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Nonprofit Leadership Podcast
How This Nonprofit Has Leveraged Hollywood’s Influence to Drive Social Change
00:33:50
In this episode of the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast, host Rob Harter talks with Debbie Levin, CEO of the Environmental Media Association (EMA). Debbie shares ...
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- [00:02]
Dr. Rob Harder
This is Dr. Rob Harder with the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast, Making youg World Better. What does it take to be an effective nonprofit leader today? What are the biggest challenges? What are the biggest obstacles? How should nonprofits fundraise in an economy that is constantly changing? All these reasons combined led me to start this show. And it's my hope that through this series, people can learn not only what it takes to be an effective nonprofit organization, but to hear from effective leaders who, who are successfully making a positive impact in their communities. We hope you enjoy the show as together we hear how they are making their world better. Well, hello everybody, and welcome to the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast. We're so glad you're here today. Thanks for tuning in. I've got a really unique guest today, Debbie Levin. She is the CEO of the Environmental Media association, and she has just done a tremendous job, really of leadership over the last 25 years. Now, when she first came into this organization, she really had to rebuild this organization. And now a lot of the things that she has done, a lot of the, the initiatives she's put into place, we just take it for granted that this has always been the case about certain things that she has helped put into place, whether it be the media campaign around the Prius phenomenon that we will talk about here on the show or the real push to make sure that all the ingredients, including GMO and all these other ingredients that needed to be transparent on the food you eat so that people knew what they were actually eating. All of these things came out of actually the work that the Environmental Media association put together and Debbie's leadership. So what we'll talk about is just how she navigated this organization over the last 25 years, how she really has taken the role of media and entertainment and helped really with her work and her advocacy is helped shape public perception and policy around sustainability because of the star power of Hollywood and a lot of people that have gotten involved with the organization. So she'll talk about that, the role that she's played in that, and then what the role really the Environmental Media association has had to really impact now the world in terms of how we look at sustainability as a whole and then how we look at what we do with sustainability for the future with this next generation coming up. So I think you're going to really enjoy the conversation. Again, it's Debbie Levin from the Environmental Media Association. Thanks as always for tuning in. Now onto the show. This podcast is sponsored by DonorBox Donor Box, helping you help others with the best donation forms in the business. Debbie, thanks so much for being on the show today. I wanted to start by having you share just a bit about the Environmental Media Association. What's the mission of this organization and what led you specifically to get involved with the organization in the first place? I think that'd be great for my listeners to start there.
- [02:48]
Debbie Levin
Our mission is and always has been really, really specific and unique. We are sort of the voice for climate for the environment through the entertainment industry, which sounds a lot. We're basically storytellers. And so our story is how to engage and make relevant in climate issues, environmental issues, sustainability. And we do it because in a way that we utilize celebrities. We utilize. We have all the studios on our board, we have agencies, we're very ingrained, we're very la. And so we're based in la, where everything happens, although not shooting as much these days, but since that's become more global, but it's where all the decisions are. And so our basic real, real passion is being able to speak to people in a language that they can understand and relate to. And that's always through entertainment and through media. Another thing that's really crucial to our approach is that we are very welcoming and we believe in solution based conversation. So we're not going to look at you and say what you're not doing. What we want to share with you is these are great ways to get engaged and to be able to move and then keep doing better and better. And so much of that is really, for me especially is really relating to families. And it's like everybody has a family. I don't care what your political views are, I don't care where you live. At the end of the day, you want your family to be safe and live healthy. And so that is something that's just as true in Hollywood. And that's what we try to do with all the glamour that we kind of are surrounded with, that really is who we are.
- [04:43]
Dr. Rob Harder
Okay, when you joined the Environmental media Association in 2000, you reimagined its mission. And what I understand is what I learned was that your goal was really to bridge Hollywood and sustainability. So let's talk about that a little bit. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in shifting the organization's focus? And then how did you navigate those changes?
- [05:04]
Debbie Levin
You know, it's interesting because I actually went to a luncheon in 1999 that was the Environmental Media Association. It was founded in 89 by huge people in the entertainment industry. And it was basically an awards show and some programs, which was great. However, in the Beginning, I think everyone got all their friends to get involved. And it was kind of great and fun and very unique. Again, having access, direct access to the power players in the entertainment industry put us in a place that was very, very unique. I was literally just invited by a school mom to go to this luncheon. And I heard that what the mission was to get environmental messages in content and into the zeitgeist of the world through entertainment. And I thought, this is the most amazing thing I've ever heard. This is so important. I was not in the world of environmentalists. I was. I actually was like, I had gone to film school. I had kids. I was, you know, doing. I was not doing this at all. And I happened to be sitting next to the board chair at the table that I was at of the organization, and I started asking him a million questions just because. And he asked me to go to lunch with him the next day, and he sat there with me, and he then asked me to come run the organization. So what I will say for listeners out there, because this is our world is nonprofits. They were closing. They had no idea they were like, done. And no one told me. And so this, I think I joke that they would have asked anybody to come run the organization that asked enough questions. And so what it was was they kind of thought that their mission was done, which it very much wasn't. And they were not quite at the level that they were the first five to six years that where people were really kind of doing this. But the idea and the mission was so unique. So the beginning of 2000, I walked into an office and I found one assistant and no money and not really a board. So I thought, you know, either I'm gonna figure this out or I won't. And so I started asking, you know, I'm very good at asking questions because I think, like, you know, certain kind of don't want to look like they don't know anything. I don't care. You find out. You know, that's how you find out. So I started asking everybody around and, you know, certain things. And Also our big Emma awards, which you see, we get like 40 billion media impressions annually now. Amazing. And we do that in the fall that I pushed that one in 2000 to December, thinking I have the year to learn what I'm doing. And I just kind of tried to understand. And the first thing honestly, that I noticed, I started getting invited to other local organizations things because it was. They don't. They didn't know the backstory of what was happening with the organization. And I went and I noticed that everybody was older. So and don't Forget this was 26 years ago. So it was or 25 years ago, 26 years ago. And so the people who were attending were 50 ish and up. I thought this is not gonna do it. If this is who was supposed to teach everyone and our kids, they're not gonna listen to these people. And that's why, especially through entertainment. So I had two teenagers and I thought, okay, these kids have to be listening and it's gotta be told but with a different lens. And it's gotta be younger, it's got to be cool, it's got to be all those things in order to resonate. And so I, I decided that all of our, at that time we were doing PSAs because remember there was no, there was no social media at all. And so I said our PSAs have to have like under 30, like they have to be young, younger the better. And so by the time we got to that first event in December, I had tons of presenters that were all the young stars that were the weeklies were covering all the time. And that remains something that being really relevant is really, really important. And once I did that I sort of. And that was very successful. The other thing that I did was the award show is very star studded. The organization is the Environmental Media Association. The nickname is Emma and Ema. And so it's the annual Emma Awards. And what that is is you gotta think like Golden Globes, but everything is about sustainability and climate. So the nominees for best feature, best documentary, best comedy, all are about the storylines that are within the entertaining project. So whatever it is, it has to be fun or no one's watching it. So if you do like a movie and it's all about the environment, but it's so boring nobody wants to watch it, no one's going to watch it. So you're not going to teach anything. And so we're looking for big entertaining projects that people will watch and then kind of think about the story in there and go like, whoa, that's interesting. That's. Maybe I should think about that or do that behavior. So there's usually nine categories. We've got presenters. It's literally just the same as the other award shows. There's music, we have hosts. And so we've honored everyone from Billie Eilish to Matt Damon to Gwyneth Paltrow, just like Laura Dern Quinta Brunson this past year. I mean just like everyone and top people and we were so lucky. The last one we did, Sheryl Crow is really dear friends with Laura Dern. And so she came and sang with her guitar, just sang songs and presented it to Laura, which is beautiful moments. And so by the time I got to that first one in December, I had met enough people so that it was a huge success. And I sort of understood, which gave me the bearings to just kind of go with this and be more creative. And I think when you're running a nonprofit, I think it's really important to listen to everything, to listen to people, to listen to the world and what people are looking for and work. Don't. Not to be as rigid as, like, oh, well, this has been going on for the last 20 years. This is what we have to do, because you have to be able to be loose and react to what's going to resonate at the moment.
- [12:35]
Dr. Rob Harder
One of the EMA's most notable successes was the Prius phenomenon. I mentioned this in the outset, and basically the Prius phenomenon talked how we turned this hybrid car into a status symbol in Hollywood. How do you approach leveraging cultural influence to really drive environmental or social change? And what lessons can nonprofits learn from your strategy?
- [12:57]
Debbie Levin
Honestly, I think that is how you implement change. So I met the marketing executive in 2001 after I had had my one year of understanding how to do it. I met him in early 2001, and they were doing a relaunch. They had done a soft launch of the Prius like a year before, but, like, they didn't tell anybody. There was, like, three cars out there, no advertising, and. And he was telling me about the car and about, you know, the thought, it's a hybrid. And he explained what that was. And I honestly don't even know why I said this, but I just looked at him and I said, I can sell this to Hollywood, and I could, like, make this the car. Because I just, in my gut, knew something about this. First of all, it looked different. It didn't look like anything else. So the minute you're driving in it, people know who you are and you're making a statement. It also was easy because you didn't have to plug it in. You just didn't go to the gas station as often. So you saved money and you didn't have to change what you did. And it was really affordable. So we were not. You wouldn't get a pushback on elitism. I loved that. It was. It was democratized. It was, I think, like $26,000 or 22 at the time. It was a really affordable Toyota. And this guy who was amazing, who. I actually ended up going to his retirement party years later. We worked with each other for so long, we shook hands and he said, let's do it. And they. They wanted to be the presenting sponsor, as, you know, as sponsors do. But what I did was I called my friends again. I had all these. The studios on our board. So I called everybody that I knew, and I said, let's get this in front of people. We'll come there, we'll drive around. Then I called agencies. I called caa, which is one of the biggest agencies in the world. And I was very friendly. They had started a foundation there at that time. They had just started it. And the woman who ran it was like, this sounds great. And I'm like, okay, let's do some evenings at CAA where we introduce the agents to the importance of this car, the lower emissions, all the different things, and the fact that it's a cooler thing to drive than the big Hummers and BMWs that they were driving at the time. And so it became a thing, like, to buy this car, but they weren't making that many, so I had these lists. I also. Then I needed an outlet to get the car sold because I was working with North American, you know, Toyota, so it was corporate, so I knew I needed to buy a car. So I went into a car dealership that was owned by LA Car Guy, which is in Los Angeles. There's like 14 dealerships. Mike Sullivan, who's a dear friend of mine, owns all these dealerships, and. And he is very sustainable. And so he was selling the Prius before anybody else. So I went in Lisa Prius, and the people who are working there were like, well, will you send everybody to us and we'll take care of them? We'll, like, deliver it to their house so that they understand it. So I'm like, definitely. And then Mike and I became great friends. Obviously, he's been on our board for all these years, but I literally became a salesperson. There were hot lists. Do you remember those lists at all? I don't know if you remember, but you couldn't get the Prius. And there were waiting lists. They were mine, and so they were mine. So what I was doing is I was making sure that the really visual people, the celebrities, were not waiting very long, because what we wanted then was for the paparazzi to take pictures of them coming out of their vehicle, which happened constantly. Constantly. I also started working with the E Network, because at that Time in the early 2000s, E was like the dominant on the carpet for award shows, if you remember that. And so they really were. They were great, and they really loved this. And so we had them cover not only the arrivals, but what car they came out of for all of the award shows, the Globes, the Oscars, the Grammys, the Emmys. And we got celebrities cars so that they could arrive at the award shows not in limos, but in Prius. And for years, it blew it up, like, so big. And because of that, we were getting, like, Meryl Streep and George Clooney and all these people. Everybody wanted to do this. And so. And then there would be stories about it. And so it literally, we got that cool factor that really has never gone away. And it's very interesting. We're actually celebrating our 25th anniversary this year with Toyota, because we've been with them all this time. And I. For me, that actually taught me how to grow the business in different ways, because it proved to me that working with companies about people adapting behaviors and understanding solutions through their personal action was really successful. And so it's very interesting that that campaign for Prius really informed how I've run the organization for all these years, because I'm just really. I think personal action is huge. And years later, we did a campaign about labeling GMOs. Remember, they had GMOs in everything, but you didn't know. And then they did the slash thing, right? And so we. Everyone wanted to do it through legislation. And I'm like, yeah, you go do that. Meanwhile, we're going to go talk to the food companies. And we did a campaign with celebrity mothers. And we did. And it was at that point, it was on social media, but it was like, I'm a mom. I take care of my kids just like you do. I want to know what's in their food. You want to put it in there? Cool. But tell me. So I have a choice of what to buy, and that's so fast. We were able to just do that. And I think the Prius really taught me that, because it's like, I think that people, you know, you buy stuff every day, so learning how to decide what you're going to do is really. Is really empowering.
- [19:56]
Dr. Rob Harder
We'll be right back. Are you looking for an easy and effective way to boost your nonprofit's donations? Well, look no further than DonorBox, the online fundraising platform that streamlines your fundraising efforts, maximizes donations, and simplifies giving for your supporters. With DonorBox, you can create beautiful donation forms, accept digital wallet payments, track donations, and send auto receipts. And the best part, there are no setup or monthly fees and no long term contracts required. So what are you waiting for? Visit donorbox.org today to get started. That is www.donorbox.org. okay, so how has the role of media and entertainment evolved in shaping public perception and policy around sustainability specifically? In other words, what role do you see Hollywood continuing to play in the environmental advocacy area?
- [20:54]
Debbie Levin
You know, I think it's really effective. I think there are certain things that you don't. It's not great for the entertainment industry to be involved and I think that's more political, legislative, it's a little tougher. But I do think that celebrity and Hollywood and the culture of entertainment has always been in the forefront of fashion and, you know, travel, like all of the kind of things around our culture, because that's where you see it. And not to getting, not getting into the science for this particular messaging, but really getting into relatability. And you know, I'm a celebrity, I have three kids. I'm doing this because. Because it doesn't matter who you are at the end of the day, again, as I said, you come home to your family and I think health is a really big deal. You want to be informed. You don't want pesticides in your house. You don't want chemicals. You want things to be clean and healthy. You want clean water, clean air, clean home for your family. And the entertainment community is sort of allowed to share this because it's. Because they're not telling you how to think. They're just telling you these are great options and they're available. And this is what I choose in the role that I can relate to you, which is as a person and as somebody who has a community. So that's why I think it's really, really important.
- [22:32]
Dr. Rob Harder
Well, you have got lots of experience. You've been leading this nonprofit now for over two decades. That's no small feat. So well done.
- [22:40]
Debbie Levin
Thank you.
- [22:40]
Dr. Rob Harder
Now, what are the key leadership principles and strategies that have helped EMA and you remain relevant and impactful over all these years?
- [22:48]
Debbie Levin
You know, I think it's just always inventing new things. First of all, you know, it's. I think that's really important. I mean, our two other biggest programs that we have evolved so in two, well, maybe four. But in 2000, because we do campaigns and we do things like the GMO things we did, you know, all these different collaborative campaigns, but we have basic programs. And so in 2000, three. I was going. I was on a TV show set, and I was going there to talk to the producer about storylines, just to give them, like, oh, you should be talking about this. And this character would be cool for that. And then I also wanted to make sure it had a kitchen set. This particular show, that there was a recycling bin shown, like, just for on cast. Like, literally, product placement for the environment. Don't walk in with a plastic bag from the market. Have a canvas bag, you know, reusable. So I was hanging around, and while I was waiting, I saw a trash can. And in that trash can, there was scripts, plastic water bottles, bananas, sandwiches. And I just sort of was like, this is interesting. I'm pushing what's on screen, and they're not doing anything on this soundstage. And I didn't say anything. I left, I got in the car. I called our board chair at the time, and I was like, you know, who was a producer? So he really, really understood. He was a feature film producer. It's. And I said, you know something? This is terrible. I'm embarrassed. We're teaching the world about environmental behaviors, and on our sets, we're doing nothing. We have to create, like, an Emma Greenseal with qualifications for behind the scenes, for production. And he was like, oh, my God, you're right. And so we gathered a group of people. We had several network heads, we had producers, we had actors like Ed Begley Jr. And Wendy Malik and Daryl Hannah and Amy Smart. We had all these people, and we met, like, about, you know, for a couple of months, and we talked about it. And at that time, there was no budget for this. So people think that, you know, these. These budgets are huge and it doesn't matter, but no, it's very tight. It's like a business. It is a business. And so we came up with 10 things, basically, that nobody would get mad at us about to do. And this included they were messengering in 2003, one page multiple times a day to actors, houses, or on set in a car. Like, script changes. It was insane. So we're like, you can't do that. And they weren't even using emails yet. Even though there were email. They would get them a whole new script. If there was a couple of changes, they wouldn't be doing things on recycled paper. They would have no recycling on set. Like, things that you would be shocked about. And the next year, we gave out our first Emma Greenseal on awards at the award show. And these are sort of. These are like accommodations We've been working with A lot of the same teams for literally decades. Our production teams, our PR teams, our writer who wrote the Grammys that was on last night. We have teams that are like our family, as well as our board and our board. We have a very solid board, people who have been with us for so long, so long. And it's very personal.
- [26:45]
Dr. Rob Harder
There's no doubt collaboration is key in the nonprofit space. I've talked to many of my guests and fellow nonprofit leaders about this. So how do you engage major industry players, from studios to corporate partners, to ensure EMA's initiatives really create real change? Could you talk about that a little bit?
- [27:03]
Debbie Levin
I think that, you know, I live in LA and my kids went to school in la and parents that were on committees with me were in the entertainment industry and them, I mean, and now my kids have kids that have go to school with kids that it's very, you know, it's like any other community anywhere in the world. I know this community. It's really comfortable for me. I was, I was an involved mom. So I was like, you know, I met everybody and my, I literally. My kids, friends started growing up and some of them were actors and I grabbed them or some, you know, just kind of knowing people or friends of friends. But also I think that having the studios be part of who we are, the agencies, and really being really open and nonjudgmental and we don't do that. A lot of environmental organizations are a little bit more on the. Well, you have to do X, Y and Z. And we're like, come in, we will hold your hand and you do you. And we're going to make it work and we're going to share this information and we want you to be motivated and working with PR companies for what I do, because we have so many celebrities is really important and they're notoriously tough because they're protecting their talent. But they're people, they have kids. And again, I think if you lead with that, if you lead with. We all want our families to be safe. Who is not going to like you and want to do stuff? And I have an amazing staff. My staff has been with me for over and nearly 10 years, which is we're very consistent and we're very loyal. And again, like, our celebrity boards are amazing. And they're my family and my friends. They have friends. For example, our board chair is lance bass from NSync. So ironically, I met Lance right when he was done and next year they're doing stuff again. They've been doing things. So we. He Was from Mississippi. He is from Mississippi. He knew nothing. He came to a little event that we did where we invited a lot of young Hollywood types of people and some of the older executives. It was sort of a. This was in the mid, late 2000s, and we wanted to introduce them and sort of show them their power. He came over to me during the evening and he's like, I know nothing about this. Could we go to lunch? And we went to lunch and he's like, this is amazing. It was sort of like how I felt in. When I heard. He was like, this is amazing. How am I involved? What do I do? And we started a Young Hollywood board at that time, so we would get some of these young people. And through Lance, I met Malin Akerman, Emanuel Shrieky. I met a million of his friends who immediately joined the board and brought their friends. Like, everybody brings friends. And so I think that's kind of what it is if you welcome people and if you've got that open tent of engagement and you make people feel important than. And which everyone is. And don't forget, I always need presenters for two events for the year. I need presenters for the awards. I need moderators for the Impact Summit. So we're meeting people. Another example, you know Eli Roth, big horror director. So Eli is passionate about sharks and about protecting sharks. So he came to Impact a few years ago to talk about. He did a documentary about sharks, and he wanted to talk about it coming after he got off stage in the press room, he looked at me, he says, I love this. I want to join the board. And I'm like, well, I would love for you to. And we have become dear, dear friends. He's very, very active, and he's been around for really a long time. Meaning that he's been doing films. He started really young. He was actually in. Remember he was in Inglourious Basterds, that film that Tarantino he was in, that he met like a million people. So Eli has so many good friends. So Eli talks about us, you know what I mean? So it's like. It's the connections. And it's also. People know that we're safe. And like, I get asked for talent all the time, whether. Whatever world it is, I don't do that unless it makes sense. So they know that if I say, hey, can you record yourself talking about this message for social or for campaign or we need to sign something, I don't ask them unless it's something that I know they believe in to the core. So for kind of a fake industry that perception wise, we're unbelievably authentic. And so I think that's kind of something as well.
- [32:27]
Dr. Rob Harder
Well, how can people find out more about your work and the EMA? Where would you send them?
- [32:31]
Debbie Levin
Well, the website is greent g r e n green the number4ema.org and so I would start there, but you know, they could probably write into you or and we've got a lot of our social on our website and follow Green4Emma on all social platforms.
- [32:54]
Dr. Rob Harder
Debbie, thanks so much again for taking time to share your insights, your experience and your expertise. You really have made a big difference. Thanks for your leadership.
- [33:01]
Debbie Levin
Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.
- [33:05]
Dr. Rob Harder
Hey, friends. Well, I wanted you to know that this podcast can be found on itunes, Spotify, Amazon, Google podcasts, and wherever you listen to other podcasts. I also want to encourage you to like subscribe and share this podcast with others. This will actually help us get this great content out to more nonprofit leaders just like you. You could also join the nonprofit leadership podcast community, find other resources and interviews of past guests, all on my website, nonprofit leadershippodcast.org well, thanks again for listening and until next time, keep making your world better. This podcast is sponsored by DonorBox. DonorBox, helping you help others with the best donation forms in the business.