Mind Over Markets

When you design a financial system around people instead of profit, it works. That's not a theory. For Duanne Andrade, CEO of the Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF), it's 13 years of receipts: $60 million deployed, less than 2% default rate, and 70% of borrowers are low-to-moderate income families that traditional lenders turned away.

As part of our LeadingThrough Energy Affordability series, in this episode Duanne breaks down what a credible response to energy affordability actually looks like when capital flows to the people who need it most — not just the ones who look best on paper. From a widowed woman in 120-degree heat to a veteran single mom with a caving roof, SELF's model meets families where they are.

Next up on Just Power: Jolette Westbrook, Director & Senior Attorney, Regulatory Solutions at Environmental Defense Fund on "who gets heard shapes who benefits". Subscribe here for our full series on Leading Through Energy Affordability: https://www.youtube.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYKYRB3-5Es

Leading Through Energy Affordability: Rewriting the Rules of Lending (S5:E9) When you design a financial system around people instead of profit, it works. That's not a theory. For Duanne Andrade, CEO of the Solar and Energy Loan Fund ...

I've been talking with leaders across the energy system for months now, and the affordability crisis is no longer the mystery. What's harder to find are people who are actually inside a utility, doing the work, and willing to talk honestly about what's holding up — and what isn't.

Meena Beyers is one of those people.

As VP of Business and Community Development at NICOR Gas — serving 2.3 million customers across Northern Illinois — she's testing credible solutions in real time. In our conversation, she takes me inside several of NICOR's on-the-ground initiatives: a Smart Neighborhood built with Habitat for Humanity, a Community Comfort Pilot that delivered a 20% reduction in winter energy bills, and a Community Connection Center linking customers to over 350 social service providers.

She also makes the case for customer choice over mandate in a region where 95% of buildings heat with natural gas — and shares what she'd tell policymakers still asking the wrong questions.

This is exactly the kind of conversation this series is for.

🎧 Listen on Apple, Spotify or YouTube here:

Just Power Podcast Leading Through Energy Affordability: From Pilot to Practice With NICOR Gas (S5:E7)

Hi Friends! As a longtime Messaging Strategist — and I would love to invite you to my upcoming virtual Master Class series “Storytelling for Changemakers”. It starts on April 14 and it’s free. This is not a lecture series but instead a roll-up-your-sleeves, hands-on workshop to dig into the real strategic work behind your project or business — who you're talking to, what you're really solving, and how to say it in a way that moves your organization forward.

BONUS! You’ll get my 17-page messaging workbook when you register.

Hope you’ll join me!

A FREE Three-Part Master Class Series | MIND over Markets Your messaging should work as hard as you do. But for too many growth-minded changemakers, it doesn’t.

We just launched our new series: "Leading Through Energy Affordability"! In it, we set out to answer a critical question: what do credible responses to energy affordability look like in this moment of transition?

In this first episode, I am joined by Charles Hua, CEO of Powerlines, to explore the national data behind this moment and what it means for households, leaders, and the future of the energy transition.

Charles shares findings from Powerlines’ latest national report, including a striking reality: utilities requested nearly $31 billion in rate increases in a single year, affecting more than 80 million Americans. Together, we unpack what is driving these pressures, why this moment feels different, and what credible, people-centered leadership could look like now.

Don't miss any of our series. Subscribe to our YouTube channel now!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwH2wb1p2uc

New Series: Leading Through Energy Affordability | What Credible Responses Look Like (S5:E1) Season 5 Launch: "Leading Through Energy Affordability" series.Energy affordability is one of the defining challenges of the energy transition — and for mill...