Celebrate WELL in 2019
When I welcomed my grandson Rhys into the world a few short weeks ago, the significance of the work that we do became crystal clear – it’s about his future and his health and how the work we are doing to advance better buildings and stronger organizations has a direct impact on the ability of every child to thrive.
I know we entered 2019 with some pretty large aspirations, inspired by the accelerating adoption of WELL across the globe. Reflecting back today as I cradle this little guy in my arms, I’m proud to say we’ve not only built on this momentum, but also set new intentions and reimagined our understanding of what a healthier future can be.
We kicked off the year in celebration of being named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and quickly channeled that excitement into the launch of the IWBI Membership program and WELL Portfolio in the spring. With over 110 member organizations, IWBI Membership has emerged as an activist cohort of manufacturers, designers, industry associations and more, all with the shared mission of advancing a worldwide culture of health.
We also had the opportunity to learn and grow through the generous leadership of our WELL Portfolio participants. With their help, we brought the WELL Portfolio program out of pilot, and empowered participants to not only maximize their buildings’ impact on health and well-being but also advance the health of their entire enterprises by applying proven wellness strategies at scale.
Over the course of the year we kept up the conversation with our community through WELL Portfolio trainings, advisory roundtables and WELL v2 public comment, as we know these learnings are critical to our continued success and the market transformation we all seek. We witnessed the value of working alongside our clients and customers as we celebrated leadership across various industries - from the first WELL Certified preschool to the first WELL Certified police station, and just this week, the first WELL Community was certified as well.
In our pursuit of market transformation and a world in which both people and planet can thrive, finding commonality across sectors is requisite. Reinforcing our role as global caretakers, we signed the UN Global Compact (UNGC) and mapped WELL v2 features to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We also integrated WELL v2 features into Enterprise’s Green Communities Criteria, creating a new, best-in-class certification pathway that not only makes well-designed housing affordable, but also improves overall health outcomes in the communities that need it most.
Now, in the final weeks of the year, we’ve reached another enormous and deeply personal milestone in our achievement of WELL Certification under WELL v2 at the platinum level for our headquarters in New York City. Experiencing WELL in practice within our own home has allowed us to truly live into our values and establish a deeper understanding of the customer journey. We look forward to welcoming our community into this space.
Our achievements in 2019 have set the stage for 2020 and the future of the WELL movement. We’ll convene our community around a physical stage at The WELL Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, March 29 – April 1. Mark your calendar and sign up for updates here.
We’re excited to continue celebrating the power of our community, the launch of new innovations and the growth of WELL projects. Because of you, I have the utmost hope for the future, a future where my grandson and the generations to follow have health and happiness as a birthright. On behalf of all of us at IWBI, we thank you for your advocacy, partnership and leadership that has given us so much to celebrate.
