The Power of Celebrity for Good – Maggie Baird, Founder & President of Support+Feed, Mother of Grammy-winning Artists Billie Eilish and Finneas
Release Date: 09/23/2026
Electric Ladies Podcast - Women Leaders Discuss Careers, Trends, Technologies and Innovation in Energy, Climate, and Corporate Responsibility
“Uncertainty doesn't mean you know zero. Uncertainty just means you may know 80%, you may know 90%. So I think we're too quick to freak out and say, "Well, if I'm not certain, therefore I know nothing….So I would say get curious about uncertainty. Stop freaking out about it because everything given to you is really here for your growth. It's just how are you going to make the most out of it? …You probably know a lot more than you think you do, or you can get the answer…." Jessica Li on Electric Ladies Podcast We are surrounded by uncertainty today, from AI to climate change to...
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“The venues chosen had to agree….Many of those venues went fully plant-based for Billie shows, which was amazing. So, they had to agree to have at least three plant-based mains. So that doesn't count pretzels…or popcorn…. On that last US leg (of Billie's tour), we went a step further. We worked with every venue and we presented these culinary trainings to the culinary staff. They focus on the why you should add more plant-based food, which of course is planetary. It's to address the needs of your customers. It can be even to save money. And then we address the how's, how's to do it...
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“Obviously that question of women, money, and wealth changed over time….We don't talk about women wanting money all that much…Women were excited to become gradually big earners, but they treated money very differently. They treated money as a way to create protection for themselves and their family, as a way to create a legacy that would continue. They were not into big spending as much…. What I hadn't realized was to what extent these early women…were saying, "I was the only woman in the room," and they had tremendous ramifications for how they had to function on Wall Street because...
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“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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“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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“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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“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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“(Climate modelling)…it's being used in things like insurance companies. It's being used by companies for their ESG assessments. So, when you get your insurance premium at the end of the year, there is some kind of climate model that has said something about the risk of your house to flood. It has said something about your risk to fire. And so that might be driving up your insurance premium…And so it's being involved in your lives in many different ways. The food you consume, those grocery bills, there's prices behind it that are being driven by people using climate models saying...
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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 “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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“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...
info_outline“The venues chosen had to agree….Many of those venues went fully plant-based for Billie shows, which was amazing. So, they had to agree to have at least three plant-based mains. So that doesn't count pretzels…or popcorn…. On that last US leg (of Billie's tour), we went a step further. We worked with every venue and we presented these culinary trainings to the culinary staff. They focus on the why you should add more plant-based food, which of course is planetary. It's to address the needs of your customers. It can be even to save money. And then we address the how's, how's to do it successfully….(And) giving back to those communities I think is super important. And artists thinking about what city you're going to be in and what can you do for that city. So I think that is important. " Maggie Baird on Electric Ladies Podcast
Greetings from NY Climate Week! Grammy-winning musician Billie Eilish is leveraging her clout with venues that want her to perform there to provide healthy, plant-based food in the venues for their concerts. They include these and specific recycling and other environmental practices in their venue contracts. How?
Listen to Maggie Baird, Billie Eillish's mom and Founder and President of Support+Feed, her nonprofit "dedicated to mitigating climate change and increasing food security by driving global demand, acceptance, and accessibility of plant-based food" in this enlightening conversation with Electric Ladies Podcast host Joan Michelson.
You’ll hear about:
● How they decide on what to include in their contract riders and why.
● How venues respond - and how concert-goers respond to plant-based food and stronger restrictions on plastic, etc.
● How Billie Eilish and Finneas also reduce the environmental impact of their merchandise and tour management practices.
● How many meals they have provided and other nonprofits and music-related groups they partner with to amplify and magnify their impact and feed more people.
● Plus, career advice, such as:
"I think that there are seasons in our lives and I kind of do subscribe to the, you can't do everything at the same time. You can maybe do everything over a course of a lifetime. You can't do it all at once and you don't have to do it all at once. So there are seasons of your life and maybe one season is you're devoted more to your immediate family and one season is you're devoted more to your community, and one is you're devoted more to job advancement. I think the beautiful part is when you're purpose-driven, and that goes into all of those things….. I think you can bring your purpose into everything, whatever job you have. But I think figuring out where you're passionate.”
Maggie Baird on Electric Ladies Podcast
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For more information on Support+Feed, check out their website.
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