The journey toward sustainable design can be filled with equal parts inspiration and frustration. As far as we've come down the path, sometimes it feels like we'll never get "there" -- to the hallowed land of sustainability. Yet there are some who have made it, and they want to show us the way.

Join us for Seattle's 2nd Designers Accord Town Hall, presented by Carbon Design Group, Modern Species and AIGA Seattle. You'll learn from fellow designers and business leaders who have bridged the gap between the ideal and real by successfully getting clients and customers to join them on the path to sustainability.

Following light refreshments and networking, you'll hear four short presentations from speakers across the design and business field. Our speakers will then facilitate discussions in breakout groups that continue the conversation.
 

THE DESIGNERS ACCORD

The Designers Accord is a global coalition of designers, educators, and business leaders working together to create positive environmental and social impact. These town hall events allow local designers to gather and share key insights and lessons learned.
 

SPEAKERS

Ashley Arhart
Creative Director, Consumer Experience
Hornall Anderson
Ashley understands that a brand comes to life through the consumer experience -– a term that covers a wide world of possibilities, but ultimately, must respond to and connect with the needs of the consumer. She has been leading remarkable and distinct experiences for over 20 years with roles as Creative Director of The Retail Group in Seattle, as well as Director of Creative Design and Visual Merchandising at Eddie Bauer, Inc. Since joining Hornall Anderson, Ashley has inspired memorable connections with such clients as the Empire State Building, Sydney Opera House, Avon, Amazon, Boston Market, Madison Square Garden, Microsoft, Target, and Tishman Speyer.

Kirk Myers
Corporate Social Responsibility Manager
REI
As Corporate Social Responsibility Manager for REI, Kirk designs and implements sustainable business strategies that drive efficiency, innovation, and environmental benefit in REI’s operational footprint and enable the co-op to thrive in a resource-constrained world. His main focuses are greenhouse gas emissions, waste reduction, energy usage, and sustainable forestry.  Kirk has worked with REI since 2002, after working in a variety of fields including social entrepreneurship, outdoor instruction, and environmental work.  He received his MBA in Sustainable Business from Bainbridge Graduate Institute.

George Ostrow, LEED AP
President
VELOCIPEDE architects inc
George is an architect in Seattle specializing in environmentally responsible design. His firm designs single-family, multifamily, office, and grocery store projects. George commutes daily by bicycle, calculates his annual carbon footprint at 3 tonnes of CO2 equivalent and has accepted the 2030 Challenge. VELOCIPEDE projects include four Built Green® 5-Star houses, a LEED Gold and a LEED Platinum grocery store, a Passivhaus, and two LEED Platinum houses targeting net-zero energy and net-zero water. In 2009, VELOCIPEDE received a Built Green Washington Remodeler Award, a Built Green Hammer Award and the Master Builders Association Green Remodeling Excellence Award. George lectures regularly on green building and is a member of the Northwest Ecobuilding Guild, Built Green and Passive House Northwest. He earned a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Virginia back in the days before personal computers and the internet had taken over the world.

Scott C. Smith
Principal Program Manager for WDS Accessories
Microsoft
Scott is an innovative and award-winning product strategist, designer, and developer. He’s been recognized for propelling enterprise-wide initiatives that build user-impactful, highly-differentiated products and brands resulting in new business development and sustainable growth. Before joining Microsoft in 2006, Scott held executive positions at Targus, Mobility Electronics and Designform. Throughout his career, he has been a champion for sustainable practices and a driver of transformational programs.