Good Things Happening! Just under the surface..‪.‬ Derek Sabori | The Underswell

Lewis Perkins is President at the solutions-oriented industry partner Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) - an industry organization driving collaboration between fashion industry stakeholders. Aii identifies, funds, and measures the impact of sector decarbonization solutions and is aligned with some of the industry’s heaviest hitters. In fact, you might have heard about the announcement of their lead funders for a game-changing $250M Fashion Climate Fund, uniting brands, philanthropic donors, and industry stakeholders.

This is an ambitious task, but Lewis is an ambitious (yet very realistic) leader.  

And it’s not just me saying that - Lewis has been recognized as one of Vogue Business’ 100 Innovators: Sustainability thought leaders at the forefront of sustainability, hand-selected by Vogue Business editors, and featured on The Earthshot Prize’s Expert Advisory Panel.

In addition to an impressive sustainability resume that includes time at the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute and Mohawk Industries, Lewis has drive, passion, and an intense understanding of the landscape and what it will take to drive, fund, and scale change.

In this conversation, Lewis essentially leads a masterclass on how sustainability in the industry has evolved and where it’s headed.

If you’re leading a movement, seeking systems change, feeling challenged with the idea of scaling the solutions you’ve been piloting, or wondering how to get the money to fund your world-changing solution, then this one’s for you.

Here are some of the key takeaways from our talk:


Circularity/ Redesigning Systems
Financing solutions, specifically the concept of catalytic capital 
Unlocking the Trillion-Dollar Fashion Decarbonisation Opportunity
The importance of Supplier Engagement
The pivot point that drew him into the impact space
The importance of getting out of the pilot phase cycle and moving into the era of scale and permanence
Convincing and winning over investors
And so much more.

SDG Alignment: #6 Clean Water & Sanitation, #7 Affordable and Clean Energy, #8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, #9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure,, #12 Responsible Consumption and Production, #13 Climate Action, #17 Partnerships for the Goals

Links:

 


Cradle to Cradle Institute | https://c2ccertified.org/

 


Cradle to Cradle “Fashion Positive” | https://fashionpositive.org/circular-materials/#:~:text=Fashion%20Positive%20was%20launched%20at,impact%20on%20people%20and%20planet.
Sustainable Apparel Coalition | https://apparelcoalition.org/
Net Impact - https://netimpact.org/ 
BSR | Business for Social Responsibility | https://www.bsr.org/en/ 
We Mean Business Coalition | https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/ 
Global Fashion Agenda | https://globalfashionagenda.org/ 
Unlocking the Trillion Dollar Opportunity | https://apparelimpact.org/reports/unlocking-the-trillion-dollar-fashion-decarbonisation-opportunity-report/ 
Catalytic Capital - https://www.macfound.org/programs/catalytic-capital-consortium/ 
World Resource Institute | https://www.wri.org/ 
Fashion Conveners | https://www.fashionconveners.org/quarterly-briefings/q3-2023?utm_source=Social-Media&utm_medium=LinkedIn&utm_campaign=Q3-TE-LinkedIn
Aii Clean by Design | https://apparelimpact.org/what-is-cbd/
NRDC | https://www.nrdc.org/
Dr. Linda Greer on Lewis and Friends Podcast! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qnZkyqkhGc 
Lewis & Friends Podcast | https://www.youtube.com/@lewisperkins2230/videos
USGBC | LEED Certifications | https://www.usgbc.org/leed

Also:

Be sure to check out our insightful conversation with Jessica Marati Radparvar, founder and lead impact strategist at Reconsidered: https://www.theunderswell.com/podcasts/good-things-happening-just-under-the-surface/episodes/2148280074 

We cover topics like this in our weekly newsletter - Subscribe now and get the free sustainability resource guide - available at https://www.theunderswell.com/35mustknows

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Jessica Marati Radparvar is the founder and lead impact strategist at Reconsidered. Home of The Change Hub, her latest project, Reconsidered is an impact strategy and communications studio focused on helping sustainable business leaders drive bigger, bolder, more sustainable change. If you ask her passionate and loyal community and network, they’ll tell you she’s doing just that.

Through her company, Jessica creates resources, teaches courses, and consults on ESG strategy and communications for leading brands and organizations — all toward a vision of a more thriving, just, and resilient world, but not at the cost of her autonomy and balanced life.

Jessica has an undergraduate degree in History from Princeton University, received her MBA from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business, worked at PVH, and counts brands like Etsy, Eileen Fisher, Mailchimp, and J. Crew as her clients.

We spoke about all that, and how she draws inspiration and motivation from her native Chamoru and Italian roots; her upbringing in Guam, San Francisco, and Rome; the time she spent living abroad, and how she’s doing all this and making time for the park with her toddler son.

Like previous guests on the show, Jessica’s career path has meandered and was built on a solid education, but as she told me, it always felt like all paths were leading her to this work. Impact and sustainability work that, while definitely not exclusive to it, often focuses on fashion, apparel, and textiles.

I had such a relatable conversation with Jessica, and I’m so excited for you to dive in and hear all her uplifting stories and valuable advice on things ranging from work-life balance to dealing with the - as she says: fire-hose of new changes that are coming at sustainability practitioners and leads today. If you know, you know - It’s not getting any easier out there….

So, whether you’re already working in sustainability or are hoping to someday, or are wondering where to start with ESG, want your company doing more, or are thinking about raising a family as an entrepreneur… this one’s for you.

Here are some of the key takeaways from our talk:


Reconsidered’s exciting Change Hub
Experience at/with world-class brands/groups
Freelance journalism & world experience
Consulting & communications
The ins-and-outs of ESG, Sustainability, Social Impact
Adding value (resources) for your audience
The entrepreneurial journey (striking a balance)
Working Mom, prioritizing autonomy
Careers aren’t linear, but you do have to connect the dots
Gratitude and appreciation for community
Resilience when things don’t go as planned
Making the most of your college experience
The power of multi-cultural exposure
Degrowth as a solution
Industry Burnout
Change Management

#3 Good Health & Well Being, #4 Quality Education, #5 Gender Equality, #8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, #10 Reduced Inequalities, #12 Responsible Consumption and Production, #13 Climate Action

Links:


Reconsidered - https://www.reconsidered.co/
Reconsidered’s Industry-recognized newsletter - https://www.reconsidered.co/sign-up
Reconsidered’s jobs board - https://jobs.reconsidered.co/ 
Reconsidered’s private LinkedIn community https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13847179/
Change Hub - https://www.changehub.co/
Jessica Marati Radparvar - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicamradparvar/
NYU Stern’s Center for Business and Human Rights - https://bhr.stern.nyu.edu/
FTC Green Guides - https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/topics/truth-advertising/green-guides
McPherson Strategies - https://www.mcpstrategies.com/

Also: Be sure to check out our conversation with Jill Stoneberg, Sr. Director of Social Impact and Sustainability at Virgin Voyages - the award-winning cruise ship division of the Virgin Group: https://www.theunderswell.com/podcasts/good-things-happening-just-under-the-surface/episodes/2148230147

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Jill Stoneberg is Sr. Director of Social Impact and Sustainability at Virgin Voyages - the award-winning cruise ship division of the Virgin Group - helping create a Sea Change for All in the cruise industry. If you haven’t heard, they’re turning heads and helping push the cruise industry (not typically considered a beacon of sustainable development) forward into a more sustainable future.

While many professionals in this role worked their way into it through product design, marketing, communications, or engineering tracks, Jill was seemingly born into this work. She attended an environmental studies high school and has been on a steady path of sustainability-focused positions since her undergraduate studies under an environment/society hybrid major she created.

Since then, she’s earned an MBA in Sustainable Management and worked in sustainability for companies like Avaya and Intuit before landing what sounds like a dream job for her. Jill leads the company's sustainability and social impact strategy and collaborates cross-functionally to identify priorities and define goals and KPIs. Additionally, she regularly briefs senior management on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) topics and performance.

You might be surprised to learn how holistic sustainability was already baked into the vision of the Virgin Voyages company - even before Jill arrived - and how many initiatives Jill has executed and rolled out since her hiring back in 2018 (before the first ship's maiden voyage). But what likely won’t surprise you is how passionate Jill is about this work, how much she believes still needs to be done, and what she hopes to achieve in her lifetime.

This was such a fun, insightful, and inspiring conversation. Jill’s love of the company, her work, and her hopes for the future are infectious, and one can’t help but get drawn into her vision and hopes. This ability to draw you in and get you on board (pun intended) is what it takes to be a sustainability leader today. Even if you have all the right credentials.

Our conversation included:


Fitting in at a company like Virgin
How deep sustainability work requires full leadership support
What it takes to drive change in an organization
The progress Jill’s been able to make at Virgin Voyages
The challenges that still lie ahead
Managing sustainability investment costs
Putting people at the center of your initiatives
Making sustainability part of your organization’s culture Advice to aspiring sustainability professionals (and others in the workforce)
And much more

Links:


Virgin Sea Change Promo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylxXSuGAgPw
Sustainability at Virgin Voyages - https://www.virginvoyages.com/sustainability
Virgin Voyages 2022-2023 Impact Report - https://www.virginvoyages.com/ahoy/stories/virgin-voyages-impact-report-2023
thinkPARALLAX - https://www.thinkparallax.com/
PangeaSeed Foundation - https://pangeaseed.org/
Presidio Graduate School - https://www.presidio.edu/ Mote Marine Lab - https://mote.org/
Virgin Unite - https://unite.virgin.com/index.html?region=us
Branson Center of Entrepreneurship - https://bransoncentre.co/ Climeon - https://climeon.com/
Ceres - https://www.ceres.org/

SDG Alignment

#3 Good Health & Well Being, #5 Gender Equality, #6 Clean Water & Sanitation, #8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, #9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, #12 Responsible Consumption and Production, #13 Climate Action, #14 Life Below Water

Also: Be sure to check out our conversation with Richard Yelland, Director of the film Seeding Change, and Professor Nichole Wissman, who’s using it to inspire students: https://www.theunderswell.com/podcasts/good-things-happening-just-under-the-surface/episodes/2148192137

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The film Seeding Change debuted on Earth Day 2021, eventually reaching its intended audience: academia. Enter Dr. Nichole Wissman, an Assistant Professor of Management at the University of San Diego and the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the school’s Environmental Integration Lab. She saw the value in showing this to her students and reached out to the film’s director Richard - Producer & Writer, Chief Storyteller, and Director at Curtis Birch - an Emmy® nominated and Webby Award-Winning shop - and the two immediately teamed up to share the powerful sustainability and triple bottom line stories with future business leaders at the college.

Seeding Change is about “triple bottom line” businesses that consider the social, environmental, and financial impacts of their companies and address some of today’s most challenging issues–whether it’s soil degradation, climate change, or the ocean plastic crisis. It’s gone on to win multiple sustainability and social change awards and is currently available to watch for free here.

My conversation with Richard and Dr. Wissman is an intersection of our collective experiences with this film and the thoughts that have come from talking to others who have watched it, and/or appreciate its story. We covered a lot of ground here, but it was fun weaving together the perspectives of the filmmaker, a sustainability consultant, and an academic.

Links:


Seeding Change | The Power of Conscious Commerce - https://seedingchangefilm.com/
Knauss School of Business, University of San Diego - https://www.sandiego.edu/business/
UC San Diego’s Environmental Integration Lab - https://www.sandiego.edu/sustainability/get-involved/environmental-integration-lab.php
About Dr. Nichol Wissman - https://www.sandiego.edu/business/faculty-and-research/biography.php?profile_id=7890
Curtis Birch Production Company - https://curtisbirch.com/
USD Changemaker Hub - https://www.sandiego.edu/changemaker/
Ashoka Changemaker Campus - https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/ashoka-changemaker-campus
Sambazon | Why We Exist - https://www.sambazon.com/pages/why-we-exist
About Paul Hawken - https://paulhawken.com/
Paul Hawken’s Regeneration - https://regeneration.org/the-book
Checkerspot | bio-based petroleum replacement - https://checkerspot.com/
Inversa | Luxury leather from invasive species - https://www.inversaleathers.com/
Roco Films - https://rocofilms.com/films/seeding-change/
Planetary Boundaries, Stockholm Resilience Centre - https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary-boundaries.html

SDG Alignment

#1 No Poverty, #3 Good Health & Well Being, #4 Quality Education, #8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, #10 Reduced Inequalities, #11 Sustainable Cities & Communities, #12 Responsible Consumption and Production, #13 Climate Action, #15 Life on Land, #17 Partnerships for the Goals

Also: Be sure to check out our conversation with Sierra Brown, Co-Founder of Changing Current - an organization committed to promoting diversity and inclusivity within the surf travel industry: https://www.theunderswell.com/podcasts/good-things-happening-just-under-the-surface/episodes/2148154775

We cover topics like this in our weekly newsletter - Subscribe now and get the free sustainability resource guide - Available at https://www.theunderswell.com/35mustknows

Looking for more structured sustainability learning? Check out our School of Understanding. Link here: https://www.theunderswell.com/pkgs

PS: Recorded on RIverside FM - Interested? Do us both a favor: Click here (https://riverside.fm/pricing?via=derek-sabori ) to create your account. You’ll be impressed, and we’ll be rewarded.

#sustainability #amazon #rainforest #fairtrade #careers #triplebottomline #keeplearning #acai #seedingchangefilm #empowerment #sandiego #documentary #collaboration #storytelling #academia #changemakers #socialentrepreneurship #KnaussSchoolofBusiness

Intro/Outro music by QubeSounds from Pixabay.

Thanks for watching and/or listening!

Sierra Brown just wants to surf. But she’s pretty busy now as the co-founder and program Coordinator at Changing Current - an organization committed to promoting diversity and inclusivity within the surf travel industry. Changing Current’s hope is to foster a community of empowered individuals who not only gain access to new experiences but also become advocates for a more just and equitable society.

And while that’s an impressive title, Sierra’s a little reluctant to own up to it. Namely, because Sierra is still so new to all this… she’s new at being a founder, she’s new at running a non-profit, she’s relatively new to surfing, to modeling… and if you ask her, she’s still trying to figure it all out herself. But that said, Sierra has some very wise words and a perspective that I was eager to hear more from.

You see, Sierra and I are both surfers. But as a black woman who surfs, Sierria’s experience has been much different than mine. Of course, as we discuss, those facts definitely don’t define her. But they provide the backdrop for her lived experience, and that’s an experience I wanted to learn more about.

In our conversation, Sierra shares her journey from getting the job, quitting the job, taking that first surf lesson, making that first trip to Costa Rica, and realizing that, yes, surfing and traveling were for her.

Sierra’s been through a lot these last few years, and in our chat, she speaks openly about being in - and working her way out of - a dark place. She shares stories that many of us might be familiar with: struggling to get that lucky break, feeling overworked, and overwhelmed with adulting… but all in all, this is a story of joy. Knowing where to find it, how to tap into it, and how to create it for others. And it’s a story about going places; both physically and figuratively. There’s a lot in here to soak up.

Here are some of topics we touched on:


Chasing your dreams after college is tough (period)
Learning where you thrive and where you don’t is crucial
Chasing the entertainment industry dream can be brutal
The growing pains of growing up
Making tackling mental wellness your priority
The frustrations of developing a career
The value of self-discovery
Dealing with stress and depression
Finding purpose
The power of the ocean and the joy of surfing
Finding your community and support network
Appreciating shared values above all else
The realities of being a Black surfer
The power of travel and global experiences
The challenges that come with starting a non-profit organization
The excitement of what lies ahead

SDG Alignment: #5 Gender Equality, #10 Reduced Inequalities, #17 Partnerships for the Goals

Links: 


Sierra Raequel - https://www.instagram.com/sierraraequel/reels/ 
Eliette Singleton -https://www.instagram.com/eliettesingleton/reels/
@Black.surfers https://www.instagram.com/black.surfers/?hl=en
@Kayitaj - https://www.instagram.com/kayiitaj/?hl=en
Textured Waves - https://www.instagram.com/texturedwaves/
Ebony Beach Club - https://ebonybeachclub.com/
@Brick - https://www.instagram.com/____brick/?hl=en
Intrsxtn Surf - https://www.instagram.com/intrsxtn_surf/?hl=en
Color the Water - https://www.colorthewater.org/
WOW Surf Camp - https://www.wowsurfcamp.com/
OneOC for nonprofits - https://oneoc.org/
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson (the book Sierra was reading)- https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/57926137

Also: Be sure to check out our conversation with Michael Stewart, Co-Founder of Sustainable Surf and their SeaTrees blue carbon and EcoBoard sustainable surfboard projects: https://www.theunderswell.com/podcasts/good-things-happening-just-under-the-surface/episodes/2148116934

We cover topics like this in our weekly newsletter - Subscribe now and get the free sustainability resource guide - Available at https://www.theunderswell.com/35mustknows

Looking for more structured sustainability learning? Check out our School of Understanding. Link here: https:/

If you ask Michael Stewart, he owes it all to the ocean – and art school. Michael is the co-founder of Sustainable Surf, whose SeaTrees, Ecoboard Project, and Ocean Positive programs highlight the need to reverse climate change and serve - for all of us - as onramps to living a more sustainable lifestyle.

Sustainable Surf was formed in 2011 when co-founders Michael Stewart and Kevin Whilden saw an opportunity to use the global appeal of surf culture to convince people that a more sustainable future is within reach. But, founding a nonprofit was a leap of faith, and before that, they both had good day jobs they had to convince themselves to leave to pursue this mission. 

Michael’s passion for the ocean and the lessons he’s learned from surfing come through loud and clear (and I think you’ll appreciate them). But, as a lifelong surfer, Michael points out that he was a part of the community seeing the early effects of climate change in the ocean, and that was pivotal in convincing him to take on the challenge.

Sustainable Surf takes an optimistic and solutions-focused approach but won’t shy away from the fact that there’s no time to waste. The global scientific consensus is clear - we have until  2030 to reduce our collective carbon footprint to avoid passing a catastrophic climate tipping point. 

An action-oriented organization, Sustainable Surf has planted & restored more than 3 Million sea trees, and helped define the sustainable surfboard movement. They’ve partnered with brands & companies (that you’ve likely heard of) well beyond just the “surf” industry, and if you ask him, they’re just getting started.

If you’ve got an entrepreneurial spirit, are building or working with a nonprofit, or are looking for ways to make an impact, you’ll want to hear Michael’s story and advice.

Here are some of the key takeaways from our talk:


Tapping into the power of surfing
The benefits of ocean ecosystems
Climate action - what you can do right now
Finding a business partner that complements your expertise
Why artists make the best entrepreneurs
Turning your idea into a reality
Taking it slow, nurturing your customer, building trust for the long-run
Running your non-profit like an ecommerce company
The power of storytelling
Life lessons you learn from surfing
Making a career out of what you love

SDG Alignment: #1 No Poverty, #2 Zero Hunger, #3 Good Health & Well Being, #4 Quality Education, #5 Gender Equality, #6 Clean Water & Sanitation, #8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, #9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, #10 Reduced Inequalities, #13 Climate Action, #14 Life Below Water, #15 Life on Land

Links:


Sustainable Surf - https://www.sustainablesurf.org/
SeaTrees - https://sea-trees.org/ 
The EcoBoard Project - https://ecoboard.sustainablesurf.org/
Become an Ocean Positive Brand - https://sea-trees.org/pages/ocean-positive-brands 
Surfrider - https://www.surfrider.org/ 
Save the Waves - https://www.savethewaves.org/ 
Surfers Against Sewage UK - https://www.sas.org.uk/ 
World Mangrove Day - https://www.unesco.org/en/days/mangrove-ecosystem-conservation 
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - https://sdgs.un.org/ 

Also:

Be sure to check out our conversation with Tricia Carey, Chief Commercial Officer at Renewcell, makers of CIRCULOSE®  the 100% recycled raw material input for textile fibers: https://www.theunderswell.com/podcasts/good-things-happening-just-under-the-surface/episodes/2148091549 

We cover topics like this in our weekly newsletter - Subscribe now and get the free sustainability resource guide - Available at https://www.theunderswell.com/35mustknows

Looking for more structured sustainability learning? Check out our School of Understanding. Link here: https://www.theunderswell.com/pkgs

PS: Recorded on RIverside FM - Interested? Do us both a favor: Click here (https://riverside.fm/pricing?via=derek-sabori ) to create your account. You’ll be impressed, and we’ll b