International Society for Sustainability Professionals New York City presents a livestream film screening of THE TRUE COST and post-screening discussion on Monday April 20, from 5-7:30pm EST. ISSP members and guests are invited to watch the livestream screening beginning promptly at 5:15pm EST and participate in the post-screening discussion featuring Melody Serafino and Krishna Patel at 7pm. Introductions start at 5pm.

For more information, see below. For tickets, click here.

To watch the film, Join Bullfrog Communities Streaming and sign in with your email address (or just sign in with Twitter or Facebook), go to the Film Screening room and enter the video password. See How To for detailed instructions. Note: The password for the video is in the information that brought you to this site. Contact [email protected] if you have questions.

In these unprecedented times, we have chosen to provide you with a virtual version of our regular programming in hopes of providing a break. We invite you to join us for a screening of the film True Cost followed by a panel discussion featuring Melody Serafino and Krishna Patel. The film tells the story of our clothes, the people who make them and the impact it’s having on our world. New York City and all the communities that are the lifeblood of the city are facing unprecedented change due to COVID-19. We feel this deeply and personally. In the past, we have offered our Sustainability in Focus programming live, but today that is not possible. Therefore, we have created a virtual event, both a screening and high quality discussion panel, a cornerstone of our programming.

To read the synopsis and watch the trailer, go here.

We believe it’s time to give back to both our sustainability community and the frontline medical workers who are saving lives everyday. All proceeds from this event will go toward providing nourishment to medical workers at one of NYC’s frontline hospitals.

TICKETS

$7.50 - ISSP Members

$15.00 - Non-Members

$25, $50, or $100 - Optional Donation

If you are a student or find yourself facing financial hardship due to COVID-19, we can provide a scholarship ticket. Please email us at [email protected] for more information.

AGENDA

5:00 - 5:15pm - Introductions 

5:15 - 7:00pm - True Cost Film Screening 

7:00 - 7:30pm - Panel Discussion with Q&A

PANELISTS

Melody Serafino, Co-Founder, No. 29

Melody Serafino is a writer and media relations professional who understands the importance of telling a good story — from both sides of the page. After nine years on the agency side, and as a freelance reporter for Time Out New York, she co-founded No. 29, a full-service communications agency that elevates and gives voice to brands that create impact. Every brand is a reflection of No. 29’s values. Melody has overseen major campaigns for non-profits, startups, artists, filmmakers, and brands including sustainable sneaker brand VEJA, TEDx, Ad Council & NRDC’s Save the Food campaign, and the UN premiere of Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s film HUMAN. Melody has worked with reporters across a range of countries, outlets and beats – from arts and technology to sustainability and fashion. She regularly speaks on the topic of sustainability and the power of storytelling, including at TEDx Summit in Doha, Qatar; the International Conference on Family Planning Youth Pre-Conference in Nusa Dua, Indonesia; and on myriad panels in New York City. She serves on the Fairfield University Alumni Board and is co-president of the Rising Leaders Council for New York Cares, a non-profit organization that engages 60,000+ volunteers every year to help New Yorkers in need. She has also taught “Writing Across Media” at NYU and guest lectured at Parsons. An avid global traveler, Melody can be found riding the Trans-Siberian railway through the steppes of Mongolia, gorilla trekking in Uganda, or teaching junior high students in Ghana.

Krishna Patel, JD

Krishna Patel is an active strategist on initiatives to combat human trafficking on a global, national and state level. In a distinguished legal career spanning over two decades, she served in the U.S. Attorney’s Offices of both the Southern District of New York and Connecticut. As the Deputy Chief of the National Security and Major Crimes Unit in the District of Connecticut, she created one of the first court-monitored restitution funds for victims of human trafficking in the United States, and for foreign victims. From there Krishna went on to serve as General Counsel and Director of Justice Initiatives at Grace Farms Foundation. There she worked with recognized leaders and organizations convening global experts to identify ways to combat human trafficking in conflict. As President of the UNCHAIN Foundation, Krishna headed up a significant initiative focused on supply chain transparency, a subject she has given numerous talks on, including one for TEDx, entitled End Slavery With Transparent Supply Chains.
Krishna has helped draft amendments to strengthen Connecticut's anti-trafficking laws and has participated in a panel at the United Nations to launch a report that made specific recommendations to combat trafficking to the UN Security Council. She has received numerous awards including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Director's Award in 2016 for her work on counter-terrorism cases.

For more information and tickets, click here.