Ray Anderson was the founder of Interface Inc., a modular carpet company with a strong focus on both the planet and profit. Ray’s vision was embodied in a set of goals for his company called “Mission Zero,” which focuses on eliminating the damage from producing, distributing, and reclaiming Interface products by the year 2020. His company has had significant results, with significant reductions in pollution, and huge gains in both sales and profits. Ray has been featured in articles, films, books, and television shows because of his visionary work. He was kind of a big deal. Sadly, Ray lost a 20-month battle with cancer in the fall of 2011. While his physical presence will be sorely missed, his legacy lives on through his company’s dedication to Mission Zero, as well as the influence of the Interface business model across multiple industries.

In this classic TED Talk, Ray discusses how he came to sustainability, as well as some of the successes Interface has encountered taking a triple bottom line approach to business.

Ray Anderson, Founder of Interface Inc.

–Andy Kumar