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We’re excited to officially launch the Collective Impact Podcast — a new conversation series spotlighting leaders who are shaping responsible business from the inside out.
Hosted by Marjella Lecourt-Alma, CEO and co-founder of Datamaran, alongside Sandy Nessing, Senior Advisor at TRC Companies, Collective Impact brings candid conversations with executives at the forefront of sustainability, leadership, culture, and long-term value creation.
Each episode explores how today’s most effective leaders align strategy, culture, and impact — not as side initiatives, but as core drivers of business success.
And we couldn’t have asked for a better guest to kick off the series.
Our first episode features Mindy Grossman, a transformative business leader whose career spans more than four decades across retail, wellness, and consumer brands.
From senior leadership roles at Nike, Ralph Lauren, and Tommy Hilfiger, to reinventing the Home Shopping Network as a digital-first commerce platform and leading the bold rebrand of WW (formerly Weight Watchers) alongside Oprah, Mindy has consistently taken courageous bets – and delivered lasting impact.
Today, as Partner and Vice Chair at The Consello Group, Mindy advises CEOs and boards on growth, innovation, and building resilient, future-ready businesses.
In this episode, she brings refreshing honesty, deep personal experience, and a clear-eyed view of what leadership requires in moments of disruption.
Drawing on firsthand experience navigating the 2008 financial crisis, COVID, and today’s era of political, social, and technological upheaval, Mindy shares why leaders must lean forward rather than retreat.
Her message is clear: leaders and companies that continue to innovate, communicate clearly, and protect culture during disruption are the ones that emerge stronger.
“You need expansive vision and radical focus to get through this.”
Mindy reflects on the non-linear nature of success – and why bold, well-considered risk-taking is essential to transformation.
From walking away from a predictable career path early in life to taking on turnaround roles others avoided, she explains how passion, purpose, and impact have guided every major decision.
Throughout the conversation, culture emerges as a foundational theme – not a ‘soft’ concept, but a driver of execution, innovation, and trust.
Mindy shares practical examples of how leaders can build cultures where people feel valued, supported, and empowered to speak up – especially in uncertain times.
As one of the most influential female leaders in business, Mindy offers an unfiltered perspective on navigating leadership as a woman – from being the only woman in the room to building genuine allyship across organizations.
Her advice for the next generation is both pragmatic and empowering: find your allies, build real networks, and don’t wait for permission to use your voice.
“If you really want to hear a woman’s perspective, you probably need more than one of me.”
In a moment where some companies are pulling back from sustainability and DEI commitments, Mindy doesn’t mince words.
These efforts, she argues, were never about being fashionable – they are about business performance, resilience, and long-term value creation.
“You can’t retreat from something that ultimately is going to be critical in the long term.”
At Datamaran, we’ve long believed that sustainability works best when it’s embedded into how organizations operate every day – not treated as a separate initiative or compliance exercise.
Collective Impact was created to amplify the voices of leaders who are doing exactly that: integrating strategy, culture, governance, and impact in ways that deliver results for people, planet, and performance.
This podcast is about learning from real-world experience – the challenges, the trade-offs, and the decisions that define responsible business leadership today.
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