Session Description

While the vast majority of us care considerably about the world’s problems, like climate change or income inequality or racial disparities, how many of us get so overwhelmed by the enormity of those problems that we actually do nothing about it?

We tell ourselves that we don’t really have enough power to make a difference or that our individual actions are so insignificant that there’s no point. So we sit back and point the blame at the “big guys” with all the power — the government and the big corporations — and hope that they’ll eventually get it together and solve the problems.

Isn’t that easier? Less painful? Doesn’t it kind of hurt to care AND to try to do anything about it? And who has the time??

In her talk, she will debunk the myth that individual action doesn’t matter and explain how much power we give away when we choose to pass up countless everyday opportunities. And the best part? It doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your life, anything resembling “perfection,” or major investment in time, energy, or resources. It can be as simple as buying groceries and as painless as brushing your teeth.

About Your Speaker

Alex is Co-founder of Way of Being, a retailer offering low-waste, sustainable alternatives to everyday essentials. Alex and her co-founder Lindsay started their business as a way to give agency back to individuals who are tired of waiting around for someone else to solve these enormous problems, including the climate crisis, income inequality, and racial wealth gaps.

She is incredibly passionate about conscious consumerism and “being the change” through everyday lifestyle choices. She earned an MBA with a certificate in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Portland State University, where she came away with the understanding that businesses have so much power and that they are ultimately beholden to the choices of their end users/consumers.

This understanding as well as her experience as the daughter of multiple small business owners and as a business owner herself has led her to become a strong advocate for supporting small, local businesses. She has been immersed in the local business community in Portland and has served it through various roles, including at Chinook Book which was a local company that promoted local, sustainable businesses, as a program manager at Portland State University helping to launch a program that serves entrepreneurs of color trying to scale their businesses, and at Oregon Entrepreneurs Network which strives to support local, early-stage entrepreneurs.