Women With Impact #9 - Susan Cohn Rockefeller
Welcome to Women With Impact, a newsletter all about the journeys of ambitious women and how they have a positive impact in our world.
I’m Clara Richter and this is the 9th edition of Women With Impact. If you enjoy this issue, please share it with a friend and like it above.
For this edition, I interviewed Susan Cohn Rockefeller, who is a a conservationist, author, and filmmaker based in NYC. She founded several businesses and is a board member in organisations tackling the regeneration of our planet. Susan Cohn Rockefeller consults businesses on sustainable practices by blending her deep environmental knowledge and philanthropic experience. Her award-winning documentary films have appeared on HBO, PBS and the Discovery Channel.
Wishing you a pleasant read!
Best,
Clara
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The Journey
Who are you and how do you spend your time?
My name is Susan Cohn Rockefeller. I’m a wife, a mother, a daughter, an artist, a conservationist, an entrepreneur, and a nature lover! I divide my time between my family, my art and film production and my business, Muses, which produces plant-based products to enliven the senses and alleviate pain. I’m also committed to food system change. I continue to advise on Musings, a digital newsletter which was just acquired by Collectively, part of the Blue Horizon Fund. I’m a board member of Oceana with a mission to save the oceans and feed the world. Additionally, I’m on the board of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture which strives to elevate bioregional systems change through the deliciousness of food.
What does impact mean to you?
Making a difference that helps alleviate suffering, impacts positively the potential and capabilities of people, and saves the beauty of our last wild places on the planet.
How do you make a positive difference in the world?
Each morning before I get out of bed, I read a gratitude quote from All Souls of NYC. This way I start the day with a sense of how lucky I am to be alive. I believe in empathy and leading with love. My work reflects making a positive difference in simple, but I feel profound, ways: by listening to others, being there for my family and friends, and keeping my word when it comes to commitments.
The Lessons
How has your journey of making an impact changed you?
It has made me more patient. At this juncture in my life, I’m particularly interested in mentoring younger people. I can assist them on career path issues, developing their business, and provide strategic advice. I find making an impact can be done on so many levels: writing, art, film, and business. There’s no one way to make a difference.
What's a challenge you have encountered most often and how did you tackle it?
My biggest challenge is to harness my frustration when I think things should be moving faster and learning how to speak in a way that is more aligned with impact instead of using just a purely emotional response.
What's the biggest lesson you have learned on your journey so far?
That love is everything and that happiness is a byproduct of action. As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
In the end, I believe love conquers all. Beauty and art will elevate people to see our common humanity despite cultural and racial divides. And as Pete Buttigieg said in his book, trust is a national (and global) security issue. We need collaboration across all sectors to move the needle on everything that matters most to people. Healthcare, food security, clean water and air, access to education, and so much more.
The Inspiration
Who did you recently inspire to create impact? How?
I met a young Australian-Chinese gentleman a few years ago when I was in Beijing. He heard me speak about Oceana and the need to save the world’s oceans. He then created a Sapphire Dinner in Australia harnessing many ocean warriors to assist. It is now one of the most successful charity dinners in Australia and he’s planning to do a Sapphire Dinner in Singapore, as well. I’m thrilled with his purpose and impact and grateful he is taking the baton to save the oceans in his region.
I also help many through my bi-monthly newsletter Musings which offers ideas for a better world. And I hope through day-to-day interactions where I lead with respect and love for all I meet. Hard to know but I do believe in the ripple effect of kindness which is super underrated in our world today.
What advice would you give to other women who want to have a positive impact?
Find where your passion meets your worry for the world. If you are passionate about nature, you will want to find ways to protect it. If you are passionate about children, you will find ways to make sure children have what they need to thrive. If you are passionate about fashion, you will see that fashion is a polluting industry with many poor working conditions for women and will find ways to make a more positive impact. I believe more and more that finding purpose within the issues facing our planetary commons will combine passion and activism and alleviate some eco-anxiety, as well.
Enjoyed this or have any feedback? Let me know in the comments!
If you know someone who fits my mission and should absolutely be featured on Women With Impact, please nominate them here.
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