SUSM students create their own sustainability podcast

Tobi Oyewole and Shenali Madhanaroopan, two Sustainability Management Master's students, have recently launched their own podcast inspired by all things sustainability. The podcast, called “Eco You”, brings to light how sustainability affects all our daily choices.

“As SUSM students, we have always wanted to see our knowledge about sustainability transcend our research and publications and connect with people in ways that help them make daily choices that reflect their understanding of sustainability concepts,” said Shenali. “Our podcast brings all that we have been learning closer to the people and get industry experts and researchers to answer some of the questions we have about sustainability.”

SEED co-op student, Oneeb Khan, reached out to Tobi and Shenali to get more information on their podcast.

What inspired you to create the podcast?

Shenali:

The initial inspiration for this podcast idea was frustration. Tobi and I were both in SUSM 603, our research methods course, in the winter of 2021, and one of the course requirements asked us to engage with each other on our class discussion forum and answer weekly question prompts. The prompt for this particular week asked us to reflect on scientific communication. I didn’t intend to do this, but I ranted. I was frustrated by the disconnect between knowledge generated in the scientific community and how it reaches the general public. The well-articulated ideas and concepts that we write about in assignments end up in the void of a submission dropbox. And, despite doing school from my home since September 2020, my parents didn’t entirely know what I was studying. If I couldn’t get my own family to understand what I was doing, how could I expect anyone else to hear and understand the gravity of these issues? The breadth and variety of topics we cover as SUSM students blew my mind. I wanted to learn what everyone was doing, what I could do to act on these issues and figure out how we could take the knowledge we were generating a few steps further. Under the circumstances of the pandemic and school-from-home, it didn’t seem like the opportunity existed.

Tobi:

I came into the SUSM program with such a curious mind. I had my undergrad in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and was lucky to have transitioned into the sustainability profession. Even though I have been involved in the development and implementation of corporate sustainability strategies, I was particularly looking forward to a formal education in sustainability. Through numerous lectures and assignments, it became clear to me that we can only achieve little as researchers and professionals if we do not make sustainability knowledge available and usable to everyone. I thought about all the possible ways to bring sustainability to the people and inspire daily actions towards the SDGs and the idea of hosting a podcast popped up. I honestly did not know where and how to start, but I believed that the SUSM program was offering a vehicle to make this idea achievable both in the access to information and the network of brilliant minds on the program. When I saw Shenali’s post concerning her frustrations with sustainability communication, I was very excited! We connected shortly afterwards and spent countless hours on weekly video calls sharing our curiosity about sustainability concepts and how they affect our everyday life. I am very glad that we found a platform to express this curiosity through the Eco You Podcast.

How did your SUSM studies help in the creation of the podcast?

The SUSM program opened our eyes to the depth and breadth of sustainability research. Entering the SUSM program we thought we would solely focus on our own research in sustainable food systems and sustainable finance, which to a degree is true. Still, we were all offered the opportunity to learn alongside one another in an environment that nurtured a mosaic of sustainability studies – sustainable investing, risk management and communication, water governance, housing, finance, materials and product design, the list goes on. We are consistently challenged to articulate (often one-page) answers to some of the most complex sustainability questions, but the perspectives we all bring to the table are endless. The SUSM program brought us closer to experts, resources, conversations, and assignments that push and inspire our thinking on present and future sustainability. This program exposed us to peers and faculty members who are as passionate, frustrated, optimistic, inquisitive, anxious, and inspired as we are – all in different corners of sustainability management. We’re in the presence of the world’s future leaders in sustainability, and they deserve a platform because their knowledge is powerful.

What is the vision for your podcast in the future?

Our vision for the podcast is to translate knowledge in ways that are personal, relatable, easy to understand, and actionable. We can safely agree that “sustainability” is complex and maybe even impossible to define. So, we want to get closer to a better understanding of what sustainability means, what it could look like and offer insights into sustainable actions that anyone could integrate into their daily choices. We are so passionate about our own sustainability-related topics, and we could talk about them amongst ourselves for hours. We want to have more of these exciting and challenging conversations and establish a platform for which our peers, friends, faculty, and industry experts get to share the same enthusiasm we know they have and want to share. It’s a privilege to be learning alongside so many sustainability experts, and we want to highlight their particular expertise in ways we don’t see in mainstream media.

Tobi and Shenali have already hit the ground running, with three published episodes featuring interviews with various faculty members and peers in the program, and are always looking for new guests to appear on the podcast!

The podcast can be found on Spotify

Learn more about SEED’s Masters in Sustainability Management.