What does innovation mean to you?
Innovation to me is simply bringing people from all walks of life together to collectively think of new solutions to old problems.
What do you believe is the most important capability for companies to thrive in the economy of tomorrow?
Despite all the rapid technilogical innovations happening in real time, the success of companies for today and tomorrow's economy still hinges, I believe, on the ability to connect with and understand their customers. The idea that AI can replace the human experience
How can we leverage our collective strength to create a more prosperous future?
I’m involved with an organization called the States Project, which helps friends create giving circles all over the country to support state legislative races in critical states. I bring this up because this project brings people together with shared values to solve a problem in a place they have no connection to — with the understanding that creating change in one corner of the country will positively impact the rest of the country. This too is the power of collective strength and the BOLD community - to identify a set of values (and projects and outcomes we want to see!) that unite us and to create a network around the world where these values can take hold and root.
Describe your project and work and what makes it so innovative?
My project, the Cork Collective, harnesses the collective power of the hospitality industry to move the needle on the number of corks collected and recycled annually (which currently sits at 1%). In the US alone, over 3 billion corks are thrown out. This incredible carbon-negative material can be infinitely recycled for myriad uses. Our goal is to collect and recycle corks into surfacing material which will be used to replace petrochemical plastics currently in use in playgrounds and parks in low-income neighborhoods. Once worn down, the surfacing can be recycled over and over to create new surfacing, creating a circle economy.
