Member Highlight: Q&A with Annie Nyborg of Peak Design

Annie Nyborg is the Head of Environmental and Social Impact at Peak Design, a Premiums for the Planet member company that “designs products to solve problems, create delight, look good, resist fads, appeal globally, age gracefully, consider every material and detail, and have minimal disruptive impact on people and planet in both their creation and shipping.”

Below, she answers our questions about crowdfunding, collective action, core values, and talks about why conscious consumption might save us all.

How does joining Premiums for the Planet align with Peak Design’s mission and values? What shared goals drive this partnership?

Environmental sustainability is a core value of Peak Design and we look to partner with organizations that are thinking creatively about how to drive positive environmental change. Additionally, we seek solutions that are pragmatic and scalable. Premiums for the Planet is taking an overlooked part of doing business and leveraging it to do good.

Crowdfunding is integral to your business model. How does it contribute to creating better products, and what advantages do you see in this approach?

The benefit of crowdfunding is that we have never had to take on investors and therefore are not beholden to those who may not share our values. We are free to do what we think is best for our employees, our customers, our communities and the planet. It allows us to take as long as we need for R&D to make the best possible products instead of feeling rushed to bring half-baked products to market to appease investors.

As a member of 1% For the Planet and a certified B Corp, Peak Design participates in other collective action movements. Do you believe that such collaboration is essential for positive progress on climate change?

We believe collaboration is critical for environmental progress. We don't have any particular need for certification badges for the sake of certification badges. The reason we join initiatives like 1%, B Corp, Climate Neutral, Fair Trade, etc., is to help build the movement by joining forces with other like-minded brands. We want to help grow awareness of these efforts and encourage other brands to join.

We tell potential members of Premiums for the Planet that joining our movement is simple and easy. Can you tell us about your experience?

Joining Premiums for the Planet is a near-zero lift yet has the potential to move the dial in how our money is used out in the world. We've been happy to support the work of Premiums for the Planet as they creatively utilize existing practices to help direct funding away from activities harmful to the planet.

Critics argue that companies producing more consumer goods exacerbate environmental issues. How does Peak Design’s focus on high-quality, thoughtfully designed products contribute to sustainability rather than being part of the problem?

The fact is yes, making products has detrimental environmental impact but that will not stop the majority of humans from consuming products. Therefore, if people are going to continue consuming, we'd rather have them consume from responsible brands, like Peak, working hard to minimize their impact which includes strong supply chain practices, low-impact materials, designing products to last, offering lifetime warranties to keep products in use as long as possible, reducing and offsetting carbon emissions, and so on.

Are there any emerging trends in the world of sustainable product design, sourcing, or shipping that you are particularly excited about?

The world of design, sourcing, and shipping continues to make incremental improvements across all areas, which is great to see, because taken collectively those improvements make a difference. What excites me are brands thinking beyond their internal operations and specifically using their business voice to advocate for policies that improve our environment. For better or worse, businesses have significant influence when it comes to legislation and it's important we use our voice in promoting smart and effective policies.