Kristy Drutman, otherwise known as “Browngirl Green” is a speaker, consultant, media producer, and environmental educator passionate about working at the intersections between media, diversity, and environmentalism. As a young entrepreneur, Kristy has educated hundreds of thousands of people across the globe about modern-day environmental issues through speeches and media content as well as facilitates workshops centered around environmental media and storytelling in cities across the United States.

Kristy is also the Co-Founder of theGreen Jobs Board, a climate tech start-up bridging the equity and inclusion gap within the green economy through conversations, resources, and pathways to bring more diverse talent into the environmental field.

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:

Attracting Diverse Talent in the Sustainability Space: Transcript with Kristy Drutman

NOTE: While it’s not perfect, we offer this transcript and the below summaries by Castmagic for those who are hearing impaired or who don’t find listening to a podcast enjoyable or possible.

You can read the full transcript of this episode here

Key Topics in Attracting Diverse Talent in the Sustainability Space with Kristy Drutman

Introduction

Welcome and show description by Paul Zelizer
Introduction of the guest Kristy Drutman

Kristy's Background and Initiatives

Kristy's work and passion in environmentalism and media
Creation of Brown Girl Green
Founding of Green Jobs Board
Business growth and impact

Challenges in Climate Sector Workforce

Difficulty for climate startups in finding qualified talent
Barriers for job seekers in entering climate-related careers
Lack of diversity and inclusion in leadership roles within the climate sector
Representation of minorities and women in significant climate decision-making forums like the UN

Functions and Goals of Green Jobs Board

Creating a conduit between job seekers and employers in the climate sector
Emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion
Avoiding unpaid internships and ensuring salary transparency
Representation and support for BIPOC organizations

Early Steps and Lessons in Entrepreneurship

Starting with Brown Girl Green and expanding organically
Transition from social media content to business
Importance of market research and listening to community needs
Iterative process of building the platform

Leadership and Growth

Importance of taking risks and showing transparency
Overcoming perfectionism and being efficient in experimentation
Building infrastructure, legal, and financial foundations

Revenue and Funding

Bootstrapping Green Jobs Board
Revenue models and generation methods
Future goals for events and deeper community engagement

Advisory and Networking

Building an advisory board
Expanding networks and seeking strategic partnerships

Future Vision for Green Jobs Board

Aspiring to be the premier climate recruitment platform
Goals to facilitate tangible climate impact through employment
Long-term vision for emissions reductions and ecological restoration

Sector Trends and Challenges

Concerns with political shifts and administration changes
Importance of local community engagement
Possibilities for internal advocacy within non-green companies

Closing Thoughts

Encouragement to join and seek help from Green Jobs Board
Christy’s providing green career coaching
Invitation to listeners to suggest podcast topics and guests

357 | Connecting Top Talent with Sustainability Organizations with Kristy Drutman