Though education was always integral to Elemental Impact's (Ei) important work over the years, Ei's primary focus was on projects, pilots, and initiatives supported by Ei Partners. As Ei prepares to enter the Era of Impact, gears shift to a new business model and platform, Ei Educates.
Era of Recycling Refinement (2010 inception through June 2017)
In 2010 Ei, a 501(c)3 non-profit, was founded as the home to the Zero Waste Zones (ZWZ), the nation's forerunner in the commercial collection of food waste for compost. When the ZWZ were sold to the National Restaurant Association in 2012, Ei's focus shifted to the Sustainable Food Court Initiative (SFCI) via the SFCI - Atlanta Airport Pilot, SFCI - Concord Mills Pilot, and the SFCI - Georgia Dome Pilot.
Within the SFCI Pilots, whose stated mission was to address Post-Consumer Food Waste, Ei spearheaded a series of materials resource-recovery projects intertwined with Recycling Integrity, the Source-Separated Materials-Recycling Template, Total-Materials-Management Approach, Zero Waste-Food Journeys, and Plastic Film Recycling.
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| Holly educates at the WorldChefs Congress photo courtesy of World Chefs Association |
Within the spirit of recycling refinement, Ei launched the Airborne Kitchen Grease Initiative working closely with Ei Partner Grease Lock/Ellis Fibre and the SFCI Pilots.
Era of Regeneration (June 2017 through June 2024,)
In June 2017, Ei announced the Era of Recycling Refinement was Mission Accomplished and entered the Era of Regeneration. Focus areas included Nature Prevails, Soil Health | Regenerative Agriculture, and Water Use | Toxicity.
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| Healthy school lunch at City of Greenville Public Schools photo courtesy of Holly Elmore Images |
During the pandemic, Holly returned to her hometown Sarasota, Florida and launched the Ei Rewilding Urban Landscapes Pilots (Rewilding Pilots) in her spacious yard. Once settled in Sarasota, Holly embarked on building a Lambda Alpha International (LAI) FL Suncoast Chapter while establishing herself within the local environmental community.
LAI is the honorary global network for thought leaders in all fields related to the preservation and sustainable development of land.
Thus, the Ei Educates platform emerged as the Ei business model evolved away from projects, pilots, and initiatives.
Ei Educates
Within the Ei Educates platform, Ei utilizes its extensive professional network as well as Holly's experience to educate on pertinent environmental and social equity topics. With their in-depth industry expertise and connections, Ei Advisors are essential to the success of Ei Educates.
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| Ei Advisor Kathy Kellogg Johnson presenting at the 2018 USCC panel photo courtesy of Holly Elmore Images |
Post-COVID pandemic in 2023, Ei Educates webinars and speaking engagements segued into common ground.
As a member of the LAI Global Water-Land Series Group (Group), Holly orchestrated the Coastal-Water Quality: Challenges, Solutions, and Economic Impact global webinar; panelists were members of the LAI FL Suncoast Chapter underdevelopment. The RiA article, Coastal-Water Quality: Challenges, Solutions, and Economic Impact, gives an in-depth synopsis of the empowering presentations; the 90-minute recorded webinar may be viewed at this LINK.
After an informal similar presentation for the Unitarian Universalist Church Green Team in late 2022, Holly spoke at the February 2023 ECO Democrats Manatee monthly meeting to an enthusiastic audience, in person and online. The RiA Magazine article, Soil & Water The Foundation of Life, recaps the presentation outline with more in-depth information.
The Temple of Understanding invited Ei to host the May 2023 monthly Eco Justice for ALL Dialogue. With the topic, Environmental Stewardship: the business perspective, Holly orchestrated a panel of Ei Advisors as the dialogue speakers. The RiA Magazine article, Environmental Stewardship: the business perspective, highlights the impressive dialogue; the entire dialogue is available for viewing on YouTube.
For the virtual October 2023 Humanity Day celebration, Holly was interviewed regarding Ei’s decades-long impact and her personal philosophies. The 12-minute-interview video is available on Vimeo for viewing. The RiA Magazine article, I AM Humanity, gives an overview of Holly's interview.
In October 2023, the Ei Food Forest, integral to the Rewilding Pilots, was included in a sold-out Transition Sarasota Eat Local Week food forest tour. The RiA Magazine article, Food forests transform lawns into lovely, beneficial landscapes, recaps the important role food forests play within a myriad of areas and showcases the educational tour.
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| Holly welcomes tour guests photo courtesy of Ei |
In February 2024, Holly accepted the Lambda Alpha International (LAI) invitation to serve as the Group Co-Chair.
On June 13, 2024, the Group hosted the Introduction to Water and Land Economics Global Webinar; introductory in nature, the webinar was designed as a foundation for a plethora of future webinars on more specific topics. As the Co-Chair, Holly orchestrated the superb webinar and invited two Ei Advisors to serve as webinar panelists. The RiA Magazine article, Introduction to Water and Land Economics, gives an in-depth summary of the impressive webinar. To view the recorded Introduction to Water and Land Economics webinar, click HERE.
The Group's fall global webinar topic is Agriculture’s Impact on Water Quality & Quantity and Land Economics. A primary focus will be on nitrate contamination, the most widespread contaminant in the world. Additionally, the webinar will address other toxins associated with chemical-based agriculture.
At three-years old, the Rewilding Pilots are ready to serve as an Ei educational platform via tours, workshops, and events. Once the weather cools in the fall, a Building Healthy Soils 101 workshop is slated for local residents. When funding is raised, a large deck with ample seating under the front-yard oak trees will host events.
Articles
In addition to speaking engagements, webinars, tours and other events, RiA articles are integral to Ei Educates. In the prior Eras, the RiA articles were generally documentary in nature and chronicled Ei's important work. With the advent of Ei Educates, many articles are introductory in nature for emerging concepts or showcase synergies of seemingly disparate issues, events, and/or activities.
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| Group photo at the 2014 Sustainable F&B Packaging Meeting photo courtesy of Ei |
Additionally, Crew Consciousness is showcased within Ei Advisor and Ringling School of Art & Design Professor of Environmental Studies Tim Rumage's This Spaceship Earth.
The article ends with a feature on the 2023 Humanity Day event hosted by I AM Humanity; Ei was intertwined within the virtual global event and the in-person event hosted in Sarasota. While Tim and Holly were interviewed for the virtual event, Ei Advisor Charles Reith served on the impressive panel at the in-person event.
In the January 2024 RiA Magazine article, What We Eat Matters (WWEM,) encapsulates Ei's important work over the past seven years is organized into three main WWEM categories:
- Personal Health - Nutrition, Physical, Mental & Emotional Health, and Tasty Food.
- World Water Pollution & Depletion - Chemical Farming, Time-Released Fertilizers and Pesticides, and Water-Intensive Food
- Diversity Reduction - Insect Apocalypse & the Holocene Extinction
A future article will formerly announce the Era of Impact, explain the evolution of Ei's business model. and showcase how Ei Educates is integral to the new Era.
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