The Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit (MRSS) is the largest sustainability conference in the Midwest, bringing together hundreds of visionary leaders to share ideas and solutions for a healthier, more resilient, and equitable future. The annual summit features a full day of programming, including speakers, exhibitors, interactive sessions, and networking opportunities, covering a wide range of topics from climate justice and green workforce development to resilient food systems and circular economy practices. MRSS serves as a vital platform for collaboration and innovation, inspiring action and accelerating the transition to a sustainable future in the Midwest.

Shownotes

Kristi Eberhardt is the Head of Sustainable Finance at PNC Bank. She explains how financial institutions are driving sustainable change by making green investments more attractive than traditional ones.

Kristi breaks down sustainable finance and how PNC uses financial products to reward environmentally friendly projects. She traces the field's origins to green bonds in 2016 and explains how it's expanded beyond large corporations to include smaller, family-owned, and private businesses. She shares her path into sustainable finance through economic development work and how her son's environmental passion influenced her career direction. Kristi explains PNC's Midwest strategy of tailoring solutions to specific markets and using incentives rather than penalties to drive change. Kristi details how PNC identifies sustainability opportunities by researching client goals, benchmarking against industry peers, and understanding best practices.

She discusses PNC's internal Climate Solutions Partner Program that educates employees and builds cross-department collaboration. Data analytics plays a key role in identifying clients with sustainability goals and starting targeted conversations. Kristi also talks about her work with the Greater Cleveland Partnership's Sustainability Leaders Group and the importance of cross-sector collaboration.

Episode in a glance

- What is Sustainable Finance?
- Kristi's Journey into Sustainable Finance
- PNC's Role in Midwest Sustainable Finance
- PNC's Industry-Agnostic Approach
- Data Analytics and Targeted Client Engagement
- Kristi's Role with the Greater Cleveland Partnership

About Kristi Eberhardt

Kristi Eberhardt is the Head of Sustainable Finance at PNC Bank. She combines capital markets expertise with sustainability passion to help integrate environmental and social factors into financial decisions.

Connect with Kristi Eberhardt

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-ziegler-eberhardt-a282534/

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The Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit (MRSS) is the largest sustainability conference in the Midwest, bringing together hundreds of visionary leaders to share ideas and solutions for a healthier, more resilient, and equitable future. The annual summit features a full day of programming, including speakers, exhibitors, interactive sessions, and networking opportunities, covering a wide range of topics from climate justice and green workforce development to resilient food systems and circular economy practices. MRSS serves as a vital platform for collaboration and innovation, inspiring action and accelerating the transition to a sustainable future in the Midwest.

Shownotes

Zack Burns is the hydroponics technician at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. He explains how a pilot hydroponics program is cutting food miles, saving water, and connecting with the community. Zack explains how the zoo's hydroponics program started and why reducing their carbon footprint from animal food was important. He covers the basics of hydroponics—growing plants without soil using nutrient-rich water. The zoo's vertical system sits in two 40-foot shipping containers located off zoo grounds.

The lettuce they grow feeds the giraffes in their visitor feeding program, giving people a direct connection to the zoo's sustainability work. Zack talks about the environmental benefits: no transportation emissions from growing food on-site and better protection against supply chain problems. The program fits into the zoo's zero-waste goals by creating compostable plant waste for their bio-digester. Zack mentions other sustainability projects at the zoo, like their large solar canopy and plans to reach net-zero emissions. He emphasizes working with other zoos, including their partnership with Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and how they help other facilities start similar programs. Zack shares his personal path into hydroponics, his love of growing plants, and how rewarding it is to support both animal care and community education.

Episode in a glance

- The Cincinnati Zoo's Hydroponics Program
- Hydroponics 101
- Benefits of Growing Food On-Site
- Data Collection and Analysis for Sustainability
- Zack’s Journey into Hydroponics
- Getting Involved in Sustainable Agriculture

About Zack Burns

Zack Burns is the hydroponics technician at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, where he combines his passion for plants with his commitment to sustainability.

Connect with Zack Burns and his work

• Cincinnati Zoo Website → https://cincinnatizoo.org/
• Zack on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachary-burns-b56919134/

Send us a message!

The Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit (MRSS) is the largest sustainability conference in the Midwest, bringing together hundreds of visionary leaders to share ideas and solutions for a healthier, more resilient, and equitable future. The annual summit features a full day of programming, including speakers, exhibitors, interactive sessions, and networking opportunities, covering a wide range of topics from climate justice and green workforce development to resilient food systems and circular economy practices. MRSS serves as a vital platform for collaboration and innovation, inspiring action and accelerating the transition to a sustainable future in the Midwest.

Shownotes

Susan VonderHaar is the co-director of the Cincinnati Permaculture Institute and leader of Growing Food Champions. She shares her passion for building local food systems and restoring ecosystems. Susan describes permaculture as a practice, a way of being, and a form of ecological design that marries human creativity with the wisdom of nature. With a background in science, biology, and ecological research, she shares how permaculture provided her with a solutions-oriented approach, shifting her perspective from seeing problems to recognizing opportunities for positive change. She emphasizes the permaculture principle of "the problem is the solution," an assets-based approach to finding answers within the challenges themselves.

Susan contrasts permaculture with traditional industrial farming, highlighting the importance of closed-loop systems and building self-sustaining ecosystems. She explains the concept of a food forest, describing it as a garden that mimics the structure and function of a natural forest, incorporating diverse plant species in multiple layers to create a self-maintaining, productive ecosystem. She discusses how the Growing Food Champions initiative empowers communities to reclaim their health and connection to nature through hands-on permaculture projects, planting edible, medicinal, and native plants in food forests and guilds across the Cincinnati area. Susan also shares insights into selecting appropriate plants for different locations and purposes, considering factors like harvest season, growth habits, and the needs of the local ecosystem.

Episode in a glance

- Permaculture as A Practice, a Way of Being, and a Solution
- Permaculture vs. Traditional Farming
- Food Forests and Guilds
- Growing Food Champions & Building Communities Through Permaculture
- Selecting the Right Plants for Your Food Forest

About Susan VonderHaar

Susan VonderHaar is the co-director of the Cincinnati Permaculture Institute and a passionate advocate for creating sustainable and resilient food systems. With a background in science and ecology, she brings a deep understanding of natural systems to her work in permaculture design and education. Susan's leadership in the Growing Food Champions initiative has empowered countless individuals to connect with nature, grow their own food, and build healthier communities.

Connect with Susan VonderHaar

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/permaculturecincy/

Website → https://cincinnatipermacultureinstitute.org/

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/CincinnatiPermacultureInstitute/

Send us a message!