Benefit & Impact Stories
Our stories of what we do while making the world a better and more equitable place
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Solving Oregon’s Housing Shortage with Nathan Wildfire of Missing Middle Innovations
Nathan Wildfire, a community and economic development professional and founder of the Missing Middle Housing Fund, joins Kim Allchurch Flick for a discussion about why housing is scarce and expensive and what can be done. Nathan traces his inspiration from growing up in post-industrial Pittsburgh and from his grandmother’s lifelong HUD-related work building senior housing,…
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Good Groceries, Farm-to-School, and Supporting Small Farmers with Kristy Athens
Kristy Athens of Good Groceries in Wallowa County, Eastern Oregon, joins Kim Allchurch Flick. Athens recounts her path from generalist writer to food-systems specialist, including moving to rural White Salmon, writing “Get Your Pitchfork On,” earning an MS in Food Systems and Society, and launching a local gift-box business that evolved into Good Groceries, rebranded…
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Solar in 2026: What Changed, What Didn’t, and What’s Next with Garrett Hartwell of Power Northwest
Garrett Hartwell of Power Northwest, a Portland-based residential and commercial solar installer serving Oregon and Washington, joins Kim Allchurch Flick to talk about the 2026 solar landscape and the company’s purpose-driven approach as a Benefit corporation. Hartwell describes how a 2019 reset in Spain and concern about climate change led him to start the company…
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In A Landscape: Outdoor Piano Concerts, Headphones, and Conservation with Hunter Noack
Pianist Hunter Noack joins Kim Allchurch Flick for a conversation about founding In A Landscape, an outdoor classical piano concert series using wireless headphones that lets audiences wander through public lands while listening. Noack recounts growing up in Central Oregon, conservatory training (Interlochen, San Francisco Conservatory, USC, Guildhall), and being inspired by immersive theater to…
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Clarity and Resilience with Hussein Al-Baiaty of Rising Authors
Hussein Al-Baiaty, founder of Rising Authors, joins Kim Allchurch Flick for a discussion about clarity and resilience. Hussein shares his journey from Iraq and a refugee camp to building multiple businesses, including a t-shirt printing company with a refugee-focused mission, and later pivoting into author marketing after working at Scribe Media and being laid off…
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Sustainable Marketing, AI Disruption, and Trust with Jen McFarland
Jen McFarland, founder of Women Conquer Business, joins Kim Allchurch Flick. Women Conquer Business is a mission-driven consultancy helping women solopreneurs build sustainable, scalable marketing using digital strategy, SEO, and AI with a values-based focus on accessibility and clarity. McFarland shares her path from early marketing work to Peace Corps service in Kazakhstan, which shaped…
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Tropical Salvage and Earth-Friendly Natural Burial Vessels with Tim O’Brien
Tim O’Brien, Director of Operations at Tropical Salvage and founder of Natural Burial Vessels, joins Kim Allchurch Flick for conversation about his environmental values and design-driven social enterprise. O’Brien describes early awareness of human-caused ecological disruption, then explains how travel and work in Indonesia led him to salvage deconstructed old-growth timbers—often from centuries-old buildings—into distinctive,…
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Joy as Counterculture: Building Quiet Climate Influence with Andrea Learned
Andrea Learned, a Climate Influence Catalyst, writer, and podcast host, joins Kim Allchurch Flick for a conversation about using joy and curiosity as a countercultural way to build climate influence. Learned traces her “windy” path from public relations and marketing to women (including co-authoring “Don’t Think Pink”) to sustainable business studies and climate leadership, emphasizing…
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Low-Waste Living and Climate Action with Alex Gamboa Grand of Way of Being
Alex Gamboa Grand joins Kim Allchurch Flick to discuss her journey into climate action and founding Way of Being, a Portland low-waste retail shop and e-commerce business launched in 2019 to make sustainable habits more approachable through education and product alternatives. Alex discusses conscious consumerism, the limits and misinformation of recycling, and the need to…