Tuesday, April 23, 8:30AM—9:30AM
We will meet in person at the Spark Building, Starting Block Café (3rd Floor). Doors will open at 8 AM for networking.
Spark Building, Starting Block Café (3rd Floor)
821 E Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53703
Agenda
- Breakfast & Networking 8:00—8:30 AM
- Program 8:30—9:30 AM
- Networking 9:30—10:00 AM
Join us for a panel discussion on alternatives to fast fashion, where we will learn from local experts about more sustainable apparel options like clothing made from hemp fiber, thrift stores, and the steps brands take to minimize impact.
Dress to impress Mother Nature! Feel free to wear your favorite piece of vintage or thrifted clothing to spark conversations.
Marianne Fairbanks is an Audrey Rothermel Bascom Professor, Associate Professor of Design Studies, and a Kohl’s Center Innovation Faculty Fellow at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Human Ecology.
Marianne will discuss emerging textile technology and her work with Wisconsin Hemp by Hand.
As a maker with 20 years of experience, three threads of her practice have emerged: her solo work, her research into emerging textile technology, and her social practice work. While distinctly different in intentions and outcomes, each thread informs and supports the others. Whether engaging poetic and aesthetic pleasures, utilitarian applications, or political and critical discourse, the unified focus of my work is textiles and the role they will play in the future of our society.
Julie Bennett is the CEO & Executive Director of St. Vincent de Paul – Madison / Dane County
Julie joined the staff at the District Council of Madison, Wisconsin in September 2020 and became the CEO and Executive Director in October 2022. Her 20+ years of nonprofit leadership are rooted in her Catholic faith and in the intentional practices she learned during her master’s degree studies in Servant Leadership at Viterbo University.
Julie is privileged to work with a team of talented and committed leaders. SVdP – Madison runs programs of support for neighbors in need, including a food pantry serving about 3000 households/month, a charitable pharmacy, a microlending program, and a program of support to help stabilize newly housed families with case management support and financial assistance. Additionally, 7 thrift stores and a central processing center help fund this and other mission work. Nineteen conferences provide direct person-to-person care for neighbors in need.
Robert Behnke is the Co-founder and President of Fair Indigo
Robert is a native of Wisconsin and graduate of the University of Minnesota. After spending ten years traveling frequently to Latin America and Asia for large apparel brands, including Lands’ End, he was struck by a stunning lack of connection between the world’s garment workers and its garment consumers. Robert and three partners decided to leave their corporate jobs and create a company that connected consumers to workers and paid these workers a fair and living wage.
Fair Indigo was launched in 2006 with the hopes of becoming one of the country’s first fair trade apparel brands. After many roadblocks and nearly fatal setbacks, Fair Indigo continues to iterate as consumer tastes and expectations evolve. Robert serves as president of his small (5-employee) company that produces its own proprietary clothing brand sold on its website, fairindigo.com.
Carolyn Benforado is a designer serving as Board President for The Sewing Machine Project- Madison/ Dane County
With 30 + years as a professional apparel designer and a sewing instructor, Carolyn sees first hand how the power of making, mending and manipulating garments is a perfect fit for sustainability. The Sewing Machine Project collects and distributes sewing machines to communities in hope of providing opportunities that contribute to the overall well being of individuals and families. This sustainable action continues the life a sewing machine bringing it into a community of makers, who in turn, are making a difference in their community. We also have a thriving Mending Program at two libraries in Madison, extending the life of well loved items, a little longer. While passing on tools and talents for life long skills, the Sewing Machine Project encourages communities toward sustainability.
Carolyn has her BS double major in Art and Textile Design from UW-Madison. She has worked in fashion design and construction for individuals, theatrical costumes, dance groups and international artists. As a textile artist, she participates in art shows; most recently at the Textile Center of Minnesota, and in Madison, at the Overture Galleries and Art Lit Lab. As an instructor, she strives to bring the joy of learning to students, both youth and adult through MSCR and The Sewing Machine Project’s local sewing programs.
Scholarships
Complimentary tickets to all staff of member organizations. Sliding scale/scholarships also available for nonmembers. Please contact samantha@sustaindane.org to learn more.
Access
Doors to the building open at 8 AM, enter the building through the breezeway / main entrance (it’s on the SE side). Registering here gets you on our guest list, please bring a photo ID for possible front door confirmation with security.
Parking
Paid parking is available in the South Livingston Parking Garage attached to the Arts + Literature Lab building. 111 S Livingston St, Madison, WI 53703. Free street parking is generally available nearby.
Bus Routes
The Spark Building is accessible via bus routes A and B.
