In today’s episode, host Nathan Stuck sits down with Amber Makupson, Founder and CEO of Meraki Hair Wellness and Executive Director of the Clean Beauty Coalition.

Amber is an entrepreneur, policy advocate, and media founder working at the intersection of beauty, public health, and business. As the leader of Meraki Hair Wellness, the Clean Beauty Coalition, and Makupson Media, she educates and advocates for ingredient transparency and safer consumer products. Her impactful work has been featured in more than 40 national and international publications—including Forbes, Harper's Bazaar, and Oprah Magazine—and she has testified in Congress in support of safer beauty justice legislation.

In her conversation with Nathan, Amber shares her profound journey from formulating clean products in her kitchen after surviving second-degree chemical burns to successfully navigating the rigorous path to B Corp certification. They dive deep into the alarming 75% toxicity rate found in products marketed to Black women, the tactical adjustments needed to manage founder burnout, and the power of state and federal legislation to drive industry transparency.

Listeners will walk away with an updated blueprint on how to operationalize their values on paper, build authentic stakeholder communities, and scale an impactful brand without losing their humanity.

 

RESOURCES RELATED TO THIS EPISODE
Visit AmberMakupson.com
Visit Meraki Hair Wellness: MerakiHairWellness.com
Learn about the Clean Beauty Coalition: cleanbeautycoalition.org
Follow Amber Makupson on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/amber-makupson
Learn about B Local Georgia: blocalgeorgia.com
Learn about Profitable Purpose Consulting: profitablepurposeconsulting.com

 

CREDITS
Theme Music🎵ZakharValaha from Pixabay
Produced by ChatWithLeadersMedia.com

In today&rsquo;s episode, host Nathan Stuck sits down with Amber Makupson, Founder and CEO of Meraki Hair Wellness and Executive Director of the Clean Beauty Coalition.
Amber is an entrepreneur, policy advocate, and media founder working at the intersection of beauty, public health, and business. As the leader of Meraki Hair Wellness, the Clean Beauty Coalition, and Makupson Media, she educates and advocates for ingredient transparency and safer consumer products. Her impactful work has been featured in more than 40 national and international publications&mdash;including Forbes, Harper's Bazaar, and Oprah Magazine&mdash;and she has testified in Congress in support of safer beauty justice legislation.
In her conversation with Nathan, Amber shares her profound journey from formulating clean products in her kitchen after surviving second-degree chemical burns to successfully navigating the rigorous path to B Corp certification. They dive deep into the alarming 75% toxicity rate found in products marketed to Black women, the tactical adjustments needed to manage founder burnout, and the power of state and federal legislation to drive industry transparency.
Listeners will walk away with an updated blueprint on how to operationalize their values on paper, build authentic stakeholder communities, and scale an impactful brand without losing their humanity.
&nbsp;
RESOURCES RELATED TO THIS EPISODE
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Visit <a href="http://ambermakupson.com">AmberMakupson.com</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Visit Meraki Hair Wellness: <a href="https://www.merakihairwellness.com/">MerakiHairWellness.com</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Learn about the Clean Beauty Coalition: <a href="https://www.cleanbeautycoalition.org/">cleanbeautycoalition.org</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Follow Amber Makupson on LinkedIn: <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/amber-makupson">linkedin.com/in/amber-makupson</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Learn about B Local Georgia: <a href="http://blocalgeorgia.com">blocalgeorgia.com</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Learn about Profitable Purpose Consulting: <a href="https://www.profitablepurposeconsulting.com/">profitablepurposeconsulting.com</a></li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
CREDITS
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Theme Music🎵<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/zakharvalaha-22836301/?tab=audio&amp;utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=audio&amp;utm_content=9968">ZakharValaha</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=music&amp;utm_content=9968">Pixabay</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Produced by <a href="https://chatwithleaders.com">ChatWithLeadersMedia.com</a></li>
</ul>

Join our host Nathan Stuck, Chair of B Local Georgia, as he guides us in these short and impactful conversations with some of the most purposeful, inspiring leaders in the Peach State. These featured guests are proving that a stakeholder-driven economic system that cares about their people, communities, customers, and the environment is not only the right way towards a sustainable future, but that it's also great for business! We're excited to have you join us as we learn together how to use our influence as a #ForceForGood.

Produced by Chat With Leaders Media. Visit https://chatwithleaders.com to learn how you can leverage strategic content and event experiences to grow your business. 

Join our host <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanastuck/">Nathan Stuck</a>, Chair of <a href="https://blocalgeorgia.com/">B Local Georgia</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanastuck/"></a>as he guides us in these short and impactful conversations with some of the most purposeful, inspiring leaders in the Peach State. These featured guests are proving that a stakeholder-driven economic system&nbsp;that cares about their people, communities, customers, and the environment is not only the right way towards a sustainable future, but that it's also great for business! We're excited to have you join us as we learn together how to use our influence as a #ForceForGood.
Produced by Chat With Leaders Media. Visit https://chatwithleaders.com to learn how you can leverage strategic content and event experiences to grow your business.&nbsp;

Making a profit and making a difference ​aren’t mutually exclusive. Hear how some of the most purpose-driven leaders in the Southeast are proving that for profit businesses can be used as a force for good while being successful financially.

B The Change Georgia with Nathan Stuck

The Steward Chair is a podcast that explores business leadership as stewardship – the responsibility of guiding organizations, people, and industries with integrity, long-term thinking, and a commitment to doing good while doing well.

Through deep, candid conversations with CEOs, Presidents and Founders that have stood the test of time, we unpack the challenges, decisions, and strategies that define values-driven leadership. This is a space for leaders who recognize that success is about more than personal achievement – it’s about leaving a lasting, positive impact on their organizations and communities.

Each episode provides real-world insights on how to navigate key business decisions while maintaining ethical integrity, long-term sustainability, and a legacy-driven mindset.

This show is produced in collaboration between Chat With Leaders Media and End of the Line Productions. 

The Steward Chair is a podcast that explores business leadership as stewardship &ndash; the responsibility of guiding organizations, people, and industries with integrity, long-term thinking, and a commitment to doing good while doing well.
Through deep, candid conversations with CEOs, Presidents and Founders that have stood the test of time, we unpack the challenges, decisions, and strategies that define values-driven leadership. This is a space for leaders who recognize that success is about more than personal achievement &ndash; it&rsquo;s&nbsp;about leaving a lasting, positive impact on their organizations and communities.
Each episode provides real-world insights on how to navigate key business decisions while maintaining ethical integrity, long-term sustainability, and a legacy-driven mindset.
This show is produced in collaboration between <a href="https://chatwithleaders.com/">Chat With Leaders Media</a> and <a href="https://www.eotlproductions.com/">End of the Line Productions</a>.&nbsp;

The Steward Chair is a podcast that explores leadership as stewardship—the responsibility of guiding organizations, people, and industries with integrity, long-term thinking, and a commitment to doing good while doing well.

The Steward Chair

In a world defined by disconnection, human connection is your most powerful asset in building companies that last. At Chat With Leaders Media, we're dedicated to helping you unlock that power by delivering actionable insights from leaders who are leveraging business as a force for good.

Through our podcasts – The Steward Chair, The People Experience Pulse, and B The Change Georgia – we cut through the noise to bring you candid, real-world strategies for building a better business. We explore what it takes to elevate people, grow your business with integrity, and build a legacy that goes beyond the bottom line.

This isn't just about inspiration; it's about giving you the tools to elevate your influence and make a tangible impact on your organization and the world.

In a world defined by disconnection, human connection is your most powerful asset in building companies that last. At Chat With Leaders Media, we're dedicated to helping you unlock that power by delivering actionable insights from leaders who are leveraging business as a force for good.
Through our podcasts &ndash; The Steward Chair, The People Experience Pulse, and B The Change Georgia &ndash; we cut through the noise to bring you candid, real-world strategies for building a better business. We explore what it takes to elevate people, grow your business with integrity, and build a legacy that goes beyond the bottom line.
This isn't just about inspiration; it's about giving you the tools to elevate your influence and make a tangible impact on your organization and the world.

Chat With Leaders Media

Leading With Soul: Reimagining Clean Beauty With Amber Makupson

Nathan sits down with Eve London, the host committee chair for Build Southeast 2026, Business Development Associate at Ecolytics, and a B Local Mid-Atlantic board member.

Eve has spent nearly half of her life in the B Corp movement and is now leading the charge to bring the regional B Corp conference to her hometown of Washington DC, this September 16th and 17th.

Eve and Nathan give you a preview of what you can expect in the nation's capital, including BLD Southeast’s shift away from passive panel presentations towards more action-oriented workshops, how we'll continue to drive hyper-local economic impact across our host city, and what it takes to build an unforgettable community gathering from the ground up.

Stay tuned to discover why you should join us this September in Washington, DC, and how you can help us grow the B Corp movement across our region.

 

RESOURCES RELATED TO THIS EPISODE
Visit https://www.ecolytics.io/
Follow Ecolytics on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/ecolytics 
Learn more about BLD Southeast at https://bldsoutheast.com/
Follow BLD Southeast on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/bld-southeast 
Learn more about B Local Mid-Atlantic at https://blocalma.com/
Follow B Local Mid-Atlantic on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/b-local-mid-atlantic 
Learn about offsetting your AI footprint at https://www.offsetai.app/ 
Follow Eve on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/eve-london-396897166

 

CREDITS
Theme Music🎵ZakharValaha from Pixabay
Produced by ChatWithLeadersMedia.com

Nathan sits down with Eve London, the host committee chair for Build Southeast 2026, Business Development Associate at Ecolytics, and a B Local Mid-Atlantic board member.
Eve has spent nearly half of her life in the B Corp movement and is now leading the charge to bring the regional B Corp conference to her hometown of Washington DC, this September 16th and 17th.
Eve and Nathan give you a preview of what you can expect in the nation's capital, including BLD Southeast&rsquo;s shift away from passive panel presentations towards more action-oriented workshops, how we'll continue to drive hyper-local economic impact across our host city, and what it takes to build an unforgettable community gathering from the ground up.
Stay tuned to discover why you should join us this September in Washington, DC, and how you can help us grow the B Corp movement across our region.
&nbsp;
RESOURCES RELATED TO THIS EPISODE
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Visit <a href="https://www.ecolytics.io/">https://www.ecolytics.io/</a></li>
<ul>
<li aria-level="2">Follow Ecolytics on LinkedIn at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/ecolytics">https://www.linkedin.com/company/ecolytics</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<li aria-level="1">Learn more about BLD Southeast at <a href="https://bldsoutheast.com/">https://bldsoutheast.com/</a></li>
<ul>
<li aria-level="2">Follow BLD Southeast on LinkedIn at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/bld-southeast">https://www.linkedin.com/company/bld-southeast</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<li aria-level="1">Learn more about B Local Mid-Atlantic at <a href="https://blocalma.com/">https://blocalma.com/</a></li>
<ul>
<li aria-level="2">Follow B Local Mid-Atlantic on LinkedIn at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/b-local-mid-atlantic">https://www.linkedin.com/company/b-local-mid-atlantic</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<li aria-level="1">Learn about offsetting your AI footprint at <a href="https://www.offsetai.app/">https://www.offsetai.app/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Follow Eve on LinkedIn at <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/eve-london-396897166">www.linkedin.com/in/eve-london-396897166</a></li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
CREDITS
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Theme Music🎵<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/zakharvalaha-22836301/?tab=audio&amp;utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=audio&amp;utm_content=9968">ZakharValaha</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=music&amp;utm_content=9968">Pixabay</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Produced by <a href="https://chatwithleaders.com">ChatWithLeadersMedia.com</a></li>
</ul>

 What to Expect at BLD Southeast 2026 in Washington, D.C. with Eve London

In this episode of The Steward Chair, Rick Plympton, Corporate Fellow and Former CEO at Optimax Systems, Inc, shares their journey of transitioning to an employee ownership trust and empowering a local workforce, exploring how shared prosperity drives meaningful, long-term success. 

Rick and Jeff discuss open-book financial management, the math behind profit-sharing models, and creating a perpetual purpose trust that makes a business unsellable, providing actionable takeaways for leaders committed to stewardship, integrity, and impact.

Key Takeaways
Empowering the Whole Team: Shifting away from a command-and-control hierarchy allows a company to scale at the sphere of influence of the entire workforce rather than just a few top executives, which unlocked a sustainable 20% year-over-year organic growth rate for OptiMax.
Radical Equity and Shared Wealth: Distributing 25% of company profits equally among core team members—regardless of whether they are the CEO or the custodian—fosters a unified workspace culture where every individual values absolute precision and quality.
Hardcoding Legacy with EOTs: Moving to an Employee Ownership Trust (or Perpetual Purpose Trust) establishes permanent corporate governance that blocks predatory corporate buyouts, protects local families, and caps executive compensation at a healthy 7x ratio to the lowest earner.

Resources Mentioned
Visit Optimax’s website at www.Optimaxsi.com 

Join the Conversation
The Steward Chair is about equipping and inspiring business leaders to build organizations that stand the test of time. If this episode resonated with you, share your biggest takeaway and tag us on LinkedIn:

Chat With Leaders Media https://www.linkedin.com/company/chatwithleaders/ and End of the Line Productions https://www.linkedin.com/company/end-of-the-line-productions/. 

Elevate your podcast, company meeting, or industry event strategies to better engage stakeholders and drive meaningful growth! Visit ChatWithLeaders.com to learn more about how we can help.

In this episode of The Steward Chair, Rick Plympton, Corporate Fellow and Former CEO at Optimax Systems, Inc, shares their journey of transitioning to an employee ownership trust and empowering a local workforce, exploring how shared prosperity drives meaningful, long-term success.&nbsp;
Rick and Jeff discuss open-book financial management, the math behind profit-sharing models, and creating a perpetual purpose trust that makes a business unsellable, providing actionable takeaways for leaders committed to stewardship, integrity, and impact.
Key Takeaways
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Empowering the Whole Team: Shifting away from a command-and-control hierarchy allows a company to scale at the sphere of influence of the entire workforce rather than just a few top executives, which unlocked a sustainable 20% year-over-year organic growth rate for OptiMax.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Radical Equity and Shared Wealth: Distributing 25% of company profits equally among core team members&mdash;regardless of whether they are the CEO or the custodian&mdash;fosters a unified workspace culture where every individual values absolute precision and quality.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Hardcoding Legacy with EOTs: Moving to an Employee Ownership Trust (or Perpetual Purpose Trust) establishes permanent corporate governance that blocks predatory corporate buyouts, protects local families, and caps executive compensation at a healthy 7x ratio to the lowest earner.</li>
</ul>
Resources Mentioned
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Visit Optimax&rsquo;s website at <a href="http://www.optimaxsi.com">www.Optimaxsi.com</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Join the Conversation The Steward Chair is about equipping and inspiring business leaders to build organizations that stand the test of time. If this episode resonated with you, share your biggest takeaway and tag us on LinkedIn:
Chat With Leaders Media <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/chatwithleaders/">https://www.linkedin.com/company/chatwithleaders/</a> and End of the Line Productions <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/end-of-the-line-productions/">https://www.linkedin.com/company/end-of-the-line-productions/</a>.&nbsp;
Elevate your podcast, company meeting, or industry event strategies to better engage stakeholders and drive meaningful growth! Visit <a href="https://chatwithleaders.com">ChatWithLeaders.com</a> to learn more about how we can help.

Rick Plympton

In today’s episode, Nathan Stuck sits down with Savannah Seydel to unpack what Better Earth is doing to eliminate petroleum-based plastics from our food systems and advance a truly circular economy. 

 

Savannah Seydel is Vice President of Sustainability at Better Earth, an Atlanta-based B Corp and compostable packaging provider, where she advances Better Earth's mission to realize regenerative circularity across the foodservice industry through product innovation, education and advocacy, and stakeholder engagement. She is also the founder of Sustaining Women, a network supporting and sustaining 800+ women across the environmental sector. With an expansive background that bridges creative writing, environmental public affairs, grassroots advocacy, and impact filmmaking, Savannah brings a distinct narrative lens to complex environmental and cross-functional corporate challenges.

 

In this conversation, Nathan and Savannah dive deep into her circuitous career journey—including the fateful ski lift encounter that redefined her professional path. They discuss the historical evolution of compostable packaging, why business leaders must champion a mindset of progress over perfection, and how her newly expanded national initiative, Sustaining Women, is building a resilient, intergenerational community designed to fight change-agent burnout.

 

RESOURCES RELATED TO THIS EPISODE
Visit Better Earth www.becompostable.com 
Follow Better Earth on social media at:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becompostable/ 
X / Twitter: https://x.com/becompostable 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becompostable/ 
Follow Sustaining Women on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustaining-women 
Sign Up for the Atlanta Women in Sustainability Quarterly Newsletter https://lnkd.in/efKSE7ig 

 

CREDITS
Theme Music🎵ZakharValaha from Pixabay
Produced by ChatWithLeadersMedia.com

In today&rsquo;s episode, Nathan Stuck sits down with Savannah Seydel to unpack what Better Earth is doing to eliminate petroleum-based plastics from our food systems and advance a truly circular economy.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Savannah Seydel is Vice President of Sustainability at Better Earth, an Atlanta-based B Corp and compostable packaging provider, where she advances Better Earth's mission to realize regenerative circularity across the foodservice industry through product innovation, education and advocacy, and stakeholder engagement. She is also the founder of Sustaining Women, a network supporting and sustaining 800+ women across the environmental sector. With an expansive background that bridges creative writing, environmental public affairs, grassroots advocacy, and impact filmmaking, Savannah brings a distinct narrative lens to complex environmental and cross-functional corporate challenges.
&nbsp;
In this conversation, Nathan and Savannah dive deep into her circuitous career journey&mdash;including the fateful ski lift encounter that redefined her professional path. They discuss the historical evolution of compostable packaging, why business leaders must champion a mindset of progress over perfection, and how her newly expanded national initiative, Sustaining Women, is building a resilient, intergenerational community designed to fight change-agent burnout.
&nbsp;
RESOURCES RELATED TO THIS EPISODE
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Visit Better Earth <a href="http://www.becompostable.com">www.becompostable.com</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Follow Better Earth on social media at:</li>
<ul>
<li aria-level="2">LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/becompostable/">https://www.linkedin.com/company/becompostable/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="2">X / Twitter: <a href="https://x.com/becompostable">https://x.com/becompostable</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="2">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/becompostable/">https://www.instagram.com/becompostable/</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<li aria-level="1">Follow Sustaining Women on LinkedIn <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustaining-women">https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustaining-women</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Sign Up for the Atlanta Women in Sustainability Quarterly Newsletter <a href="https://lnkd.in/efKSE7ig">https://lnkd.in/efKSE7ig</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
CREDITS
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Theme Music🎵<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/zakharvalaha-22836301/?tab=audio&amp;utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=audio&amp;utm_content=9968">ZakharValaha</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=music&amp;utm_content=9968">Pixabay</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Produced by <a href="https://chatwithleaders.com">ChatWithLeadersMedia.com</a></li>
</ul>

Leading With Soul: Reimagining Clean Beauty With Amber Makupson

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