Circular Design for a Circular Economy

How do we develop furniture and textiles for a cleaner planet? Three leaders from the world of circular design discuss their approach to developing exemplary products. Cicil co-founder and textile industry veteran Caroline Cockerham will outline how her company built a fully transparent supply chain, working with local farmers’ collectives to develop all-natural rug designs that save deadstock jute from landfills. Okaterra co-founder Justin Beitzel will break his studio’s chairs down into their requisite components — felled lumber, regenerative wool, and carbon-sequestering hemp — to reveal how the furniture “gives back more than it takes.” And MycoFutures CEO and co-founder Stephanie Lipp will highlight how her biotech start-is scaling up production on a new leather alternative made from mycelium.

Caroline Cockerham

Call it “farm to floor:” CICIL makes its rugs in a fully circular process. Chief Product Officer Caroline Cockerham co-founded the North Carolina company in 2021 after bringing her material innovation to Patagonia, VF Corp, Casper and more. Cockerham is a self-proclaimed textile nerd, with an obsession for sustainable and innovative materials. Hailing from North Carolina State University, Wilson College of Textiles, she earned a Bachelors Degree in Textile Design/Development and a Masters in Textiles Sustainability. She co-founded CICIL in 2021 as a platform for natural and regenerative fibres, where all products are made in localized supply chains to leverage the rich textile heritage in her own backyard. Her mission is to not only do less harm, but to solve problems and create a net good through textiles.

Stephanie Lipp

Stephanie Lipp began her career immersed in art and photography, working alongside some of Canada’s most respected commercial photographers. Her work in fashion portraiture, graphic design, and digital marketing earned her a reputation as a multi-talented creative professional. Lipp took a detour from the arts to work as a non-profit housing manager, honing her leadership skills while advocating for accessible and affordable housing. However, the pull of creativity and fresh ideas was too strong to resist. It led her and her partner, Leo, to start their own gourmet mushroom farm in rural Newfoundland, a province known for its rich creative community and burgeoning entrepreneurial landscape.

Justin Beitzel

The co-founder of Baltimore’s Common Object Studio – makers of furnishings that “generate the planet” – Justin Beitzel is focused on understanding the intersection of sustainable agriculture and design. Beitzel’s work spans from multinational furniture companies to individual farmers growing regenerative wool and hemp. Through real-world experimentation, the studio explores how sustainability, materiality, and community can drive value in design.