I am trained as an architect with a focus on green design and community-based development, and have worked with communities in Eastern Washington and Ecuador helping guide self-determined development. Yet my passion over the last several years has been the transformation of business towards a new model that incorporates social and environmental responsibility into its DNA. In pursuit of this I have been working with the Natural Capital Institute NCI to spearhead WiserBusiness, an open source knowledge base upon which a national standard for responsible business behavior can be founded and cared for by the wider community. This work has led to my involvement in the creation of the WISER Commons, a community-led effort to share knowledge and resources around social and environmental responsibility.

I am also the cofounder - along with Paul Hawken - Highwater Research, a socially responsible investing research organization that aims to set a higher standard for the SRI industry. We believe that investors and all stakeholders should have access to the information necessary to make educated decisions about what products to purchase and where to invest their money.

I have been led to this work through my own experience in business. I am the cofounder and CEO of Power-Selles Imports, a specialty food importer that works with small, all-natural gourmet food producers from Spain. I have learned first hand the delicate balance of incorporating your values into a business while maintaining the financial sustainability necessary to support yourself, your staff, and your suppliers.

More on me at www.powerideas.org