Leaders in sustainability and technology advanced the conversation on our stage in 2013 -- whether at a GreenBiz Forum or VERGE conference, or behind the scenes in a one-on-one interview. The dialogues were global, with events in Boston, Paris, San Francisco and São Paulo.

These 10 videos, in no particular order, struck a chord with our readers and show off the breadth of discussions and diversity of players in the GreenBiz communities.

1. Yvon Chouinard: The company as activist

This is the CEO whose ad campaign commanded, "Don't buy this jacket." Patagonia founder Chouinard captivated the GreenBiz Forum audience in this compelling talk with Joel Makower, GreenBiz chairman and executive edtor, in February. 

Highlight: "Apple doesn't want you to fix your phone, they want you to buy a new one next year. I can't relate to a company like that."

Patagonia recently became the biggest name in the apparel industry to weave Fair Trade certification into its supply chain. Rick Ridgeway, VP of environmental initiatives, detailed the company's "responsible economy" campaign in this interview.

2. Mark "Puck" Mykleby: America needs to wear sustainability goggles

What if all U.S. strategy revolved around concepts such as walkable communities and regenerative agriculture? Only this can break us out of our Cold War, status-quo mindset, says the senior fellow at the New America Foundation. Not one to mince words, the retired Marine colonel will make you sit up in your chair.

Highlight: "What the hell is our cause in America today? We don't have to bury our heads in the sand. ... We can do it through opportunity."

Puck received a standing ovation at VERGE Boston in May, and returned for more at VERGE SF in October (shown below). 

 

3. Simran Sethi: It's all in our heads -- the psychology of sustainability

The Guardian has called this journalist and educator a "top 10 eco-hero of the planet." Sethi explains why expressing what's sacred to you can help your company accelerate sustainability.

Highlight: "In order to transform our world, we have to transform how we engage with each other."

4. Paul Hawken: The biology of technology

In this wide-ranging conversation, Paul Hawken -- environmentalist, entrepreneur and author -- tells Makower at VERGE SF in October how the sharing economy helps people move away from merely accumulating and toward creating experiences with their lives.

Highlight: "We have still an economic paradigm that suggests that the best way to build an economy, a society and civilization is to beat the crap out of each other in business, and I think that's absolutely not true."

 

5. Lisa Jackson: The road to 100 percent renewables

The no-nonsense former EPA chief left Washington, D.C., for Cupertino, Calif., to head up Apple's sustainability efforts this past year. This was her first big public talk since taking the helm at Apple, onstage at VERGE SF. Hear more in this one-on-one with Joel Makower.

Highlight: "Tim Cook did not hire Lisa Jackson to be quiet."

 

6. Jeremiah Owyang on the 'highest form of loyalty'

What happens when your customers become your design team, supply chain, warehouse and delivery service? GM, Patagonia and Peugeot are already tapping the power of new sharing services. Here's an early look at the potential for business, from the leading entrepreneur in this space at VERGE SF 2013.

Highlight: "In the future, corporations will franchise the crowd."

 

7. Stephen Ritz: Win, win and win: a new model for corporations and communities

South Bronx teacher Stephen Ritz got a standing ovation at Green Biz Forum 2013 by showing how literally planting seeds with at-risk kids can elevate them from poverty into the mainstream economy, greening America in the process. What does this have to do with corporate sustainability? Watch and learn.

Highlight: "The greatest resource in our country is our children."

8. Andrew Revkin, New York Times, sings of carbon and climate change

Who knew the award-winning journalist was gifted on the guitar? Revkin showed off his singing and songwriting skills, introducing a heady talk about energy with Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute and Makower at VERGE SF. Revkin shared more insights about storytelling in this Studio C one-on-one.

Highlight: "I've got peat swamp fossils running my TV. BP's black label burns in my Humvee. We can light up the planet like a Christmas tree. "

 

9. Andrew McAfee: Why droids are taking our jobs

To drive his point home, the MIT researcher delivered this VERGE Boston keynote speech remotely, through a two-way teleconferencing robot. Yet he feels optimistic about the ultimate impacts these technology developments will have on humanity.

Highlight: "I start to think that the droids really are coming, and they're not just coming for purely knowledge work jobs."

10. The 'insane' vision of Jim Kor's 3D-printed car

This quirky engineer and entrepreneur is building an aerodynamic, 8-horsepower car that would drive from San Francisco to New York City on only $40 of biofuel. See how the URBEE vehicle has evolved by checking out this 2011 talk by Kor.

Highlight: "One day, all cars will look like this...We can design some beautiful machinery that will astound us all."