Welcome to 2017!
What an important year. In these turbulent times, we know you and so many others are seeking a new economic model to make sense of the world and complement the many things you’re already doing to create a brighter future.
When we last wrote, we shared that we had “a little more work to do in shaping and refining some of the content and sections” for How on Earth. It turns out there is quite a bit more, and we also needed to take a serious break over the last six weeks, as we were approaching burnout.
What we’ve learned since beginning this project is that self-publishing a book with a goal as ambitious as ours takes an incredible amount of time and effort. Many things go into the process. There’s extensive research, testing of the ideas, discussing, planning, writing, editing, re-writing, initial marketing, crowdfunding and fundraising, managing pre-sales, building relationships with media and supporters, providing updates, running the organization that is responsible for the project, and then a whole lot more researching, writing and editing! As all our team members have full-time occupations, this project has proven a bigger undertaking than we could have imagined. But it has also been some of the most rewarding and inspiring work we’ve ever done.
On this note, Jen and I wanted to take a moment to introduce you to our wonderful support team (to whom we're referring when we sign off our emails ‘and the How on Earth team’).
So here they are:
Chiara Aliotta is the Founder and Art Director of Until Sunday. With many years of experience in art direction, brand development and illustration, Chiara blogs about the beauty of typography, the importance of good design and her life as a designer. She is also a public speaker and always thinking of new ways to grab the audience’s attention with her unique style. Chiara is How on Earth's lead designer, turning our sketches and hand-drawn graphs into wonderful graphics.
After earning her bachelor's degree in English with an emphasis in writing from Westmont College (summa cum laude), Melissa L. Michaels entered the publications field, beginning at UC Berkeley and later joining Southern Oregon University, where she served as publications editor, director of publications, and director of communications. Melissa went on to co-found Michaels & Michaels Creative, offering web development, graphic design, writing, editing, book production, SEO, and multimedia services to clients around the world. With a brilliant eye for detail, Melissa is How on Earth's lead editor.
Sarah Reibstein received a B.A. in Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences, Anthropology, and Economics from Northwestern University, where she studied in Ghana for a semester and wrote an honors thesis on the discourse of economic development. From 2013 to 2015 Sarah was a research assistant at Foundation Center, where she worked on topics in philanthropy ranging from the arts to clean water. Currently a co-director of the Post Growth Institute, Sarah is undertaking a PhD in sociology at Princeton University and assists the How on Earth project with research and compiling the book's bibliography.
Simon Spire has led a life driven by two interrelated core questions: How can we create more life-supporting economic dynamics and structures in our world? and What is the nature of full human development and human flourishing? This quest led him to his bachelor’s degree in economics and finance from the University of Auckland, in his native New Zealand; a career in music as an award-winning songwriter and recording artist; and, most recently, his master’s degree from Columbia University, during which he continued to synthesize these threads through the study of psychology, social entrepreneurship, and sustainability. Interim Executive Director of Nourish International, Simon is also a co-director of the Post Growth Institute and assists How on Earth with research and book distribution planning.
Tegan Tallulah is a social media manager for Koru Architects, a firm focused on sustainable architecture. She holds a (First Class) BA in Environment and Media Studies from the University of Brighton, and blogs about environmental and social issues at Earthbabyblog, while also managing the Post Growth Institute's blog, as a PGI co-director. Since 2015, Tegan has managed the Post Growth Alliance and its 50 organizational members, and assists as a researcher for How on Earth.
Sharon Ede is an ideas transmitter, networker, writer and activist working to build the collaborative and commons economy in Adelaide, South Australia, and beyond. She has a keen interest in the changing nature of work, and emerging approaches such as platform co-operatives, open co-ops and commons based peer production. In 2010, she cofounded the Post Growth Institute, and is the originator of ShareNSave, an initiative of the South Australian government which maps community sharing assets. Sharon is an urbanist and holds a graduate degree in planning from the University of South Australia. She has a long history with the ecological city movement, having worked five years full time as a volunteer with Urban Ecology Australia, initiator of Adelaide's 'piece of ecocity', Christie Walk. Sharon is assisting the How on Earth project with research and editing.
Anne Chambers has a long-standing interest in economic systems and sharing economies, and adds to this research interest a personal commitment to equity in our lives and work. She received her PhD in anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley and taught anthropology for several decades, retiring recently from Southern Oregon University, where she is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology. Anne has carried out ethnographic research in Polynesia, New Zealand, Italy and the United States. She is the author and co-author of numerous articles and monographs. Her book with Keith Chambers, Unity of Heart (Waveland Press), explores life in a Polynesian atoll society. Anne is married to Keith Chambers (also an anthropologist); they have three grown children and three grandchildren. Anne is assisting How on Earth with editing and research.
We are so grateful to have such a phenomenal team helping us make 'How on Earth' the best it can be! This week we return to editing, with the intention of getting the book to you as soon as possible. We’re not in a position to give a clear timeline at the moment, although the middle of the year is feeling most likely.
In the meantime, we’ve linked to one of our more recent presentations about the Not-for-Profit World model at the top of this email.
With ongoing thanks for joining us on this journey,
Donnie, Jen and the How on Earth Team
