Bernhard’s house is made of mud, and he is very proud of that fact. As a natural builder, in Portland, Oregon, Bernhard is working to inspire more people to realize the possibilities of the natural world around them, or in this case, under their feet. Bernhard says the empowerment he felt, from building his own home, is what has led him to educate others in the ways of natural building. He has learned entirely from experience, and books read on the subject. Bernhard does not tout natural building as a way to make a fortune, but as he says, “That’s not the way I want to be.”

Speaking from a public bench, the construction of which he oversaw, Bernhard speaks of the wonderful relationships that can be formed while working with a natural medium. Mud, he says, is a very natural thing. There is very little training that makes one person more of a mud expert than another person. This particular Oregon bench was built as a school project, and Bernhard says it was rewarding to see the kids come together, across social strata, and build a space for the community. And that is truly Bernhard’s passion: community building. The construction creates places that inspire public congregation, bringing people together around places they can proud of.

Jason Mayden is a Designer for the Nike’s Jordan Brand, and got to where he is today through a combination of persistence and determination.

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Tobie Hatfield has a statue of Bill Bowerman in office to always remind him of Bill’s motto of “what can I do for the athlete?” That is Tobie’s mentality when he designs in the Nike Innovative Kitchen, where the best shoe designers in the world gather their thoughts and come up with the next big thing in the shoe industry.

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Rick Farmiloe draws for a living. He has worked on films for Disney and Dreamworks. He has truly pursued his animation passion since deciding that he wanted to draw at age 9.

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