Join the Morning Salon team for a day of collaboration, connection, and supercharged learning with sustainability trailblazers from the architecture, food, fashion and design worlds. Meet the people and companies behind some of today’s most groundbreaking sustainability solutions!
The Year's Theme
"Sustainable Futures: What's Next for Industry Leaders?"
We’re bringing together sustainability innovators from different fields to share the latest thought leadership across verticals around what’s next for sustainability. We’ve moved past “what if we could be sustainable?” Now the questions are “how will we be sustainable and what’s my role in that?”
The day centers around active learning and collaboration with practitioners of sustainable businesses, a delicious meal at PRINT. Restaurant, a workshopping session with leading B Corporations, and the very happiest of happy hours.
The event features a slate of industry luminaries who are working on the next frontiers of sustainable business. Join us to learn how Adam Block worked with Alice Waters, Thomas Keller, and Charlie Trotter to change the restaurant industry, and why he now has a full-time forager on staff. Find out how FLOR has created a carpet with a closed-loop lifecycle by integrating sustainability into every aspect of its design. Hear how Greyston Bakery uses an open hiring system to bring in employees (no questions asked) and how Threads 4 Thought’s commitment to sustainability shaped its company. Participate in Morning Salon—an experiential event where you will engage with experts from different industries to design groundbreaking sustainable solutions. Finish the day with a happy hour sponsored by Florim where you will meet fellow sustainability visionaries from the architecture, interiors, food, and fashion worlds
Keynote Speaker Adam Block, Sustainable Food Culture Pioneer and Principle at Block & Associates
Adam Block is one of the trailblazers in the sustainable food movement. You can find his fingerprints on many groundbreaking restaurants and hotels and has worked with iconic chefs like Alice Waters (Chez Panisse), Charlie Trotter and Thomas Keller (French Laundry, Per Se). He brings his unique perspective to PRINT. where his ideas about food, community and closed loop systems come to life in the food and the culture of the restaurant. During his keynote presentation, he'll be sharing about the ideas that launched his ambitious restaurant models that has positioned PRINT. to be recognized is one of the country’s leading Ag-American restaurants. Find out more about Adam in this NY Times Magazine article.
Morning Salon Presenter, Rick Kilmer, President of FLOR
Five years ago, Rick joined Interface as the VP of Retail operations for the FLOR brand where he’s focused on the brand’s growth. He has opened 21 retail stores in three years and developed the operating philosophies supporting the model. Last year, Rick became president of FLOR as the business looks to double in size for the second time in six years.
Prior, Rick Kilmer was the business leader at Kallista, Kohler’s boutique plumbing and fixture brand where he developed and launched three significant designer product portfolios with Barbara Barry, Michael Smith, and Laura Kirar, and was responsible for bringing design-based product and service solutions to higher end residential, hospitality, corporate, and multi-family developments.
Event Schedule
Morning Session: Morning Salon featuring Special Guest Presenter, Rick Kilmer, President of FLOR
Luncheon @ PRINT. Restaurant: Keynote Speaker: Adam Block
Afternoon Session: The Sustainable Organization: featured speakers Greyston Bakery, Threads 4 Thought, Pollution Prevention Institute
Happy Hour @ Florim: Meet up with industry professionals for drinks, snacks and spirited conversations.
After Party @ Monarch Lounge: Super fun after party sponsored by Monarch Lounge and TRUE Model Management
The Morning Salon Series
Morning Salon brings together the best of US and International design companies and individuals for a thought-provoking design conversation around sustainability, product-making and innovation as companies shift towards the sustainable economy.
Morning Salon promotes communication, knowledge-sharing and relationships to further companies dealing with the opportunities and issues surrounding sustainability. We’re using the inspiration of Human Centred Design to help solve intractable problems and mine opportunities for sustainable solutions. Think about a mash-up of a TED-like talk, gamification and human centred design = Morning Salon.
The Morning Salon Program is designed to bring together a unique cross section of design professionals, brand, media, marketing and PR specialists, academics, entrepreneurs, sustainability professionals and the ancillary businesses service sustainable companies patronize to share know-how and ask and answer big questions around sustainability—the concept and practices that are being discovered, debunked and deployed every day. Given that sustainability is still in its implemented infancy, learning from thought leaders and practice leaders while hashing out everyday problems in starting and implementing sustainable processes and programs has us grappling for approachable solutions.
Seating is curated. Registration is required
Fashion Institute of Technology
Dubinsky Center (27th / 8th Ave)
8th Floor Atrium
NY, NY
Registration prior to the event is required.
The Salons @ Earth Week
