Joshua Foss is a dynamic practitioner and ambassador for regenerative design, having worked with some of the most innovative projects, developments, and guiding philosophies on the planet. A strength of Joshua’s is his ability to creatively envision a future that looks beyond sustainability and into the realm of thrivability, an emerging philosophy that recognizes organizations, communities and economies as living systems that have the potential to thrive if given the proper fertile conditions. His work, simply put, is to develop these conditions and apply, plan and share them within a diverse ecosystem of projects, from multi-billion dollar urban regeneration schemes to elite multi-disciplinary higher education programs.

Foss is currently hubbed in Minneapolis where he runs Thrive Design Studio, an international design and strategy firm centered around bringing thrivability to life.  He is also an associate with Beyond Green, the UK’s  premier sustainable design consultancy and development firm. This London-based team of strategists, policymakers, planners, economists, designers, and communications experts are driven to develop large scale urban projects that partner high qualities of living with low environmental impacts. Furthermore, Foss is an ambassador for the Living Building Challenge, the world’s most ambitious building certification standard. He has shared this inspiring model for development with many groups and organizations, including UK-based Marks and Spencer, arguably the most sustainable major retailer in the world.

In addition to his work within the built environment, Joshua is adjunct faculty at Minneapolis College of Art and Design where he leads an Introduction to Sustainable Design course for the Master of Arts in Sustainable Design program. This groundbreaking 100% online curriculum features theory, practice, leadership, biomimicry, whole systems, and regenerative design as approaches to transform society’s pressing challenges into exciting opportunities. Complimenting this venture in capacity building, Joshua is active with Biomimicry for Creative Innovation, an inspiring international network of leading practitioners devoted to applying ecological thinking for radical transformation. He is currently helping them develop a cutting edge learning platform to share principles of biomimicry with individuals and organizations throughout the world.

Foss carries a master’s degree of his own in Strategic Leadership Towards Sustainability from the Blekinge Institute of Technology in Karlskrona, Sweden. The program was developed in partnership withThe Natural Step Framework, an international non-profit organization that has developed a science-based model for integrating sustainability within communities and businesses. Joshua spent 5 months within this program researching the feasibility of growing food on urban rooftops.

And as an outlet to share worldchanging ideas with the masses, Joshua started the design and lifestyle journal Metro Hippie back in 2007. It has gained international attention by highlighting exciting projects, products and ideas in a very personal and colorful way.

On a side note, Joshua is a familiar face within various media outlets. He appeared on the second season of HGTV’s Design Star and hosted his own series on HGTV.com called Get Green. With his colorful and progressive voice, Foss has quickly made a name for himself as an international expert in sustainable development and regenerative design. Over the past 5 years, Joshua has led over 120 seminars at various trade shows, universities, conferences and summits throughout the world. He’s also been a guest contributor on almost 40 television spots, and has been profiled in countless print and online publications.