Carrying the Torch: Ray Anderson’s Legacy and the Future of Sustainable Business with John Lanier

In this episode of Future of Finance, Georges Dyer sits down with John Lanier, Executive Director of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation and grandson of sustainability pioneer Ray Anderson. They trace the story of Ray’s transformative leadership at Interface, where he proved that sustainability and profitability could go hand in hand, and explore how those lessons continue through the foundation’s work today.

John reflects on the evolution of Interface’s sustainable business model, the power of biomimicry, and the critical role of culture and leadership in driving innovation.

The conversation turns to the foundation’s focus areas—including education, biomimicry, climate solutions, and the groundbreaking Drawdown Georgia initiative—and its decision to sunset in the next five years to maximize climate impact during this decisive decade. John offers a hopeful yet urgent call to action for philanthropy, business, and individuals to lean into solutions, embrace resilience, and create a better world for “tomorrow’s child.”

This episode is brought to you by Metis Global Partners.

Resources:

• Mid-Course Correction Revisited by Ray Anderson & John Lanier (2019 update with six new chapters by John): https://www.raycandersonfoundation.org/midcourse-correction-revisited/
• Biomimicry – by Janine Benyus: https://a.co/d/iejiHSy

Keywords: Ray Anderson, Interface, John Lanier, sustainability, biomimicry, circular economy, climate solutions, Drawdown Georgia, philanthropy, future of finance