Maxine Bédat Keynote Speaker

Founder and Director of think and do tank, New Standard Institute
Author of groundbreaking book, "UNRAVELED: The Life and Death of a Garment"
Recognized in Oprah's Super Soul 100 list of leaders elevating humanity

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Maxine Bédat's Biography

Maxine Bédat is the founder and director of New Standard Institute, a think and do tank using data to drive accountability and sustainable analysis in the fashion industry. She is the author of groundbreaking book, ‘Unraveled’, and a sought-after speaker on topics such as leadership, sustainability and ESG.

Prior to NSI, Maxine co-founded and was the CEO of Zady, an ethical fashion brand and lifestyle destination creating a transparent and sustainable future for the apparel industry. For its work in sustainability, Zady was named one of the world’s “Most Innovative Companies” in retail by Fast Company.

She is the author of “UNRAVELED: The Life and Death of a Garment” which was longlisted for the Financial Times/ McKinsey Business Book of the Year 2021. In the book, Maxine exposes the fractures in our global supply chains, and examines the relationship we have with other people, ourselves and the planet – by following the life of a pair of jeans, from birth to death.

She was recognized in Oprah’s Super Soul 100 list of leaders elevating humanity. She regularly features as an expert in Bloomberg, the Financial Times, The New York Times, Vogue, Forbes, Business of Fashion, and CNN, amongst other media publications.

Maxine was also named in Fast Company’s ‘The Most Creative People In Business 2022’ list.

Maxine’s career began in international law working at the Rwandan Criminal Tribunal and Allen & Overy, and she received a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School.

As a speaker, she takes a positive and proactive approach when addressing these ethical and sustainable issues, and provides practical steps for businesses wanting to do better.

Leading an Organization in the Era of ESG & Sustainability:

Leading a company in this current climate is hard. How do you please shareholders, customers, regulators and attract the next generation of talent who come with a different set of values? In this dynamic presentation, Maxine lays out the issues - jargon free - and shares the very practical steps that business leaders can take to bridge these divides and successfully lead their company today and for the future.

What Your Organization Needs to Know About ESG:

ESG has exploded as a framework in the past five years and is a rapidly evolving space, where it seems that requirements and measurements are constantly changing. Likewise, new laws and legal cases continue to appear. Navigating this new world is not easy, getting it wrong can be nothing short of an existential threat to a company. In this keynote, Maxine explains clearly this new normal and provides a window to upcoming legislation. She then lays out the practical steps the financial community and business leaders can take to stay ahead of the curve and thrive in this evolving environment. ESG has exploded as a framework in the past five years and is a rapidly evolving space, where it seems that requirements and measurements are constantly changing. Likewise, new laws and legal cases continue to appear. Navigating this new world is not easy, getting it wrong can be nothing short of an existential threat to a company. In this keynote, Maxine explains clearly this new normal and provides a window to upcoming legislation. She then lays out the practical steps the financial community and business leaders can take to stay ahead of the curve and thrive in this evolving environment.

How Our Clothing Explains the World & Your Role In It:

In this globetrotting presentation, Maxine shares her insights traveling around the world following the creation, sale and ultimate destruction of a pair of jeans. Through this journey, Maxine shares the human story of our global economy, how it got this way, it’s heartbreaking toll on the world’s disadvantaged and shares an inspiring vision for a better way and the practical steps to achieve it for individuals, companies or policy makers.

Friends of FIT | Maxine Bedat x Caroline Gordon

The High Cost of Our Cheap Fashion | Maxine Bédat | TEDxPiscataquaRiver

Articles, Media & Podcasts

The Most Creative People In Business 2022

Fast Company

Maxine Bédat Urges the Fashion Industry to Make a Change Now, Not in 2030

Vogue

See the horrifying place where your old clothes go to die - article by Maxine Bédat

Fast Company

Unraveled by Maxine Bédat — cutting the cloth

Financial Times - Business Books

The Life and Death of a Pair of Jeans (Podcast)

Bloomberg Businessweek Podcast

Interview with Maxine

Fashionista

Articles by Maxine Bédat

Harper's Bazaar

Books by Maxine Bédat

Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment

Comments & Testimonials

She was delightful, and won over an audience of cynical executives who feel that nobody from outside the grocery business can speak to them. She was so well prepared that people crowded her for more than 30 minutes after her speech.

California Grocers Association

We could not have picked a better speaker for our World Cotton Day celebration! Maxine is extremely well-spoken, knowledgeable, and pleasant to work with. The best part was that she was able to tailor her presentation for our specific event, delivering on key messages, while still adding a unique perspective. We had participants from over thirty countries in the audience and received nothing, but positive comments on Maxine’s participation in our event!

World Cotton Day event