in hand.  As a bonus, my lovely niece Jenny was able to pop in to add her perspective on family dynamics and how she navigates decisions that support her values.  Cheers!Visit: mindfulconsuming.comFollow: @mindful.consuming

Episode 10: Matt Dillon | Matt Dillon is a farmer, timber framer, chef and former restaurant owner living with his family and working on a small island in the Puget Sound southwest of Seattle, WA.  He opened his first restaurant, Sitka & Spruce in 2006, and followed it with The Corson Building, Bar Ferdinand, Bar Sajor, The London Plane and Copal.  Matt has been nominated multiple times by the James Beard Foundation, winning for Best Chef NW in 2012.  In addition, he raises animals and vegetables on his terrestrial farm property, The Old Chaser Farm, as well as shellfish on his aquatic farm “Little Otter” on Colvos Passage, Vashon Island.At the core of Dillon’s work is a strong commitment to community and environment with a focus on a small economy through agrarian and craft-driven folk work, highlighting high integrity ingredients, principles and tools from farmers, craftspeople and vendors he loves and admires.  His work is inspired by a diverse collective of friends and teachers, biologists and scientists, hunters and farmers, importers and foragers, viticulturists, fishermen, builders, artists and activists.Matt walks us through his journey during this MC episode, sharing candidly how the early lessons and inspirations he gained from east coast post-hardcore punk music were clearly connected to the values of locality he picked up while working at places like the Herbfarm.  He provides insight into the current state of restaurants, why he eventually left and transitioned to the island full time, where he finds support these days, and what he is exploring for the future.Visit: mindfulconsuming.comFollow: @mindful.consuming

Episode 9: Seth Grizzle | Seth Grizzle is an architect turned furniture and lighting designer and conceptual artist. His award-winning conceptual design studio, graypants, creates products, architecture, and custom installations, among other things, working in various mediums as well as discarded/reclaimed materials.  Founded in 2008, graypants operates teams in Seattle and Amsterdam, solving problems and collaborating with clients and retail partners worldwide. Graypants is an innovative model for what is possible when designers return to using their hands, think responsibly, and craft outside the lines. Seth also serves on the board of the Henry Art Gallery, a contemporary art museum of the University of Washington.On this episode of Mindful Consuming, Seth shares about his early inspirations, gives  insight into his design process, and sheds light on the complexities of production and manufacturing.  Aiming to listen deeper and create more meaningfully with longevity in mind, he holds hope for a future where accountability and transparency continue to grow in the industry.Visit: mindfulconsuming.comFollow: @mindful.consuming

Episode 8: Crystal C. Hall | Crystal C. Hall is an associate professor of public policy and governance and adjunct associate professor of psychology at the University of Washington.  Her research pursues the integration of psychology into the design and implementation of social policy.  She has collaborated with government agencies at the local, state, and federal level —including having served on the Federal Office of Evaluation Sciences and the White House Social and Behavioral Sciences Team.In this episode, Crystal talks about the emerging understanding of human psychology and how it can inform the way that we understand decision making.  Her passionate work highlights the importance of addressing deeper systemic issues like structural racism when we consider strategies around mindful consumption.  Crystal shares about her upcoming book, which was borne out of the failures within her academic field related to this topic, using insights about psychology and design making to develop appropriate behavioral intervention.  She also talks about the power of yoga and how maintaining this practice has helped slow things down for her, something that Crystal sees as incredibly supportive in engaging with mindfulness — both physically and mentally — and in making critical decisions to help promote positive change.Further reading: Crystal's article in Behavioral ScientistVisit: mindfulconsuming.comFollow: @mindful.consuming

Episode 7: Dominic Muren | Dominic Muren is founder and principal of The Humblefactory, a design laboratory in Seattle, Washington which develops tools and technologies that increase the capabilities of Makers around the world.  Since his early career founding the popular industrial design blog IDFuel.com, and writing for Treehugger.com — dubbed “The Green CNN” — Dominic has been exploring the opportunities and consequences of how we make the objects we need.  Since 2008, he has been writing about a new, open-hardware-based, human-scaled ethos for manufacturing at Humblefacture.com.  In 2010, he was awarded a TED Global fellowship for his work on Humblefacture.  In 2011, he was named a PopTech Social Innovation Fellow.  His most recent projects explore how to make consumer products — furniture, household goods, even electronics — from materials sourced exclusively from self-sustaining ecologies, without mining or fossil energy.  In addition to his work at The Humblefactory, Dominic is a Design professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington.For this session on MC, Dominic’s intellectual design sensibilities shine as he gives insights into how he approaches some of the common questions that come up around mindful consumption.  He explores positive and negative impacts of human interference within ecologies, shares inspirations that helped drive his passion for building a better planet through design, and presents ideas for ways we can all be more creatively eco-engaged.Visit: mindfulconsuming.comFollow: @mindful.consuming

Episode 6: Joe Whinney | Joe Whinney, the Founder and former CEO of Theo Chocolate (North America’s first organic and fair-trade chocolate maker), joins this episode to share his story and how his passion for building ethical business began.  A sailboat journey through Central America after dropping out of high school led him to volunteering in southern Belize, where he focused on preserving unique species from the rainforest.  During this project he met Mayan cocoa farmers, learned the importance of protecting ancient Mayan traditional agricultural practices, and saw firsthand that social and environmental degradation were economic issues.  Joe acted on his belief that there was – and still is - no good reason that farmers and their families should suffer to grow ingredients used to make chocolate or any other products.  “We have to recognize that there are other stakeholders, not just shareholders,” Joe says.  He then cultivated the first organic cocoa supply chain in 1994 and eventually launched Theo in 2005.  Joe also talks about his current work with Dr. Bronner’s, the importance of psychedelics in his life, and more.About Joe…In building Theo from the ground up, Joe successfully executed on his vision to build a premium chocolate company that has a substantial positive impact on the lives of cocoa farmers, suppliers, employees, and chocolate lovers worldwide. At the time of Joe’s departure from the company, Theo was the number one selling organic chocolate brand in North America, reaching millions of consumers through thousands of major retailers.Joe is an active board member and advisor to many organizations working to make the world a better place.  In addition to his advisory and board roles, Joe is working with a dedicated team of medical professionals, entrepreneurs, and business executives to build North America’s first clinical research center dedicated to the study of psychedelic-assisted therapy. The for-profit enterprise, Red Alder, is structured as a Steward-Ownership business with a Perpetual Purpose Trust in control of governance to ensure that Red Alder’s mission and values are not compromised by the profit motive.Visit: mindfulconsuming.comFollow: @mindful.consuming

Episode 5: Michael Bennett |Seahawks legend, social activist, and aspiring architecture graduate Michael Bennett (@mosesbread72) graciously takes time out of his busy finals week for this episode. Overflowing with a passionate pursuit of living a life of purpose, he shares about his family heritage of storytelling, asking questions, and challenging society. “It’s about being designers and architects of our own history,” he says, recalling inspiration from W. E. B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, and the reconstruction of America. Many more topics were covered, including his experience as a Black man in America, foundations he supports, his cleanup work with @pmdphawaii, and the need for more holistically supportive care for the families of retired NFL players with brain injuries.More about Michael…Michael Bennett is a Super Bowl Champion and three-time Pro Bowl defensive end for the @seahawks, but his body of work is about so much more than football. Michael is an activist, author, and devoted husband and father. He uses his platform to raise awareness about important social issues, weaving in his passion for social justice and education at every turn. Michael runs The Bennett Foundation with his wife, Pele, and their three daughters focusing on food equity and nutrition in minority communities.Michael is also a New York Times best-selling author of “Things That Make White People Uncomfortable,” which is being adapted into a scripted series. He added executive producer and host of podcast Mouthpeace with his wife Pele Bennett, as well as an upcoming series with Conde Nast. Michael compliments any broadcasting team he joins, including Showtime, Amazon, and most recently his former team, the Seahawks. He also teaches American Studies classes at University of Hawaii and has returned to Texas A&M University to receive his degree in Architecture.Michael is a member of Athletes for Impact, a staunch feminist and supporter of women’s rights, a humanitarian, and supports and invests in multiple organizations and companies rooted in Africa, including Alaffia, Yolele, and #iamtheCODE where he sponsors over 100 African girls in Senegal.

Episode 4: C.J. Emmons & Jeff Miller | Los Angeles musician friends @cj_emmons and @jeffmillerla visit Vashon for an island getaway to connect and chat about their evolving views of consumption.  They share about their struggles with breaking out of old habits and discuss the role that guilt has played when making decisions.  Many topics are explored in the session, from single use plastics and meat consumption to the social perils of virtue signaling.  C.J. and Jeff also build off MC’s previous episode on music consumption, contributing some comedic takes on the industry’s attempts at “sustainability.”About C.J. Born and raised in Houston, C.J. now resides in Los Angeles and has been the Principal Singer on ABC Network's @dancingwiththestars since 2014.  Throughout his career he has worked with a who's-who list of legendary musicians, including Usher, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, and more.  He co-produced the Whitney Houston Tribute performance by Monica at the 2012 BET Awards and made the Grammy nomination ballot twice, once in 2015 for Best R&B Performance and again in 2020 for his single "Maybe If I Cared.”  Emmons also received an Emmy nomination for his work on the HBO show “We’re Here” and hosted and performed his own Vegas-style show with dancers and a full band for 3 years at The Luxe Hotel in downtown L.A.About JeffJeff Miller is the founding editor of Thrillist Los Angeles, the host of Travel Channel’s “Trip Testers,” the co-host of the new @fthisgig podcast, and the frontman for the band @blackcrystalwolfkids.  He has also helped raise over half a million dollars for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society in the past three years and is the founder of @citystockfestival, an annual music festival that donates over two tons of food to people in need in the greater Los Angeles area yearly.

Episode 3: Leslie Mackie |  Leslie Mackie, founder of @macrinabakery, joins to talk about her entrepreneurial journey over the last 30 years.  She shares how her values for supporting local were formed early in her life and how these principles have guided her through each chapter of her career.  Leslie provides insight into her priority for sourcing quality ingredients, candidly talks about strategies that were key in progressing business as scale increased, and highlights other projects that are keeping her busy and inspired.  These ventures include the creation of @projectbarnstorm conserves (low-sugar jam), ongoing work with the @wsu_bread_lab Community Loaf challenge, cooking classes she is planning to start on Vashon Island, and the lessons she is continually learning from growing her own wheat (currently in the 4th year of trials).  Leslie also contributes some positive callouts to nonprofits doing wonderfully inspired work in the city as it relates to food.  From @marysplacewa supplying food to underserved communities while also helping curb food waste, to the the mission of @cityfruitseattle to support sustainable and equitable access to fruit, there are many opportunities to help make a positive impact. About Leslie…  Before starting Macrina Bakery & Café, Leslie was the head baker at Grand Central Bakery where she first introduced artisan European breads to Seattle.  A native of Portland, Oregon, Leslie is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy and started her career as an apprentice at Ernie’s Restaurant in San Francisco. She later moved to Boston, where she worked in the pastry kitchen of the Bostonian Hotel and eventually helped open Biba Restaurant with Lydia Shire and Susan Regis.  It was while living in Los Angeles in the late 1980’s that Leslie caught what she calls “bread fever,” immersing herself in recipe testing and experimentation.  Now, all of Seattle knows of Macrina’s irresistible artisan breads.  Whether your tastes run to rustic potato; pear and cracked pepper; or crisp, crackly baguettes, you can find your favorite at grocery stores and gourmet shops throughout the region – along with more than 100 restaurants in the Puget Sound area.  Leslie’s recipes reach well beyond Seattle, from her appearances on Julia Child’s “Baking with Julia” television series (and inclusion in the companion cookbook) to a 1999 outstanding contributor award and a 2004 nomination for “Outstanding Pastry Chef” from the James Beard Foundation.  Her media appearances are legion and include features in Fine Cooking, Sunset, and Pacific magazines, The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, Bon Appetit Magazine, and the LA Times – not to mention endless coverage and accolades in The Seattle Times, Seattle Weekly, and Seattle Magazine.  Leslie is an active member in the Bread Bakers Guild of America and Les Dames d’Escoffier. Visit: mindfulconsuming.com @mindful.consuming

Episode 2: Music Consumption feat. Lauren McShane & Dave Dederer |For this episode, Lauren McShane (Portland Cello Project) and Dave Dederer (Presidents of the United States of America) — musicians from different backgrounds and eras — join to discuss their thoughts on modern music consumption.  Ruth begins the conversation with Lauren, who candidly shares about how the current landscape seems to put more pressure on artists to increase their output of new material.  She also covers the struggles that many artists seem to be having these days with streaming services, stating that the increase in music access now available to the consumer doesn’t equate to a fair artist pay structure.During the second and more in-depth part of the episode, Dave joins for a deeper dive into the concept of mindful consuming and focuses attention on dispelling what he sees as a myth that streaming services are bad for artists.  He claims that the problems artists have are more with their record labels and that musicians today have so many more ways to connect directly with their fans, which can lead to more creative ways for financial opportunities and support.  Dave says, “For the time being, the music business is back to being roughly as big as it was pre-Napster in 1999,” casting hope on the potentially prosperous future for musicians in the ever-changing world of how one consumes art.About Lauren…Lauren McShane (@lulu_mcshane) is a freelance cellist in Seattle and performs regularly with Portland Cello Project, Seattle Rock Orchestra, and Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra.  Lauren has worked with Father John Misty, Macklemore, Yakima Symphony, and others.  In addition to performing, Lauren is passionate about teaching cello students of all backgrounds and has a full private cello studio, alongside Holy Names Academy, and is faculty at Icicle Creek Summer Symphony.About Dave…Dave Dederer (@davedederer) is best known as a founding member of The Presidents of the United States of America.  The Presidents were nominated for two Grammys, had a number one Alternative Rock single and multiple Hot 100 hits, and have sold or streamed 6M+ albums worldwide.  Dave has been active as a Music 2.0 thought leader since the dawn of the digital music era, recorded an early e-album in 2000 with The Presidents, was a panelist at many digital music events in the 2000s, and has been full-time in digital media since 2006 working at Melodeo, H-P, and then Amazon from 2012 to 2022.  At Amazon, he started on the Amazon Music team and then shifted focus to doing deals and managing partnerships with Apple Music, Spotify, Clear Channel, Pandora, Sirius XM, et al. for distribution on Alexa-enabled devices.  In his day jobs in digital music, Dave has built and led teams doing content licensing, music programming and editorial, and business development while also still managing the publishing interests for The Presidents.  Among the many other chapters in his CV, Dave has been a high school teacher, coach and outdoor educator, a public affairs agency account executive, and a tugboat deckhand. Visit:mindfulconsuming.com@mindful.consuming

Episode 1 with Margo Tantau  | Ruth starts her new podcast series by sitting down to chat with her friend and fellow Vashon Island resident Margo Tantau (@mtantau) of Tantau Studio and the lovely @windowsillchats podcast.  They talk about their shared appreciation for the island’s culture of reuse and recycling, as well as the joys of having access to local foods via roadside farmstands.  As concepts of mindful consuming are explored, Margo shares candidly about some of her past design project experiences and how they may have fallen on the opposite side of sustainability — lessons that grew her and led her to be even more keenly focused on the environmental impact of her work now.  In Margo’s words, “Because I’ve had so much to do with thousands of products that have been put out into the world, I think about it even more.  It’s really hard to design something with both a material and a use that feels exploited or of limited-use.” Other topics include simple and attainable adjustments to buying behavior, the ripple effects that can be made within the paper supply chains in relationship to ones approach to shipping, questions to ask when buying online, and kind considerations to make when it is time for giving gifts.Margo’s bioMargo blends her passion for art, design and the people who create it, with an understanding of specialty retailing, manufacturing, and the challenges of being an independent artist.  Her love of possibility has taken her on an adventuresome creative path.  Margo has had her own magical retail, wholesale and manufacturing businesses, and has also held creative leadership roles at the corporate level.  She has always kept one foot in her own studio as well, as Margo's passion is to help artists, entrepreneurs, and creative companies develop brand presence, grow their business, and shine in the creative space.  Her own podcast, @windowsillchats, is a welcome place to listen in and learn from others that the creative road we are all on is full of twists, turns, and true potential.Visit:mindfulconsuming.com@mindful.consuming

Episode 0:  Introduction to Mindful Consuming | In this introductory episode Ruth provides some background context to her journey as a mindful consumer, what led her to start this new podcast project, and shares some of her hopes and intentions for the conversations she will be hosting.Visit:mindfulconsuming.com@mindful.consuming