Organic Cotton From Female Farmers: Alison Ward, CEO of CottonConnect
Release Date: 08/26/2026
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Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“It's really that investment to transition from a legacy industry into a future industry…that is aiming to drive more sustainability and manufacturing processes and products overall…One of the things that we fundamentally see as being important in this economic shift, and we say it in this Practical Guide to the Green Economy, is that this transition we believe will favor places that make things.… and we want to make them better and more sustainable.” Bethia Burke on Electric Ladies Podcast As communities seek economic growth and manufacturing jobs, a recent study found that...
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Organic Cotton From Female Farmers: Alison Ward, CEO of CottonConnect
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“I've been particularly passionate about working with women in those communities to teach them about new techniques so they can understand how to run their farm more effectively, but also understand their rights as women in those communities so they have a stronger voice…. And because they were called an ‘ambassador,’ their status in the village rose.” Alison Ward on Electric Ladies Podcast If you're shopping for back-to-school clothes or a new fall wardrobe, you'll look at the labels a bit differently after listening to today's episode. Why? Because the cotton in your...
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How Hotel Rooms Affect Your Health & The Planet – JoAnna Abrams, Founder/CEO of MindClick
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“We did a study where we shared the story of the careful thought that went into products that were better for people and the planet … Then we administered the standard guest satisfaction survey, and what we found, Joan, was 150% increase in satisfaction, loyalty numbers… Why?...They equated it to service. They said a hotel that goes out of its way to choose products that are better for me and the planet is a hotel that I have confidence is going to take better care of me while I'm there.” JoAnna Abrams on Electric Ladies Podcast With summer travel season is in full swing, a lot...
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Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“There are those individual actions that we can take. But if I can work with my community or work inside of my company, or if I can work inside of my house of worship and we can build some community and some action that way, it will have a much bigger impact than anything that I can do as an individual… The communities that they're already a part of, whether they're residential, like in their neighborhoods, or it's the nonprofits that they're a part of, or the places where they have other kinds of communities like religious communities, and start conversations there. What could we do as a...
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Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
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Plastic Bottles & Summer Vacations – Ann Marie (Canela) Chock, Head of Niagara Cares, the Philanthropic Arm of Niagara Water, America's Largest Water Bottler
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
Plastic Bottles & Summer Vacations – Ann Marie (Canela) Chock, Head of Niagara Cares, the Philanthropic Arm of Niagara Water, America's Largest Water Bottler “We were the first to lightweight our bottles. So, if you think about a typical bottle of soda, it's about 27 grams of plastic. Our bottles, this year, I think they're coming in at 6.6 grams …We've created label-less bottles so they're easier to recycle. …We're now running lines that are entirely recycled content. So we are very committed to creating bottles that that do not harm the planet, and also that allow for the...
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Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“The first one is own it…Your career…I'm constantly, even today having meetings with people that I don't know, requesting mentorship, reaching out through LinkedIn, going to events. I try to stay very connected and not just people in my close industry or even work type …Every single person you meet is a connection and could have an impact on your life and vice versa….When you meet somebody, keep the conversation going. …So one day if they need something or you need something, you have a connection….My second piece of advice is… you should always have a list of things that you...
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How Can Tech Reduce Housing Costs? – Nikki Greenberg, Real Estate of the Future, from Smart City Expo World Congress 2025
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
"There's a housing shortage crisis in places all around the world. And for me, as somebody that is from architecture, from urban design, from property development, especially for residential buildings, I believe that technology is …an avenue to be able to facilitate lower cost development…One of the things that (an expert from Los Angeles) told me about, which was a great example of being able to speed up construction and affordability, is just around the recent fires that happened. And one of the things that they're doing is that they are using artificial intelligence to help speed up...
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Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
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Critical Minerals, Energy and A.I. – Liv Carroll, Critical Minerals Expert, former Managing Director - EMEA Mining Lead and Global Natural Resources Lead for Data & A.I. at Accenture
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
Critical Minerals, Energy and A.I. – Liv Carroll, Critical Minerals Expert, former Managing Director - EMEA Mining Lead and Global Natural Resources Lead for Data & A.I. at Accenture “The energy transition is certainly where critical minerals started, but now we're obviously supporting all of the digital technology and the AI infrastructure such as data centers and others…now, there are conversations addressing the minerals required to feed this ginormous population of over 8 billion that we have because that is actually not possible without mining certain minerals that then...
info_outline“I've been particularly passionate about working with women in those communities to teach them about new techniques so they can understand how to run their farm more effectively, but also understand their rights as women in those communities so they have a stronger voice…. And because they were called an ‘ambassador,’ their status in the village rose.”
Alison Ward on Electric Ladies Podcast
If you're shopping for back-to-school clothes or a new fall wardrobe, you'll look at the labels a bit differently after listening to today's episode. Why? Because the cotton in your jeans might have been grown organically by a female farmer - and the tag could be a clue. Cotton is everywhere but this vital crop is now facing serious threats from climate change. Women farmers are transforming it.
One organization is working to change that. CottonConnect is training female cotton farmers in eco-friendly, climate-resilient farming practices – and tracking it. Listen to Alison Ward, CEO of CottonConnect on Electric Ladies Podcast with Joan Michelson and learn about the significant yet under recognized role of women in cotton farming. This episode originally aired last year.
You’ll hear about:
· How climate change is hitting female farmers the hardest
· The ways CottonConnect is bringing transparency to the cotton supply chain
· Innovative solutions in cotton farming, including a role played by the European Space Agency
· How CottonConnect is empowering women and transforming communities
· Plus, career advice for women navigating career transitions
“If you can combine something you're passionate about with something you're good at, and you can make that into a career, that is success. Find other women that will be prepared to give back to help careers and connect. We have a Women in CottonConnect group where we are really looking at how we can advance women in our organization.
“Not everything has to be an enormous career step. When I joined CottonConnect, it was a relatively small organization that has since grown into a much larger one. It was something I was passionate about, and I've been fortunate to have a great team and great advisors around me.”
Alison Ward on Electric Ladies Podcast
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You'll also like:
- JoAnna Abrams, CEO of MindClick, product intelligence company - on how to tell if staying in a hotel is good or bad for you
· UN Climate Week discussion on how some creative women are making sustainable fashion a reality, moderated by Joan Michelson.
· Kerry Bannigan, Managing Director of PVBLIC Foundation, on sustainability and social responsibility on the runway.
· Zainab Salbi, cofounder of Daughters For Earth, on the pivotal role of women climate entrepreneurs.
· Rosemary Atieno of Women Climate Centers International, on how she is transforming rural communities by helping women solve daily challenges in climate-friendly ways.
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