A passionate advocate for “doing the right thing,” Lewis Perkins has recently been appointed President of the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), an organization launched by leading brands and apparel sector industry associations to select, fund, and scale programs to drive positive impact in the fashion sector. Previous to this Perkins was President of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) where he led the Institute’s Fashion Positive initiative, which engages designers, manufacturers, brands and influencers in creating Cradle to Cradle Certified TM materials and products with the circular economy in mind. Prior to joining the C2CPII, Perkins consulted with corporations and organizations on the social and environmental program development. He also served as Director of Sustainable Strategies for The Mohawk Group, a leading carpet manufacturer and the commercial division of Mohawk Industries.

Perkins’ passion for sustainability and non-profit work has included strategic roles with organizations such as The Clean Air Campaign, 360i and USWeb/CKS. He is an Ashoka and C&A Foundation Strategy Thought Partner for social entrepreneurs, a 2016 and 2017 member of the H&M Global Change Award Expert Panel, and a Design Mentor for both the Council of Fashion Designers of America Lexus Design Initiative–Eco Design Challenge Accelerator, as well as the IDEO & Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy “Circular Design Competition.” Perkins has also been a participant of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Consumption.

Perkins holds a Master of Business Administration in marketing and strategy with a focus on social responsibility from Emory University and a Bachelor of Arts from Washington & Lee University. In 2018, he was recognized by his undergraduate alma mater, with the Distinguished Alumni award.

As Chief Impact Officer of Apparel Impact Institute, Kurt manages the growth and longevity of global programs including Clean by Design – a proven platform for improving the resource efficiency of textile mills in collaboration with multinational brands. Prior to joining Aii, he spent three years at the environmental non-profit, Natural Resources Defense Council, where he focused on developing platforms and tools to measure and improve environmental performance of leading brands and retailers. Kurt also spent 10 years in retail sourcing and has served as chair and active member of several retail industry councils and steering teams.

Kurt earned a BA in International Business from St. John’s University and an MBA from the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Business.

As Chief Financial Officer, Ryan manages budgeting, financial planning, accounting, grant finance administration, and operations for the Apparel Impact Institute.  Ryan has more than 10 years of experience in finance, including roles as an investment banking analyst, startup CFO, and external financial consultant.

Ryan received a B.B.A. in finance, accounting, and alternative investments from Emory University – Goizueta Business School.

As Chief of Staff, Kay is responsible for the execution of internal projects and for supporting strategic stakeholder relationships. Prior to joining Aii, Kay led operations at early-stage startups and scaleups in the education technology space. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Connecticut School of Business and taught second grade with Teach for America before transitioning into the tech sector, helping build and scale software companies from their first few employees to their first few hundred.

Throughout her career, Kay has been focused on operational excellence and process improvement, customer and client success, and people operations and talent development. She has worked for fully-distributed organizations since 2012 and is passionate about building high-performing teams and supportive, inclusive company culture in a remote environment.