David Orr

Pioneering work on environmental literacy in higher education and ecological design are hallmarks of David Orr's long career championing sustainability. The Lewis Center for Environmental Studies which he spearheaded at Oberlin College (where he is a distinguished professor) was described by the New York Times as “the most remarkable” of a new generation of college buildings and by the U.S. Department of Energy as one of thirty “milestone buildings” of the 20th century. Uniting the town of Oberlin with Oberlin College and Conservatory, Dr. Orr is raising a quarter billion dollars to be a living example of a sustainable community, revolutionizing education and their region grounded in the arts. His latest book is Down to the Wire: Confronting Climate Collapse.

Frederick Ferré

David Orr describes Frederick Ferré as "heroic" for his early leadership as a pivotal philosopher in the movement toward a sustainable future. Dr. Ferré's inspiring invention, “kalogenesis,” is a rich philosophy based in the creation of beauty. The world’s leading constructive post-modern philosopher, Dr, Ferré is Research Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, The University of Georgia, and Associate Fellow at Dickinson College. His extensive body of work includes a trilogy on Value and Philosophy of Technology, a lucid and comprehensive view of humanity’s ongoing relationship with technology, for good and for ill. He now lives in Munich.

 

Ray Anderson

Mr. Anderson is acknowledged worldwide as a key leader in the Next Industrial Revolution. in his most recent book, Confessions of a Radical Industrialist: Profits, People, Purpose -- Doing Business by Respecting the Earth, he tells the step-by-step story of successfully uniting profit with sustainable (eventually restorative) products and processes. He was one of Time magazine's Heroes of the Environment, featured in 3 documentary films and ounded and is chairman of Interface, Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial floor coverings, doing business in 110 nations with plants in 6 countries. A visionary industrialist, he His petrochemical-intensive $1.5B company is profiting from their commitment to zero waste, throughout their supply chain. Mr. Anderson was also Co-chair of the President Bill Clinton's Commission on Sustainable Development.

 

Paul Hawken

Environmentalist, entrepreneur, journalist and author, Mr. Hawken is one of the world’s foremost environmental leaders, having spent his life putting his commitment to justice into action. Starting his activism in Selma, AL, when he was 19 years old, he has founded multiple businesses including Smith & Hawken and now heads the Natural Capital Institute. He is an widely sought speaker internationally, has contributed to and appeared in countless media outlets, has written international classics include Blessed Unrest, Ecology of Commerce, Natural Capitalism (with Amory Lovins), and Growing a Business, which Mr. Hawken also took to television. He calls California home.