Is it possible for a local business to scale up and stay sustainable, both socially and environmentally? For Hudson Valley's Bread Alone, it is. In this episode, Nels Leader and Jen Metzger dive deep into how local businesses could lead the way to a sustainable and equitable future and how the State government could and should help them.

Nels Leader is CEO of Bread Alone Bakery and a trained Climate Leader for Al Gore's Climate Reality Project. At Bread Alone, Nels’ work has focused on expanding and professionalizing a 2nd generation family business, and creating lasting competitive advantage through commitment to people and the planet.

Jen Metzger served in the New York State Senate from 2019 to 20, representing the 42nd District, a largely rural district in the Hudson Valley and the Catskills. Among many of her progressive achievements, she was an active member of the Senate's workgroup on the nation-leading Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), which was signed into law in July 2019.

She introduced the Comprehensive Broadband Connectivity Act, which recognizes access to high-speed internet as a right of all New Yorkers. She also served as Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, focusing on programs and legislation to support family farms, expand New York markets for locally-produced farm products, reduce barriers to new and young farmers, and strengthen agriculture's role as part of the solution to fighting climate change.