Kate Williams is the CEO of 1% for the Planet, the global nonprofit that has turned a simple idea into a worldwide force for good: businesses committing 1% of their annual revenue to environmental causes. If you’ve ever spotted that little 1% for the Planet logo on a favorite brand, you’ve seen Kate’s work in action– under her leadership, the organization has grown to more than 4,400 members across more than 110 countries, certifying nearly a billion dollars in giving to date.
Kate’s path to this work is anything but conventional, though looking back, it all makes perfect sense. A NOLS course at age 18 opened up new horizons for Kate and gave her a crash course in leadership, responsibility, and the joy of working hard alongside passionate people with a shared purpose. That experience led her into outdoor education, then to leading the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, and eventually to 1% for the Planet. Along the way, she’s stayed grounded in service, humility, and a knack for seeing challenges as opportunities to grow.
In this conversation, Kate and I dig into her personal journey and the philosophy that drives her leadership. We talk about the growth of 1% for the Planet, the credibility it brings to a crowded sustainability space, and why she believes real leadership is built in “small, consistent, humble moments.” We also get into her outdoor roots, her parents’ influence, the importance of curiosity, and her belief that no matter where you are in life, “the journey continues.” It’s a wide-ranging, generous conversation with someone who’s helping to reshape how businesses and individuals show up for the planet. Enjoy!
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Photos courtesy of Kate Williams
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RESOURCES:
Topics Discussed:
- 2:00 – Intro, sharing NOLS love
- 5:11 – How NOLS shaped Kate as a leader
- 9:49 – Rescue in the wilderness
- 14:28 – Back to real life
- 19:01 – Post-college plan
- 21:06 – The black abyss
- 23:03 – Why business school?
- 27:04 – Northern Forest Canoe Trail
- 32:39 – Path to 1% for the Planet
- 37:21 – Person of action
- 39:47 – 1%’s impact
- 42:19 – Acceleration
- 45:46 – Marketing impacts
- 48:17 – Nonprofits and businesses
- 51:22 – 1% + The Conservation Alliance
- 54:21 – Leaders Kate admires
- 59:01 – Book recs
- 1:03:24 – Parting words
Information Referenced:
- Kate Williams
- 1% for the Planet
- NOLS
- High Country News
- Northern Forest Canoe Trail
- Trust for Public Land
- The Conservation Alliance
- Brands for Public Lands
- Book recs: Good to Great, Scaling Up, Bird by Bird, The Lighteaters
Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:
- Kristine Tompkins – Nothing to Lose
- Brady Robinson Returns – Grassroots Conservation on a Global Scale
- Elliot Ross: Where Landscape, Justice, and Storytelling Meet
- Sandy Colhoun – Building Leaders Through Outdoor Education
- Sonnie Trotter – On Flow, Family, and the Long Game
- Vincent Stanley – Lessons Learned from Patagonia’s First Fifty Years
- Rick Ridgeway – Purpose-Driven Adventurer
Visit the podcast page for a full, searchable list of episodes
