design

C. Josh Abend:

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Josh is one of the few grey-haired Silicon Valley entrepreneurs around here; small kids sometimes ask if he is Albert Einstein and he always replies…Yes . Abend has a DaVinci appetite for innovative interests and a diverse range of innovation experience. He has taught creative problem solving at several product design colleges including CEF Buffalo.

* Apprenticeship at age 15, to design icon Norman Bel Geddes, considered the father of modern Industrial Design.

*He has been a car designer at GM in Detroit.

*A Human factors design/engineer on team of Polaris nuclear submarine, control station for the US Navy. Appointed in ’82 by President Regan to Whitehouse counsel on US productivity.

* Held office as national Vice President of IDSA.* One of first three world class designers to rise to level of a corporate, vice president.

*Was VP of product design for 5 divisions of a Fortune 500 company.

*Served as a PDMA officer in it’s national formation.

*Founder of INNOVATION AMERICA Inc.’79 *Director of the Innovation Management Center for SRI International.

*Holds a US patent for “Innovation Engines” which is an enterprise innovation software System.

*Is completing a book titled 101 Models of Innovation practice.

*Presently focused on C-level Innovation management via Innovation Masters® LLC. Still an avid skier and yacht racer. Served in US army 1253rd combat engineer battalion. Architectural graduate of historic Cooper Union NYC. and Mech Engr. Stanford University. Josh has 2 adult children and lives in Menlo Park, California.

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1/4/12: How to Design an Eco-City

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Dr. James Caldwell shares his experience working with sustainability planners in China to develop actionable strategies for creating Eco Cities. Topics include the need to measure the actual performance of buildings, international joint ventures, livability and scalability. Chinese eco-cities covered include Suzhou, Tianjin and Nansha.
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6/28/2011: Solar Design / Green Building Potluck BBQ

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Passive solar design is quite possibly one of the most efficient building techniques ever. Yet we rarely see the conscious implementation of this timeless way of building structures which are in-tune with the energy balance of their environment. Thanks to our dear friend Thomas Wagner, we got a firs hand look at innovative solar design in action.
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The Sustainability Revolution: Inspired Community Design

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Curt Johansen
Executive Vice President, TriadCommunities

Seeking inspiration for a sustainable future? Join us as Curt Johansen, EVP of Triad Communities, shares his aspirations, experiences and insights.

The advanced protection and preservation of our environment is integral to the well-being of future generations. Socially responsible development is now immutably on the political agendas of most politicians and many business leaders. Along with economic prosperity, these three concepts formulate the basis for sustainable development and blended-value creation.

Curt’s practical experience and research over the past twenty-five years has led him to understand the role of sustainable community in the creation of a true land ethic. He will explain how localizing five critical economic sectors can create healthy balance between globalization and strong communities. He will demonstrate how his own work is leading him toward the creation of perhaps the most sustainable community in the country, right here in the Bay Area. And he will invite us to explore how we might face the challenge of incorporating sustainable principles into our careers.