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Five years ago this month, during a camper van surf trip around New Zealand, I came up with the idea of starting SustainabilityNext. I didn’t know what it would be called then, and I wasn’t sure how my experiences would all fit together to make it happen, but I knew it had to be born. After more than 15 years working professionally on environmental and social issues, in government, philanthropy, and with the nonprofit and private sectors, across the U.S. and around the world, I knew it was time to bring my experiences together in a more coherent way to make a difference.
The statistics around our planet’s social and environmental challenges are daunting, and pose important questions about growth and our future. But for every scary data point about the warming climate, growing economic inequity, or the breakdown of trust in democratic institutions, there is a story documenting immeasurable human courage and innovation turning a problem on its head. Businesses are leading the way on critical issues like climate change, and poverty and gender inequality, and those that do are generally the healthiest financially. Millennials are demanding more transparency and accountability from all institutions, including businesses, and launching movements via social media that have the power to change lives. Cities around the world are doubling down on their commitments to build green and affordable housing and to reduce pollution. I have to believe progress is in reach, and I know there is always a next, positive step we can take towards building sustainable businesses and communities. Hence the new name.
With my practical Maine roots and a good dose of California optimism cultivated during the last decade living in San Diego, I bring a can-do attitude to my clients to get results. Using proven techniques in stakeholder engagement, research and benchmarking, materiality assessments, and by developing transformational programs and investments for our clients, SustainabilityNext will help businesses, foundations and communities realize the potential opportunities in a world where we: listen to each other, minimize waste, mitigate risk, and tap into innovation and cross sector collaboration to achieve more impact.
I look forward to sharing my unique blend of skills, experiences and perspectives with you in the months ahead. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to start a dialogue or discuss how I can help you take the next step on your sustainability journey.