This week on “The Tie-In,” Zena and Mark are changing things up, we have two interviews on this episode. Tony Linan from Texas and Isaiah Smith from Louisiana share their point of view from their distinct regions, communities, and niches in entertainment.. Tony, a former military filmographer, has moved into documenting power sports and has insight on what it would take for electric motorcycles and gear to take off in his community. Isaiah brings the joy and shares what he’s witnessed in the Louisiana community theater scene and how he stays positive.

Learn more about Tony Linan and Isaiah "Zaya" Smith

• Tony’s Instagram: @roninphotographer42
• YouTube: @Ronin42Production
• Isaiah’s Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-zaya-show/id1543621205
• Isaiah’s Instagram: @the_zaya_show

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 talk with Melina Laboucan-Massimo, Founder and Executive Director of Sacred Earth Solar and co-founder of Indigenous Climate Actions. Melina shares with us her journey into climate activism; why she started an organization dedicated to supporting self-sufficiency and a just renewable energy transition for Indigenous communities; insights from her 2020 series Power to The People; and reflections gathered over her 20 years of experience working on social, environmental, and climate justice issues.

Learn more about Melina Laboucon-Massimo and Sacred Earth Solar

• Website
• Melina’s Instagram
• Sacred Earth Solar’s Instagram
• Youtube
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

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 talk with Samuel Rubin, a social impact practitioner and climate activist working at the intersection of culture, storytelling, and environmental advocacy. Samuel, Zena, and Mark explore the language of change, the inertia of emotion, how to avoid the greenhouse effect of ideas, and why culture shapes action.

Learn more about Samuel Rubin

• Website: https://www.entertainmentculturepavilion.org
• Instagram: Entertainment Culture Pavilion, Samuel Rubin

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

*"Culture eats strategy for breakfast" is a quote attributed to Peter Drucker.

This week on “The Tie-In,” Zena and Mark talk with Adam Rowe (Production Designer) and Joe Madziak (Construction Coordinator) about how they worked together in Canada and the U.S. to reuse sets on Good Sam (2022), Glamourous (2023), and Matlock (2024-current). Adam and Joe share practical knowledge, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, and share the obvious and surprising positives of working with sets across multiple projects.

Learn more about Adam Rowe and Joe Madziak:

• Adam Rowe Instagram
• Adam Rowe IMDB
• Joe Madziak IMDB

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 talk with Aaron Laslo, founder of Can-Do! Green Technologies, an urban lumberjack and CEO of UrbanJacks. UrbanJacks is a Vancouver, Canada-based startup growing in Vancouver and expanding to Ontario and California markets. UrbanJacks processes secondary solid wood waste and transforms it into recycled, premium lumber. We talk carbon credits, the circular economy, forging a new path in new industries, collaboration across North America, the courage required to change the system, and more.

Learn more about Aaron Laslo and Urban Jacks:

• Website: https://urbanjacks.ca
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urbanjacksofficial/

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 have a conversation with Climate Action Now’s Founder and CEO Brett Walter and President Tim Guinee. Brett is an award-winning software designer and former Silicon Valley executive. Tim is a climate campaigner and an actor whose voice and face you’ll likely recognize from his 30+ year acting career. On this episode, we learn more about the Climate Action Now App; explore the intersection of technology and story; and riff on where we’ve been, where we are, and the stories that keep us going. Stay until the end to hear about Climate Action Now’s new offering that can make it even easier to communicate climate actions to your community.

Learn more about Climate Action Now and download the app:

• Website: https://www.climateactionnow.com/
• Instagram: @climateactapp
• Climate Action Now App: Apple, Android

And check out these resources we discuss in the intro:

• Zena’s essay on “Why Celebrating Sustainable Wins and Uplifting Local Partners Matters More Than Ever"
• Spark Catalyst, a new blog for solution insights and strategies.

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 chat with Award-winning filmmaker Valerie Weiss. Valerie has directed for some of televisions biggest producers all while looking to incorporate her sustainable values into the day to day work of a director. On this episode we discuss Valerie’s journey from her early interest in storytelling, her years in science that culminated in receiving a Ph.D. in Biophysics, becoming a director for Film and TV, her appointment on the DGA’s Sustainable Future and Special Projects Committee, and the role curiosity plays in looking for sustainable solutions and in the creation of media that people want to watch.

• Website: www.valerieheatherweiss.com
• Instagram: @valerie.weiss.director

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

And the 2025 Jackson Wild Award for Innovation in Green Production goes to…Shared Planet! This week, Zena and Mark catch up with the production team from Shared Planet: Armen Evrensel, Production Manager for River Road Films; Matt Muncaster, Production Coordinator; and Lynn Fuhr, Line Producer. Shared Planet is a natural history series centered on coexistence and environmental restoration. Filmed across dozens of countries, Shared Planet brings to life untold stories of people and wildlife thriving together—from orangutans in Borneo to beavers in Idaho... But behind the camera, just as much thought went into reducing impacts, lowering the carbon footprint, and rethinking the way natural history television is made.

Jackson Wild is a nonprofit that brings together filmmakers, scientists, and conservationists from around the world to inspire action for our planet. Every year they host the Jackson Wild Media Awards, which shine a spotlight on some of the most powerful stories about nature, science, and conservation being told today - including Innovation in Green Production.

• River Road Films Website: https://www.riverroadfilms.ca/sharedplanet
• River Road Films Instagram: @riverroadfilms
• Jackson Wild Website: http://jacksonwild.org/2025-summit
• Jackson Wild LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jacksonwildorg/
• Jackson Wild Instagram: http://instagram.com/jacksonwildorg

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