Intermountain Sustainability Summit
March 17, 2022
Live Session

Remaking the Way we Make Things
Presented by: Jen Lopez, Clever Octopus

With a lot of nods toward Cradle to Cradle on design and with support from Utah GOED, Clever Octopus has embarked on a 1-year endeavor to develop a self-sustaining program to create much-needed jobs for individuals experiencing barriers to employment. Our target participants include people with a history of incarceration or addiction, recent immigrants and refugees, marginalized and resilient communities including Native artists, and people with mental health and developmental disabilities. This is a Waste-Based Social Enterprise with a mission to upcycle donated goods for resale while meeting social and environmental objectives. The revenue from low-cost resale supports overarching initiatives to reduce poverty and develop high-paying jobs in the waste reuse sector. Through skill-training, we provide dignifying experiences to historically marginalized people and assist them in breaking out of the low-income/low skill trap. With support from and modeled after the work of Cascade Alliance, which helps nonprofits turn discarded items into stable revenue streams and sources of quality jobs, we will work with demonstrated experts to scale our pilot phase into a self-sufficient, job-creating community enterprise. We have brought on the first team of makers to produce house-branded products using reclaimed materials. Skills in sewing, light manufacturing, and assembly are welcomed but not required - we can teach a motivated candidate how to successfully make tote bags, wax wraps, ditty bags, pet beds, pet toys, throw pillows, ottomans, clothing, and dryer balls. Throughout the year, all members of the team will be encouraged to pitch new product ideas for development - products that specifically reclaim the clean industrial discards we receive in quantity on a consistent basis. Well-designed products include a value-added concept, are tested for production efficiency with time studies, can be reliably produced to meet quality standards, and can be sold at a suggested retail price that supports paying the artisans a living wage.

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Zoom Recording ID: 91320080380 UUID: 5ZnUKanaQHmDF9kXhqoy3Q== Meeting Time: 2022-03-17 03:43:54pm