Sustainability and Software – Bonnie Schneider, Techstrong

This is texturing TV. We'll have a very special pleasure. It's a great pleasure, but it's a very special pleasure to be being joined by Bonnie Schneider.

Bonnie is part of the tech strong team, and we're going to be talking a lot about that Bonnie Schneider who is very well known in the industry through her work in meteorology and as an author and a speaker and doing all kinds of fabulous things welcome Bonnie good to be talking with you. Thanks Rich. Thanks so much for having me on.

great to Be here talking about what I'm working on with tech strong. Absolutely very cool. Well tell folks a little bit of your background, but they people might say hey, I recognize that person.

Yeah, I get a lot. Sometimes they'll say haven't I seen you in an airport? I was on CNN for a decade doing weather and that's often when I was on like on weekends and night you'd see it on the airport screen, but I have very long career is a television meteorologist from local markets local small towns big cities and the nationally on CNN and MSNBC HLN The Weather Channel Bloomberg.

So I've been on doing doing every type of weather event, you know covering it for many years and I've written two books the first one you can sort of see them behind me. The first one's extreme weather and that came out 10 years ago when I was at CNN that's about surviving every type of disaster. And then the second one just came out last year, which is behind me and it's called taking the heat how climate change is affecting your mind.

Body and spirit and what you can do about it and that was published by Simon Schuster and that really allowed me to take a deeper dive into climate change and sustainability and especially since that book came out. I've been doing a lot of speaking and events and conferences on the topic of climate change and sustainability. Fantastic.

Well, yes, I know you from your online personas nice to know you in person now and great to have you be part of the tech strong team and and being producing content being part of the content here at the company on Textron dot TV. So let's let's address that topic of climate change sustainability, you know, it's increasingly matter of fact just in the I think this morning maybe the other day that there was something passed in the it was in the US Senate there was something that passed I think at the UN about an island nation saying we are being affected by this and I think it was in the world court or something to do with that. So it is a topic that's being discussed talked about in general but it's also something important to technology technology people strategy and in our industry, how do you see that intersection between the world you've been in and the world you're in now?

Well, it's really been. a fascinating one to explore because the the more I more I see. Is commonalities whereas most of us are concerned about climate change for a depletion of potential natural resources, and we're seeking areas of renewable energy to lean into like solar and wind power and the world of technology is is facing similar challenges because think of all the things that are being operated in in the world of it you have very intense computers cycles and power that's being used for AI and cloud computing.

So it's real strain on Power and of course data centers. That's why we're seeing a lot of people wanting to move to the cloud and traditional data centers. All of that has to be addressed.

How do we reduce energy use in the IT world and in the technology world? So that's a Cornerstone of where sustainability intersects with technology and there are other areas too. Like for example, we'll actually I can think of a couple one of them is waste which is a big issue versus sustainability.

How do we Properly to get rid of waste without filling landfills and think of all the devices and things that we have and and the equipment and how do we get rid of old laptops and and different things like that it can accumulate so there has to be a plan and we're going to an organized way to be able to dispose of waste in a sustainable way. And as I mentioned the fact that all of the Computing is using so much at energy there's efforts to not only switch to more renewable energy sources for those are working in it, but there's also the objective within an organization itself to reduce the amount of carbon emissions that it's it's putting out into the atmosphere and different people have come up with different ways to do this and some companies are now able to track how much carbon emissions we are producing as an organization others are developing new ways to write code so It's quote not a sloppy and it's that's more efficient. And there are others are still that are looking for even more innovative solutions.

And that's also another fasting area fascinating area of technology, which is called climate Tech and that's an emerging area in the entrepreneurial World. Especially where people are gathered together the best and brightest ideas on how to be more sustainable and then applying their knowledge base and Technology to come up with these innovative solutions and they're fascinating. I mean everything from how do we use water and not wasted better to how do we plant more trees across the world?

So there's a lot being done in the universally with when it comes to improving climate Solutions. So tack is is interconnected with the sustainability movement in many ways. And I think it's also gonna be parts of the solutions to the problem that we're dealing with.

But it seems like we're entering this phase of Designing for sustainability designing for you know, that fishing use of our resources. I remember back in the 2000-2010. There was sort of that that curve for product design looking earlier in the cycle for what materials were using to make products and how are those materials manufactured or mined or whatever might be and what's the carpet footprint of that?

So the time we produce a physical good we we can save on some of the impact on the College of the world the climate and that's kind of where we are in Tech now too right? We're not only designing efficient data centers, but do we need all those things running all the time? Could we have serverless applications that pop up when they need to show up and execute can we write our code more efficiently or design more?

Probably even Biggers to sign design the applications of software so that it is a consuming resources when it do and it can scale up when it needs to. Go back down. And that's really part of the whole digital transformation movement as well.

How do we digitize things that we that weren't that were analoged before? What are the technologies that go into that but also do it in a sustainable way. So a text strong.

I've really been I've been talking to a lot of thought leaders in this area globally and it's been just a few months so far, but I've really been able to learn a lot from from these people and showcase their thought leadership which is key because they're offering Insight that how else would everyone know what's happening globally right inside the world of tech inside where they're intersects with sustainability. So I'm talking to people that are really on The Cutting Edge of solving problems and and making these reductions within their own companies and then offering solutions for others. Fascinating.

Do you know the different people that you talk with? Are you finding certain strategies that organizations are using to you know, just like we see Chief transformation officer or this kind of a role that a company to help bring a strategy together bring to plan to light, you know, help communicate and educate the company. Are you seeing or organizations?

Take that kind of a strategy or they doing something different with sustainability. I would say it's That and also some of the more Innovative and new climate tech companies are folks that came from Tech and they had that common interest in climate Solutions and join forces and came together and then created a new company where they're implementing their technical skills along with sustainable ideas. And some of these ideas are ingenious like a better way to Monitor and track wildfires and wildfires due to climate change are happening in more places and affecting more areas and of course causing more damage and damage to power structures.

So people are sort of seeing what's happening around them and saying what can we do to solve the problem? And then how can we use less energy within our own companies and then offer those tips to to new companies and that as I was saying as part of that digital transformation of changing the way we do things, but from what I've seen so far the response has been very strong and particularly in like in Europe where it's it's I think it's a very much in the Forefront. I'm spoken to a lot of companies there that are really that it's it's really a priority to reduce carbon emissions not that is in the US but it seems over there.

It's it's a little bit ahead and I think from the US there's still that strong interest so But I think that some people are afraid to move forward. They want to be more sustainable but there's they're wondering for cybersecurity companies. Okay, if we do this are we still going to be as secure or you know, how is this gonna affect our productivity are we going to be as efficient?

But the answer is yes and that and that's working within those communities of devops and cyber and clout. They're able to come up with solutions that don't limit productivity and they're all so within the cost. Margin.

They're not more costly to do that's something that I thought was interesting doesn't necessarily cost more to make those changes. It's interesting to it seems like not only are there regulations and kind of larger initiatives through countries and governments and things like that. There's also you know, there's a customer base out there as well as an employee base who are recognizing this and asking for it maybe even demanding it in some cases to say we have a strategy this is important for us for whatever reason directly you're indirectly to our business.

We want Partners. We want technology suppliers that also are taking this. Seriously.

Are you seeing that show up in conversations more and more I have to imagine that's happened 100% because a lot of people I've interviewed have Enterprise Solutions and they tell me their experience with their clients and a lot of people that working in it are millennials younger people. So climate change just the research shows. This is an overwhelming concern as I wrote in my book taking the heat.

I interviewed many people Millennials, Genesee and that's a lot of the people that are working and I tea and you know, we know from consumer for example that they're going to look for companies that are more sustainable to buy from when it comes to their own personal Investments. They look for that in the world of Finance. So naturally when it comes to technology they're looking for the same thing.

So the companies that are offering them Sustainable Solutions are standing out and that's why you're seeing so many initiatives within very large. Well known companies even more every week. We're seeing new initiatives in the area of sustainability because the demand is there.

It is an oxidative my kids too though. They'll make decisions on this can consume more energy or I don't want to drive my car for that. I'd rather take the bus or you know where I might not think about that quite as often or for only what what are the kind of conversations that you want to have with tech companies and with the audience across the Textron properties the sex on communities of security and devops and cloud and Cloud native visual transformation.

If you could sort of design the conversations, you most want to have which I think is what you're doing. Tell us about what those are. Well, I think that the most important takeaway is for people that are watching Tech strong TV.

For example is to have you know, any sort of educational insights when we watch these these interviews we want to be able to be inspired but also to have some takeaway to learn from these thought leaders that that we speak to so in my conversations, that's exactly what when I ask questions. I try to ask what the audience that watches Tech strongly engages and devops. What would they want to know?

How would this affect their day-to-day work? Is there anything that would help them? So I always try to have takeaways that are more educational and useful for the person.

That's that can you I mean, it's everybody wants to listen to a brilliant person speaking but we want to have those practical takeaways as well. You'd like to give people something they can then take action or use right as a result of that conversation. I'd love to turn focus on talking a little bit about the sustainable sustainability pulse meter that you put together and we're offering through Tech strong.

This is kind of your partnership with extra research. And taking that product into into a new space tell us about the sustainability pulse meter. Well, I'm really glad you ask about that much because I just as brand new and it's it's a new initiative from Tech strong research and it's really a great way the name kind of says it all pulse meter.

We're getting a meter on the pulse of where things are right now and the way it works is just like the regular pulse meter that we have with tech strong where companies can get a flash poll and they're reaching out and getting immediate answers on. Questions that are designed by the client for the person that's you know, that's that they're interested in but these are limited to about 140 characters. It's a short amount of questions, but you're getting from the people that are from from our database you're getting an instant response to So you're getting that instant feedback that you wouldn't normally get and then when it comes to sustainability you're able to pull within questions that might relate to new sustainability initiatives and you're also able to measure in terms of a company's offerings that they have like how well they might be received based on sustainability.

So you're able to get that information and then of course text wrong research is putting this together in a very sophisticated report that's informative with infographics There's an opportunity for around table with thought leadership, which is great for companies to show that they're thought leadership in these areas. So the sustainability pulse meter is is like the regular text strong postmeter just means more towards sustainability, which really puts it on The Cutting Edge of having up to date research. And and the other thing that I think is important is that you have that validation of a third party.

It's one thing for an organization to say well we're doing this we're doing that but it's another to be recognized by a third party or respective third party and then being able to Are those results within your company and externally as well? It's amazing the conversations that are created because you have data. I mean, we have a lot of great conversations discussions and those things like that.

Then you add some audience information from across our online properties our events all those kind of things which is where that pulse meter information comes from and they could be just basic questions. Like do you have a sustained sustainability initiative at your company? Is that something you are you're taking on or taking seriously as part of your team your organization.

Are you doing the following things around efficient use of data center how you write code? You can go lots of different ways depending on who the sponsor of that research is, but when you have that data, man, literally just finished doing one of these this week and the engagement with the audience. I mean, it seems like it goes up exponentially because now people are saying okay.

I'm not the only one or I wanted to and other people are, you know doing these kind of things. And those are usually ones the webinars or conversations the interviews that people take back and send to their boss and say this is what's going on you we need to take seriously or there's some stuff we can learn from Bonnie and who she's talking to in the research that's been done. So it's it's a great.

It's a great tool and also gives you some great guidance too because you've got some data to back up. Yeah, and I think you know some of the webinars and round tables that will do with a standing ability post me or I'll be involved and working with organization as well to present the research it so I think it's it's that third party recognition and having been on television for many years and very comfortable doing the interviews and showcaseing the findings that we have and it's really great a text strong because we have such talented people very knowledgeable like yourself and we're able to really take this research and then present it and in a way that it really communicates and resonates plus Audience across our properties are so engaged. They're very aware.

And that's why attendance is so high when we have webinars and events. So the people that are wanting to reach that and getting their opinion really matters and you're getting it real time, which I think is great. I don't know any other company that does that Mmm fascinating well, look forward to doing those with you.

Oh, yeah. yeah, I do and I'm gonna do other new initiatives called Eco Tech insights and some of the thought leader interviews. I've started to do already just for Tech strong TV, but this is going to be even more Dynamic will be featuring more in-depth conversations diving into some newsworthy topics that are happening in real time with sustainability and showing more takeaways as I mentioned because I think that's the key when you watch a show you want to have something even if you I always say that when I wrote my for my book, like people that they remember one thing then it was good that they've learned one thing.

So in every show they'll be takeaways for people that work in the in these different fields that are involved with the text strong group in our properties that they'll get some insights and to this new emerging area of sustainability. You know to me I'm excited to see where that goes where your shows as that evolves and comes on board. We actually have a URL by chance.

com. And you know point that to the show is it gets developed for now, you can download some the digital assets and Creations and content from Bonnie that she's putting together. You want things I wanted to ask you to is as an author always curious.

I've been told that you know writing your first book Is is a labor of love right or second book means you're really passionate about your labor of love. It's not doing one book it's doing too I remember when I really have people tell me that I don't know. It'll be easy.

Yeah, it's that's always true. It's much I found you know, there's a 10 year gap between the two books and it just this was this book. It was much more intense in terms and research and wrote it during the pandemic.

So it was you know isolated right away in New York at the time. So yeah, it's it you have to really be passionate. I'm passionate about this topic and I interviewed health and medical experts from all over the world that explain different aspects of climate change and even some sustainability experts as well to talk about waste I mentioned waste in technology, but in the book I talk about food waste, but you see it's all connected in how we improve the planet and how we use less of our natural resources and and don't waste them away and say healthy, of course, so the answer is yes, there it was it very it was a great experience to have written two books on someone similar subjects and now title and just sustainability and Tech is also great.

But yeah writing a book is tough. Anyone wants to try I'd say think about again. It's like that.

I think it's really cool too that this book you make that personal connection. Yes, there's tons of information in it. Lots of research lots of science and content but you talked about the person stories.

Yeah. I think I'd love to do that with Ecotech insights because some of the interviews that I do just on text from TV, people are just talking about an issue or product. But I think there's also some personal stories how to somebody get involved and sustainability in the area of Technology.

Why and that's when you start finding some really great stories of the motivation and the passion behind the project and and the reiterations and the challenges some of these people faced doing their digital transformation or even just developing the software and and how they never gave up and what they were doing. So there's going to be some inspirational stories on the show as well. Fantastic excited for that.

Well, just a person on note. It is a an amazing pleasure to be able to work with you and have you on the team here and all the talent and experience and knowledge that you brought to Tech strong is upping our game and it's fantastic how your expertise and your subject areas fitting right in with what thank you so much that I'm so grateful and and honor to be working with such a talented group of people and I'm really excited about more as we get going, you know more that we're going that people are watching they're going to see us develop and I really hope people will engage with the website and reach out to me as well. And you know, I'd love to hear from other people what they're doing it.

I think once we start the conversation a lot of people want to join in which is great amazing. com. That's where you'll find interviews and content things that Bonnie has done so far with tech strong in our audience.

On this subject and that'll evolve and pulse meter and other things we'll put some links to your books. So folks can find that and have a way also to reach out connect with you. So that's great pleasure.

My pleasure. Let's talk again soon. Okay.