HATCH Activation at Sustainable Brands ’17 Detroit

From May 22nd to the 25th, a team of HATCHers converged at the Cobo Convention Center for the 2017 Sustainable Brands Conference in Detroit, focused on Redefining the Good Life.  HATCH was invited to participate after a successful first year of partnering with Sustainable Brands (SB) as our key Sustainability Partner at HATCH Experiences.  In 2016, SB Founder KoAnn Skrzyniarz was a featured speaker at the HATCH Experience in Big Sky, Montana.

HATCH newcomers and alumni alike were drawn to programming  carefully designed to “ignite extraordinary conversation around how business can drive change and positive impact through sustainability-led innovation.”  Over four days attendees were engaged in ground-breaking insights and data that repeatedly demonstrated how businesses can be both environmentally sustainable and economically profitable.  The social events cultivated a strong sense of community for the hundreds of people who’d arrived in Detroit with the unifying goal of doing good for our communities and our planet with the powerful tools available to the private sector.

On the second day of the conference HATCHers Mark Goerner, Alton Brooks Parker, Greg Hemmings, and Xav Dubois led a two-hour ‘mini-HATCH’ that gave participants insights into how they can use their diverse skills and networks to foster stronger communities and a healthier planet.  The 50+ participants ranged from graduate students to global marketing directors for brands like Kellogg’s and REI.  Conversations ranged from how marketing can raise awareness of consumer behavior driving positive change to the raging debate about management of our public lands.

Mid-way through the session, the HATCH crew led the room in s Secret Superhero exercise – a HATCH favorite that uncovers the superhero alive and well in all of us.  Despite having just met each other, the people in the room felt trust to speak to their deepest vulnerabilities and truest strengths.  More importantly, they clarified and refined how they could use their powers to hatch a better world – and where they would need help to do so.

On the third day of the conference, HATCHer and President of WorldENABLED , Dr. Victor Pineda, delivered a moving keynote speech on the importance of diversity and inclusion as we plan the sustainable cities and places of the next century.  After all, being able to sustain in difficult times will require beauty, strength, creativity, and collaboration from ALL OF US.