ABOUT US | Sara Schley and Joe Laur are founding partners of SEED Systems, a company dedicated to creating businesses as living systems in harmony with nature, so that all life can flourish for all time. They apply systems thinking, scientific frameworks and organizational learning to create sustainable enterprises.

In partnership with the Society for Organizational Learning, (SoL) (www.solonline.org) Ms. Schley and Mr. Laur along with their colleague Peter Senge established the SoL Sustainability Consortium (www.solsustainability.org), an active group of industry leaders in learning and sustainability. They are currently Co-Stewards of this consortium, leading collaborative projects among the members as well as coaching individual member projects. This consortium includes members from BP, Ford, Harley, Unilever, UTC, Nike, 7th Generation and more.

They are co-authors of "Learning for Sustainability", 2007, written with Peter Senge and Brian Smith. "The Sustainability Challenge," published in The Systems Thinker and "Creating Sustainable Organizations" published in the Pegasus' Innovations in Management Series.

Ms. Schley and Mr. Laur have both served on SoL's governing council.They are designers and Facilitators of SoL's Sustainability Forum 2004 & 2007. They have spoken at numerous business gatherings including the Natural Step Conference, The Power of Systems Thinking Conference, and the Systems Thinking in Action conference on issues of sustainable business. Participants in their work in organizational learning and sustainable business have included:

BP BSR Burlington Chemical California EPA CERES Chrysler City of Fitchburg The Coca-Cola Company College of Notre Dame Detroit Edison DTE Ford Motor Company Great Lakes Commission Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Harley-Davidson Motor Company Hewlett Packard Interface, Inc. Missouri Botanical Gardens

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Nike Northeast Utilities Open Society Institute Plug Power PV2 Schlumberger Seventh Generation Shell Oil Strata-gems Sustainability Institute Sustainable Food Lab Unilever United Technologies UTC Visteon Corporation World Bank Xerox and more

Ms. Schley was an organizational consultant with the MIT Organizational Learning Center, SoL's predecessor from 1992-1997. In that capacity she created, implemented and facilitated in-depth learning and organizational change process at such companies as Shell Oil, EDS, and Philips Electronics. Ms. Schley studied with Dr. Karl Henrik Robert in Sweden founder of The Natural Step (TNS), and was on the founding Steering Committee, responsible for bringing TNS to the United States. She has led team and community development experience for more than 20 years including as an instructor for Outward Bound, and through training with "Sherut LaAm," the Israeli analog to the Peace Corp. She has an MBA from the University of Massachusetts and a BA from Brown University. Ms. Schley is the mother of 2 year old twins who serve as CEO and Chairman of the board of Seed Systems. So much for nepotism.

Mr. Laur was the Executive Director of the Inner Resource Development Corporation from 1992-1996, expanding the organization into Canada and Europe, doubling the number of training facilities and tripling revenues during his tenure. He is a consultant to corporations, focusing on organizational learning, personal effectiveness skills and sustainable development. In this capacity, his clients have included Shell Oil, Bristol Meyers/Squibb, Northeast Utilities, Burlington Chemical, Nike, and Harley-Davidson. He studied with Dr. Robert of The Natural Step and applies these principles to his work in business. Mr. Laur has worked with whole systems change for over 20 years and is a certified practitioner of Structural Integration, an applied physiology practice invoking whole systems change in human body structures. He received his BFA in 1975 from the University of Wisconsin.

Other Partners: Diane J. Johnson, Ph.D. President, Mmapeu Consulting Manuel Manga Consulting-Training-Coaching David Peter Stroh Founding Partner of Bridgeway Partners and Co-founder of Innovation Associates Linda Booth Sweeney Researcher, Author and Consultant

 

"Your work has been a key element in helping me initiate a program at HP for integrating a vision of sustainable development into our R&D program."
   -- JS, PhD, Hewlitt Packard

"I want to compliment you for an excellent session on trust. I hereby provide my rating of A+++. Great job."
   -- PP, Senior Executive, Philips Display Components

"You guys did a wonderful job. Thanks for Everything."
   --TS, Director OD, Harley Davidson

"The presentation was excellent and done in such a way that even jaded old chemical engineers can look at things a different way."
   -- SM, VP R&D, Burlington Chemical Co.

"Everyone was awed by your incredible talents and feel privileged to experience organizational learning a la Seed Systems... You are a lifesaver"
   -- KOD Director BSR

"Thank you so much for your help and congratulations on your profound professionalism & skills."
   -- PR, Director Missouri Botanical Gardens

"The caliber of your work is outstanding and I appreciate it wholly."
   -- SS, College of Notre Dame

"Sara Schley and Joe Laur's design for learning and sustainability is masterful. They bring a unique blend of skills, knowledge and commitment to this work. I am very impressed."
   -- PSenge, Founding Chair, Society for Organizational Learning

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