2018

Vincent Stanley
Vincent Stanley

He currently serves as the company’s Director, Patagonia Philosophy and is a visiting fellow at the Yale School of Management. He is also a poet whose work has appeared in Best American Poetry. He and his wife, the writer Nora Gallagher, live in Santa Barbara.

Geanne Varkel 25
Geanne van Arkel

“Creating a climate fit for life is only possible through cross sector cooperation and knowledge sharing. Using our collective insight combined with what nature tells us will move us from restorative to regenerative, so not only learning from nature, but functioning as nature. Driving inclusive, biobased and circular low carbon products, processes and business models contributes to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals and has the potential to reverse climate change, arguably the biggest challenge facing the world.”

Geanne has spearheaded the adoption of processes that have helped build a better business while contributing to a better world. She has a background in textile engineering and holds a Master degree in Biomimicry from the Arizona State University. Regularly she gives guest lectures at universities on how to integrate sustainability in a company’s strategy and how to embed sustainability in an organization.

Interface has operated within the circular economy for over 20 years. As one of the first companies of its kind to publicly commit to sustainability with its Mission Zero pledge in 1994 to become a restorative company by 2020, eliminating any negative impact the company might have. More recently, the company has set out to work towards becoming regenerative, so not only learning from nature, but really functioning as nature.

John
John Fullerton

John is also a recognized impact investment practitioner as the Principal of Level 3 Capital Advisors, LLC.  Level 3’s direct investments are primarily focused on sustainable, regenerative land use, food, and water issues. Through both Capital Institute and Level 3, John brings a unique theory and practice approach to financial system transformation.

Previously, John was a Managing Director of JPMorgan where he worked for over 18 years.  At JPMorgan, John managed various capital markets and derivatives business around the globe, then shifted focus to private investments and was subsequently the Chief Investment Officer of LabMorgan through the merger with Chase Manhattan before retiring from the bank in 2001.

Following JPMorgan, and after experiencing 9-11 first hand, John spent years embarked on more entrepreneurial ventures as an impact investor while engaging in deep study of our multiple interconnected systemic crises that led to the founding of Capital Institute, launched in 2010.

John was a member of the Long Term Capital Oversight Committee that managed the $3.6 Billion rescue of the distressed hedge fund in 1998.  He is a Co-Founder and Director of Grasslands, LLC, a holistic ranch management company in partnership with the Savory Institute, and a Director of New Day Farms, Inc., New Economy Coalition, and Savory Institute. He is also an Advisor to Armonia, LLC, a Belgian family office focused on impact investments, RSF Social Finance, and to Richard Branson’s Business Leader’s initiative (“B Team”).  In spring 2014, John was humbled to receive a nomination to the Club of Rome; he is now a full member.

John writes the “Future of Finance” blog, which is widely syndicated on platforms such as The Guardian, The Huffington Post, CSRWire, the New York Society of Security Analysts’ “The Finance Professionals’ Post” blog, and other publications.  He has appeared on Frontline, and been interviewed by New York Times, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, WOR radio, Real News Network, INET, Think Progress, The Laura Flanders Show on GRITtv, Thom Hartmann, and The Free Forum Show with Terrence NcNally.

John received a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan, and an MBA from the Stern School of Business at NYU.

Am 1
Ajay Mathur

Ajay Mathur is Director General of TERI – The Energy & Resources Institute, and a member of the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change.

He has been a key Indian climate-change negotiator, and was also the Indian spokesperson at the 2015 climate negotiations at Paris.  He is a global leader on technological approaches to address climate change; and is co-chair of the Energy Transitions Commission, a global group of industrial, financial and think-tank leaders focusing on strategies for companies and countries to move towards climate-friendly energy futures.

He was Director General of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency in the Government of India from 2006 till February, 2016, and responsible for bringing energy efficiency into our homes, offices, and factories, through initiatives such as the star labelling programme for appliances, the Energy Conservation Building Code, and the Perform, Achieve and Trade programme for energy-intensive industries. 

Dr Mathur was earlier with TERI from 1986 to 2000, and then headed the Climate Change Team of World Bank in Washington DC.  He was President of Suzlon Energy Limited, also headed the interim Secretariat of the Green Climate Fund.