Meet Shira Dickler Schneck: How Theatre and Activism Shaped Our Marketing Manager’s Path to ESG

At ECO-OS, we're lucky to have passionate team members who bring a wide range of backgrounds and experiences into the world of ESG and sustainability reporting software. We sat down with Shira Dickler Schneck, our Marketing Manager, and learned more about her atypical career journey, her role at our company and the latest project she can't stop talking about.

How did you become interested in ESG?

My interest in environmental values started early. I grew up in a recycling family, where separating paper, plastic and metal was a normal part of life. In college at the University of Maryland, College Park, I was drawn to student groups centered around social justice. In 2007, my interest in climate deepened when my campus hosted the Power Shift conference-- which became the largest activist youth event on climate change in history! This experience sparked my passion for environmental activism and led me to focus my studies on environmental science and policy.

Can you describe your role at ECO-OS?

As the Marketing Manager, I get to help shape the ECO-OS brand and how we communicate it to new and existing customers. My responsibilities range from managing our LinkedIn account (follow us!), creating content for the ECO-OS blog (read it!), promoting new products (heard of the CSRD Navigator?), planning webinars (next one coming soon!) and more. Beyond marketing, I'm also responsible for onboarding and training new and existing customers, helping them leverage our ESG reporting platform to meet and surpass their sustainability goals.

I heard you've had a rather dynamic career journey. Tell me more.

I've definitely had a few career pivots-- I have advanced degrees in Sustainability as well as Theatre. For a few years, I explored how theatre could be used as a tool for environmental education, and even wrote a climate-change themed musical called "A Hot Mess". I've also published research on the environmental impact of the beef industry, lived on a farm and spent a few years running environmental education programs in schools.

These diverse experiences have all prepared me for my current role at ECO-OS, which requires creativity, research, analytical skills and above all, the ability to communicate complex ideas in an accessible way. It makes learning new skills and concepts easier, as I always have some relevant experience or knowledge I can pull from.

Any notable ESG marketing projects you’re excited about?

I'm currently leading the "Carbon Footprint This or That" series, inspired by our latest product: the C-mulator, a carbon footprint simulation tool. I've taken inspiration from how the C-mulator uses gamification to demonstrate the impact of a company's sustainability-optimized materials.

Through "This or That" I've created colorful and accessible ways to visualize the differences in carbon footprints of two competing household items (for example: wrapping a holiday gift in yesterday's newspaper vs. traditional wrapping paper). It's a creative way to make sustainability accessible to a wider audience by translating complex environmental concepts into relatable, everyday choices.

Can you share a fun fact about yourself?

When I'm not at work or taking care of my three little rugrats, you'll find me out for a run in nature or playing mahjong with friends or family. I learned the game from my mother and grandmother, and have become an avid player!

Glossary

Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG): A comprehensive framework used to evaluate a company's commitment to sustainable and ethical practices. ESG encompasses three key areas: Environmental factors, such as a company's carbon footprint, resource usage, and environmental stewardship; Social factors, including employee relations, community involvement, and human rights; and Governance factors, which assess corporate leadership, transparency, ethical behavior, and stakeholder engagement. ESG criteria help stakeholders understand and evaluate a company's long-term sustainability and ethical impact on the world, guiding investment and operational decisions.

Carbon Footprint:  A measure of the greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere by a person, company, product, or activity. A larger carbon footprint indicates a bigger contribution to climate change. Calculating a carbon footprint involves summing up GHG emissions produced in three main categories: Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, and the final sum is typically presented in units of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CO2e).