At Aspen Ideas we are very much of the belief that ideas should not exist in isolation, even if such a thing were possible. We’ve devoted two decades to gathering the most incisive, paradigm-shifting bits of insight, and having them presented by (and to) the most active, engaged thinkers in the world.

In many communities across the United States, teachers and essential workers struggle to afford housing in the districts they serve. At the same time, there is a significant inventory of underutilized historic school buildings with school districts possessing millions of square feet of vacant buildings.

In episode 220 of the Disruptors for GOOD podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Derwin Sisnett, Founder and CEO of Adaptive Commons, on addressing the urgent need for affordable housing for essential workers by reimagining and rebuilding forgotten spaces into high-quality homes.

For 37 years, Echoing Green has accelerated the work of some of the world’s best and brightest social innovators. Selected from a pool of 2,100 applicants, these leaders represent the 2024 Echoing Green Fellowship cohort. With 44 Fellows working in 21 countries, this cohort is one of Echoing Green’s largest and most geographically diverse cohorts yet.

Derwin Sisnett has spent the last fifteen years in community development, public education, and impact investing with a particular focus on coalescing and maximizing community assets.

“Neighborhoods across the US are fractured by design. If we continue to address the need for schools, affordable housing, health and wellness programs, and workforce assets and silos, the problem will only persist.”

Two years ago, Investments & Wealth Monitor (IWM) published an article about the myths of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing.

The term “ESG” (environmental, social, and governance) was first used in a 2005 study entitled “Who Cares Wins.”

Our guest is Derwin Sisnett, founder of Maslow Development, which co-designs and develops real estate and community ecosystems. In this episode, Derwin reflects on his life’s work to build “communities that people won’t forget, but for all the right reasons.”

Derwin Sisnett's TEDx talk emphasizes the importance of integrating community development with education reform, sharing his personal journey from an underserved neighborhood and highlighting the success of holistic school initiatives that address both academic and social needs to combat poverty effectively.