Bio: Jim Fruchterman is a leading social entrepreneur, author, MacArthur Fellow, recipient of the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and Distinguished Alumnus of Caltech. After starting two successful for-profit AI companies, he went on to found Benetech, the award-winning tech nonprofit, building tools for people with disabilities and human …

Bio: Josh Dorfman is a climate entrepreneur, author, and media personality. He is the CEO and host of Supercool, a media company covering real-world climate solutions that cut carbon, increase profits, and enhance modern life. Josh was previously the co-founder and CEO of Plantd, a carbon-negative building materials manufacturer, which was named to…

Lawrence Chavez is a passionate innovator focused on meaningful innovation. Lawrence has been on both sides of the table and understands the demands of the investor and the needs of the founder. Most recently as CEO & Founder of EveryDay Contacts. Previously, Lawrence co-founded Lotus Leaf Coatings, an advanced materials company in 2011. Prior to 2…

Paul Zelizer is the host of Awarepreneurs, the world’s longest running social entrepreneur podcast, the co-founder of NM Tech Talks and a business coach/consultant for social entrepreneurs and cleantech startups for the past 18 years. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can…

Anthony Fleg is a family medicine physician at UNM in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. Originally from Baltimore, Anthony grounds his healing work in undoing racism, health equity, movement as medicine, and with a focus on strengths and holistic health. He co-founded the Native Health Initiative (NHI) and its Running Medicine progra…

In a political climate that is more partisan and polarized than ever, the idea of working together for the common good seems impossible. State Representative Meredith Dixon has a different view. Her approach - one which is focused on bringing people together - is getting results for the people of Albuquerque and all of New Mexico. Rep. Dixon is one…

Rudy Parra is a Mechatronics & Lab Technician at GridFlow, where he supports the development of next-generation lithium-sulfur flow batteries. He specializes in IoT integration, rapid prototyping, and lab operations, helping bridge the gap between R&D and real-world energy solutions. With a background in robotics and automation, Rudy is passionate …

Dr. David Gruder is a Corporate Counsel who is a 12-award-winning multi-bestselling clinical and organizational psychologist. As an Executive Team Orchestrator and Culture Catalyst, he makes integrity profitable by equipping socially responsible businesses with missing mindsets, skillsets, and procedures to actualize their unique calling in helping…

Former attorney turned space advocate, Bryce Kennedy is the Executive Director of SpaceValley Foundation and Space Connectivity Officer under the International Telecommunication Union and UN. He works with emerging economies to ensure that they have a place in space. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consi…

Owen, a former Global Energy Manager at a Fortune 500 company, implemented $60M in clean technology before founding lumeo, a niche ESCO that hit eight figures in three years. After a successful exit, he launched ZNE Capital to decarbonize commercial real estate, acquiring 654 units worth $75M. Frustrated by solar deployment challenges, he founded S…

Sona Khosla, Chief Impact Officer at Benevity, has worked with mission-driven organizations for over 15 years. As Chief Impact Officer, she is responsible for infusing impact into Benevity’s business and culture and overseeing the company’s own impact and inclusion initiatives. At the helm of Benevity Impact Labs, an incubator and resource hub, Son…

Benjamin Gardner is the Chief Executive Officer of Dekker Designs and a working principal of the D/P/S commercial group, Benjamin is dedicated to improving the built environment using skills acquired from combined backgrounds in architecture, construction, and construction management. Benjamin has been with Dekker/Perich/Sabatini since 2001, and ha…

Once called a “unicorn” for her entrepreneurial approach, Vicki Apodaca is a seasoned marketer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Vicki has been a founding member of several tech startups (Phalanx, StellarFi, Joust, and Soply), and have also been through two exits (Joust acquired by ZenBusiness, Starship HSA acquired by Optum). Her passion in go-to…

Paul Zelizer is the host of the Awarepreneurs Podcast, the world’s longest running social entrepreneur podcast, and has been a Business Coach who specializes in working with social entrepreneurs and climate tech founders for the past 18 years. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session i…

Manuela Guzmán is the Head of Network at Top Tier Impact (TTI), a global ecosystem of 600+ investors, founders, and corporates dedicated to solving the world’s most pressing challenges. She leads TTI’s network strategy, fostering high-impact connections that drive investments, deal flow, and partnerships across key hubs like London, New York, San F…

David Reiling is the President and CEO of Sunrise Banks, a mission-driven, values-based bank with locations in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. David has worked in the community development banking industry for more than 25 years. He is a social entrepreneur and innovator who strives to forge meaningful partnerships, d…

For four decades, Rebecca “Puck” Stair has built teams to tackle complex, high-profile, high-dollar projects. In 2023, she came to the New Mexico state energy office after two decades in the New Mexico film industry, where she worked as a producer and location manager on over a hundred films, television shows, commercials and other media projects, …

Paul Zelizer is the host of the Awarepreneurs Podcast, the world’s longest running social entrepreneur podcast, and has been a Business Coach who specializes in working with social entrepreneurs and climate tech founders for the past 18 years. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session i…

Dana Koller is President and CEO of Kactus Brewery, a highly community active brewing company and the Executive Director of UN-17. UN-17 is on track to be the #1 resource within New Mexico to help guide businesses and governments to accomplishing the 17 goals of sustainable development set by the United Nations. With a proven track record of succes…

Ben Shultz is a dedicated product/marketing manager at Aqua Membranes, where he combines his background in environmental planning and design with strong relationship-building and event-planning skills to drive innovative water treatment and provide clear messaging to customers and investors alike. Having started as a production technician, Ben quic…

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 th…

Paul Zelizer is the host of the Awarepreneurs Podcast, one of the world’s longest running social entrepreneur podcasts, and has been a Business Coach for social entrepreneurs and climate tech startups for over 17 years. This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support gr…

As CEO of Mango Automotive, Jesse’s vision is not just to lead but to revolutionize the automotive repair industry. They are ambitiously scaling towards a $100 million empire in the EV repair and maintenance domain, balancing this with their expertise in traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. This journey is fueled by a commitment to sustainable bu…

Representative Andrea D. Romero is a daughter of New Mexico. After attending the Santa Fe Public Schools, Andrea graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Political Science and received her J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law. She has dedicated herself to the growth of Northern New Mexico’s community, economic, and enviro…

Welcome to another episode of Awarepreneurs with your host, Paul Zelizer. In today's special solo episode, Paul dives into three critical topics that will shape the landscape for social entrepreneurs and climate tech founders as we head into 2025. We'll explore the game-changing $58 billion New Mexico Permanent Fund and its impact on the state's th…