Joel Makower
Trellis Group
For more than 30 years, through his writing, speaking and leadership, Joel has helped companies align pressing environmental and social issues with business success.
A former nationally syndicated columnist, Joel is author or co-author of more than a dozen books, including The New Grand Strategy, about a business plan for America, born at the Pentagon, that embeds sustainability as a national strategic imperative. Previous books include Strategies for the Green Economy, Beyond the Bottom Line: Putting Social Responsibility to Work for Your Business and the World, The E-Factor: The Bottom-Line Approach to Environmentally Responsible Business, and The Green Consumer.
In 2012, he was awarded the Hutchens Medal by the American Society for Quality, which cited “his ability to tell compelling stories that both inform and inspire business leaders toward profitable action.” In 2014, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals.
Joel has spoken at hundreds of events and is a frequent keynote speaker at industry and company events around the world. His audiences and venues vary widely — including senior executives, corporate supply chains, customer groups, trade associations, marketing professionals, award ceremonies, and regional economic development bodies — from small roundtable discussions to large and diverse gatherings.
He is also a skilled moderator, called upon by companies and conferences around the world to conduct on-stage or on-camera one-on-one interviews, or to host lively and intelligent panel discussions with executives and thought leaders, for in-person, video, and online events, and has served as the emcee of dozens of events, including multi-day conferences, harnessing his talents as an engaging host, a nimble thinker, and a quick wit to ensure events rise above “conference as usual.”
The Associated Press has called him “The guru of green business practices.”
More about Joel here.
Autodesk and the Future of Sustainable Design
If you start with the premise that many of the solutions to our global sustainability challenges start with design and systems thinking, this software company is emerging as a key player in a sustainable future. Read More
Bioplastics Become Material
A steady parade of innovators in large and small companies have tried to create more environmentally benign alternatives to plastic; after decades of slow progress, bioplastics are sprouting like weeds. Read More
Companies Learn to Close the Loop
From Starbucks to Walmart, companies have been taking major strides in giving what would normally be waste at least one more go-round on store shelves. Read More
Metrics and Standards Become the Rule
Until now, it's been a truism about sustainable business that there are too many standards and not enough metrics; but a number of organizations are stepping up to fill in the gaps. Read More
The 10 Most Hopeful Green Business Stories of 2010
There’s a lot to be said for viewing the year just passed through the rear-view window, from runaway oil wells to crashing hybrids to political stalemate over climate change. Still, there’s much to be hopeful about. Here are 10 stories we published that represent significant, promising developments. Read More
The Material Facts About Bioplastics
Following on our recent webcast on bio-based plastics, we asked our presenters a series of questions on topics including the benefits of bioplastics, the differences among various biobased plastics, and the role of municipal waste agencies in creating a composting infrastructure. Read More
Is TerraChoice Greenwashing?
The third and latest Sins of Greenwashing report may be as much of a greenwash as the products and companies it is criticizing. Read More
Newsweek's Green Rankings: What They Mean … and Don't
Today, Newsweek releases its 2010 “Green Rankings,” its second annual effort to rate and rank the largest companies in the U.S. and the world. Dell and HP switched places for #1 and #2, and after that, who really cares? The other 498 companies, that’s who. Read More
Lifting the Lid on Stonyfield's New Plant-Based Packaging
Today, Stonyfield Farm, the organic yogurt company, is unveiling a new packaging solution: A yogurt cup made from corn. It's not the first revolution in yogurt cups, or the first packaging innovation made from corn. But Stonyfield's journey to today is a case study in sustainability, innovation, persistence, and systems thinking that I think is worth sharing. Read More
Behind Procter & Gamble's Sustainability Vision
Procter & Gamble's announcement today of a new "sustainability vision" is a noteworthy moment — not just for the world's largest consumer packaged goods company, but for the world of sustainable business. It represents another yardstick of how major corporate players view their place on the sustainability landscape. Read More