Gil Friend’s Blog

How shall we live, in the midst of what Equilibrium Capital CEO Dave Chen calls "a live-fire rehearsal for climate change"? While Covid grips our minds, the climate crisis looms not far behind. They may seem different on their face but they share common roots, common...

[Originally posted on LinkedIn] The pandemic’s risks arise in at least three dimensions: medical; psychological; social/political. And a challenge arises for each of us in one very particular dimension: What do we do now, those of us who don’t hold front-line...

[This article was originally posted on LinkedIn August 23, 2019; join the discussion there.] Walking the talk begins with the talk. But you've got to walk. <tl;dr> Milton Friedman was wrong. Purpose matters. "The 'it’s only business,' profit-above-all focus...

On April 2, Nora Bateson and Gil Friend will meet at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco for A Conversation at the Edge of Now, (the first in a new series from Natural Logic). It’s an honor to be invited to this venue of prestige and important conversations. So,...

Invitation #1: In just two weeks, I'll be kicking off my new series of intimate conversations with some of the most provocative thinkers I know. We'll start with the remarkable Nora Bateson and the Commonwealth Club of California. Please join us! And stay tuned for...

Sent to the CalPERS Board, with regard to the 3/18/19 meeting discussion of: Sustainable investment & CalPERS Divestment Overview. If you want to send your own, the address is [email protected]   Dear CalPERS Board,   I am a CalPERS member, based on my service...

Now that I've wrapped up my five year "secondment" as the first Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Palo Alto, I’m back in the saddle at Natural Logic (with a little side gig as Expert in Residence at Presidio Graduate School), and ready to resume a regular...

[[This article was first posted at GreenBiz.com May 22, 2018.] First in a two-part series on business risk and strategic duty.My sustainability work over the past several decades has focused on value — discovering, generating and capturing the often-hidden value that...

[This article was first posted at GreenBiz.com February 8, 2018.] It’s pitch dark. There’s no moon. You can’t find your map. The ground shifts beneath your feet. You grope tentatively to detect sure footing, or the edge of a precipice. Welcome to the Anthropocene. Now...