[{"document_url": "http://blog.fitnyc.edu/hottopicsinsider/author/lisa_hendrickson/", "unformatted_src": "https://sites.fitnyc.edu/depts/Images/BlogGraphics/fit_suny_Brunelleschi.jpg", "src": "https://sites.fitnyc.edu/depts/Images/BlogGraphics/fit_suny_Brunelleschi.jpg", "formatted_filename": "fit suny Brunelleschi", "rendered_width": "66.5%"}, null, {"document_url": "http://blog.fitnyc.edu/hottopicsinsider/author/lisa_hendrickson/", "unformatted_src": "http://blog.fitnyc.edu/hottopicsinsider/files/2011/05/2671421_futureLab_1.jpg", "src": "http://blog.fitnyc.edu/hottopicsinsider/files/2011/05/2671421_futureLab_1.jpg", "formatted_filename": "futureLab", "rendered_width": 358, "rendered_height": 231}, null]
I don’t know about you, but as a person deeply committed to sustainability I find myself more and more weary of hearing “We’re Green!” I’m looking to understand the difference between sloganeering and genuine commitments to sustainability. In my course, “The Sustainable Organization” we look at creating a sustainability plan for your company. In the course, I hear lots of students describing their views of sustainability. Many have a very thought out approach while others are still in the formulation stage. I find that mature businesses have gotten the message that “we need to be green” but I don’t know if there’s a common understanding of what that really means. I’d like to to create a new vocabulary for the sustainability movement so we can move away from terms like “green” and become more specific about what we’re discussing. I think people are “getting it” getting the power of green, now I think it’s time for us to further the conversation. What do you think?

Lisa Hendrickson teaches CEO 200 FutureLab and The Sustainable Organization.


I love beautiful! I love being in the presence of beauty.  One of the reasons I love teaching at The Enterprise Center is that I get to work with very creative people who most often times are focused on creating beauty or bringing beauty to the forefront of our lives.  I find that a very honorable pursuit.  After teaching my course “FutureLab’ earlier this month, I realized just how many people do not have a relationship between the  beautiful and the monetary costs and rewards of their relationship to bringing beauty into the world. I feel rather  certain that  this is part of the bigger cultural conversation that many of us have about money–we fear it because we don’t know how to deal with it or we push away the topic because we don’t want to be responsible for it.  It seems like it’s very easy to spend money but we have the perception that its difficult to make money.  I’d like to suggest that our pursuit of beauty may be filled with bumps and learnings  along the way–and somehow we think that’s expected.   However, when we encounter this with our monetary positions, we think that there’s something wrong and that its a huge mistake that has to be fixed.  We place a deep significance on the “what happens” instead of focusing on the learning.  Perhaps we can treat our adventures in finance in regards to our products as part of the learning in creating something beautiful.

 You’ve been to design school and you’ve got a great idea about building a company that best showcases your designs and your products. Well, now what? You’re an expert at designing the products that you see in your mind’s eye but you don’t know the next best steps about how to design a company that supports your dreams. One of your friends tells you that you need a business plan. Someone else tells you to read “Who Moved My Cheese?” while another person tells you that you should keep your day job. Is any of the advice going to get you to seeing your dream materialize into products that make it to the marketplace?

As a serial entrepreneur, I can tell you that there is a plethora of information swimming out in the world. I’ve spent years researching and building my own companies and have seen what tools and strategies are the most helpful to new entrepreneurs. I’ve also found what type of mindset is most productive to creating successful entrepreneurial ventures. After years of trial and error, I’ve put together FutureLab (CEO 200), a course that is designed to provide the information, tools and support that I wished I had when I started my first company. I designed it with people in mind who have a passion and a love for what they do but need guidance and expertise in building a company that is reflective of this.

First launched in 2002, I’ve recently updated FutureLab to include new and compelling information and tools that really assist new entrepreneurs. I am delighted to have FIT offering the course through The Enterprise Center. If you’ve got a dream and a vision and need to put it together in a comprehensive plan then FutureLab is a course designed for you.

For more info http://fitnyc.edu/7126.asp#Strategy
I’d love to see you in my class!



ESL / Fashion Business Program





Advance your career. Pursue your passion.