Era of Impact

On July 11, 2024, then Elemental Impact Founder & CEO Holly Elmore signed the trademark-transfer documents and released the use of Elemental Impact to an independent third party. Signing the documents was Holly's final act as Elemental Impact Founder & CEO.

The Regeneration in ACTION (RiA) Magazine article, Introducing Earth Impact, introduces the new Ei persona, Earth Impact (Ei)!

Perfect Timing
With perfect timing, the Elemental Impact-trademark transfer marked the end of the Era of Regeneration and the entry into the Era of Impact! 

Ei Eras flow within seven-year cycles: Era of Recycling Refinement (2010 inception - June 2017,) Era of Regeneration (June 2017 - June 2024,) and Era of Impact (June 2024 - June 2031.)

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.

Holly speaking at the 2018
WorldChefs Congress in Kuala Lumpur
photo courtesy of WorldChefs

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.

Working closely with the SMAT – Sustainable Materials Action Team – Ei responded to industry partners’ requests to develop the Compostable Food & Beverage Packaging-Education Session and the World Chefs Waste | Recycling Course Curriculum. Later, Holly provided the working documents for the World Chefs Food Waste Challenge launched in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the 2018 WorldChefs Congress; in the Congress’ final plenary session, Holly presented on The Profitability of Waste: the business case for food waste reduction.

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.

Conscious Cleaning demo at
Ted's Montana Grill

Until the COVID pandemic in 2020. the Ei Partner-business model remained viable; partner-funded programs included the Ei Conscious Cleaning Initiative and the Three-Step Straw Initiative (TSSI.) While traveling for the TSSI, Holly intertwined work related to the Healthy-Food School Programs.

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 Era of Impact emerged as the Ei business model evolved away from projects, pilots, and initiatives and to Ei Educates.

Era of Impact (June 2024 – 2031)
Timed perfectly with the June 2024 Elemental Impact-trademark transfer and the corporate-name change to Earth Impact (Ei,) the Era of Impact launch closed out the Era of Regeneration.

Incorporated within the Ei Educates-business model, Ei embraces three focus areas/concepts: Collective Consciousness, Soil & Water: the foundation of life, and What We Eat Matters.

Collective Consciousness:
The November 2023 RiA article, Collective Consciousness: a movement, a solution, introduces collective consciousness with a brief history and substantiates how it is integral to Ei’s important work via three examples: 1>Zero Waste is a Team Sport, 2> the Sustainable Food & Beverage Packaging Value Chain Meetings (2011 -2014,) and 3> the Nature Prevails platform.

Soil & Water: the foundation of life
Soil and water are in a sacred marriage that supports life on Earth and must be addressed in unison. Healthy well-structured soil is a living, breathing ecosystem and retains significantly more water than depleted soil. Additionally, healthy soil filters water and removes contaminants as it flows to aquifers. In return, water keeps a healthy soil ecosystem hydrated.

Bee resting within a grass spiral
Photo courtesy of Holly Elmore Images

Insects are the base of predator/prey hierarchy, integral to the natural ecosystem foundation, and essential to supporting the Earth’s life web. Many insects, such as dragonflies and mosquitoes, live their juvenile or larva stage under water and their adult lives on land supporting plants and soil systems; aquatic larva is similar to a butterfly’s caterpillar stage.

The December 2022 RiA article, Soil & Water: the foundation of life, sets a basic premise for the Era of Impact; the article showcases how soil and water are completely integrated with the three Era of Regeneration platforms: Nature Prevails, Soil Health, and Water Use & Toxicity; these platforms carry over into the Era of Impact. 

What We Eat Matters:
In the January 2024 RiA Magazine article, What We Eat Matters (WWEM,) encapsulates Ei’s work during the Era of Regeneration and 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

The WWEM article outlines a roadmap for future articles and Ei Educates activities.

Ei Educates
Though education was always integral to Ei's pursuits over the years, the primary focus was on projects, pilots, and initiatives supported by Ei Partners. As Ei enters the Era of Impact, gears shift to a new business model and platform, 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 Ei Educates successes.

Ei-Hosted Conference Panels & Webinars
The inaugural Ei Educates session debuted at the 2018 U.S. Composting Council hosted in Atlanta, Georgia via the Ei-hosted panel Compost’s Empowering Role in Sustainable Soils; Holly moderated the session and panelists included Ei Advisors and Strategic Allies. It was the most popular break-out session at the conference with every seat filled in the large room. The RiA Magazine article, GAME WON: 2018 compost conference a record-breaking success, showcases the Ei-hosted panel.

Post-COVID pandemic in 2023, Ei Educates webinars and speaking engagements segued into common ground. 

Rewilding Pilots
Designed as an educational platform that inspires by example, the Rewilding Pilots inaugurated community-based tours in the fall of 2023. Once a deck is built under the massive front-yard oak trees, the Rewilding Pilots will host educational workshops; the first workshop planned is Building Healthy Soils 101.

Ei Food Forest
Photo courtesy of Holly Elmore Images

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.

On January 7, 2024 the FB Group 941 Natural Gardeners hosted the second Rewilding Pilots tour focused on the backyard food forest and the vegetable, herb and edible-flower garden. Nearly 30 intrigued local residents attended the Sunday-morning tour. The RiA Magazine article, Local Food Security: building a movement through yard gardens and food forests, introduces the  modern-day gardening movement and showcases the well-attended tour

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. 

The previously referenced Collective Consciousness, a movement, a solution and What We Eat Matters articles are prime examples of Ei Educates-oriented articles.

Staged to Soar
With a solid foundation built via accomplishments within the Era of Recycling Refinement and Era of Regeneration, Ei is staged to soar within the Era of Impact!

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Tax-deductible donations in any amount are greatly appreciated to support Ei's important work. 

DONATE HERE

About Earth Impact:

Earth Impact (formerly Elemental Impact) (Ei) is a 501(c)3 non-profit founded in 2010 as the home to the Zero Waste Zones, the forerunner in the nation for the commercial collection of food waste for compost. In June 2017, Ei announced the Era of Recycling Refinement was Mission Accomplished and entered the Era of Regeneration (June 2017 - June 2024). Focus areas included Nature Prevails, Soil Health | Regenerative Agriculture, and Water Use | Toxicity.

The Regeneration in ACTION Magazine articles, From Organic Certification to Regenerative Agriculture to Rewilding Landscapes: an evolution towards soil integrity and SOIL & WATER: the foundation of life, published to explain and substantiate the importance of Ei’s rewilding urban landscapes work within the Nature Prevails focus area. What We Eat Matters is an emerging platform that intertwines within the three focus areas.

As Ei enters the Era of Impact (June 2024 – present,) gears shift to a new business model, Ei Educates. Though education was always integral to Ei’s important work, the  primary focus was on projects, pilots, and initiatives supported by Ei Partners. The Regeneration Era focus areas carry over into the Era of Impact.

The Holly Elmore Images Rewilding Urban Landscapes-album folder documents two active pilots: the Native-Plant Landscape Pilot and the Backyard Permaculture-Oriented Pilot. The Ei Pilots serve as an educational program.

MISSION:

To work with industry leaders to create best regenerative operating practices where the entire value-chain benefits, including corporate bottom lines, communities, and the environment. Through education and collaboration, establish best practices as standard practices.

Ei’s tagline – Regeneration in ACTION – is the foundation for Ei endeavors.

The following mantra is at the core of Ei work:

Ei is a creator, an incubator.

Ei determines what could be done that is not being done and gets it done.

Ei brings the possible out of impossible.

Ei identifies pioneers and creates heroes.

For additional information, contact Holly Elmore at 404-510-9336 | holly@earth-impact.org.