Today is an exclusive live video interview with Marci Zaroff for the interview series “Interviews with the Leading Edge.”
In this series of interviews, I engage with people who are on the leading edge of transformational change, doing work to further the consciousness revolution and how it is manifesting in culture, politics and spirituality, in order to help bring along a more enlightened society.
Marci Zaroff is one such person.
Marci Zaroff is an ECOfashion pioneer and authority. She is also a transformational change agent, an ecopreneur, and someone who walks her talk and lives by the principles she espouses.
After graduating from the Haas Business School at the University of California, Berkeley, Marci began her career working in the organic food, health and beauty worlds by co-founding a thriving health and environmental educational center in New York City called “Gulliver’s Living & Learning Center,” now known as “The Institute for Integrative Nutrition,” the largest nutrition school in the world.
From there, Marci launched leading lifestyle brand “Under the Canopy,” coined the term “ECOfashion” and pioneered the market for organic and sustainable textiles, in addition to founding edgy ethical fashion brand FASE (Fashion●Art●Soul●Earth). Marci is now President of Portico Brands, Producer of the upcoming documentary “Thread” and co-creator of “I AM” enlightened nutrition.
Marci keynotes and speaks internationally on organic/sustainable textiles, creative leadership/strategy, social innovation and green business/design. She was a key driver in defining the USA & Global Standards for organic fiber certification (GOTS), launched organic/sustainable fiber initiatives in top retailers such as Whole Foods Market, Macy’s, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and AVEDA, and is featured extensively in major TV & print media, including Entrepreneur, Newsweek, The New York Times, USA Today, InStyle, Lucky, Vanity Fair, CNN, Entertainment Television, Good Morning America & the Discovery Channel, to just name a few.
She has received countless recognitions, such as ABC News’ “Legends and Legacies”, “Honorary Member” of the Turkish Textile Association, the Natural Product Industry’s “Socially Responsible Business Award”, New York Moves “Power Woman Award”, Fashion Group International’s “Rising Star Award” and ELLE Magazine’s “Mercury Style Award”.
Marci serves on the Board of Directors of the Organic Trade Association, Textile Exchange and AllergyKids Foundation, and is/has been an Advisor to Teens Turning Green, Fair Trade USA, the Green Spa Network, MetaBrand Corp, Sustainable Brands International, Yellow Leaf, To-Go Ware and YOXI TV. In addition, Marci helped Fair Trade USA develop the first USA Fair Trade certification of textiles and will be spearheading their national launch in 2013.
Marci has had the honor of introducing former Vice President Al Gore at South Florida’s Mizner Amphitheater, has received a prestigious Henry Crown Fellowship from The Aspen Institute, and is featured in the newly released book: “ECO AMAZONS: 20 Women Who Are Transforming the World.”
I met with Marci at her apartment in New York City, and there we had an engaging and lively discussion about the organic and sustainability movement and how it continues to rapidly grow; the role of business in spearheading change; her upcoming documentary film “Thread,” about the toxicity of the textile industry; how love consciousness and the desire to serve and help others is what propels her; the movement towards an open future; the importance of passion and vision; how 2013 is a game-changing year in terms of the growing movement towards personal and societal transformation; the importance of living yoga off the mat; where society and the world is heading and how by understanding the direction things are going it is easy to be hopeful; and the tools it takes to create a new mind for a new world.
She stated that some of the tools to create a new mind for a new world are a plant-based, whole foods diet; yoga; community, love and staying connected to others; and being exposed to being a part of the global community, which helps a person open their mind and eyes, and by doing so allows them to realize it’s a natural process to want to grow and learn.
Marci is truly an inspirational figure. She is filled with hope for the future, because she sees the positive transformation and awakening of awareness that is taking hold worldwide. She is playing an active role in this transformation not only by her words – as you can see by the interview, she is a very eloquent speaker, and clearly speaks from her heart – but also by her actions. She’s been a major influence in the world of organics – food, nutrition, fiber and fashion – and sustainability, and is an exemplar in showing that we all have the capability to be influential in ways big and small.
To learn more about Marci’s work, you can go to http://www.marcizaroff.com/index.php