In her riveting and accessible new book - Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment - Maxine Bédat reveals the truth behind where our clothing comes from, where it goes when we are finished with it, and how we can take meaningful action to preserve our planet for future generations. Join Amy in conversation with Maxine about the inspirations for her book, her personal journey of discovery, and her hope for the future of fashion.

Maxine is the founder and director of New Standard Institute (NSI), a think and do tank using data to drive accountability in the fashion industry. Prior to NSI, Maxine co-founded and was the CEO of Zady, a fashion brand and lifestyle destination creating a transparent and sustainable future for the apparel industry. Bédat began her career in international law working at the Rwandan Criminal Tribunal and Allen & Overy, and received a Juris Doctor with distinction from Columbia Law School.

Join us for this inspiring look into the emerging circular economy in Toronto. We’ll hear from Erin Andrews (founder and executive director of Impact Zero) and Dihan Chandra (founder and executive director of The Spent Goods Company), who are helping to build a new economy in Toronto based on barter and circular innovation. We can’t wait to find out how to apply their wisdom to our own communities around the globe.

Erin envisions a world that values sustainability, humanity and holistic thinking. To fulfill this vision, she founded Impact Zero, a nonprofit organization that works with small businesses and conscious consumers. Together, they’re incubating, connecting, and accelerating building the infrastructure needed for a sustainable economy.

Dihan started his first social enterprise, Organic Lifestyle, to focus on promoting non-toxic alternatives for the home, such as organic pillows, linens, and mattresses. One night at his local pub, Dihan asked the question we’ve all been too shy to ask: What happens to all the grain used to make beer? After learning that most spent grain, especially from smaller breweries, ends up in landfills, The Spent Goods Company was born.

Future Fit has a bold vision: a society in which humans and other life will flourish on Earth forever, by being environmentally restorative, socially just and economically inclusive. How are they doing this? By translating systems science into free-to-use tools designed to help business leaders, investors and policy makers respond effectively to today’s biggest challenges.

Join Amy in conversation with Future Fit’s Head of Ecosystem Alicia Ayars to learn about the organization’s bold approach and the impact it has had to date. An environmental scientist by training, Alicia honed her sustainability consulting skills by working with the Carbon Disclosure Project, SustainAbility, and in the private sector. Alicia holds an MSc in the Anthropology of Development from the London School of Economics and a BA in Environmental Science, with a focus on politics, from Mount Holyoke College in the United States.

If you’ve listened to an Impact Matters webcast and wondered about our “behind-the-scenes” team, here’s your chance to meet Anela and Siena - and be inspired by their career paths. Anela Dujsic and Siena Spitzer are both passionate about sustainability. Come learn more about how they’ve navigated the sustainability job market and engineered some win-win opportunities.

With a degree in environmental economics and a background in marketing, Siena Spitzer seeks to help companies drive positive social and environmental impact in a meaningful way. She particularly enjoys creating sustainable impact plans for businesses. Siena has worked with emerging companies, such as Decade of Courage and Mind Frame Digital, to embed social impact from inception. 

Anela Dujsic is passionate about using her background in both business and design to contribute to creating a more sustainable apparel industry.  As a Canadian Account Executive for EILEEN FISHER, Anela led various sustainability initiatives, including looking at how to scale EILEEN FISHER's RENEW program internationally. She recently completed an MBA at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management, where she led a team that placed as a finalist in the 2019 Patagonia Case Competition.  An avid sewer and maker, Anela recently launched mask and accessory brand Considerate Goods, which is founded on the core values of thoughtful design, careful construction, local production and minimal waste.  

We hope that Siena and Anela's stories - plus a bit about my own - will inspire you to pursue your own impact-driven dreams. And we’ll announce some news about Impactorum that you won't want to miss!

Join Amy in conversation with social entrepreneurs Christen Brandt and Tammy Tibbetts, where they will discuss their new book, Impact: A Step-by-Step Plan to Create the World You Want to Live In. Together, we will explore how individuals can create their own paths toward meaningful and lasting impact. What better way to kick off 2021?

As founders of She’s the First, Christen and Tammy fight for a world where every girl can choose her own future. For the past decade, they’ve worked closely with local organizations around the world and changemakers of all ages and backgrounds, from college students to celebrities. Their work is supported by Michelle Obama, the United Nations, Diane von Furstenberg, many major brands, and more than 200 campus chapters globally. They each live with their partners in Brooklyn, where you can find them meeting in the park to brainstorm on their latest ideas.

Anthropologist Philip McKenzie uses his expertise in culture spaces to advise organizations on how to best thrive in an increasingly challenging and uncertain environment. Philip combines his background and experience as a former Goldman Sachs trader with an understanding of the social and economic shifts we are experiencing worldwide to shed new insights on cultural and branding strategies.  His recent article for Medium.com – “Leaning Into Love” – beautifully sets the tone for our conversation about what it will take to heal this nation and, indeed, the world.

Rebekah Moses leads Impact Strategy at Impossible Foods, a company addressing climate change and sustainable food futures through plant-based meat. Her work focuses on how product innovation and consumer behavior can maximize environmental outcomes through business growth. Rebekah’s research contributions can be found in journals like the Public Library of Science (PLOS) and Journal of Applied Ecology, as well as via the USAID Water and Livelihoods Initiative online. Join Rebekah in conversation with Amy Hall to learn how Rebekah and Impossible Foods think about impact and a future reliant on plant-based nutrition.

Morgan Simon has over two decades of experience making finance a tool for social justice. In that time, she has influenced over $150B and is a regularly sought out expert on impact investing. Her book, Real Impact: The New Economics of Social Change has been featured everywhere from Harvard Business School to the United Nations. Candide Group works with families, foundations, athletes and cultural influencers who want their money working for justice. Join us and hear about how Morgan is disrupting the world of impact investing with her social change agenda.

Co-author with Yvon Chouinard of The Responsible Company, Vincent Stanley has been with Patagonia on and off since its beginning in 1973. As Patagonia’s long-time chief storyteller, Vincent helped develop the Footprint Chronicles, the Common Threads Partnership (precursor of Worn Wear); and Patagonia Books. He currently serves as Patagonia company philosopher and is a resident fellow at the Yale Center for Business and Environment. He is also a poet whose work has appeared in Best American Poetry. In this webcast, Vincent shared his thoughts on impact and what the future holds in store for Patagonia, for the planet and for humanity.