Ray Anderson

Ray Anderson founded Interface in Atlanta in 1973 and built it into a billion-dollar-a-year company. Paul Hawken’s book, The Ecology of Commerce, gave Mr. Anderson an entirely new perspective and motivated him to turn Interface, Inc., into an environmentally friendly enterprise. Anderson’s book, Mid-Course Correction: Toward a Sustainable Enterprise: The Interface Model, helped prove to other businesses that they could protect the environment while increasing profits.

 Ray’s honors include the prestigious George and Cynthia Mitchell International Prize for Sustainable Development, presented in 2001; the SAM-SPG Sustainability Leadership Award of 2001; the U.S. Green Building Council’s Inaugural Leadership Award, 2002; and the National Wildlife Federation Conservation Achievement Award for Corporate Leadership, 2002. Ray was recently named a Senior Fellow and Leading Voice for Green and Sustainable Design by the Design Futures Council.

Sim Van der Ryn

Sim Van der Ryn distinguished himself among those designers and planners who have pioneered sustainable design at the community scale and the building-specific scale. He has designed everything from single family and multi-family housing, to community facilities, retreat centers and resorts, to learning facilities, as well as office and commercial buildings.

Van der Ryn has been presented with numerous honors and awards, including: the Goff Chair of Innovative Architecture, University of Oklahoma (2001); Fellowship of the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts (1997); Rockefeller Scholar in Residence, Bellagio, Italy (1997); the President’s Award for Planning, American Society of Landscape Architects (Colorado Chapter); Arbolera de Vida Master Plan, Albuquerque, New Mexico (1997); the Nathaniel Owings Award, California Council American Institute of Architects (1996); a Commendation for Excellence in Technology, California Council American Institute of Architects (1981); and a Guggenheim Fellowship (1971).