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IRIS Team

RyanTodd — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:26:09 CST

Our team is comprised of socially conscious people ranging from a variety of industry experts to young, innovative thinkers. Together, we encompass a vast amount of knowledge and passion. We are connected by a shared belief in values and goals which include a deep sense of accountability toward, 1. the environment, 2. the needs of those in the developing world, and 3. the social, economic, and political relationships that connect people together. Part of our mission is to enhance the ways in which people relate to one another. Whether it is assisting in the ability for people to gain empowerment and have access to resources, or integrating innovative business models that foster fair and ethical relationships, IRIS is dedicated to providing the skills, innovations, and ideas which help bring about responsible, transformative change in the world.

IRIS Business Planning Group:

Team Leader: Aaron Wood

Aaron Wood has a Master of Arts degree in Whole Systems Design from Antioch University Seattle. Aaron is IRIS' managing partner and has been working on this project for over seven years. He is responsible for the overall functionality of the system and coordinating the myriad of components of the company and conference.
You can view Aaron's Thesis at:
Emerging Paradigms of the Early 21st Century

Rob Wachtler has a Master of International Management degree from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and has taught global business and strategic IT courses at the University of Phoenix and Eastern New Mexico University. He was VP of Marketing for a software localization startup and is currently a partner in a solar energy enterprise bringing innovations to market. He has also worked with Novell's technical division in Europe, as country manager of China, for a coatings engineering firm, as well as a project manager on other international business and large IT implementation/development projects. Rob has taught and used metal repair technologies as part of materials conservation and fostering equipment longevity (avoiding replacement). He served two years as a full-time missionary and has volunteered in the community as a Big Brother, Half Way House mentor, and youth soccer coach.

David Mills has a Ph.D. in Human Learning from Brunel University in London and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science from the University of Texas/Dallas. He is an educator, systems theorist, and freelance philosopher. He also acts as the Conference Dialogue Facilitator.

Teri Derr has over 20 years experience as an entrepreneurin business leadership and strategy. She has spent time building companies which have pioneered new markets, and has a proven track record of increasing revenue, quality and speed with which products go to market. She has repeatedly been a top seller and producer in the Northwest region managing accounts and cultivating client relationships with companies such as Time-Warner, Proctor and Gamble, Quaker Oats,Colgate-Palmolive,and Nordstrom. Her success hasderived fromthecare and commitment shown to clients andher skillin consulting businesses. Shehas been a key volunteer and supporter of the Hunger Project since 1979 and herinterestsinclude transformation and paradigm shifts inthe business culture and sustainable practices globally. Terihas a Business and Marketing degree from Highline College and aBachelor of Arts degree from Cornish School of Music and Arts in Jazz Vocal. As a singer/songwriter she recently recorded and released her second album which can be found on her website.
teriderr.com

Stanley Florek has over 13 years of IT systems design experience. He has been an entrepreneur and business owner throughout the majority of his career. Project management, requirements definition, business analysis and risk management, database-driven web applications, and customer service are just a few of the many skills Stanley excels at. He is now the Chief Operating Officer of Advantive. Advantive energizes its clients, employee-owners, and partners by facilitating their adoption of innovative practices and advanced technology. It maximizes the resource-efficiency of people and their planet, and strives every day to integrate social and environmental awareness with profitable business success. It solves unique challenges for environmental, high-tech, and public sector organizations. Stanley has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University in Communications and is an Master of Business Administration degree candidate at Bainbridge GraduateInstitute for Sustainable Business.

Kari Lende, co-author of Grassroot Horizons: Connecting Participatory Development Initiatives East and West, is a representative of Collaborating Movements Towards Sustainability (CMTS), a global network of grassroot organizers. Kari is a cross-collaborator and is interested in creating a society based on sustenance restoration.

Ellen Lende has been involved in IRIS planning and brainstorming sessions since 2002. Prior to 2002 Ellen worked with her sister Kari Lende and Aaron Wood on a sustainable curriculum focusing on self, community and ecology. Her Bachelor of Arts degree in social sciences is fromtheUniversity of Wisconsin. During this time she also studied in Japan and Denmark.Ellen's history encompasses a versatile blend of for-profit and non-profit employment as well as volunteer work in the fields of human services, environmental rights and travel, hospitality, and customer service. She has experience in both Minneapolis and Seattle helping to coordinate local initiatives involved with The Earth Summit, Habitat II/Seattle City Summit, the World Trade Organization demonstrations, and women's rights including Basecamp Seattle, which was a precursor to the Beijing Women's Conference. Ellen currently works in the environemental field as an administrator and researcher. Her skills include project coordination and management, mediation and facilitation, public relationships and marketing, as well as with a special emphasis on processing andinterpreting individual and group dynamics. Ellen is particularly interested in IRIS as it relates to sustainable business practicesand consumer collectives.

Debbie Cherniak has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from McGill University and a Master of Arts in Education from Antioch University Seattle. She has ten years of experience as an educator, seven specifically at The Nova Project, an alternative high school in Seattle focusing on democracy and social justice issues. She has taught courses ranging from Gothic Fiction to Introductory Web Design. She has also designed a course she calls Supersize My Soul, where students look at what, how and why we are influenced to buy, feel, think, and live. This course explores media, information, knowledge, and encourages students to look at the choices they make for themselves and others, and how those choices may or may not be their own.

General Counsel:

Jim Raftery, ESQ. is a member in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association and admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. He is currently with Mesriani & Associates, a Los Angeles law firm specializing in business, employment, personal injury, and business formation. He earned his Masters of Business Administration, with a concentration in industrial relations, from the University of San Francisco in 1990. Jim took his legal education at Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Washington, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the International Law Review and graduated summa cum laude in 2001. After graduation, from 2001 to 2002, he served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Justin L. Quackenbush in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. In 2003 he worked as a staff attorney for the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe, a small Indian tribe in northwestern Washington, focusing on employment, contracts, real estate, and environmental issues. Jim was formerly an engineer who worked for many years as a civilian employee of the Department of the Navy, including with assignments at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard, and Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory. When he is not practicing law, Jim is likely to be planning his next wilderness expedition to the Sierra Nevada's or Washington Cascades.

Sales, Marketing & Communications Team:

Team Leader: Aaron Wood

Teri Derr

Rob Wachtler

Debbie Cherniak

Gail Cheney has a Master of Science degree in Management at Antioch University Seattle and is currently a PhD candidate in Antioch's Leadership and Organizational Change program. She has extensive experience working with diverse communities and non-profit organizations. Gail has been invited to speak on an Indigenous International Leadership Association Conference in Canada about the integration of indigenous values into Alaska Native Corporations. She will speak about what a vision of the future might look like when a corporation implements values of stewardship, interdependence and long term view and redefinition of "profit", and how these values could lead to a sustainable future as a corporation. Gail is interested in the importance of community building within organizations and helping them embrace diversity and change within their organizational culture.

Ryan Todd has a Master of Arts degree in Whole Systems Design from Antioch University Seattle, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Humboldt State University. Ryan is interested in building relationships based on shared interests and transparent processes and outcomes. During his time at Antioch University, Ryan served on the Academic Council and was one of the lead designers of the C3 Student Forum, which was created to provide student feedback and design participation in course curriculum. His specialty is with philosophical inquiry, particularly into issues that encompass a diverse number of subjects. Ryan recently facilitated a Basic Life Skills Training course designed to prepare financially challenged parents for living wage employment. During his facilitation, Ryan integrated systems concepts that complimented the intended outcomes of the course. He is interested in Participative Democracy, the pragmatic uses of philosophical inquiry, and developing systemic connections between social needs and political representation.

Graphics Design Intern:

Mike Krisel

Grantwriting Interns:

Kristiana Brix is an undergraduate at the University of Washington in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies. Equipped with a secondary education with a strong focus on community and social justice and a penchant for creativity and history, Kristiana found herself pursuing an education with international breadth after dabbling with the idea of becoming a clothing designer. She eventually settled with the title of amateur seamstress as she found herself continuing to design and make clothing. She has also developed an interest in economics and human rights, especially in relation to garment workers. At UW, Kristiana's studies focus on political economy. She has a special interest in global finance and Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), and how these industries affect entire economies as well as citizens. She feels money is one of the most tangible ways the world is interconnected and enjoys exploring the ways in which that functions. She hopes to continue exploring these themes in her undergraduate thesis as well as in graduate school. Kristiana is a participant of IRIS to support the knowledge about and spread of sustainable investing and purchasing, and tocontribute to the development of higher standards for mainstream businesses and consumers.

Christine Ryu is currently a student at the University of Washington, earning a Bachelor of Science in Technical Communications. Christine’s interest in communications design is very much related to her experience as a second generation Korean-American woman who has stood up against prejudices towards her history and cultural identity. She is interested in bringing multiculturalism into the field of technical communications and integrating it not only within the workplace but within the products as well. Christine contributes to IRIS through grant writing and improving the usability of the company’s website. When she is not dedicating her time to further IRIS’ goals, Christine spends her time volunteering and getting involved at the University.

Research, Design & Implementation Team:

Team Leader: David Mills

Aaron Wood

Kari Lende

Research Interns:

Carrie Clark holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in Culinary Arts from Seattle Culinary Academy and is currently finishing up her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, in Finance, at the University of Washington. In the past she has volunteered with AmeriCorps, worked for several years as a chef, and is currently making a transition into the business world. Having lived in Indonesia and China when growing up, she saw a need for change, especially in how corporations did business in other countries. Here she often saw people and the environment deemed unimportant in the race for profits. This led her to IRIS, where she feels like she may be able help initiate change. IRIS allows her to utilize her organizational and researching skills to bring about that change.

Product Management Team:

Team Leader: Stanley Florek

Software Development:

Daniel Schumacher is the sole proprietor of Abstract Engineering, a company which provides the knowledge, tools, and ingenuity to solve complex software development and testing problems. Daniel holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology from California State University in Chico, and has 12 years experience in software development, and over 20 years of CAD experience. Daniel has contributed his expertise and ability to quickly transform abstract ideas into software to some of the worlds leading companies in software development. He is skilled in quality assurance, software design management, programming development and in other various aspects including marketing, documentation, and business management. His client list includes large companies such as, IntelliCAD Technology Consortium, and Navitrak USA. He has worked for Microsoft as a Test Engineer, Visio as the Senior Quality Assurance Engineer, Autodesk as a Quality Assurance Analyst, and Western Tech. Services as the General Manager of a CAD Engineering group. In his efforts to improve upon the quality assurance of commercial software, Daniel is developing an open-source requirements definition system. This system will apply open-source concepts to quality assurance and software specification practices, and outline a method for determining and expressing product requirements.

Conference Planning Group:

Team Leader: David Mills

Aaron Wood

Multimedia Department:

Team Leader: Aaron Wood

Cynthia Phillips --

Animation:

Theresa Gilbert graduated from the Art Institute of Seattle in 2005 with an Associates of Applied Arts Degree in Animation Art and Design. Her animation focus is in stop motion animation and 3d texturing.

Marcus Young graduated from the Art Institute of Seattle in 2005 with an Associates of Applied Arts Degree in Animation and Design. Marcus’ focus is on modeling and texturing.

Sean Popp graduated from the Art Institute of Seattle in 2005 with an Associates of Applied Arts Degree in Animation and Design. Sean’s focus is on illustration & animation.

Brett Boyette graduated from the Art Insitute of Seattle in March 2007. She does writing, editing, storyboarding, and animation for IRIS. She is also working on sprite animation for Caravel Games, as well as doing freelance work for InfoAdvantage and AngelVision. Her strengths are in 2D animation, specifically using Flash. Brett hopes to use her talents in the future to create casual games for the internet.

brettboyette.com

Video Production:

Tyler Estes graduated from the Art Institute of Seattle in 2005 with an Associate of Applied Arts Degree in Video Production. His expertise also focuses on editing and script writing. Tyler is a multi-disciplined artist with talents that include music production, photography, and deejaying. You can view his portfolio at his website.
tylerestes.com

Alan Keith graduated from the Art Institute of Seattle in 2005 with an Associates Applied Arts Degree in Video Production.

Graphics Design:

Jasen Rolfe graduated from the Art Institute of Seattle in 2005 with a Digital Design Degree. He also has a background in video production.

Derek Shiu is a student at the University of Washington finishing up his senior year as an Interdisciplinary Visual Arts major with an emphasis in animation and computer graphics. During the school year, he works at the Resource Center for Student Associations, applying his skills in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to design questions student clubs have. Derek also draws and occasionally turns his drawings into digital form. He spends his free time playing soccer, ping pong and ultimate frisbee. Derek has also developed his own website that presents his visual art portfolio.
students.washington.edu/shiud

Creative Writing:

Ivan Wodarz is a graduate of the University of Montana in Missoula, MT. He studied pre-professional psychology and was a member of the Davidson Honors College. Ivan received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and graduated sum cum laude. He has worked as an assistant director for Grassroots Campaigns Inc. in Seattle, where he was working to get as many Democrats as possible into Congress. Most recently, Ivan has been working at Michaelo Espresso in the sales department. He has written a short book entitled Truth is Stranger than Fictionabout politics in our post-modern age. This book rekindled the writing skills he gained in college, but with more creative expression. Ivan has written some samples of his political musings online at Mingle Wood Junction. Ivan has also worked with The Socialist Alternative and Youth Against War and Racism to eliminate military recruiting from Seattle public schools. One of his biggest accomplishment is sourcecode, the musical expression of his perspective on the world. His interests and passions include Buddhism, yoga, socialism, politics, music, coffee, meaningful conversation, feminism, and any other ism that has to do with bringing people together and recognizing humanistic values.
minglewoodjunction.com
myspace.com/sourcecodetheband

Joe Riehle graduated with a degree in General Studies from the University of Northern Iowa. He previously worked in childcare for 9 years, and currently enjoys writing.

Advisory Board:

Ellen Lende

Rick Newton has over 30 years of multi-industry experience ranging from working with start-ups to Fortune 10 corporations. He has had extraordinary success with his career as a corporate intrapreneur and entrepreneur. He has gained world-class recognition for the high-growth results that have been achieved with more than 850 turnarounds, alliances, and acquisitions. He has focused on private investor financing for business ventures over the last 14 years. He has created an in-depth presentation titled, "Social & Sustainable Return on Investing" which discusses the integration of social and environmental considerations when making financial investments. In the mid-90’s, his business was acquired by American Express, where he had national responsibility for investment banking with high growth small businesses. He previously was chair of a University of Colorado venture capital fund, and was Executive Director of the University of Colorado Board Center for Entrepreneurship. He currently is on a number of boards, both public and private.
Power Point Presentation Link: Download SCF articles here.

David Spangler --

William Meyers is an information technology and business consultant who operates Open Icon. He is the author of "The Santa Clara Blues: Corporate Personhood versus Democracy". William is currently serving a second term on the School Board of Point Arena, CA; and is an active participant with the California Center for Community Democracy. He is knowledgeable in the fields of business law, business investments, and Internet technology. William has helped IRIS conceive of its legal and ownership structure.
openicon.com

J. Todd Ellis has a Master of Arts degree in Environment & Community from Antioch University Seattle and is the Director of Business Development for Imperium Renewables in Seattle. Todd is interested in building relationships with communities and business organizations whose focus is on sustenance restoration and new paradigm thinking. Todd's contribution to the think tank is as a management adviser and business liaison.

Bill Wachtler --

Erwin Wood is the founder of Professional Escrow Services which he started in 1978. It has since grown to serve multiple locations in the greater Seattle area. He started in the title business in 1962 with Puget Sound Title Insurance Company in Seattle. His forte has always been in title, however, he is also an expert and very proficient in the escrow process. He has been involved in the closing of every conceivable type of transaction. Mr. Wood has distinguished himself as a respected member of the real estate community, and has authored and co-authored forms and documents widely used in real estate transactions throughout the Northwest. Some of his work has become a standard of practice in the escrow field. Mr. Wood co-founded Advanced Escrow Systems and participated in their design of the escrow software, which became one of the most widely used escrow software systems in the Pacific Northwest and is now owned by SMS Corporation a subsidiary of First American Corporation.

Eva Deloach is the proprietor of the Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie (tvicr.com) and The Minglement, an organic health food store that is located inside the historic artisan roasterie. The Roasterie is dedicated to hand roasting high quality shade grown, fairly traded coffee that is both good for the environment and for all of the people who share a relationship with it; those who cultivate and trade it, those who roast and sell it, and those who purchase and consume it. In connection, she is the founder of Traditions Foundation, which she established as a vehicle to contribute a portion of her retail sales to organizations and individuals dedicated to the reclamation and restoration of the natural world and the protection of indigenous cultures. Eva learned about business and life, in general, from her mother, her children and their children, and from friends. Eva has a history of creating her own career pathways that include more than 25 years of experience in horticulture as a buyer for independent retail garden stores. She later started training owners of large nurseries and their staffs, how to change from selling dangerous pesticides and herbicides to organic alternatives. Eva also started teaching classes about herbs and soil and plant disease. Eva worked as promoter and facilitator of a citywide Fall Festival in the city of Poulsbo that featured farmers and local crafts people. Her involvement in social activism includes community organizing and letter writing campaigns for Seattle groups which organized the World Trade Organization demonstrations in 1999. Eva joined IRIS as an advisor because of her interests in sustainability and in people that hold the earth in trust, and to help create a vehicle for new and innovative businesses.
tvicr.com

Associated Systems Designers and Collaborators:

Patricia Anne Davis is an Indigenous American elder, born of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw-Chahta and the yeii dinee’ taa chii’ nii clan of the Navajo/Dineh Nation. Along with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and her Master of Arts degree in Whole Systems Design from Antioch University Seattle, she is by ancestry and initiated by lineage a diagnostician-practitioner. She designs training in concepts from an Indigenous science context and within the natural order context. She has designed a contemporary cognitive ceremonial change process called Peacemaking Leadership,inclusive of race and religion, cross-cultural, intergenerational, restoration of resources to the next generation, and universal applicability. She has traveled throughout the world as an Indigenous American medicine woman. She has over 20 years of experience in the Health and Human Services profession, including public and private programs, community organizations and addiction recovery centers. She is one of the original authors of Beauty Way...A Way of Life Curriculum (1990); a curriculum that includes lesson plans, video, booklets and teacher manuals for the Alcohol/Substance Abuse Prevention Education Project in the Dine Division of Education in Window Rock Arizona.
nativeamericanconcepts.com

Evelyn Allen brings an abundance of strengths to the company and conference including over 15 years of experience working with Catholic Community Services, a Master of Science degree in Management from Antioch University and a Business undergraduate degree from City University. Much of her professional career has been committed to facilitating the improvement, equality, and ethical treatment of under-served communities in Seattle and Western Washington. Evelyn has extensive experience managing employees and volunteers toward these social justice endeavors. She is a valuable asset to the business team.

James Tuff is a technology veteran with over 20 years of sales and marketing experience. He is skilled at developing sales strategies and planning. He has successful track record at business development, channel development and Sales Management with companies like RealNetworks and Symantec Corporation. At Symantec he drove his OEM business to a $47 Million annualized revenue stream. James has a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from City University.

Patricia Birgen-Redwolf has been a consultant and trainer within the non-profit and corporate sector in the Pacific Northwest since 1988. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley. Patricia spent most of her 20's working for justice and human rights in the Middle East and Eastern Europe with organizations like, Amnesty International, Women's International League for Peace & Freedom, National Organization of Women, and Seattle Coalition for Peace in the Middle East. She is the founder of Redwolf Strategies, a full-service consulting firm offering group facilitation, non-profit and business training, change management, organizational development, fund-raising, and project assistance to groups ranging from corporate businesses to non-profit charitable groups. Patricia holds advanced certification in systems change, non-profit legal compliance, finance administration, business management, non-violent communication, and leadership. She has also held many positions including, founder, board chair, development director, program director, executive director and human resources director.
redwolfstrategies.com

Joseph Szwaja is a politically active educator with over 25 years of experience in city, state and federal politics. He is a teacher and counselor at Seattle’s Nova High School where since 1993 he’s been inspiring youth with courses such as Complex Adaptive Systems Applied to Politics and History and Causes of the September 11th Attacks. Joe volunteers on many progressive campaigns and boards in Seattle such as the Green Party, IRV Washington and Seattle International Human Rights Coalition. Additionally he has a Bachelor of Arts in History and Spanish Literature from Kenyon College, an Master of Arts in History from the University of Wisconsin Madison and a Washington state Teacher’s certificate for History and Spanish.

Mark Wachtler has been in IT for over a decade. He currently works as an IT security auditor and part of a team acting as a "virtual CSO," providing security guidance for small and midsize companies.

Michael Bell is currently the Executive Director of Pointhope International. He is a mechanical engineer who has worked at Boeing, and also holds a patent in artificial intelligence. He has completed graduate course work in Cognition and Electrodynamics, and left Boeing to launch a prototype Brain Computer Interface tool with the intent of having profit from innovation erect healthier social pillars.

Sarah Kennedy has an Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Arts degree in Environment and Community from Antioch University in Seattle. She has a background designing and implementing curriculum to meet the needs of at-risk high school students. Recently she collaborated with a non-profit board of directors and their organization to create a sustainability plan steeped in permaculture principles.

Amy Barker has a Master of Arts degree in Environment & Community from Antioch University Seattle. She is interested in using new vocabularies and ways of communicating to bring diverse communities to common understandings. Amy especially strives to find commonalities around ecological and sustenance restoration issues. She is collaborating on the socially conscious finance and sustainability values survey and is a member of the business planning group.

IRIS' Values & Goals

RyanTodd — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 18:47:15 CDT

IRIS believes in building relationships based on common values, intentions, and goals. The following list of value words has evolved over the last several years. It represents the shared values and visions of the people who make up the IRIS team. Our goals represent what the IRIS team would like to contribute to our clients and collaborative partners. We view our goals as a map to future achievements, and as an articulation of benchmarks we envision the future to hold.

IRIS' Core Values Are:

Authenticity	Being Present	Humility	Sense of Urgency
Forward Thinking	Diversity	Sustainability	Integrity
Fun	Openness	Justice	Honesty
Collaboration	Cooperation	Healing	Caring
Compassion	Self Awareness	Sharing	Empowerment
Transparency	Accountability	Safety	Love
Listening	Healthy Living	Dialogue	Transformation
Equality	Relationships	Revealing	Living Systems
Humor	Participatory Development	Sustenance	Self Sufficiency
Courage	Dignity	Imagination	Advocacy

IRIS' Goals Include To:

◆ create and implement an improved business model, one that is more transparent and addresses all stakeholders’ needs fairly

◆ contribute to the building of an infrastructure for future sustainable ways of living that embrace ethical and loving relationship dynamics

◆ provide data for all information and communication interface needs: content, commerce, communication and community

◆ generate co-creative empowerment with our clients in a variety of ways

◆ increase people’s literacy in general and specifically with information age data management

◆ empower our clients in a variety of ways

◆ generate new opportunities

◆ address the needs of people in the developing world

◆ work with the shifting power dynamics between consumers and producers

◆ facilitate shared power

◆ help to improve people’s outlook about the future

◆ develop people’s comfort with smart machines that can assist us

◆ engage with breakthrough concepts and materials

◆ be transformative

◆ add to the development of theory and foster needed innovations

◆ accommodate a fair and balanced wage allocation from the lowest paying positions to the highest

◆ participate in the regeneration and healing of stressed relationships and relationship dynamics; intrinsically, relationally and globally

Conference Participants

RyanTodd — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 18:27:17 CDT

Participant Descriptions Below:

Conference Coordinator:

Aaron Wood has a Master of Arts degree in Whole Systems Design from Antioch University Seattle. Aaron is IRIS' managing partner and has been working on this project for over seven years. He is responsible for the overall functionality of the system and coordinating the myriad of components of the company and conference.

Check out Aaron's Thesis, "Emerging Paradigms of the Early 21st Century"

Conference Dialogue Facilitator:

David M. Mills has a Ph.D. in Human Learning from Brunel University in London and a M.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Texas/Dallas. He is an educator, systems theorist, and freelance philosopher. He acts as the Conference Dialogue Facilitator.

Conference Co-Facilitators:

Paul Cienfuegos is a co-founder of Democracy Unlimited of Humboldt County, and has been a grass-roots community organizer since 1977. He gives talks and workshops across the U.S. on dismantling corporate constitutional rights (such as corporate personhood) as a means towards strengthening American democracy for all. He also runs a very successful online bookstore called 100fires.com, with thousands of titles on creating an ecologically sustainable, socially just and democratic world. Paul's bookstore has been recognized as an important project in the face of increasing corporate ownership, and a valuable resource of independent and non-profit literature. He has received many endorsements for his efforts, including most notably from Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky.
DUHC.org
100fires.com

JanEdwards is a participant of the California Center for Community Democracy, an organization aimed at empowering citizen authority over corporations; and in the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Jan has worked extensively on issues around corporate personhood. She is currently focused on enhancing public awareness of The Commons through the "Tapestry of the Commons" project which is sponsored by The Alliance for Democracy.
www.tapestryofthecommons.org

William Meyers, author of The Santa Clara Blues: Corporate Personhood versus Democracy, is currently serving a second term on the School Board of Point Arena, CA and is an active participant with the California Center for Community Democracy. He is exceptionally qualified in the fields of law, business, investment and corporate personhood. William will co-facilitate the ownership model section of the conference and has been integral in helping Igitel conceive its legal entity and ownership structure.

Skip Rowland received his Master of Science degree in Human Resources Management at Gonzaga University, and holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Seattle University. He is currently the Executive Director of the Urban Enterprise Center of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, where he focuses on the development of small businesses within the Northwest. Skip is an educator who has worked in K-12 public schools, and undergraduate and graduate level. He is a business owner with extensive experience in business management, entrepreneurship and small business development, and has held several positions of leadership within state and local city government. He is the creator of The C.A.R.E. Package Learning System℠, a leadership model that integrates the concepts and practices of leadership, coaching and mentoring, inclusion and equity, teambuilding, and project and process management. The foundations of his learning model include transactional and transformational leadership theory, whole systems design, ancient Egyptian leadership models, and men’s and women’s ways of knowing, learning, and leading. He is also the co-author of Coaching and Mentoring Employees for top Performance in the Workplace; Success in School: The School to Work Transition; and Gap-Closing: Bridging the Economic and Educational Divide.

Kari Lende, co-author of Grassroot Horizons: Connecting Participatory Development Initiatives East and West, is a representative of Collaborating Movements Towards Sustainability (CMTS), a global network of grassroot organizers. Kari is a cross-collaborator and is interested in creating a society based on sustenance restoration.

Paul H. Ray is the co-author of the book, The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing The World. He has worked as the Chief of Policy Research on Energy Conservation, Department of Energy, Mines and Resources of the Government of Canada and consults with organizations whose constituencies are cultural creatives.

Karen Coulter is a forward thinker and grassroots activist who has been closely affiliated with a variety of ecological and social justice groups. She is the Director of the Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project and is also a researcher, writer and speaker for the Program On Corporations, Law And Democracy. Karen has recently written a series of articles about the history of the Commons titled, “The Rule Of Property”.

Rick Newton - Wisdom In Action, Inc.
You can download Wisdom In Action's Powerpoint presentation about Social and Sustainable Investing at: Download SCF articles here.

Miriam Grace is a Senior Systems Architect with Boeing's Enterprise Information Technology organization and a member of Boeing Technical Excellence Fellowship. Mariam holds a Master of Arts degree in Whole Systems Design from Antioch University Seattle and is a candidate for their Ph.D. program in Leadership. She is a published author and holds a position on the editorial board of the International Association of Software Architects. Miriam has over 25 years experience as a systems architect and software development project manager.

Other Participants:

Eva Deloach is the proprietor of the Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie (tvicr.com) and The Minglement, an organic health food store that is located inside the historic artisan roasterie. The Roasterie is dedicated to hand roasting high quality shade grown, fairly traded coffee that is both good for the environment and for all of the people who share a relationship with it; those who cultivate and trade it, those who roast and sell it, and those who purchase and consume it. In connection, she is the founder of Traditions Foundation, which she established as a vehicle to contribute a portion of her retail sales to organizations and individuals dedicated to the reclamation and restoration of the natural world and the protection of indigenous cultures. Eva learned about business and life, in general, from her mother, her children and their children, and from friends. Eva has a history of creating her own career pathways that include more than 25 years of experience in horticulture as a buyer for independent retail garden stores. She later started training owners of large nurseries and their staffs, how to change from selling dangerous pesticides and herbicides to organic alternatives. Eva also started teaching classes about herbs and soil and plant disease. Eva worked as promoter and facilitator of a citywide Fall Festival in the city of Poulsbo that featured farmers and local crafts people. Her involvement in social activism includes community organizing and letter writing campaigns for Seattle groups which organized the World Trade Organization demonstrations in 1999. Eva joined IRIS as an advisor because of her interests in sustainability and in people that hold the earth in trust, and to help create a vehicle for new and innovative businesses.
tvicr.com

George Draffan is a freelance researcher and writer for citizens and public interest organizations, specializing in systems analysis of natural resource industries and corporate power. He is the author or co-author of several books including Railroads & Clearcuts, The Elite Consensus, Strangely Like War, and Welcome to the Machine. Some of his work can be seen at Endgame.org and Landgrant.org.

You can check out more bios on the IRIS Team page.

Organizing Questions

dmmills — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 12:12:52 CDT

Each of the following Organizing Questions will have its own page on this site. There will be, of course, much overlap from one conversation to another, and we welcome that. The thread that ties all of these conversations together is our desire to explore the organizational and ownership structure needs for an organization that is dedicated to serving the commons.

Here are the questions:

What are the infrastructure needs of the Commons?

What are the organizational and ownership requirements for the evolution of a participatory organization dedicated to serving those needs?

How will an organization that embraces sustainability, transformative leadership, creativity and co-creation function effectively?

How will a business organization work if it is envisioned as a social movement?

What ownership models are practical for an organization primarily designed to benefit the Commons?

How can ownership of such an organization work in general for investors, owners, employees, customers, users, etc.?

Commons Conference Home

dmmills — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 12:08:46 CDT

Welcome to the on-line session of the

First IRIS Conference on Transformation Infrastructure

We are in the infant stages of living in a truly global community. Almost in spite of the wide diversity of governments and cultures all our lives are being drawn into a single global, inter-dependent economic system in which individuals anywhere in the world are only moments away from influencing, and being influenced by, each other. As technological change continues to accelerate, hope for a transformation to a more sustainable society and economy rests more and more on the full participation of all of its members.

The premise of this of conference series is that such transformation, like anything else, will require an infrastructure to support it. We propose to bring together some of the foremost global thinkers on business, sustainability, technology and culture to engage in productive conversation about important questions about the needs of this transformation infrastructure.

Each conference in the series will explore some aspect of the infrastructure needs for transformation—giving particular attention to the ways in which the new technologies can provide the tools for the kinds of universal participation and global coordination that are likely to be needed if any transformation to sustainability is to be viable.

...............................

“Co-Creating Commons-Based Relationships”

This first innovative working conference, is IRIS's first contribution to the evolution of an infrastructure for transformation to a more sustainable and socially responsible society. The conference is designed as a Learning Conversation in two phases. In this first phase, a group of participants representing a range of perspectives on the commons, and on the needs of prospective commons-based relationships, engage in an online collaborative conversation. This conversation is organized around six central questions. The interplay of the variety of perspectives represented by the participants and by the organizing questions can be expected to produce a wealth of ideas and insights, and further questions, that will form the starting point for the second phase.

This second phase will be a three-day in person conference held in Seattle at which the participants will, in effect, co-create the design of the conference and collaborate to build on the insights gained through the online phase. Both phases of the conference make use of aspects of the “Learning Conversations” model developed at Brunel University's Centre for the Study of Human Learning. This model has the advantages of being self-documenting and self-modifying in response of the ongoing learning of the participants.

Internship Openings

RyanTodd — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 13:50:54 CDT

Internships will begin, and are ongoing throughout the year. To apply: please send your resume and information requests to IRIS, Managing Partner, Aaron Wood, email: aaronwood@riseup.net, tel: 206.963.5184.

1) Research Internship:

Socially Conscious Finance Research Interns Wanted!

We are currently seeking interns at all grade levels with intermediate to advanced skills, on a volunteer basis to contribute to our project through various research based activities regarding socially conscious finance. Applicants should be confident in their ability to do research and in their comprehension of basic economics and finance. We are in the process of researching and compiling information that will help companies and groups better describe and measure the sustainable benefit of their mission, goals and products.

This is an opportunity for you to:
- learn about various components of socially conscious finance and Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)
- work on your own time
- contribute to a forward thinking and community values driven project
- learn from a locally based company intent on contributing to the growth of global sustainability
- work directly with several core IRIS members

2) Grantwriting Internship:

Community and Sustainability Grantwriting Interns Wanted!

We are currently seeking interns at all grade levels with intermediate to advanced skills, on a volunteer basis for the researching and writing of various types of applicable grants. We believe that we are eligible for a variety of different grants in fields such as:
- building community
- sustainability
- socially conscious finance
- The Commons
- digital interfacing, sustainability and community
- multimedia and sustainability, etc.

Benefits for you include:
- gaining experience in researching and writing about cutting edge industries
- working on your own time
- contributing to a conscious and community values driven project
- learning from a locally based company intent on contributing to the growth of global sustainability
- working directly with several core IRIS members

3) Multimedia Internship:

Cutting Edge Multimedia Interns Wanted!

We are currently seeking interns at all grade levels with intermediate to advanced skills, on a volunteer basis to contribute to a creative design portfolio that will include a wide range of art and media that communicate "future interfacing stories" of creating sustainability, in many forms, by leveraging different modes of technology, specifically through digital interfacing.

If you have skills in:
- creative writing
- graphics or web design
- animation
- fine art, painting or drawing
- video or audio production
this may be the project for you.

Benefits for you include:
- gaining experience in a unique, experiential setting
- sharpening your design skills
- working on a professional and collaborative project
- working on your own time
- obtaining hands on experience as part of a design team (working individually or with others)
- contributing to a conscious and community values driven project
- learning from a locally based company intent on contributing to the growth of global sustainability
- working directly with several core IRIS members

4) Narrative Writing Internship:

Creative Writers Wanted for Internship!

We are currently seeking interns at all grade levels with intermediate to advanced skills, on a volunteer basis to contribute to a creative design "portfolio" that will include a wide range of art and media that communicate "future interfacing stories", in many forms, by leveraging different modes of technology, specifically through digital interfacing. We will be using the creative writing projects to create a multimedia design portfolio that will involve animation, graphics and web design, video production and more.

If you have skills in creative writing, this may be the project for you.

Benefits for you include:
- gaining experience in a unique, experiential setting
- sharpening your design
- working on a professional and collaborative project
- working on your own time
- obtaining hands on experience as part of a design team (working individually or with others)
- contributing to a conscious and community values driven project
- learning from a locally based company intent on contributing to the growth of global sustainability
- working directly with several core IRIS members

5) Fine Arts and Graphics Design Internship:

Fine Artists Wanted for Internship!

We are currently seeking interns at all grade levels with intermediate to advanced skills, on a volunteer basis to contribute to a creative design "portfolio" that will include a wide range of art and media that communicate "future interfacing stories" of building sustainability. We will be using the art projects to build a multimedia design "portfolio" that will involve animation, graphics and web design, video production and more.

If you have skills in the fine arts and are interested in contributing to larger societal outcomes, this may be the project for you.

Benefits of this project include:
- gaining experience in a unique, experiential setting
- sharpening your artistic skills
- working on a professional and collaborative project
- working on your own time
- obtaining hands on experience as part of a design team (working individually or with others)
- contributing to a conscious and community values driven project
- learning from a locally based company intent on contributing to the growth of global sustainability
- working directly with several core IRIS members

Internships will begin, and are ongoing throughout the year. To apply: please send your resume and information requests to IRIS, Managing Partner, Aaron Wood, email: aaronwood@riseup.net, tel: 206.963.5184.

IRIS Home

RyanTodd — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 21:02:34 CDT

IRIS is a locally based, socially conscious think-tank and start-up.

We are licensed in the State of Washington as a general partnership called:
‘DIDE Interim Group’ – (DIDE–Digital Interface Development Enterprise).

We will soon change our name to:

IRIS (Interface Research and Integrated Systems).

What is now IRIS began over seven years ago as a grassroots initiative. IRIS will be a Limited Liability Corporation and is currently made up of a group of 25 people who are actively working on IRIS. Some of these people have been involved with this project between five and seven years, others have been involved for up to two years, while newly interested people continue to join the team.

Vision Statement

IRIS’s vision is of a 21st Century infrastructure that enables and nurtures socially and ecologically sustainable systems. Our vision encompasses an Intentional Market where people have ready access to connect their values to their actions, and a globally aware research and design process that utilizes technology to measure, analyze and feedback information that will help individuals participate in the new sustainability values based economy.

The Intentional Market is a key component for successful global transformations of this scale.

Mission Statement
There is growing recognition that the long-term sustainability of human society on planet Earth is going to require transformation of many human institutions and behaviors. IRIS is based on the simple but powerful premise that any such transformation will need an infrastructure to support and sustain it. Our communication, transportation and energy systems are so familiar and pervasive that it is easy to overlook the fact that they could have no stability or growth without those supporting infrastructures. Transformation to a more sustainable and ethically responsible society requires a comparable infrastructure.

IRIS's mission is to make major contributions to the development of this Transformation Infrastructure and to facilitate the participation of individuals, groups, businesses and government agencies in its emergence. We will accomplish this by designing and implementing digital interfaces, new media, processes and relationships based on the values of sustainability, social and ecological responsibility.

Contact IRIS

aaronw — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 14:44:26 CDT

IRIS President & Chairperson, Aaron Wood, email: aaronwood@riseup.net tel: 206.963.5184

IRIS Chief Communications Officer, Teri Derr, email: teriderrsings@comcast.net

IRIS Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer, Rob Wachtler, email: rob_wachtler@hotmail.com

Four C's

aaronw — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 14:38:37 CDT

A digital interface, in a simplistic sense, refers to the digital mechanism or component that someone uses to interface a hardware device. Digital interfacing uses software that guides the user’s experience. This software provides a myriad of venues for people to connect with other people, products, media and information through what we call the four Cs, referring to the four types of information interfaces:

Content: media, entertainment, resources, information
Commerce: buying, selling; wholesale, retail
Communication: text, audio, video, multimedia
Community: relationships, civil society, political

IRIS Org Chart

aaronw — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 14:32:39 CDT