Lauren Click is the award-winning founder and executive director of Let's Go Compost, a nonprofit making composting accessible to all. What started with a failed $500 composting device in a high-rise apartment has blossomed into a national movement, providing free resources to schools and communities across all 50 states.

Lauren shares her unexpected journey into the world of waste, which began not in a garden, but in a high-rise apartment in Scottsdale, Arizona. Fueled by frustration with a greenwashed composting gadget, she discovered the simple power of worm composting thanks to her sister in Brooklyn. This newfound hobby of building worm bins from discarded bakery buckets soon connected her with a surprising community: teachers. Realizing the immense need for accessible and affordable composting education in schools, a passion project was born.

Lauren recounts the organic growth of Let's Go Compost, from a one-woman operation funded out of pocket to a nationally recognized nonprofit. She details winning the Stanley 1913 Creator Fund and being selected for the prestigious Mercedes-Benz beVisioneers fellowship.

Episode in a glance

- From Arts and Crafts to a Passion for Waste
- The $500 Composting Device that Sparked a Movement
- From a Hobby to Connecting with Teachers at Seed Swaps
- The Shift from Passion Project to Nonprofit
- How Winning the Stanley Creator Fund Changed Everything
- The Mercedes-Benz beVisioneers Global Fellowship

About Lauren Click

Lauren Click is the founder and executive director of Let's Go Compost, a nonprofit dedicated to making composting accessible. She is a Mercedes-Benz beVisioneers fellow, a Stanley 1913 Creator Fund recipient, and was named the US Composting Council's 2025 Young Professional of the Year. Lauren's work focuses on eliminating barriers to composting by providing free bins, curriculum, and resources to empower individuals and schools across the country to make a positive environmental impact.

Connect with Lauren Click and her work

• Website → https://www.letsgocompost.org/
• LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenclick/

Send us a message!

Hosts Adam and Dominique kick off Season 4 of Green Champions, celebrating their 73rd episode milestone after over a year of weekly releases. They reflect on their favorite stories from Season 3's collaboration with Green Umbrella and the Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit, highlighting guests like Shaila Maynard from SewValley and Zach Burns from the Cincinnati Zoo who built hydroponic systems to grow lettuce for giraffes.

They preview Season 4's upcoming diverse lineup, featuring conversations with a major beauty brand reimagining sustainable haircare, a community-led composting pioneer in The Bahamas, an OBGYN turned climate activist exploring health-climate connections, and local food rescue initiatives. They emphasize the podcast's mission to share positive sustainability stories across various industries, providing hope and motivation during challenging times while demonstrating that climate action requires participation from everyone, regardless of background or career.

Episode in a glance

- Kicking Off Season 4
- Adam's Favorite Stories from Season 3
- Reflecting on the Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit
- A Look Ahead at Season 4

Send us a message!

The Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit (MRSS) is the largest sustainability conference in the Midwest, bringing together hundreds of visionary leaders to share ideas and solutions for a healthier, more resilient, and equitable future. The annual summit features a full day of programming, including speakers, exhibitors, interactive sessions, and networking opportunities, covering a wide range of topics from climate justice and green workforce development to resilient food systems and circular economy practices. MRSS serves as a vital platform for collaboration and innovation, inspiring action and accelerating the transition to a sustainable future in the Midwest.

Shownotes

Recorded live at the Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit, leaders from Columbus, Ohio share how they’re building a more circular and equitable approach to waste diversion. Aryeh Alex, Christy Walters, and Marcus Carano dive into practical solutions—from food rescue pilots and mattress recycling to IT reuse and green job creation. Proving that sustainability isn’t just about reducing waste, but about creating opportunities. The conversation highlights how public policy, grassroots engagement, and cross-sector partnerships can align to drive real, lasting impact. Whether you're a city planner, a nonprofit leader, or just sustainability-curious, this episode offers grounded inspiration for making circular systems work in any community.

Episode in a glance

- City-Led Initiatives: Weekly Recycling and Compost Drop-Offs
- Incentivizing Change with GreenSpot
- The Role of Technology and Innovation in Waste Diversion
- Waste and Reuse Convenience Centers
- GreenSpot Spotlight Awards: Celebrating Corporate Sustainability
- Smart Columbus and Corporate Engagement
- Policy and Equity in Waste Diversion
- Diversifying Community Engagement

About The Panelists

Aryeh Alex: Sustainability Manager for the City of Columbus, leading efforts in waste diversion, organics, and circular economy initiatives.

Christy Walters: GreenSpot Coordinator, educating and engaging residents, businesses, and community groups in sustainability.

Marcus Carano: Leader of Corporate Partnerships and Sustainability at Smart Columbus, fostering innovation and collaboration between the public and private sectors.

Connect with the panelists and their work

• GreenScope Consulting → https://www.greenscopeconsulting.com/
• City of Columbus Sustainability → https://www.columbus.gov/Government/Mayors-Office/Sustainable-Columbus
• GreenSpot → https://www.columbus.gov/Government/Mayors-Office/Sustainable-Columbus/GreenSpot
• Smart Columbus → https://smartcolumbus.com/
• SWACO → https://www.swaco.org/
• Columbus Food Rescue → https://local-matters.org/columbus-food-rescue/
• Rumpke → https://www.rumpke.com/
• Green Umbrella → https://greenumbrella.org/
• Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit → https://www.midwestsustainabilitysummit.org/

Send us a message!