Kicking off the SAA Tour

On Wednesday, July 22, 2009, Sustainability Across America kicked off its national tour with a visit to Indigenous Designs in their beautiful solar powered office space in Santa Rosa, California.

The folks at Indigenous were gearing up for an upcoming fashion show. The office had racks of hand made, sustainable clothing lining the office walls, along with framed tapestries crafted by indigenous hands and personally made, motivational signs posted reminding the team that “Farming Organic Cotton Diverts 1.2 Tons of C02 Per Acre, Per Year!” This is no common apparel company keeping up with the green washing fad. Anyone at Indigenous will tell you, “Our path is chosen. We make clothing that honors both people and the planet.”

What struck me most as I sat down to talk with Scott Leonard, CEO of Indigenous, is his energy as he speaks about the fibers, the products, and the sustainable aspect of the business. It quickly becomes evident that his enthusiasm comes from the reality that Indigenous is not simply a business, but part of a movement that is reshaping the way the world works, one conscious choice at a time.

Scott has been immersed in the green movement for over 15 years and he gets to business setting us SAAT members on the right path, showing us the ins and outs of the industry. With each mention of a name or organization, he is struck by another affiliated or offshoot group and all are working with one another in a cohesive, collaborative method to revolutionize the way we live and interact with our environment. Over the course of a couple hours, he paints a clear picture of what he refers to fondly as “the movement,” and it’s exactly the insider’s perspective we are looking to uncover as we travel to the four corners of the United States. Our conversation bring me back to the roots of this journey, a mission to bring the movement for sustainability to life for us all, to connect with those working to make a difference, and to celebrate our collective success in increasing awareness and responsibility in our daily decisions.

At this critical point in history, our ability to prosper and thrive is dependent on our ability to evolve and adapt to a new, responsible way of life. The stories we will bring to you from the road are those of the pioneers of this new environmentally and socially conscious frontier. This is not a government agency redefining industry standards, this fundamental shift is powered by individuals, by fashion designers and clothing companies like Indigenous, bakeries, boutiques, organic vineyards, authors and others who are making the preservation of our habitat their bottom line. The realities of the businesses they are forging are inspiring and innovative. We hope they will prove to be both compelling and reassuring as we slowly tiptoe closer to a sustainable lifestyle.