Laura Zapata's path to leading a solar power company – one that is first-of-its-kind to sell carbon offsets to finance its projects and one that also emphasizes the economic benefits of solar investments in distressed communities – has been a winding road that saw her uproot herself several times.
Bill Shireman is launching Circle America, an organization that aims to replace our extractive, throw-away culture with one that eliminates waste and pollution, reuses or recycles products and materials, and emulates the self-sustaining “circle” of natural systems.
Jenny Marienau Zimmer trained to be a movement organizer, an essential role in democracy that rarely gets the media spotlight. When asked why she does what she does, Zimmer makes a clear link between her life’s circumstances and her career decisions. She identifies three pivot points that reflect how her growth from college grad to mother of two influenced the choices she has made along her career path.
Kendra Abkowitz has been an advocate for sustainable solutions to climate change, initially in the Tennessee state government and now in Nashville. In a state that has embraced climate denialism and attacks on democracy that are part of the national culture war, she finds ways to move with the current while still advancing the cause of sustainability and resilience.
Holly Martin founded the Chattanooga Sustainable Food Center to build a better food system: one that serves hungry people and local farmers. Gaining Ground, a flagship grocery store, is the first step.
Through personal projects and his business, banker Larry Grimstad has invested in wind and solar energy projects as the smart business choice for building a more stable future for his community.
Frustrated by Congress' inability to act on climate change, Danielle Vogel decided to start a grocery store for the specific purpose of improving the world’s climate, as she says, “one bite at a time.”
but it’s often lost in the 24/7 news stream or distorted or obscured,
often intentionally so, by the people who make the news.
The American Leader offers historical storylines and problem briefs to
home in on what’s really happening beneath the surface of today’s headlines.
We sift through the info stream for you, consulting and processing
hundreds of sources that may not make the headlines to connect the dots and
clarify the problems we face and showcase the efforts being made to solve them.
It’s time-consuming work that needs your support.
but it’s often lost in the 24/7 news stream or distorted or obscured, often intentionally so, by the people who make the news. The American Leader offers historical storylines and problem briefs to home in on what’s really happening beneath the surface of today’s headlines. We sift through the infostream for you, consulting and processing hundreds of sources to connect the dots and clarify the problems we face and showcase the efforts being made to solve them. It’s time-consuming work that needs your support.
We have to expect more to get more. We can make this a better country but only if we believe improving on the status quo is possible. A lot of people do believe and are hard at work to solve our systemic problems. We bring you their stories.
