EP 92 The Secret To Unshakable Calm In A Crisis with Maria “Majo” Cortes

What happens when a former social activist ends up leading sustainability for the largest solar energy producer in Latin America? In this episode of the Human Future podcast, host Kirill sits down with Maria "Majo" Cortes a Mexican-born leader living in Miami who has spent 15 years in the energy sector, and who meditates twice a day to fuel her impact. Majo shares her journey from teaching illiterate adults to read in rural Mexico at age 15, to protesting hydropower plants in college, to eventually working inside the very industry she once opposed. She opens up about a health scare that led her to mindfulness, and the deeper meditation practice that replaced it, described through a vivid metaphor of swimming pools versus oceans. The conversation explores how sustainability and profitability coexist, how her company increased women's participation in renewable energy projects from 2% to over 20%, and what a borderless, compassionate future might look like. Majo also offers grounded advice for leaders struggling with burnout and lost purpose.00:00 Trailer: “The Secret To Unshakable Calm In A Crisis”04:06 Teaching Adults to Read: Literacy Campaigns in Rural Mexico09:13 From Anti-Industry Activist to Energy Sector Leader11:45 Billion-Dollar Decisions: Assessing Risk and Building for Good18:33 Navigating Community Politics and Earning Local Trust25:21 Empowering Women in Renewable Energy: From 2% to 20%31:24 A Health Scare, Mindfulness, and the Meditation That Changed Everything36:59 Leading Without Fear: How Inner Work Transforms the Workplace43:05 Would Universal Inner Peace Make the World Stagnant?48:04 Humanity as a Super Organism and the True Nature of AI53:17 Advice for Leaders: Purpose, Burnout, and the Courage to ExploreThis show has been brought to you by 22HUMANS Podcast Agency. If you need help with launching or growing your own show, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]. We would be happy to help!About Maria "Majo" CortesRole: Head of Sustainability & ESG at Atlas Renewable EnergyLinkedIn: majocorteslInstagram: majocloretoCompany: Atlas Renewable EnergyAbout the Host: Kirill IgnatieffLinks: https://igkirill.comOther LinksInstagram: https://humanfutur.com/instagramYouTube: https://humanfutur.com/youtubeTikTok: https://humanfutur.com/tiktokWebsite: https://humanfutur.comSpotify: https://humanfutur.com/spotifyApple Podcast: https://humanfutur.com/applepodcast