News & Events
Get updates about what we are doing, thinking, and learning here.
How Engineering Drives Modern Infrastructure Development
Modern infrastructure stands as a testament to human ingenuity, combining innovation, precision, and collaboration across multiple engineering disciplines. From towering skyscrapers and sprawling bridges to smart transportation systems and sustainable energy grids,...
Reforestation vs. Afforestation: What’s the Difference?
As the global conversation around climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental restoration gains momentum, two terms frequently appear in discussions about forest recovery: reforestation and afforestation. While they are both critical strategies for increasing...
Forming a Professional Corporation: A Guide for Licensed Professionals
For certain licensed professionals, forming an illinois professional corporation (PC) can be an ideal way to structure a business. PCs are often required for individuals in fields like law, medicine, accounting, engineering, and agriculture who want the benefits of...
Chad Thiessen – Live the Life We Love
It started with the wisdom of a four-year-old and has led to a quest to support and spawn regenerative communities. In this conversation with Designers of Paradise host Erik Van Lennep real estate investor and community designer, Chad Thiessen explains how his relationship with his son directed him on his current path, where he came from, and what he’s learning along the way.
Chad describes his experiences – good and bad – in real estate development and how he’s realized he wants to build regenerative communities, places for healing. He distinguishes his ideas from eco-villages and how to work in other countries yet avoid colonialization. He emphasizes the importance of scaffolding to support learning and money as a tool.
Kevin Maher – Get Roots In The Ground
Crann Mór, from Gaelic, means “Big Tree” and Kevin Maher, founder of CrannMor Advisors is thinking big about trees. Partnering with permaculture designer and author Mark Shepard to create CrannMor Advisors, Kevin helps farmers be more successful financially while also improving the ecosystem with an emphasis on agroforestry. In this conversation with Designers of Paradise host Erik van Lennep, Kevin explains how they are looking for early adopters willing to a longer term perspective on “return” that will enable investment in tree crops.
Jeff Goebel Round 2 – This Is Our Home
More than 25 years ago, Jeff Goebel started working with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation to help improve finances from their timber management program. Over time,
Matt Candeias – Plants Make a Living
What happens when a couple of plant nerds get together for a chat? This conversation between botanist and author Matt Candeias and Designers of Paradise host Erik van Lennep. Candeias, author of the recently released book
Jeff Goebel – All of Our Voices
Changing belief structures, holistic grazing, financial stability, and overcoming community opposition are all topics touched on in the first few minutes
Willemijn de Iongh – Seeing With New Eyes
Inspiration, social capital, natural capital, and financial capital are the “4 Returns” that motivate ecosystem restoration in the Commonland framework. Commonland works with local landscape partners for large scale holistic landscape restoration in countries including Spain, South Africa…
Ian McSweeney – The Agrarian Commons
As US farmers age, up to 400 million acres of farmland will transfer over the next two decades. How can farmland be held centered in community to assure regenerative agriculture and food production in an equitable and just way? That’s the heart of the conversation between Agrarian Trust’s Ian McSweeney and Designers of Paradise host Erik van Lennep…