Category — Business

Custom Cordage has created a simple, elegant solution to the glut of float rope in the Maine lobster market – turning it into sale-able goods that both create jobs, keep waste out of landfills and incentivize the switch to sink rope. It’s a perfect example of the triple bottom-line in action – a wonderful way of thinking that I hope will continue to catch on.

It seems companies everywhere are launching Open Innovation Platforms. Unilever launched theirs last month and Heineken launched Ideas Brewery a few days ago, inviting ideas to make packaging and delivery more sustainable. Not that I’m complaining, the fact that companies are thinking about reducing their environmental impact is a great thing. It’s just that for something all about innovation the model itself feels a little 2008. Basically crowd-sourcing mixed with user-generated content.

But, I’ve been wrong before and the proof, as they say, is in the pudding. So I’ll be curious to see what ideas come out of this. Submission deadline is May 8th and the winner will be announced in June 2012. $10,000 cash prize.

And though I really do want to love this campaign because I admire the sentiments behind it, the intro video on Ideas Brewery definitely isn’t helping me get excited about it. Great message, mind-numbing delivery. Maybe it’s the remaining effects of all those dirty kettle one martinis last night but my mind is still spinning from this closing quote: “Because none of us is better than all of us.” Huh? I’m tempted to send them a copy of Eats, Shoots & Leaves.

Happy Good Friday everyone!

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Fellow Camden IFF board member Susan Williams has a great show of her paintings through the month of March at Gerald Peters Gallery. I’ve always known Susan as someone who pushes the boundaries of traditional marketing techniques, seeing the value of forging emotional connections with customers and making a product with pride and craftsmanship. It’s no surprise that her art is blessed with an equal amount of passion. Still, it is such a pleasure to uncover a new facet of someone and I could not be more thrilled to check out her work in person Thursday night.

The Wilder Things profiled her studio recently. If you like what you see, stop by the gallery Thursday night to meet Susan or anytime during the month of March to see her work. Details for the show and opening are below.

Mozilla is among the many sites striking today against the Internet Blacklist Bills that the U.S. Senate will take to a vote on January 24th, 2012.

As the Electronic Frontier Foundation summarizes: “The Internet blacklist legislation—known as PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House—invites Internet security risks, threatens online speech, and hampers innovation on the Web. Urge your members of Congress to reject this Internet blacklist campaign in both its forms!”

That legislation like this is even seeing the light of day in the United States is deeply disturbing. Stand up for freedom of speech and send a message to Congress here.

Swans Island is a company that walks the talk. Beautiful hand crafted products made with love from sustainably sourced materials. For more, check out their Process and Values.

Loving their new website with its tactile background, clean layout and new level of product detail. Check out their classic merino wool throw featured in J. Crew’s BEST OF THE BEST gift guide or follow the Swan’s Island lifestyle on their blog.