Awarepreneurs

Hosted by Paul Zelizer

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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About the show

Thanks for checking out the Awarepreneurs podcast! My name is Paul Zelizer and I am passionate - you could say obsessed - about the intersection of 3 things: a) conscious business, b) social impact and c) awareness practices. I believe these 3 movements are some of the most dynamic movements on our planet at this time. Around the world. people are discovering how to lead with compassion and create businesses that truly are a force for good. Each week, I do a deep dive interview with a thought leader in this intersection. Someone who has an enterprise that is market tested and already transforming many lives. I ask the gritty and sometimes challenging questions - like how they earn their money, how many people they help and what some of their biggest failures are. My goal for this show is to help you grow your businesses, enhance your well being and increase your social impact.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 22, 202649 min

402 | Coming of Age Loudly: The Teenage Era of Sustainability with Sandhya Sabapathy

BIO: Sandhya Sabapathy is the Founder & CEO of Kaleidoscope, a sustainability and business resilience accelerator that helps builders scale profitable, purpose-driven products and services. She has worked across 40+ global markets and in FTSE100, Fortune 500, and public-private partnerships, driving ESG strategy, innovation, and equity into the heart of business models. She's scaled multi-million-dollar innovations that prove sustainability and profit can grow side by side. Her work has been recognized globally: she was named one of the Financial Times' Women of the Future 50 ESG Stars, nominated by the Institute of Directors for her contributions to Diversity & Inclusion, and listed in the SustainabilityX Global 50 Sustainability Leaders. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Kaleidoscope site Burn Bright, Build Slow book Sandhya on LinkedIn Paul's Strategy Sessions Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

August 11, 202642 min

401 | Energizing New Mexico: Ecosystem Building with the Nuclear Forum with Scott Lopez

Bio: Scott Lopez is the Founder and CEO of the New Mexico Nuclear Alliance, where he advances New Mexico's nuclear energy ecosystem through advocacy, policy, and economic development. He is also the Founder and CEO of Vida Mejor Capital and one of the principal organizers of the annual New Mexico Energy Policy Symposium, now in its third year, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, Tribal governments, investors, and communities to shape the state's energy future. With more than 25 years of experience in business development, public policy, and capital formation, Scott works to align policy, investment, and partnerships while emphasizing responsible stewardship of New Mexico's nuclear legacy through cleanup, community engagement, and long-term accountability as well as supporting the growth of the state's broadband infrastructure.

July 21, 202612 min

400 | What 400 Episodes Taught Me About Changing the World with Paul Zelizer

BIO: Paul Zelizer has been a business coach for social entrepreneurs and cleantech companies for the past 18 years, the host of the Awarepreneurs podcast and co-founder of NM Tech Talks and NMClimate. A growing portion of my work is as a fractional VP of Business Development for cleantech startups and mission driven companies. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: New Mexico Tech Week site Paul's Strategy Sessions Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

July 14, 202644 min

399 | How to Build a 100% Renewable Data Center with Tim Shaler

BIO: Tim Shaler is the CEO of 639 Solar & 639 Cloud. His 30 year career has focused on client retention, ESG investing, valuation work and investing in electricity and gas companies to help manage a solar & battery -powered datacenter business. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: 639 Solar site 639 Cloud site Tim on LinkedIn Paul's Strategy Sessions Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

June 30, 202622 min

398 | 20 Years Later: What's Next for Mission-Driven Business? with Paul Zelizer

BIO: For the past 20 years, Paul Zelizer has been a coach and consultant for mission driven entrepreneurs and businesses. You can find out more about his services at PaulZelizer.com This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Episode 390: How to 100X Your Social Impact with Kurt Avery Pii Energy website Avanyu LLC website Episode 396: Incorruptible with Eric Ries Paul's Strategy Sessions Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

June 9, 202646 min

397 | Solar for Women with Riley Neugebauer

Bio: Riley Neugebauer is a licensed residential electrician and solar tradeswoman based in Colorado. She works as a technical trainer with Unirac, a solar racking manufacturer, and founded a non-profit, Solar for Women, to help create community, training opportunities, and advocacy for solar tradeswomen across the U.S. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Solar for Women group Paul's Strategy Sessions Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

May 26, 202648 min

396 | From Lean Startup to Incorruptible Social Enterprises with Eric Ries

Over the last two decades, Eric Ries's ideas about continuous innovation, long-term thinking, governance, and market reform have reshaped company building and management practices. He is the creator of the Lean Startup method, and the author of the New York Times bestseller The Lean Startup; The Leader's Guide; and The Startup Way. As a founder, he has put his own ideas into practice with The Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE); Answer.AI, an AI R&D lab; the Lean Startup Co, which teaches and supports the implementation of Lean Startup; Virgil, a legal services startup; and IMVU, where the ideas that became the Lean Startup method were forged. On his podcast, The Eric Ries Show, he talks to guests including world-class technologists, thought leaders, and executives working to build profitable companies for the long-term benefit of society. Eric has served as an entrepreneur-in-residence at Harvard Business School and IDEO. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and three children. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Incorruptable site Miyoko Awarepreneurs interview The Lean Startup site Long Term Stock Exchange site Paul's Strategy Sessions Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

April 14, 202620 min

395 | My Strategic Pause to Protect Quality with Paul Zelizer

Bio: Paul Zelizer is the host of Awarepreneurs, the world's longest running social entrepreneur podcast, and a coach and consultant who works with clean energy companies and climatetech startups. My latest role is Fractional VP of Business Development for Pii Energy, a plug-in solar startup. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Pii Energy site TechFest 2026 site Paul on LinkedIn Facilitating Change Podcast Utah Tech Week site Paul's services Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

March 31, 202649 min

394 | Creating Effective Impact Networks in Chaotic Times with Cole Hoover

Bio: Cole Hoover has spent 17 years designing the spaces where social impact leaders learn together. He's built fellowships, cohort programs, and learning communities serving over 1,500 changemakers globally—from social entrepreneurs in Ghana to corporate partners navigating sustainability transitions. His work focuses on community infrastructure: the peer networks, shared analysis, and coordination capacity that determine whether movements survive and scale. He is the founder of Ponto Social Impact Consulting. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Skoll Foundation site The Soil of Leadership book Cole on LinkedIn Facilitating Change Podcast Ponto Consulting site Paul's services Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode

March 10, 202647 min

393 | Economic Development - Leading Through Uncertain Times with Elyse Cherry

Bio: Elyse Cherry has served as the CEO of BlueHub Capital since 1997. Under Cherry's leadership, BlueHub has invested over $3.2 billion, leveraged an additional $16.1 billion, and built a national tax credit practice to: finance affordable housing, health centers, schools and other community facilities; create jobs; benchmark and drive down energy and utility costs. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Blue Hub Capital site Elyse on LinkedIn Paul's services Pitch an Awarepreneurs episode