Name: John Davies

Title: Editor

Current residence: Avon, Colorado

Hometown: McMinnville, Oregon

Fun fact: In 2015, I went skiing throughout Russia by taking the Trans-Siberian Railroad nearly 6,000 miles, from Vladivostok to Moscow. 

‍Tell us about your background. How did you end up at tPX?

For the past 16 years, I’ve worked as a writer, editor, brand strategist, and corporate communications professional. Throughout my career, my work has featured a central theme: communicating complex stories about the environment, sustainability, and our relationship with the natural world to engage and grow audiences. 

As a writer, my work has been published throughout outdoor industry publications. The magazines I’ve led as an Editor In Chief for multiple titles earned several National Magazine Award nominations and won dozens of regional magazine awards. Most recently, I led communications and sustainability initiatives for Avocado Green Brands, where I integrated sustainability messaging into their brand identity, content, and communications.

That experience led me to tPX, where I’ll collaborate with clients to write and edit sustainability reports and direct content for our marketing and communications initiatives. 

What’s your favorite part of your job?

It is very fun and fulfilling to work with a group of people who bring a wealth of talent and passion to corporate sustainability. When you get to collaborate with folks who have a fundamental desire to do great work and do work that matters — that’s the good stuff right there. 

Also, I work with people who know way more than I do, and pulling stories out of this incredible well of sustainability intellect, and turning their ideas into stories that can drive decision-making at some of the most influential companies on the planet, is a very humbling and exciting process for me.

thinkPARALLAX’s purpose is to inspire fresh perspectives on sustainable business transformation. What perspective do you bring to tPX, our clients, and/or our industry?

I bring years of creative digital media and omnichannel storytelling experience. ESG topics can be pretty complex and daunting. The perspective I bring is an ability to make sustainability communications approachable, inclusive, and meaningful. 

What’s a project you’ve worked on (at tPX or a previous role) that you really enjoyed or that felt really meaningful?

From 2013 to 2016, I was the Editor-In-Chief at Powder Magazine, a 50-year-old legacy ski publication. As a skier, I’ve always felt like mountain towns were on the front lines of some of the defining issues of our time — climate change, the housing crisis, immigration, to name a few — and we devoted consistent coverage to these topics. On climate change in particular, our editorial influence helped change the conversation and expectations within the outdoor industry, which is now this trillion-dollar behemoth that understands the power it wields, and, through organizations like Protect Our Winters, regularly leverages its influence on Capitol Hill. 

Also, while at Avocado Green Brands, I convinced our leadership that our sustainability work wasn’t complete without legislative advocacy. We joined Ceres and the American Sustainable Business Network to meet with lawmakers to leverage our collective influence to help pass state and federal legislation that will help fight the climate crisis. Unlike our other sustainability work, there wasn’t a clear ROI here — it was just the right thing to do. 

What causes are you most interested in?

I’m most interested in local efforts that inherently support the fight against climate change, like biodiversity, conservation, and equitable outdoor accessibility. 

‍What brings you joy outside of work?

My wife and I are lifelong skiers and mountain bikers, and the greatest joy of my life is sharing these activities and our passion for the natural world with our relentlessly brave and curious daughter. 

‍