Leaders Perception Magazine is currently running an interview series called – Navigating AI’s Impact On Business
Today, we had the opportunity to interview Chris Yoko who is a CEOat Yoko Co / Carbon Off.
Welcome to our interview with Chris Yoko, CEO of Yoko Co and Carbon Off. Chris has a passion for sustainability that began at a young age and has driven his business pursuits ever since. Yoko Co has made significant efforts to reduce its environmental impact, from adopting flexible remote working to shifting to carbon-neutral digital infrastructure. However, Chris acknowledges that the biggest challenge is convincing the market to prioritize sustainability over competitive pricing. In this interview, we’ll learn more about Chris’s backstory, Yoko Co’s sustainability efforts, and the challenges they’ve faced along the way.
Interviewee Name: Chris Yoko
Company: Yoko Co / Carbon Off
Chris Yoko’s favourite quote: However, I continue to try and I continue, indefatigably, to reach out. There’s no way I can single-handedly save the world, or perhaps, even make a perceptible difference… but how ashamed I would be to let a day pass without making one more effort.
– Isaac Asimov
The Interview
Thank you so much for joining us today! Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your backstory?
Chris Yoko : Chris Yoko is the CEO of Yoko Co and Carbon Off. He is also a husband, father, and avid hockey players. Born and raised on the East Coast, Chris’ interest in sustainability began at a young age, reading about the world and how it was changing. The fragility of the ecosystem was conveyed to him through the book Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams.
He started a small real estate business to help pay for school while he attended George Mason University. He left GMU early to focus on business pursuits and started Yoko Co in 2009 determined to build an agency that operated in the best interest of its clients.
In 2014 he renewed the company’s focus on working exclusively with organization that had a focus on creating a positive impact over profit. At this time they adopted the motto “Do Good. Better.” Since then the company has worked with world changing organizations large and small, build award winning, and more importantly certifiably impactful digital platforms and websites.
With a core focus on sustainability Yoko Co has worked with organizations like WWF, Oceanic Society, Amazon Conservation Team and many others. In addition to being a carbon neutral entity itself, Yoko Co also offset it’s employees’ personal carbon footprints, and, in collaboration with George Washington University, created CarbonOff.co to help other employers offer the same.
In what ways has your company worked to reduce its environmental impact, and what results have you seen from these efforts?
Chris Yoko : It’s been an ongoing consistent and intentional effort. Major efforts include:
– Adopting flexibile remote working since 2009, eliminating commutes and wasted space
– Shifting digital infrastructure to carbon neutral and renewably powered platforms
– Minimizing unnecessary travel
All the way down to the little things:
– Ensuring employee and client gifts are sustainably sourced where possible
– Opting for less carbon intensive shipping
– Using reusable water bottles instead of disposal ones when we do gather
What challenges have you faced in implementing sustainable practices, and how have you overcome them?
Chris Yoko : The biggest challenge is, that for the most part, the market doesn’t care much about these things. They are “nice to haves” to clients and customers, but ultimately if they take you out of a competitive price range, there is no compensation or consideration for these intangibles. You have to be comfortable as an organization that this is a sacrifice you make in the interest of building a better world, not a gimmick or marketing advantage.
Leaders Perception would like to thank Chris Yoko and Yoko Co / Carbon Off for the time dedicated to completing this interview and sharing their valuable insights with our readers!
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