Little Grey Beginnings: A Culm-ination for "Tomorrow’s Child"

How small notes and courageous mentors culm-inated clarity—and a promise to Tomorrow’s Child

It started with a book. Well—two, really.

In the summer of 1998, my professor of thermodynamics at Wake Forest, Dr. Dilip Kondepudi, introduced me to Interface, Inc. and the approach they were taking to design and innovation centered on Sustainability. The following spring of 1999,  I wrote to Ray C. Anderson to inquire about a job. On April 6th, he replied with a signed copy of his book, Mid-Course Correction, and a note that changed my life.

26 years later, on April 6, 2025, I shared it and a copy of Tomorrow’s Child (reprinted with permissions) with Joe Kudla, Vuori’s Founder & CEO, at their 10-year anniversary in Encinitas. I later discovered that 52 years earlier, on the very same date, Ray founded Interface, Inc. in LaGrange, Georgia on April 6, 1973. Interface is now headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and is a global leader in design, innovation, environmental stewardship, and creating a better world for Tomorrow’s Child and supplier of modular carpet, Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT), and rubber flooring. You see, in 1994, Ray re-set the course (or mission) of Interface to "Climbing Mount Sustainability." That day, soon after I discovered Vuori means "mountain" in Finnish, it was my intention to bring awareness to Joe and his team after their first 10 years in business of Ray's mountainous and courageous ambition, 21 yrs after Iterface's inception.

Vuori had already won my loyal business soon after I arrived in San Diego in 2015 as a result of the Quality of their product(s), exceptional customer service, Leadership in a category that was gaining momentum and seemingly cultivating a culture of active lifestyles,  health-mindedness, hapiness, and mindfulness while cognizant of their impact with leaders tasked with evaluating their footprint and community involvement cenetered on stewarship of local communities and the environment.

It is this ethos of education, entrepreneurship, courageous leadership, intentional design, innovation, social responsibility, environmental stewardship, and connection, that laid a foundation for and inspired the formation of SARi CONNECTiONS. 

A bookshelf that built a compass:

Below are titles that contrinute to our work and prioritiztion—each a waypoint toward materials and systems that serve people, our communities, and our HOME , Planet EARTH.

1.      Mid-Course Correction: Revisited 

The original book by Ray C. Anderson, relaunched in 2019 as Mid-Course Correction Revisited, is both a how-to and a why-to on the future for green business. A fresh look at Ray's original telling of his spear-in-the-chest epiphany features new updates, six new chapters by John A. Lanier, and a new foreword from Paul Hawken. This book offers an undeniable vision of how a prototypical company in the 21^st century needs to and will look.

2.      The  Ecology of Commerce Revised Edition: A Declaration of Sustainability, Paul Hawken, 2010

The book that started it all. Hawken's words became Ray's epiphany, and they continue to show that business and industry must take the lead in advancing environmental sustainability. I am just the “John Lewis” in this story (although less prolific, so far), carrying a torch that defined a career and life of public service in a struggle for EQUALITY inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

3.      Business Lessons from a Radical Industrialist, Ray C. Anderson, 2009

Ray was indeed a radical industrialist. This book shows why that's a good thing. Ray lays out the full business case for sustainability, providing evidence in support of the company’s commitment and revised strategy and the outcomes proving that for Interface, “Sustainability Centered” was an overwhelmingly intelligent design.

4.      Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, Janine M. Benyus, 1997

Nature is awesome. How awesome? This book will answer that question. Benyus shows her readers just how AMAZING nature is and how vastly important our education from nature is for biodiversity on Planet EARTH, our HOME.

5.      Thinking in Systems: A Primer, Donella Meadows, 2009

An introductory book for anyone who doesn't yet know how to be a systems thinker. This book will change how you see the world, and Meadows will give you the tools you need to make a meaningful impact on any and every environmental and social issue.

6.      Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Social Movement in History Is Restoring Grace, Justice and Beauty to the World, Paul Hawken, 2007

Across the world, people and organizations are dedicating themselves to solving our most pressing environmental and social challenges. Hawken tells their stories, and in doing so, proves that we really can have a positive impact and heal ourselves, collectively, while healing the planet.

7.      Ishmael: A Novel, Daniel Quinn, 1992

Quinn will make you think hard about what it means to be human and how we interact with nature, the environment, and the planet. It might also inspire you to look for non-traditional teachers among us. #myOCTOPUSteacher #myPANDAprofessor

8.      All We Can Save: Truth, Courage and Solutions for the Climate Crisis, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson, 2020

As Dr. Wilkinson is fond of saying, the climate crisis is a leadership crisis. She and Dr. Johnson lift the women who are trying to solve both, and this edited volume of essays and poems by feminist leaders in the climate space is a breath of fresh air for the climate movement.

9.      Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take,  Paul Polman and Andrew Winston, 2021

Winston is back with more brilliance, this time telling the story of Unilever's trailblazing sustainability work under the leadership of the green business icon, and his fellow author, Paul Polman. If Ray was still with us today, he would be insisting every businessperson he knew read this one. This is a message I am doing my best to present, while also appreciating the origin and intention of “NET ZERO."

10.   The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History,  Elizabeth Kolbert, 2014

Biodiversity loss is occurring at an alarming rate today, and we are primary contributors to that problem in surprising ways. Kolbert does a brilliant job of highlighting how sensitive nearly all species are to how we Homo sapiens are living.

11.   Introduction to Modern Climate Change, Third Edition, Andrew Dessler, 2021

This book is the best we have found at explaining the science of climate change in full, ranging from the physics of how our climate changes to how humanity is driving that change to the policy decisions that could help limit our impact.

12.   Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage, Daniel Esty and Andrew Winston, 2009

Esty and Winston provide an easy-to-read and detailed playbook on why it’s smart to make business green, what steps to take, and what pitfalls to avoid along the way.

13.   Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman, Yvon Chouinard, 2016

The story of Patagonia and its legendary founder. As seen in this book, Patagonia's corporate values align closely with those of Ray and Interface.

14.   What’s Mine Is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption, Rachel Botsman and Roo Rogers, 2010

A brilliant book exploring "Collaborative Consumption," or what is often called the "Sharing Economy," which will be a significant accelerant to the development of the “Circular Economy.”

15.   Doughnut Economics: 7 Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist,  Kate Raworth, 2017

It's time to rethink the field of economics, and Raworth shows just how refreshing new thinking can be. She envisions a world where our economic systems are in service to humanity and natural systems, not any other way.

16.   The Big Pivot: Radically Practical Strategies for a Hotter, Scarcer, and More Open World,  Andrew Winston, 2014

Another green business must-read from Winston, this time with an eye to the present and the future. We know the most significant macro trends that are unfurling across the world right now, and this book beats the drum for what businesses should be doing now to respond to them.

17.   The New Grand Strategy: Restoring America's Prosperity, Security, and Sustainability in the 21st Century, Patrick Doherty, Joel Makower, and Mark Mykleby, 2016

Ray Anderson turned heads by proving that sustainability was a strategic imperative for the world of business and industry. Doherty, Makower, and Mykleby successfully show that sustainability should be THE strategic imperative for the United States.

18.   Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth, Buckminster Fuller, 1969

It has been suggested to read this book as if it were poetry. Though small in stature, this little book is a foray into the mind of one of America's most brilliant thinkers. Fuller couldn't have chosen a more perfect title for this important book.

19.   The New Carbon Architecture: Building to Cool the Climate, Bruce King, 2017

For far too long, how we construct buildings has been part of the climate problem. Can we reinvent construction to become part of the climate solution? The answer is a resounding yes, and King and his co-authors will show you how.

20.   Design for a radically changing world, Andy Cohen and Diane Hoskins, 2025

This book and Gensler show the reader the impact of design on our everyday lives and offers innovative ways design can address global challenges.

21.   Bali Mystique,  Elora Hardy, 2022

Surf mecca, tropical paradise, bamboo architecture hub, “Island of the Gods”—Bali contains multitudes. The magnetism of this Indonesian island is unmatched, drawing millions of visitors each year. A balance of spiritual meditation and indulgent amusement, there is an energy in Bali that defies the stereotype of a serene oasis. The local culture permeates daily life, encounter offerings, temples and ceremonies at every corner. On the other hand, Bali  also provides luxury beachside resorts and wild nightlife.

With black sand beaches, dramatic volcanos and countless waterfalls, the natural abundance found in Bali is inspiring. The plethora of bamboo on the island encouraged the development of bamboo architecture which is now widespread. Cliffside villas, endless rice terraces and the lively surfing community come together to create a vibrant portrait of Bali, complete with the kindness and warmth of its people.

22.   End of Oil,  Paul Roberts, 2004

Petroleum is now so deeply entrenched in our economy, our politics, and our personal expectations that even modest efforts to phase it out are fought tooth and nail by the most powerful forces in the companies and governments that depend on oil revenues; the developing nations that see oil as the only means to industrial success; and a Western middle class that refuses to modify its energy-dependent lifestyle. But within thirty years, by even conservative estimates, we will have burned our way through most of the oil that is easily accessible. And well before then, the side effects of an oil-based society—economic volatility, geopolitical conflict, and the climate-changing impact of hydrocarbon pollution—will render fossil fuels an all but unacceptable solution. How will we break our addiction to oil? And what will we use in its place to maintain a global economy and political system that are entirely reliant on cheap, readily available energy?

Brilliantly reported from around the globe, End of Oil brings the world situation into fresh and dramatic focus for business and general readers alike. Roberts talks to both oil optimists and oil pessimists, delves deep into the economics and politics of oil, considers the promises and pitfalls of alternatives, and shows that, although the world energy system has begun its epoch-defining transition, disruption and violent dislocation are almost assured if we do not take a more proactive stance. With the topicality and readability of Fast-Food Nation and the scope and trenchant analysis of Guns, Germs, and Steel, this is a vitally important book for the new century.

Where this is going?

Rinconcito G.R.I.S.—Grateful expressions, Reflections, Inspirations, Shared selections—will be my regualr #greynotes journal and our shared sapce. It’s where ideas become pilots, partners, and products: rivercane bamboo that holds a riverbank and becomes tableware; kelp that calms a coastline and becomes flying discs; designs that connect people to place. If this resonates, please subscribe, say "hello," and help steer what we design and create next!

With immeasurable kindess and gratitude,

Bri