What does it take to build a thriving community around big ideas — and what does that have to do with sustainability in entertainment? Jenny Stefanotti, founder of Denizen, joins Zena and Mark to talk about how an accidental pandemic-era salon grew into an 85,000-person global community. They dig into AI's disruption of the labor market, the democratizing potential for indie content creators, and why individual agency may be the most underestimated force for change. A wide-ranging conversation about technology, culture, and what it means to build something that lasts.Connect With Our Guest:

Jenny's Website

On Instagram

On X/Twitter

On LinkedIn

Connect with our hosts:

Zena Harris on LinkedIn

Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

Connect With Jenny

Jenny's Website

On Instagram

On X/Twitter

On LinkedIn

Connect with our hosts:

Zena Harris on LinkedIn

Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

Writer, director, and actor Nathalie Boltt — known for Riverdale and South Africa's Isidingo — joins The Tie In to talk about her debut feature film Holy Days, a comedy starring Miriam Margolyes, Jacki Weave,r and Judy Davis. Nathalie opens up about the realities of sustainable film production, what it takes to make an independent film in Canada and New Zealand, and why the entertainment industry has a responsibility to tell more hopeful stories. If you work in film, care about sustainability, or just want to hear from someone genuinely doing things differently — this one's for you. A Highlight Episode of The Tie-In.

Connect With Our Guests:

Nathalie's Website

On Instagram:

Natt Boltt

Holy Days The Movie

Connect With Our Guests:

Nathalie's Website

Connect with our hosts:

Zena Harris on LinkedIn

Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

Becky Morrison, founder and CEO of New York and LA production company The Light, joins hosts Mark and Zena on The Tie-In to expose the hidden public health crisis on film and TV sets worldwide. From the Safe Sets documentary to the untold history of Hollywood's military-inspired production model, Becky breaks down why crews are burning out, getting hurt, and why the industry is finally pushing back. Relevant to film workers in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and every major global production hub. Topics include set safety, sleep deprivation, toxic chemicals, psychological safety, healthy production culture, and the fight to bring data and accountability to film worker wellbeing.

Learn more about Safe Sets

Connect With Our Guests:

The Light's Website

Becky's Website

The Light's Instagram

Becky's Instagram

Learn more about Safe Sets: https://www.safesetsmovie.org

Connect with our hosts:

Zena Harris on LinkedIn

Mark Rabin on LinkedIn

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.

Resources from this episode:

CalNat Course

Paint Care Program

Depave LA Report from Accelerate LA

Connect With Our Guests:

losangelesisnotadesert.com

LA Is Not A Desert on Instagram

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