Ceramicist, author, entrepreneur, photographer and public speaker Rob Forbes is likely best known for founding Design Within Reach, but his accolades expand beyond this accomplishment. He grew up a son of Southern California academics and attended boarding schools in Northern California. His first professional life was as a ceramicist. After a year riddled with tragedy, he took a year off in pursuit of researching how to make design accessible - which lead to the founding of Design Within Reach. A wild (and unexpected) success, the next few years were a blur that instilled in Rob a confidence to continue to push the envelope and invest in change - including a variety of start ups, a micro-farm, and using the tools of design to create long-lasting impact. 
Images, links and more from Rob Forbes!
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Clever is hosted & produced by Amy Devers, with production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep. 168:  Founder Rob Forbes on Business Confidence and Advocating for Design

Clever is a window into the humanity behind the design of the world around us. In each episode, designer Amy Devers has candid and revealing conversations with the visionaries, culture-makers, and creative forces who shape our world and inform our society. Through raw candor and honest shop-talk, Clever peels back the layers to unearth the gritty, authentic and sometimes surprising details of their creative paths. 
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Natsai Audrey Chieza spent her youth in Zimbabwe in a close-knit extended family where she and her cousins were “in each others’ pockets.” In her teenage years the national economy crashed, necessitating a family relocation to the UK, and she began learning the skill of “not belonging.” Architecture studies proved alienating so she found a way to combine them with her love of fashion (to the consternation of her professors.) Rejecting the prescribed path of a professional architect, she instead pursued a postgraduate program in Material Futures that set her on a path of designing with bacteria. Now, she’s founded Faber Futures, a biodesign studio, and Normal Phenomena of Life, an artful lifestyle and fashion brand that also functions as a working prototype of a new model bioeconomy. She’s spent her whole life quietly not doing what was expected of her, and in this space of outsiderness she’s been very busy creating new paradigms for how we might collaborate with nature and new models for the equitable stewardship of these new biotechnologies. So, in terms of cultural infrastructure, she is an architect after all! 
Head to cleverpodcast.com for a transcript (with links!) of this episode, images, resources, and over 200+ more evergreen episodes! 
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If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!
Clever is hosted & produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep. 213: The Quiet Rebellion of Biodesigner Natsai Audrey Chieza

Sharing a preview of Tools and Weapons, the podcast hosted by Microsoft’s Vice Chair and President Brad Smith. Brad speaks with leaders who are at the intersection of the promise and the peril of the digital age, exploring the role technology plays in helping to solve some of society’s biggest challenges. This episode features Yves Ubelmann, a technologist, artist, and architect who is on a mission to digitally preserve the world’s cultural and natural heritage. He is the founder and CEO of Iconem, a company that creates stunning 3D models of endangered sites and environments. In this episode, Brad and Yves take a boat trip through Venice, touring the subject of his most ambitious project: an AI-generated digital twin of one of the world’s most magnificent cities. Inspired by his grandfather’s work to restore war-damaged heritage sites in France, Yves shares how he is using AI to memorialize the world’s heritage in 3D and raising awareness of the effects of climate change on our planet. Find more episodes of Tools and Weapons at https://link.chtbl.com/clevertoolsweapons 

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Clever Presents - Tools and Weapons with Brad Smith

Ben Clymer grew up in a New York suburb, raised by middle-class public school teachers and enamored by his grandfather’s swagger and style. An Omega Speedmaster, a gift from said grandfather, is the piece that captured his heart and sets his story in motion. A painstakingly shy student, he began to gain self-confidence in high-school and a need to differentiate in college. In 2008 he started a tiny blog, HODINKEE, a passion-project about watches that gained traction and sent him on a mission to get a Master’s in Journalism. Since then, HODINKEE has led to creative collaborations with the most prestigious watch brands and famous rockstars, and grown into a multi-channel platform that has transformed the world of luxury watches. 
Head to cleverpodcast.com for a transcript (with links!) of this episode, images, resources, and over 200+ more evergreen episodes! 
Subscribe to our free substack for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.
For info, resources, and special offers from our guests and sponsors: Clever Resources
Special thanks to our sponsor: Wix Studio is the platform that allows you to create exceptional sites with smart tools that streamline your workflows.
Gild Insurance is revolutionizing the small business landscape and putting the power back in creative entrepreneurs’ hands with Credited and Healthcare for Creatives.
Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers
If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!
Clever is hosted & produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep. 212: HODINKEE’s Ben Clymer on Agency, Permanence, and the Talismans of Life

Co-founders of House of Rolison, Amanda Leigh and Taylor Hahn, grew up on opposite coasts but were both self-described angsty teens. Both had a deep love for art and architecture, choosing different professional paths before they met online and their fates intertwined. Their first date turned into a road trip and then quarantine-based cohabitation. Since starting House of Rolison, they’ve renovated a number of forgotten old homes into warm, elegant, modern beauties. Their complementary strengths and deep reverence for their crafts and trades crew, ensures that each new project has room for magic and a whole lot of soul.
Head to cleverpodcast.com for a transcript (with links!) of this episode, images, resources, and over 200+ more episodes! 
Subscribe to our free substack for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.
For info, resources, and special offers from our guests and sponsors: Clever Resources
Special thanks to our sponsor: Wix Studio is the platform that allows you to create exceptional sites with smart tools that streamline your workflows.
Gild Insurance is revolutionizing the small business landscape and putting the power back in creative entrepreneurs’ hands with Credited and Healthcare for Creatives.
Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers
If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!
Clever is hosted & produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep. 211: The Soulful Renovations of House of Rolison

Frequently referred to as the godmother of Italian design, Marva Griffin Wilshire, grew up in a large family in Venezuela, reading House & Garden and rearranging the furniture. Drawn to Italy in the 1970’s, she landed a job as a secretary for Piero Busnelli, founder of B&B; Italia, which opened up her entire world. She was introduced to architects and designers, getting a first-hand look at the inner workings of Italian design. Since then, she’s committed herself to giving young designers a chance to showcase their creativity – most notably by founding the wildly successful SaloneSatellite which welcomes emerging designers worldwide. 
Head to cleverpodcast.com for a transcript (with links!) of this episode, images, resources, and over 200+ more episodes! 
Subscribe to our free substack for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.
For info, resources, and special offers from our guests and sponsors: Clever Resources
Special thanks to our sponsor: Wix Studio is the platform that allows you to create exceptional sites with smart tools that streamline your workflows.
Gild Insurance is revolutionizing the small business landscape and putting the power back in creative entrepreneurs’ hands with Credited and Healthcare for Creatives.
Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers
If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!
Clever is hosted & produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep. 168: Founder Rob Forbes on Business Confidence and Advocating for Design

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