How Lara Jackle Dickinson Of One Step Closer Is Helping to Promote Sustainability and Climate Justice

February 3, 2025 by Cindy Curtis-Rivera

OSC News and Events

This interview was originally featured in Authority Magazine.

Headshot of Lara Dickinson, co-founder of OSC, smiling warmly with a friendly expression. She is wearing a blue v-neck top, a pearl necklace, and has long blonde hair. Her bright smile adds a welcoming and approachable vibe to the image.

…Change is Incremental: It’s essential to be patient and persistent. Transformative change often happens in small, gradual steps rather than overnight. Early in my career, I was frustrated by the slow pace of change until I realized that each small victory contributes to a larger impact over time…

Q: This is the signature question we ask in most of our interviews. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started promoting sustainability and climate justice” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

  1. Change is Incremental: It’s essential to be patient and persistent. Transformative change often happens in small, gradual steps rather than overnight. Early in my career, I was frustrated by the slow pace of change until I realized that each small victory contributes to a larger impact over time.
  2. Build Alliances: Collaboration is key. Working with a diverse range of stakeholders, including businesses, NGOs, and communities, amplifies impact. A successful initiative we launched was only possible through the strong partnerships we formed across sectors.
  3. Communicate Effectively: Clear, compelling communication can drive engagement and support. Learning to articulate the benefits of sustainability in terms that resonate with different audiences — whether it’s economic, social, or environmental — has been crucial.
  4. Embrace Innovation: Don’t be afraid to explore and adopt new technologies and approaches. Our work in regenerative agriculture was greatly enhanced by innovative soil health monitoring tools that provided critical data and insights.
  5. Lead by Example: Demonstrating your commitment through your own actions inspires others. When our organization adopted zero-waste practices internally, it motivated our partners to do the same, creating a broader culture of sustainability.

Q: Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂

I would love to have breakfast together with Kyle Pows Whyte and Paul Pollman. Each brings different visionary perspectives that have the potential for reimagining our potential to work together as a human race.

Paul Polman is the former CEO of Unilever. His visionary leadership in integrating sustainability into core business strategies and his advocacy for the UN Sustainable Development Goals have been incredibly inspiring. I would be eager to learn from his experiences and discuss how we can further drive sustainable business practices globally.

Kyle is an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and serves on several high-profile advisory councils, including the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. I love his writings on Kinship as he recognizes that the climate crisis cause and solution lie not just in commitments to big climate solutions but in our relationships with each other. We displaced and decolonized kinship principles such as trust, reciprocity and consent when we arrived in the US and we have an opportunity to reframe and reclaim Kinship in business. That is what I am excited about. I launched the Climate Collaborative 7 years ago based on environmental science, but human relationship is the next level work I dream of us all taking on together to actually have a shot at achieving vital progress.

Q: How can our readers continue to follow your work online?

Readers can follow our work through the One Step Closer website, where we regularly share updates on our initiatives and impact. Look out for the Purpose Pledge….our biggest, hardest and most far reaching movement ever, launching in 2025. Additionally, they can connect with me on LinkedIn for insights and updates on our projects and industry trends.

Q: This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!

Thank you! It was a pleasure discussing these important topics with you.

This interview was originally published by Authority Magazine. Read the full article here.