I'm trying something new with the Dystopian Present blog by interviewing prominent and up and coming figures in the fields of sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Leading off is the Founding Director of the Green Den Consultancy, Akhila Vijayaraghavan. The Green Den is an international consultancy which focuses on corporate social responsibility issues. I learned that Akhila had met her team via social media and thought my readers might like to hear their story.
As Fareed Zakaria would say, "Let's get started,"
CO: Akhila, first off, could you please tell us a little about yourself?
CO: I can understand the travel guilt. I have family in North and South America, as well as Asia, so there's the constant struggle of cost and carbon to deal with in visiting family and exploring the world.
Let's turn to your firm. Since the Green Den is fairly dispersed, could you give us an idea of how the group operates and what kind of projects/problems you are currently focusing on?
CO: Systems thinking seems critical to a sustainable future. I hope more people will quickly realize that.
As I stated earlier, I’ve learned that the Green Den formed out of a group which came together over social media. Could you share how that happened?
CO: It is amazing the way things have developed in recent years. As little as five years ago it would have been unlikely, if even possible, for your firm to have materialized. As someone who experienced this rapid transition firsthand, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the possibilities of the medium. A lot of people are using social media as a connector or also an education tool, but it’s still rapidly evolving. Do you see it evolving into a marketplace for services or something else?
CO: I can agree with that sentiment. It's amazing how much you can learn and who you can connect with given a little effort and proper decorum.
Okay, we've arrived at the last question. I'll make it a fairly open one: Where do you see the Green Den heading in the future?
CO: Akhila, thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I'd like to wish you, and the Green Den Consultancy, a prosperous and sustainable future!