Break Some Dishes

Karry King and Martin Schneider found themselves compelled to help their town of La Salle, Illinois after a toxic disaster and chemical fire at the Carus Chemical Plant. Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com. This episode was produced by Rob Schulte. Break Some Dishes is presented by Davies Office.

In this new episode, co-host Verda Alexander sits down with special guest Lisa Tucker, Head of the Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management at Virginia Tech. Lisa shares her journey from a background in historic preservation to integrating sustainability into interior design education. She discusses her research on the impact of biophilic design in educational spaces and emphasizes the importance of nurturing curiosity and confidence in young designers.Join us as we explore the role of academia in shaping the next generation of environmentally conscious designers, and challenge conventional design norms to embrace a more sustainable and responsible approach!

In this episode of Break Some Dishes, Jon Strassner sits down for a one-on-one conversation with Linda Sorrento from mindful MATERIALS.They share their history of collaboration and how Linda inspired Jon to pursue a career in sustainability. Linda talks about her family's legacy of purpose and her journey into the design field with a focus on research and sustainability. The episode highlights the importance of curiosity, exploration, and commitment for young designers looking to make a positive impact on the environment and human well-being. It encourages designers to take the next step in the field of sustainable design, leveraging the knowledge available today and emphasizing the power of collective action and support.The podcast provides an insightful discussion on the journey of sustainable design through personal inspiration, professional development, and the ongoing need for progress in creating healthier and more sustainable spaces for people.Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production.

In this episode of Break Some Dishes, co-host Verda Alexander sits down for a conversation with Jenn Chen, Principal Interior Designer at LMN Architects.They first discuss Jenn's groundbreaking research that has revealed the cyclical nature of interior renovations as it significantly contributes to carbon emissions, rivaling the impact of building structures themselves. Their conversation dives into the need for greater awareness and responsibility within the industry, challenging traditional practices and exploring sustainable alternatives.Explore the transformative power of interior design through a conversation about the importance of shifting mindsets, embracing reuse and preservation, and considering the lifecycle of materials. By examining the decisions we make and developing practical tools for change, Jenn advocates for a more conscious approach to interior design that prioritizes environmental stewardship.Follow Break Some Dishes on Social Media Instagram and Linkedin.Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production by OFS.

Join host Jon Strassner as he engages in a conversation with Ken Wilson, Design Principal at Perkins&Will in Washington D.C. With over two decades of friendship, Jon and Ken delve into Ken's career journey, the evolution of sustainable design, and the critical role of sustainability in shaping the future of the industry.Ken discusses founding his own design firm that embraced sustainable design early on with clients including Greenpeace, the Environmental Defense Fund, the World Wide Fund for Nature, the United Nations Environment Programme, and Conservation International. Ken's passion for sustainable design extends beyond his professional life. He also shares his personal pursuit of sustainability as he designs his own eco-friendly home in Utah.Together, Jon and Ken explore the transformative impact of technology and how it has empowered designers to envision and execute better designs with sustainability in mind. Ken encourages younger designers to take the initiative and gain design expertise in sustainability, becoming influential agents of change and shaping a better future.Don't miss this thought-provoking episode of Break Some Dishes, available on your favorite podcast platforms. Tune in to be inspired by Jon Strassner and his guest, Ken Wilson, as they unveil the transformative potential of design and sustainability.Check out the roundtable conversation with Ken Wilson, Jon Strassner, and other insightful sustainable design leaders on YouTube.Follow Break Some Dishes on Social Media Instagram and Linkedin.Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production by OFS.

Earth Day: Activate AccordinglyJoin Jon and Verda during this special episode for Earth Day 2023 discussing activism!They look at the history of activism and its importance in creating social change, emphasizing design and activating locally. They also examine influencing large corporations and the government, encouraging people to take action by joining a passionate group, downloading an app, or tweeting. There are many different ways to be an activist, from marching to voting to mobilizing others, find what fits you and activate today.Follow us on Social MediaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/breaksomedishes/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/84103279/admin/Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production by OFS: http://ofs.com/imagineaplace

We are breaking some dishes a little differently with this new roundtable episode discussing climate, health, and equity! Our panel of roundtable guests talks with Jon Strassner and Verda Alexander about the importance of creating equitable and sustainable designs that are healthy and accessible to everyone. The group emphasizes the need for further education and understanding of green practices and available resources. They also touch on the power of students to influence the future, how to talk about sustainable design in a way that celebrates the client, and materials reuse and reclamation.Guest lineup includes:David Cordell, Associate Principal at Perkins&Will DCJenn Chen, Principal Interior Designer at LMN ArchitectsLisa Tucker, Design Professor and Department Head at Virginia TechKen Wilson, Design Principal at Perkins&Will DCCheck out the full roundtable conversation between these design leaders to gain insights and ideas on how you can impact sustainability through design.Follow us on Social MediaInstagramLinkedInBreak Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production by OFS: http://ofs.com/imagineaplace

According to Natalie Nixon, more organizations need to have improvisational ways of working. Natalie says, “The future of work is Jazz.” Jazz is a model for new ways to work and optimize creativity. Described as a one-of-a-kind creativity expert, Natalie is the Creative Strategist and CEO at strategy firm, Figure 8 Thinking.In this episode, Natalie talks with Jon and Verda about the importance of wonder and rigor when it comes to creativity and innovation, the ethics of aesthetics, jazz and improv in the workplace, the responsibility designers hold as the gatekeepers to how we navigate the world, and more.Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production, presented by OFS: ofs.com/imagineaplace

Let's break some dishes with game changers in sustainability LIVE from Greenbuild 2022!Our guests today talk with Jon and Verda about how they lead and make sustainable change in different ways through biomaterials and carbon capture, water and energy conservation, design accountability, carbon offsets, or resource reuse.Guest lineup includes:> Elizabeth Bridges, Co-founder at Sum Studio and OurCarbon> Alisha McFetridge, Co-founder & CEO at RainStick> Sean McFetridge, Co-founder & CTO at RainStick> Ren Decherney, Built Environment Lead at Cradle to Cradle> Garr Punnett, Chief Impact Officer at Rheaply> Rebecca Best, EVP Sustainability at Material BankLearn more from these change leaders that are creating solutions for a more sustainable future and a circular economy. Check out the additional tips they recommend for you to help effect change in your own communities.Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production, presented by OFS: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place

We are breaking into the New Year with a twist. Our January episode kicks us off into 2023 where Jon and Verda have an insightful one-on-one conversation with each other. Guided by research, articles, and books the pair have read lately, they discuss different topics to lead us into 2023 including:- Green technology- What it means to be in "Goblin Mode"- Behavior habits and healthcare - Difficulties in making lasting change 2023 is here, let's get ready to break some dishes! Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production, presented by OFS: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place

The Cruise Ship Interiors Expo is the world's only exhibition and conference exclusively dedicated to connecting the cruise design industry - and Break Some Dishes had the unique opportunity to podcast LIVE from the event! In today's episode, you'll hear from:Jon Ingleton | Executive Editor of Cruise & Ferry InteriorsMy Nguyen | Director of Interior Design, Holland America GroupGreg Walton | Founding Partner, Studio DadoThese amazing guests sat down to educate us on the sustainable innovation happening in the cruise industry, as well as the challenges this industry looks to address in the near future. Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production, presented by OFS: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place

Our guest today, Akshat Rathi, comes to us with a background in engineering and is a Senior Climate Reporter at Bloomberg, focused on shaping the energy and climate change conversation around the world. In this episode, Akshat discusses with Jon and Verda the different levers to be pulled to create climate action including policy, business, technology, people, and the media. He talks about technology trends, where the green opportunities lie for large companies, how media and the younger generation are influencing the climate crisis, and more. Read more from Akshat Rathi on Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/authors/AUdOobfNzkQ/akshat-rathi Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production, presented by OFS: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place

How can we truly create radical change? Well, according to Jennifer Allyn, it's time to harness the power of the private sector to solve the climate crisis - and it starts with empowering YOU to motivate your company to support climate policy. Described as a true climate champion, Jennifer Allyn is the Director of Programs and Campaigns at ClimateVoice, an organization working to unlock corporate influence to address the crisis at scale. In today's episode, Jennifer will explain how we can each begin to raise our climate voices to push our companies to lobby for bold and equitable climate policy, as well as take more swift action to achieve our organization's climate goals. Learn more about ClimateVoice: https://climatevoice.org/ Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production, presented by OFS: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place

For this Break Some Dishes episode, our guest is the Founding Principal and Chief Design Officer of MASS Design Group, Alan Ricks! MASS stands for Model of Architecture Serving Society and Alan does just that, leading the strategy and design of projects around the globe and advancing the role of design to create a more equitable and just world. In this episode, Alan, Jon, and Verda come together to discuss the importance of creating a balance in the built environment and the impact of design choices to create change, social justice, and more. Get to know MASS Design Group: https://www.massdesigngroup.org/ Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production, presented by OFS: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place

LIVE from NeoCon part 2 is here! In the last installment of our Live from NeoCon series, we chat with six incredible guests, all with unique backgrounds and experiences, to help us discover new ways of thinking and exploring fresh ideas in the world of design and sustainability. In today's episode, you'll hear from: Paul Shahriari | Founder & Chief Innovation Officer | ecomedes Elizabeth Whelan | Founder and Principal |Elizabeth Whelan Design David Cordell | Senior Technical Coordinator, Sustainability leader, and Associate Principal | Perkins+Will Rebekah Matheny | Associate Professor, Department of Design | The Ohio State University Judd Rosengart | Sr. VP of Sales Uhuru Design | Co-Founder Heirloom Design Dave Bryant | Vice President at One Workplace | Co-Founder at Heirloom Design From the OFS showroom in Chicago, these amazing guests sat down to discuss the intersection of design, sustainability, and technology, how to truly eliminate harmful materials, and why the time is now for the design community to lean into our creativity to build a better tomorrow. Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production, presented by OFS: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place

And we're LIVE! Ok, we decided to do something a little different...during NeoCon we managed to do a series of podcasts LIVE from the OFS showroom in Chicago. These conversations were incredible and we are so excited to finally share them with you! In today's episode, you'll hear from: Lauren Perich | Senior Designer | Studio O+A Todd Bracher | Founder & Creative Director | Todd Bracher Studio Carolyn Clark Beedle | Director Audience Development | One Workplace These amazing guests sat down to discuss rethinking materials, reimaging the design process, and how the design community just might be the best group to give our world a fighting chance at a more sustainable future. Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production, presented by OFS: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place

John Cary, currently the President & CEO of Eames Institute, is typically busy working his magic to bring design to the people. John has been a key player in the Pro Bono Design movement for a long time, and that doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon. Everyone deserves good design. Verda tells us that interior designers care a lot about people, the problem is that it has traditionally been for a specific group of people. We want more people to experience good design, so join us as we talk with John about Public Architecture, Eames Institute, and more. 

The recycling system is broken. Did you know that only 9% of what we put in blue bin programs is actually recycled? Our guest today is on a mission to address this issue. In today's episode, hear how Ashley Gorrie and her company, Unwasted, are taking a stand to clean up recycling by harnessing the power of design and discarded plastics to create functionally beautiful furniture. When asked why she's pursuing this Unwasted vision when the road seems so challenging, Ashley said, "it may be the crazy entrepreneur in me who doesn't know when to stop, but it's also the right thing to do. I don't know if we will be successful but we are going to try our hardest to fail and win forward in the right direction for change." Learn more about Unwasted: https://www.unwastedtrash.com/ Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production, presented by OFS: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place

Did you know that each year, 17 billion pounds of office furniture ends up in a landfill? This statistic didn't sit well with today's guest, so she decided to do something about it. Today, we welcome Brandi Susewitz - she's the CEO and Founder of Reseat, the first online marketplace for second-life office furniture, and the first step toward a more sustainable, circular industry. In this episode, we explore Brandi's journey to launching Reseat (which is inspiring itself!), as well as explore how it might be time to rethink the furniture industry and get serious about developing a truly circular economy. Learn more about Reseat: https://reseat.com/ Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production, presented by OFS: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place

Are you familiar with sustainable finance? ESG investing? Impact accounting? No? That's ok, neither were we - that is until we met Ken Pucker. Ken is the Advisory Director at Berkshire Partners and a Senior Lecturer at the Fletcher School at Tufts University - he is also the former COO of Timberland. In today's episode, Ken helps pull back the curtain on sustainability reporting, the myth of sustainable fashion, and how accounts just might be the unlikely heroes in giving our world a fighting chance at a more sustainable future. Read more from Ken Pucker on HBR: https://hbr.org/search?term=kenneth%20p.%20pucker Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production, presented by OFS: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place

Our guest today is Todd Sims - he's here to help us answer the question: Can we be friends with plastic? The answer to this question might not be as easy as we think. Todd is the former Director of Sustainability and Market Outreach at the American Chemistry Council and is an experienced and passionate advocate in the fields of sustainability and energy efficiency. In today's episode, he helps guide us through a challenging, nuanced, and important conversation on one of Earth's most troublesome and misused materials - plastic. Join us as we explore what the future holds for plastics and what changes we can make in the design industry to give our planet a fighting chance. Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production, presented by OFS: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place

Ginger Krieg Dosier is the co-founder and CEO of Biomason - and they have a goal to help save our Earth, one brick at a time. Taking inspiration from marine ecosystems, Biomason aims to eliminate the need to emit carbon to produce building materials - developing a way to grow cement bricks and tiles with bacteria in order to replace traditional cement, the production of which, she says, generates more carbon dioxide than all but two countries, China and the United States. Ginger Krieg Dosier and the Biomason team have a BIG goal and disrupting a billion-dollar building materials industry won't be easy, but it's a goal that's worthy of their efforts because as she says "the planet doesn't have time to wait." Learn more about Ginger Krieg Dosier and Biomason: https://biomason.com/ Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production, presented by OFS: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place

Our guest today is Jeff Frost - he's a material specialist with Brightworks Sustainability and co-founder of mindful MATERIALS collaborative; an industry-led initiative to make it easier for building professionals to select products with health and environmental attributes. Jeff is recognized as a national subject matter expert on how building material choices affect human health, climate change, and the environment. In today's episode, we learn from Jeff how healthier materials are a pathway to a healthier planet...and a healthier YOU. Get to know Jeff Frost and Brightworks Sustainability: https://brightworks.net/people/jeff-frost/ Learn more about the Mindful MATERIALS mission: https://www.mindfulmaterials.com/ Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production, presented by OFS: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place

Today, we welcome the Founder & CEO of Humanscale, Bob King. During our discussion, Bob reveals how combining sustainable principles with business acumen has led to industry-leading success. We also explore the problems, complexity, and difficult decisions required to create true progress in sustainability as a manufacturer - including the urgent need for all manufacturers to adopt material transparency and eradicate the use of harmful ingredients...all in an effort to ensure a healthier planet for the future. To learn more Humanscale, please visit: https://www.humanscale.com/ Break Some Dishes is an Imagine a Place Production, presented by OFS: https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place

http://www.porterfox.com/ (Porter Fox), author of "https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/porter-fox/the-last-winter/9780316460934/ (The Last Winter),” trekked the world to tell the story of what he's seen firsthand — a winter that's shrinking. Fox is a lifelong skier, so he has a personal interest in cold, snowy weather. But less winter and less snow doesn't only mean less skiing; it could also spell the end of the natural world as we know it. In today's episode, http://www.porterfox.com/ (Porter Fox) explains what he learned by crisscrossing the globe with scientists and adventurers to better understand the scale of this climate catastrophe and how humans might yet have time to respond. Visit the link below to learn more about http://www.porterfox.com/ (Porter Fox) and pick up your copy of "https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/porter-fox/the-last-winter/9780316460934/ (The Last Winter.)" https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/porter-fox/the-last-winter/9780316460934/

Season 3 of Break Some Dishes is here and we are so excited to be back! In today's episode, we take look into our crystal ball to see what 2022 has in store in the world of sustainability. We also preview our lineup of incredible guests, as we go deep with people who are trying to upend the status quo and find solutions for our planet. But that's not all - we are also BREAKING some news today too! We're so excited to announce that Break Some Dishes is now part of https://ofs.com/announcement/ofs-imagine-place-launches-podcast-network-elevate-industry-voices (Imagine a Place Productions)! Through this new partnership with https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place (Imagine a Place), Break Some Dishes will be part of an amazing podcast network dedicated to gathering industry-leading voices that have the power to inspire and educate through conversation and storytelling. This new podcast network is a culmination of inspiring content centered on issues that are important within our industries, but also globally, and we're so glad that https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place (OFS) shares our passion for a healthy planet and wants to propel these efforts forward. https://apple.co/3oPCCY6 (Listen to our interview) with Doug Shapiro, host of the https://apple.co/3JyTXwF (Imagine a Place Podcast), to learn more about this new partnership and what's ahead for Break Some Dishes. It's going to be a fun year and we look forward to you joining us!

Verda and Jon gather up some of their favorite people for a fun presentation at NeoCon, a big furniture/interior design show. These guests represent some of our favorite episodes over the past year, and we had a blast putting them all together in the same room - like a fun, amazing person stew! Listen to this group talk about design through a lens of climate change and unique design perspectives.

Are we filling our landfills with furniture? We are so accustomed to buying cheap furniture because it's easy and accessible, but why aren't we investing in pieces that will last our lifetime and get passed down to the next generation? Should we treat furniture like art, or family heirlooms meant to be passed on, each piece carrying its own recorded history of ownership? Dave Bryant and Judd Rosengart think so, and so do we! Judd and Dave are founders of an amazing concept called Heirloom Design. They want to create a movement that recognizes beautiful design and keeps it out of landfills. Better yet, they want to preserve the legacy of each piece for the next owner, creating a family tree of ownership that will be forever preserved with the piece. We love this idea, so please tune in and break some dishes with Heirloom Design!

Finally, the interior design profession has come together and created an amazing pledge to impact climate change! This is long overdue, as the potential for interior designers in every segment of the industry is huge! Listen in as Jon and Verda talk with Avi Rajagopal, Editor in Chief of Metropolis Magazine and Gary Wheeler, CEO of ASID as they explain what they want to achieve with this pledge. We are excited, as we see this as a perfect first step to activate our industry to impact change and provide the infrastructure and resources to support everyone in this effort. The interior Design Profession can make a massive impact on climate change, and we are taking a monumental first step!!!

In this episode, Jon and Verda talk with Annie Bevan, Executive Director of Mindful Materials. We are all affected by the materials in our built environment. Can Mindful Materials finally be the "Easy Button" to understanding what we're putting in our spaces? Annie thinks so! Mindful Materials is industry owned and led and really wants to be a resource for all designers out there. We need manufacturers to be transparent and work to optimize impacts by reducing harmful effects of product ingredients. Let's start rewarding the manufacturers who are reducing their impacts. Transparency doesn't mean better, it means you understand. We need manufacturers to start working on reducing toxic chemistry!

Jon and Verda join Jane Abernethy and Annie Bevan in talking about material transparency on a panel with our host, Mortarr CEO Abby Murray. Jane Abernethy is Chief Sustainability Officer for Humanscale and Annie Bevan is the Executive Director of Mindful Materials. Who better to talk about material transparency than these two? Are we paying attention to what goes into product? Some of us are, but many companies still do not know what their suppliers are using in their product. Should we be sitting on furniture and carpet made with mysterious combinations of ingredients? Are we fixing the chemistry of making things? If you don't know about Mortarr, they are breaking a few dishes as well!

This episode of Break Some Dishes finds Verda and Jon talking to an amazing activist by the name of Auden Schendler. Auden has been the Vice President of Sustainability at Aspen Ski Company for over 20 years, and his voice carries an amazing message, actually more than one. We love Auden because he truly offers a unique perspective on tackling climate change. While he began speaking primarily about impacting climate change in a corporate setting, Auden speaks with us about "Corporate Complicity". What are corporations REALLY doing to affect climate change? Are they really doing enough? Are they really just transferring the blame to us? Hey...as Auden said, we didn't wake up today and decide we absolutely had to drive a vehicle that consumes fossil fuels. Auden brings a fresh perspective about rolling up our sleeves and jumping in the trenches to get stuff done!

Jon and Verda talk with Joey Roth about more than just coffee. Joey is an industrial designer who is focused on vessels, crafted from materials that get better with age. Joey wants to design product that people want to fix rather than replace. How long will it last? How long will it be valuable to us? These are important questions. Joey designs better coffee pods that will compost, not sit in landfills. Joey is trying to incorporate positive change in ritualistic behavior, and Verda wants him to address friction in these special moments. Can Joey do it? Tune in and see!!

Jon and Verda talk to a textile designer!! Finally, we get to break dishes with Lori Weitzner, renowned textile designer and environmental activist. Lori introduces us to the idea of "cultural sustainability". How can we preserve the old way of making things while bringing it to scale to serve our industry? Lori tells us to understand what is in abundance, and focusing on that material. She's worked all over the globe, and even activated a small village in the Philippines to apply their craft to textiles, and bring that back to their community. This is social activism at it's finest!

This episode's special guest is Greg Norris. Currently Chief Scientist for the International Living Future Institute and Director of the Sustainability and Health Initiative for Net Positive Enterprise at MIT, Greg Norris is one of the top LCA experts in the country. Amongst his most impressive projects is the creation of "Hand-Printing", where it's not just about choosing to be less bad, but trying to make things better by fixing what we've broken. While we all would love to do this, Greg's program allows large organizations to actually measure their positive impact. Imagine that! Greg has an amazing way of understanding our impact on the planet, and we think you'll love the way he connects!

In this episode, Verda and Jon talk to Marcus Erikson an ex Marine and scientist on a journey to understand what happens with all of our plastic. He has tracked it down the Mississippi, to the world's oceans and finally, into the desert, where it is killing camels. Our plastic trash is everywhere, literally. Join us as we talk with someone who is passionate about exposing it's whereabouts. One part depressing, one part fascinating and one part inspirational, this scientist is going to continue to blow the lid off our plastic problem!

In a departure from our usual science lased, data based episodes, where we chat with environmental engineers, scientists and deep subject matter experts, today we get to chat with one of our own kind! Doug Shapiro, Vice President of Research and Insights at OFS will share his own personal insights and those of OFS. Join us in learning how a company like OFS, who makes furniture, can create harmony outside, a wonderful community and beautiful furniture.

Jason McLennan started the International Living Future Institute. He created the Living Building Challenge, followed by the Living Product Challenge, the Living Community Challenge, The Red List, and the Declare Label just to name a few. Oh, and he also has written 7 books, but otherwise he's a bit of a couch potato and needs goals. When he's not creating new green standards, he's running his own architectural firm, McLennan Design, and when he's not doing that, he's breaking dishes with us! And we found out he's pretty damn good at breaking things!!

Todd Bracher and Tina Cheng are industrial designers in Todd Bracher Studio, but they are so much more than that. They are design strategists, game changers and innovators, and they challenge clients to break some damn dishes. With a multi-disciplinary team, they bring science to design. They are philosophic and thoughtful as well, and their science is not without poetry and art. Todd tells us that a tree is truthful design. It is part of it's eco system. A car or a table are opinions, and we tend to agree. Todd and Tina are in search of truthful design and they may have found it.

Brian Kelly wants to preserve the legacy of our trees. He is a photographer and archivist. Maybe even a tree whisperer? These silent sentinels are hundreds and even thousands of years old and are dying faster than ever before due to human activity and climate change. He is trying to capture their essence as quickly as he can before they are gone. Their legacy is what Gathering Growth, his foundation, plans to leave our children. Photographs of once great trees. We talked to Brian about the wisdom that trees bring to our everyday life. So, the next time you walk outside, don't forget to look up.

Petrice Jones is a successful actor. In fact, we would say he's officially "made it" in Hollywood. So, now he only needs to sit back and watch the money roll in, right? But Petrice is not that kind of actor. He's an activist, so when he saw something, he did something. Petrice noticed the pile of plastic water bottles that accumulated on set while he worked. So, he set out to change the industry by creating a re-usable water bottle that could be handed out on sets, instead of plastic ones. But why save the movie industry when you can save the planet? So, Petrice Jones started The One Movement. Every One Bottle purchased removes 44lb/20kg of low-grade ocean waste (equivalent to 2,000 single-use plastic bottles) and converts it into the raw materials needed to create a house, which he then builds. These are donated to the homeless waste collectors who clean up our waterways. So, not only does One Movement try to provide an alternative to plastic water bottles, it actually is removing ocean waste and impacting the social issues it causes. Wow. You'll love Petrice. We did.

Molly Morse is CEO of Mango Materials. She's also an engineer with a PhD. Wanna guess what she's up to? Get a load of Molly- she's making a biodegradable plastic! That's right...a plastic that doesn't last forever in our environment and wind up in our oceans. And as if that isn't amazing enough, she makes it with methane, a greenhouse gas that is even worse than carbon! That's right, she's taking methane out of our environment while she's making a biodegradable plastic. Interested yet? Tune in to episode 16 to hear Molly break some damn dishes. She's a badass.

Algae can be a good thing. It produces more oxygen and captures more carbon than all the forests in the world combined. A rise in global temperatures, excess nutrient runoff and human activities create harmful effects of algae blooms which pop up everywhere as a visible reminder to the invisible issue of water pollution. Enter this episode's resident hero, Ryan Hunt. Ryan's company Bloom, makes foam from this algae and is currently working with over 80 brand partners. By the end of 2020 his company had cleaned over 850 million liters of water and 524 million cubic meters of air. Maybe algae blooms aren't such a bad thing after all?

Bryan and Rebecca Pape are co-founders of MIIR, a design forward and generosity driven drinkware company with a social and environmental mission. A certified B Corp and 1% for the planet member, MIIR choses people and planet over the demands of Wall Street. What does that mean? Since 2010, they have partnered with some of the most respected nonprofits in the world to fund long term, sustainable projects in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector. Their coffee mugs and water bottles are beautifully designed and have a social impact! They don't just look good on your counter, they're saving our planet!!

Verda is excited to finally talk with someone in the art world! Air Copeland is a surfer, an award winning indie writer, producer and director. He's also worked at 5gyers , an institute focused on ocean plastic pollution. He's now Executive Director at Compound, a community art center in Long Beach, California. He will talk about the power of art to create change and build community. Art has the power to impact the way we see the world, break some dishes and pose the tough questions we need to be asking right now as we face today's challenges to the wellness of our people and planet. Jon might chime in if he's feeling feisty!

In today's episode, Jon and Verda talk with Royce Epstein, with Mohawk Group and Rebekah Matheny, of The Ohio State University. Rebekah is our first educator, and they are educating the new student generation about the value of Life Cycle Focus. Generation Scrap, as they've been dubbed, is teaching us how to design resourcefully. This just may be one of the solutions we need to combat the climate crisis. What sort of treasures can a designer make from materials about to hit the landfill? Rebekah calls this Holistic Sustainability and she wants to spread the word. They're a scrappy duo!

Scott Fulbright, founder of Living Ink, has harnessed algae, a byproduct of water pollution, to replace ink made from fossil fuels. The ink isn't green though, it's carbon black and he's solving the climate crisis one algae bloom at a time. This green goop provides us with over half of our oxygen supply and pulls carbon from the air, so why not make ink out of it?

Amanda Kaminski, founder of Building Product Ecosystems shows us how to maintain a circular economy by giving a new life to hard to salvage building materials like gypsum board. Amanda keeps these hugely prevalent construction materials out of our landfills in an effort to curb the carbon footprint of a building. Concrete has one of the highest carbon footprints of any building material. Amanda is working hard to change this!

Our dynamic duo, in an effort to stave off climate catastrophe, decided to celebrate their tenth episode by re-visiting why they think podcasting is important now-why you shouldn't be afraid to shout at the world and say what you feel. We aren't perfect at this right now, but you can't be afraid of mistakes or failure if you want to make an impact. The planet still needs advocates and we think the design industry will be a huge lever in climate control. The problem? Are designers making the changes right now that need to be made? More importantly, is everyone on board? Because if every single designer is not putting the planet first in making climate decisions, then we are far from fixing things. We think we can find some unique voices that have not been heard in our industry. We think we can find stories that will inspire change.

Join us as we talk with Russell Greenberg, founder of RUX Studios. They are a design hub looking to create a better world, one company at a time. With Stickbulb, they are using locally sourced wood from New York City's water towers to create beautiful light fixtures and fix the broken supply chain. Reclaimed wood is a relic! They are also creating conceptual time pieces that deepen our connection with the past, the present and the future.

Jon and Verda break some dishes in episode 8 with Josie Abate, Sustainability Officer at Keilhauer, a gentle, earth kind Canadian furniture company that can design and manufacture elegant, contemporary carbon neutral furniture. What? A carbon neutral chair? You heard that correctly, so tune in to find out how a company like Keilhauer makes beautiful product that helps our planet as well. We'll talk about supply line management, picking good partners and finding ways of removing Red List ingredients from product. Who needs edge banding anyway?