I have a busy week ahead of me—I’m speaking at Seattle’s Town Hall on “How Nature Inspires Innovation” and then giving a plenary at the 24th Annual National Bioneers Conference in Marin County. I’ve not been to Town Hall, but have been impressed by the caliber of speakers there. Certainly, if I lived in Seattle, I would be attending their events quite regularly.
Bioneers, however, is like a reunion with old friends. I’ve attended since the late 1990’s, and spoken there on several occasions, including 2004 and 2007 plenaries. The term Bioneer—biological pioneer—was coined by the organization’s founder, Kenny Ausubel. Kenny and his partner Nina Simons are friends and colleagues, and I am in awe of their dedication to creating this remarkable place, where once a year, people come together to discuss a wide variety of interdisciplinary topics, including environmentalism and sustainability, social justice, green biology and green chemistry, biomimicry, holistic medicine, socially responsible investing and entrepreneurship, urban planning, bioremediation. Okay, the list does go on and on … but it’s an amazing collection of thinkers.
This year, Kenny and Nina have kindly asked me to speak on Friday afternoon on the nature of innovation, to conincide with a showing later that evening of Elemental, a film Emmanuel Vaugh-Lee and Gayatri Roshan includes a profile of my company, PAX Scientific. And on Saturday morning, my friend and colleague Janine Benyus will be giving a plenary on The Biomimicry Network Effect: What Will We Solve Together?”
If you’re in the neighborhood—either in Seattle or San Rafael—do stop by …
