Amanda Smith has spent over two decades as a scenic artist working across theater, theme parks, and film. In 2022 she joined IATSE Local 729, became a Certified California Naturalist through the UC CalNat program, and launched two parallel projects: Los Angeles Is Not A Desert — an art and writing initiative exploring LA's overlooked ecosystems — and the IATSE Local 729 Set Painters and Sign Writers Sustainability Committee.

In this conversation Amanda talks about what sustainability actually looks like inside a paint department, why the Paint Care recycling program is a free and underutilized resource for film lots, how native plants are showing up (and not showing up) on screen, and why she thinks environmental education — not compliance — is the key to lasting change in the industry.

She also shares her artwork live on the show, walking us through a papercut depiction of the LA River's Glendale Narrows and the vision behind it.

Find Amanda at losangelesisnotadesert.com or on Instagram @laisnotadesert. Sign up for her newsletter on the website for upcoming events and community activations.

Keywords/Tags

sustainability, film industry, IATSE, set painting, paint recycling, Paint Care, native plants, Los Angeles, urban ecology, California naturalist, LA River, ecological art, environmental justice, green production, chaparral, biodiversity, entertainment industry

Resources from this episode:

CalNat Course: https://ucanr.edu/program/uc-environmental-stewards/become-certified-naturalist-or-climate-steward

Paint Care Program: https://www.paintcare.org/states/california/

Connect With Our Guests:

losangelesisnotadesert.com

LA Is Not A Desert on Instagram

Sign up for her newsletter on the website for upcoming events and community activations.

Connect With our Hosts:

Zena Harris on LinkedIn

Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

What if a QR code at a live show could route thousands of people to exactly the right place to make a difference — based on where they're scanning from?

Pete Kronowitt is "an activist with a music problem" and board member of Music Declares Emergency. He joins Zena and Mark to talk about the organization's Amplify program — a system that gives artists at any level a simple, trackable way to direct their audiences toward high-impact organizations. He breaks down how it works, why it works, and what a small 10-show tour with a 36% conversion rate taught him about human behavior and mobilization.

Also in this episode: how a songwriting workshop produced a track recorded by 2,500 kids worldwide, and how that project evolved into a solar installation program connecting schools across continents.

Topics: fan engagement · artist strategy · music industry · Amplify program · Music Declares Emergency · behavioral mobilization · school solar partnerships

Connect With Our Guests:

Music Declares on Facebook

Music Declares US on Instagram

Music Declares UK on Instagram

Music Declares on TikTok

Peter Kronowitt:

Spotify

Apple Music

Connect With our hosts:

Zena Harris on LinkedIn

Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

What does it look like when actors use their power on set to drive real climate action? In this episode of The Tie In, Zena and Mark sit down with Danusia Samal, co-founder of the Green Rider. The Green Rider is a UK-based organization that provides actors, writers, and directors with practical tools to reduce the carbon footprint of film and TV productions. We explore how the Green Rider's "handshake" model is breaking down communication barriers between talent and production, why early conversations are the key to greener sets, and how talent agencies are starting to rethink what they negotiate for their clients. If you work in film, TV, or entertainment and care about sustainability, this episode is for you.

🌱 Connect With Our Guests:

Danusia Samal Instagram

Green Rider Instagram

Green-Rider.org

🎙️Connect with our hosts:

Zena Harris on LinkedIn

Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

What does it actually take to make sustainability a core pillar of a major live event — not an afterthought? In this episode, we sit down with CJ Jerard, Chief Brand Officer at Outside, and Jonah Geschwind of Green Disco to unpack how they built Outside

Days, one of the fastest-growing outdoor festivals in the U.S., with sustainability baked in from day one.

From slashing diesel generator use by 95%, eliminating 190,000 single-use plastic cups, and achieving 100% food vendor compliance — to getting 30% of attendees to arrive by sustainable transport — this conversation is packed with real-world strategies that any event organizer, brand leader, or sustainability professional can learn from.

We cover: setting sustainability values before the first sponsor signs on, using stakeholder agreements as an onboarding tool, integrating composting and food donation programs, leveraging hybrid battery systems, and why fan travel is the hidden carbon emitter no one talks about.

Whether you're building something new or trying to green an existing event, this episode will change how you think about what's possible.

Connect With Our Guests:

Outside Days Website

Green Disco

Jonah on LinkedIn

CJ on LinkedIn

Please like & follow “The Tie-In” @the_tie_in_pod

LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Connect with our hosts:

Zena Harris on LinkedIn

Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

This week on The Tie In, Mark is in the field at DistribuTECH 2025, the premier grid modernization and clean energy technology conference, interviewing innovation leaders solving critical sustainability and infrastructure challenges.

Featured clean energy technologies: AI-powered utility infrastructure software accelerating grid upgrades (Bentley Systems), breakthrough lithium battery safety technology preventing thermal runaway in commercial energy storage (Viridi), utility-grade modular microgrid systems providing resilient renewable power (Box Power), smart electrical panel load management eliminating costly service upgrades (SPAN).

Learn how these innovations enable decarbonization, reduce energy costs, improve resilience, and make renewable energy practical across industries—from entertainment and manufacturing to real estate and beyond.

Perfect for sustainability professionals, energy managers, facility directors, corporate ESG officers, climate consultants, cleantech enthusiasts, production managers, and anyone navigating the renewable energy transition.

Topics: Grid modernization, renewable energy infrastructure, battery storage safety, microgrid applications, electrical service upgrades, decarbonization strategies, net zero goals, sustainable facility management, ESG compliance, clean energy transition, power grid resilience, climate technology solutions, energy cost reduction.

Learn more about our guests:

Bentley Systems

Brad Johnson on LinkedIn

Viridi

Hal Corin on LinkedIn

Box Power

Rithy Chheang

SPAN

Troy Daniels on LinkedIn

Connect with our hosts:

Zena Harris on LinkedIn

Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

In this raw, honest episode of The Tie-In podcast, Zena Harris and Mark Rabin tackle the question every entrepreneur and startup founder faces: Is starting another business worth the next 5-10 years of your life?

Zena and Mark dive into real talk about building companies and the founder journey:

✓ The hidden costs of entrepreneurship beyond money

✓ Self-awareness and personal growth as essential founder skills

✓ The startup fallacy nobody talks about

✓ Choosing your path: starting a company vs. joining a team

✓ Work-life balance, relationships, and founder burnout

✓ Mental health for entrepreneurs

This is two business founders being honest about the realities of entrepreneurship. Whether you're considering your first startup or contemplating your next business, this conversation offers the unfiltered entrepreneurial reality check you need.

🎙️ Like & follow "The Tie-In": @the_tie_in_pod

Connect with our hosts:

1. Zena Harris on LinkedIn
2. Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

This week on “The Tie-In,” Zena and Mark talk with Every Day Action Co-founders Hillary Cohen and Sam Luu. Every Day Action is a non-profit born from Hillary and Sam’s frustration at seeing untouched gourmet meals for cast and crew on film and T sets being thrown away rather than donated – because it was too complicated. Their experience as Assistant Directors for film and TV gave them the experience and problem-solving skills needed to turn their frustration into action. Listen in as we learn how rescuing and reallocating food has had ripple effects on the ground in Hollywood, from feeding hungry people to employing production folks when the local production industry shuts down or moves out of town.

Learn more about Every Day Action:

Every Day Action Website

Volunteer With or Donate to Every Day Action

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Facebook

LinkedIn

TikTok

YouTube

Please like & follow “The Tie-In” here: @the_tie_in_pod

You can learn more about our hosts, Zena Harris and Mark Rabin & connect with them here:

Zena Harris on LinkedIn

Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

This week on “The Tie-In,” Zena and Mark speak with Maria Intscher-Owrang, Co-Founder and CEO of Simplifyber, an advanced materials company transforming manufacturing through simplified, sustainable processes. Maria is a fashion innovator who brings over 20 years of global design leadership and early expertise in ethical, sustainable luxury. Listen in as we learn about the vision and methodologies behind Simpifyber and why the fashion industry is ready to be disrupted.

Learn more about Simplyfyber:

Simplifyber Website

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Please like & follow “The Tie-In” here: @the_tie_in_pod

1. You can learn more about our hosts, Zena Harris and Mark Rabin & connect with them here:
2. Zena Harris on LinkedIn
3. Mark Rabin on LinkedIn