FMYI | For My Innovation

NI11 – unforgettable. What better place could hold one of the best sustainability conferences than Portland?

Portland, Oregon. A city and state that love innovation, creativity and sustainability. A place where David takes on Goliath. A place where sustainability is part of the tattoo industry and the sushi industry. A place where change happens. (And yes, a city where the dream of the 90s is still alive.)

As president of the Net Impact Portland Professional Chapter here in the host city, I knew we needed to start the conference out right by welcoming people to the heart of Oregon where we are committed to local and sustainability. Best way to do that? With a party of course! Thanks to great businesses and universities (including FMYI, Columbia, University of Oregon, Marylhurst University, Net Impact Portland Professional, OneEnergy Renewables, Bamboo Sushi, Garrett Downen Photography, Vestas, TriLibrium, Perkins & Co., Junk to Funk and Sustainable Business Oregon) who sponsored the “Welcome to Oregon” Launch Party, we introduced more than 900 people to things we love about this town – music, food and fun. It was a party for the ages. FMYI President Justin Yuen made a cameo and rapped about change and B Corps. The party and city are constant reminders that we do business in a different way – with a triple bottom line. A reminder that it is time for a new economy. 

As the Net Impact Conference began, Liz Maw (executive director of Net Impact) reminded us all, “You can take the power of business and change the world. This conference is about helping you come up with your own sustainability and impact plan. We want you to Occupy Wall Street, but from the inside.”

With 7 billion people in the world now (as of Monday!) and a focus on Wall Street, Net Impact is a reminder of the positive impact we can create as individuals and small groups.

PDX Impact.
While some people visited Occupy Portland during the conference, the focus at the conference was on creating positive change in business, social enterprise and organizations (not from the outside). Change can happen within the “system.” It is about a new way to do business. It’s about creating goods and services with sustainable resources, as written by an entire culture of sustainability that will provide a similar lifestyle for generations to come. And it’s about Economy 2.0 and B Corporations.

If we are going to make an impact, we shouldn’t wait until after the conference and risk fading energy, we need to develop deliverables within the conference–action happening during the sessions. I had the honor to help organize and participate in the Portland Impact sessions. It was a great opportunity for attendees to help five Portland-based organizations and businesses with a challenge that can improve an organization.

(Video by of Sustainable Business Oregon.)

I had a great time using design thinking practices to address the Bus Project’s challenge about engaging the millennial generation in short and long-term philanthropy. Definitely a challenge the Bus and many other organizations want to solve. Learning about the Bus Project and the other Portland Impact organizations showed me the impact we can create in one community.

The difference a few hours of collaboration can make to empower a community – whether it be towards clean energy (Focus the Nation), healthier children (Upstream Public Health) or scaling an up and coming business (Portland Pedal Power and GoBox) - is very impressive.

The power of design thinking and crowdsourcing along with passionate organizations made a difference for the conference experience and to the community.

Your Grandma’s CEO?

Justin shared some new insights to his story and that of FMYI. Joined by Jensine Larsen (World Pulse) and James Curleigh (KEEN Footwear), Justin talked about innovative leadership and a new way of doing business. Why in Portland? Think historically – from Lewis & Clark, the Oregon Trail (and I don’t mean the game) to Nike, Columbia and now FMYI, KEEN and World Pulse. Oregon is a place for pioneers and innovative leadership. A place where we build public-private partnerships and live a HybridLife style. Justin’s innovative leadership has been critical to fostering a culture committed to minimizing our environmental impact and mazimizing socital benefit and generating sustainable economic growth. As James Curleigh reminded everyone – “the suits need to trust the t-shirts and the t-shirts need to trust the suits.” Portland may not be a city of suits and ties (evident by the conference attire this year), but we are an innovative community talking about EcoDistricts, partnerships and ways to build a sustainable community and economy. The leadership styles of Justin, Jensine, James and others will make Portland a place people look towards for ideas, innovation and collaboration.

UNITE.
How do you capture the energy of 2,600 people interested in making a difference? How do leaders and the next wave of leaders share ideas and innovate? On FMYI. Of course.

Capturing the energy of the Net Impact Conference (and sustainability leaders from around the world), FMYI launched Change Agents Unite  - a community platform to solve environmental, social and business issues.

The launch event featured local Change Agents – including Bamboo Sushi (the first certified sustainable sushi restaurant in the world), the Bus Project (helping engage the next generation of leaders in democracy), Junk to Funk Trashion Collective (inspiring positive behavior change by asking people to reconsider their consumption), Oregon’s First Lady Cylvia Hayes, Sec. of State Kate Brown, Rep. Tobias Read and Chair Jeff Cogen (who passed the ban on BPA in Multnomah County the same day!).

We’ve created a community of change agents, those with innovative ideas, to solve social and environmental issues and to get rewarded for their efforts. We kicked off our Change Agents Unite campaign to a full house of those from sectors of business, government and non-profits, coming together to support and enter this community.

Let’s continue to create change. Help organizations and make a difference.

Don’t just talk about the issues, take the energy and UNITE to truly make a difference. Help organizations and businesses with their challenges. Help the Aflac Cancer Center, Mercy Corps, Hope for Haiti, The National Crittenton Foundation and more.

Change is always occurring. There are movements happening around the world right now. While the attention is being brought to issues the “average Joe” may not have listened to a while back, it is not just about bringing attention to issues, it is about creating positive change.

Be innovative. Be collaborative. Become a change agent.

See you at NI12 in Baltimore!

Change agents unite,
Graeme

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