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Brian J. Back

When I think back to the first few thought leaders who inspired me as a business journalist to learn more about sustainability, Ray Anderson, founder and chairman of Interface Inc. (Nasdaq: IFSIA), is at the top of the list.

It was a decade ago when I heard the southern gentleman’s now-legendary speech about the “spear in the chest” epiphany he had after reading Paul Hawken’s “The Ecology of Commerce.” Today, Interface’s Mission Zero plan is halfway toward its 2020 goal of eliminating any negative impact the company has on the environment. When this magazine interviewed Ray for a cover article three years ago, he told us, “I’m called on to tell the Interface story about 100 times a year.”

Because that doesn’t happen nearly enough on the West Coast, we were the most recent people to call on Ray at our May 7 Sustainable Industries Economic Forum in San Francisco, where he served as our keynote speaker. Attendees were not disappointed in what they heard.

In the midst of the recent economic crisis, Sustainable Industries has hit the road to expand our Economic Forum series, to “re-inspire” the inspired, highlight the infinite multi-sector economic development potential of Sustainable Industries, and connect local business leaders to one another in order to get business done.

This fall, the West Coast series is anchored on keynote presentations from Paul Hawken, the man who first inspired Ray Anderson himself. Paul will draw from his deep well of expertise and vision to address both the triple-bottom-line opportunities and frank economic realities of our times in an exclusive discussion for the Sustainable Industries audience. Our first-ever Denver Economic Forum includes a special keynote presentation by the relentlessly ingenious Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute.

Sustainable Industries Fall Economic Forums:
Sept. 16 – Portland (Governor Hotel) featuring Paul Hawken
Sept. 17 – Seattle (Olympic Fairmont) featuring Paul Hawken
Oct. 29 – Denver (Westin Tabor Center) featuring Amory Lovins
Nov. 4 – Santa Monica (Sheraton Delfina) featuring Paul Hawken
Nov. 19 – San Francisco (The St. Regis) featuring Paul Hawken