Our Curated Actions programs create
unique opportunities for you to implement and share
your ideas, expertise, and solutions.
SHARE
IMPACTS
We're transforming your great ideas into
positive actions and helping them grow.
Our Curated Actions programs at the Human Impacts Institute are unique opportunities for you to implement and share your ideas, expertise, and solutions. We are building a community of change-makers working on issues from communicating climate change to social and environmental justice through our salons, awards competitions, action coalitions, and open mic impacts hours.
A Human Impacts Salon is not an event, it's a happening.
—Joshua F.,
Human Impacts Salon Participant
I found this visually arresting and high content. [The artwork] has the ability to inspire others, make them stop, think, perhaps act.
—Paul M.
Creative Climate Awards Judge
Love involving others and it is about something people find tangible and fundamental to their daily lives.
—Victoria H.
On our Curated Action programs
People are talking about
sharing impacts...
Human Impacts Salons
Unparalleled events that bring together unlikely allies to communicate tough topics in creative and engaging ways.
Creative Climate Awards
An annual series of events that showcase artists, musicians, and filmakers creating climate-inspired, public works and actions.
Impact Hours
Curated conversations, where inspiring people share their knowledge, ideas, stories, and solutions in beautiful and engaging ways.
Human Impacts Salons In Action
Check out the topics we've explored and places we've been with our Salons
![]() Designing for Change (Chicago)Examined design strategies for a changing climate and how creative solutions to climate change are reinventing the urban landscape. | ![]() Creative Communication (NYC)Searched for the perfect recipe for using art to inspire climate change action. Can the science be communicated effectively? Does the art retain its' artistic integrity? And Is the message heard loud and clear? | ![]() Vulnerability in Communities (Miami)Reflected on progress, security, and leadership in the face of a changing climate, while supporting unlikely alliances with groups such as disaster first responders and developers. |
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![]() STEAM and Innovation (Boston)Showcased how STEAM education is necessary innovation in the global marketplace and addressing some of the worlds most pressing issues. | ![]() Collaboration for Action (NYC)Explored diverse approaches for creating effective partnerships for climate action. | ![]() Faith and Social Action (Atlanta)Explored questions like: Where do we place our trust in a changing climate? How can having trust and faith--whether it's from "having faith in science" to "having faith in a higher power"-- be a driving force for action and community building? |
![]() A Clean Energy Revolution (NYC)Explored how and why we make decisions about the bloodline of our civilization, energy, and the impacts of our addiction to fossil fuels. | ![]() The Politics of Climate (DC)Examined how to create a climate community in the U.S. that includes political views from the left, right and center. | ![]() Money and Change (Houston)Explored how community leaders are turning a city built on the profits of oil and gas into a healthy, more livable green haven. |
![]() Breakthrough Innovations (Bay Area)Took a look at what innovations--from decision-making apps to video games to inclusive education--are going to change the world. | ![]() Holistic By Nature (NYC)Brought diverse people together to discuss how we systems-thinking can be used to address issues from social justice to health to livable cities. |
Human Impacts Salons
Our Human Impacts Salons are unparalleled events that bring together unlikely allies to communicate tough topics
in creative and engaging ways. Working with local partners, our Salons bring together creative visionaries
with community leaders, environmental experts, and activists to highlight pressing environmental and social issues.
They invite you to investigate a local view on global issues, while participating in conversation,
live performance, action, and multi-media entertainment.
HUMAN
IMPACTS
SALONS

Speakers
Peter Earnest, Founding Executive Director, International Spy Museum; Dr. Robert Bullard, Dean of the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs, Texas Southern University; Jay Hakes, author & former Director of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library; Tracy Raczek, Climate Policy Specialist, UN Secretary General's
Climate Team; Brian Swett, Chief, Environment & Energy at City of Boston; Dr. Georg Maue, First Secretary Climate and Energy Policy, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to the U.S.; Phil Aroneanu, Co-Founder, 350.org; Sabine Marx, Managing Director at the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED) at Columbia University; Julian Cheevers, Group Account Director, Droga 5 Alexis Chase, Executive Director, Georgia Interfaith Power & Light; Debbie Dooley, Co-Chairman Atlanta Tea Party and Co-Founder Green Tea Coalition; Brian Merchant, Senior Editor and Writer, Motherboard at VICE Media, Inc; Professor Patrice Simms, Assistant Professor, Howard University Law School; David Wang, In-house Rocket Scientist at NuVu; Janet Attarian, City of Chicago, Department of Transportation; Giulio Busulini, Scientific Attache, Italian Embassy to the U.S.; Joshua Sheridan Fouts, Executive Director, Bioneers; Jason Rissman, Managing Director, OpenIDEO, IDEO; Althea Viafora Kress, Independent Curator and Art Dealer; Greg Niemeyer, Director, Berkeley Center for New Media; Konstantin Kakaes, Fellow, New America Foundation; Xavier Cortada, Artist-in-Residence, Florida International University College of Architecture + The Arts; Marquise Stillwell, Principal,Openbox; Marita Mirzatuny, Project Manager, Environmental Defense Fund; Dr. Dominic Boyer, Founding Director and Professor, Rice University's Center of Energy and Environmental Research in the Human Sciences; James Slezak, Partner, Purpose; Deborah DEEP Mouton, Resident Writer, Writers in the Schools; Ben McKelahan, Lutheran Pastor; Maggie Fernandez, President, Sustainable Miami; Dr. Hugh Gladwin, Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies, FIU; Suzanne Hunt, Energy Policy Specialist and President, Hunt Green LLC; Shane Owl-Greason, Co-Founder, Georgia Solar Utilities; Susan Pavlin, Director, Global Growers Network; Daniel Blackman, Environmental Justice Advocate; Susan Israel, The Energy Necklace Project; Hannah Sevian, Associate Professor of Chemistry at U-Mass Boston; Doug Semmes, Director, New York Market, Green Mountain Energy; Charlie Catlett, Argonne National Laboratory; Katherine Darnstadt, Principal, Latent Design; Jenny Kendler, Artist and Environmental Activist; Elizabeth Moyer, Assistant Professor, Atmospheric Chemistry and Transport, University of Chicago; Zakiya Harris, Artist and Changemaker; Michael Weber, Energy Policy Advisor, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to the US; Katie Holten, Visual Artist
Performers
Peter Yarrow, singer and songwriter; James Hannaham, poet and writer; Natasha Tsakos, a producer, director, and performer; Xiao Xiao, Pianist and Technologist of the MIT Media Lab; Jody Sperling, Artistic Director, Time Lapse Dance; Nicholas Johnson, slam poet and hip hop artist; AshEL Eldridge, CEO and Founder SOS Juice, Founder Earth Amplified; Becca Pelham, dancer and choreographer; Jimmy M. Hughes, Electronic Musician ; Kemi Alabi, Spoken Word Artist ; Josephine Decker, Filmaker and performance artist; Yani, Atlanta Hip Hop artist; Kevin Dunn, Gospel Singer; Darbie Duff, Dancer/Choreographer; SongRise, a cappella group; Nimat, singer/songwriter; LeAnne Harvey, choreographer and modern dancer; Helen Wicks, Dancer and Choreographer
LISTEN
PARTNERS
Get a Taste
See our "teaser videos" of past salons
Watch Them All
Watch the full-length past salons
WATCH
GUESTS
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IMPACTS
HOURS
Impacts Hours
Impacts Hours are curated conversations, where inspiring people share their knowledge, ideas, stories,
and solutions in beautiful and engaging ways.
We’d like to thank Invoking The Pause, an environmental small grants program, for supporting this series.
