DETROIT, MI, Jun. 3, 2019 — thinkPARALLAX, a branding and communications agency on a mission to better the world by articulating and amplifying its clients’ impact and Certified B Corporation, today at Sustainable Brands '19 Detroit announced the opening of a new office in San Francisco led by former Sustainable Brands and GreenBiz journalist and Edelman strategist Mike Hower. As the new Managing Director, Sustainability & Social Impact at thinkPARALLAX, Hower will oversee business development in the San Francisco Bay Area while providing strategic counsel for the company’s growing list of clients.
“San Francisco is chock full of mission-driven firms innovating on sustainability and social impact, as well as those just starting down the path,” said Guusje Bendeler, CEO at thinkPARALLAX. “We’re excited to expand our presence to the area and help even more companies create value through stronger strategy and storytelling. Mike’s background as a sustainability and social impact journalist, strategist and communicator makes him the perfect person to lead this effort.”
Hower, a San Francisco Bay Area native, initially will focus on identifying regional partners looking to up-level their sustainability and social impact performance and communication.
Over the past decade, Hower has covered every topic under the sustainability sun — including renewable energy, technology, climate policy, resilience, food, the circular economy, information technology, and more — which have appeared in USA Today, HuffPost, GreenBiz, Sustainable Brands and Triple Pundit. While at Edelman, Hower worked with The North Face, HP and Kashi on sustainability and social impact strategy and execution. He also has worked with PG&E, Environmental Defense Fund, and emerging startups on clean energy communications programs. Hower holds a Masters in Public Affairs & Strategic Communication from The George Washington University and a Bachelors in Political Science and History from the University of California, Davis.
“We will solve the world’s urgent social, economic, and environmental challenges like climate change, economic inequality, and ecological degradation only if we can find the courage to think differently about how we both address and talk about these issues,” Hower said. “The very name ‘thinkPARALLAX’ means to approach a problem from different perspectives to arrive at the best solution. I am thrilled to be joining the thinkPARALLAX team to help more organizations in San Francisco and beyond reach their full potential as sustainable brands.”
For more than 15 years, thinkPARALLAX has worked with over 100 companies across the United States — including Interface, Southwest Airlines, International Paper, Qualcomm, Twitter, and Kashi, among others — to give meaning and voice to sustainability and social impact initiatives. The company helped Interface evolve and execute a communications program aimed at engaging employees on its innovative Climate Take Back initiative. thinkPARALLAX was the brains and brawn behind Southwest’s industry-leading annual One Report, which highlights its economic, environmental and social performance, communicated through triple bottom line principles. The company also worked with International Paper to develop and deliver its innovative “IP Way Forward” framework, which helped the company find its voice and change its trajectory toward one which strives to be among the most successful, sustainable, and responsible companies in the world.
About thinkPARALLAX
thinkPARALLAX is a branding and communications agency on a mission to better the world by articulating and amplifying its clients’ impact. For more than 15 years, the company has partnered with more than 100 clients across a wide range of industries to give meaning and voice to brands’ sustainability, social impact, and citizenship initiatives. Through strategic storytelling, thinkPARALLAX harnesses the support of stakeholders to drive systemic change and long-term success. The company is proud to be a Certified B Corporation and woman-owned business. For more information, please visit www.thinkparallax.com.
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Published Jun 3, 2019 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST