Beat Climate Chaos is a project of Aha-Yes!  LLC. Beat Climate Chaos is a community building rather than a profit making endeavor. Kirsten Hayes is the founder of Aha-Yes!  LLC   www.aha-yes.com.

About Kirsten —

Child of Protest Era

Envision college campuses during the protest era: marches, megaphones, music and bright colors.  As a kid growing up on college campuses during the protest era, a kid believing that companies ought to make decisions that improve health & environment for their customers and employees – I think – why not change from within rather than protest against companies?  In college applications, I explain that focusing on economics and business will help me understand why companies make such harmful decisions so that I can lead organizations to make better decisions.  Yes, yes, sounds idealistic.  Yet practical too – I get into college.

Tie-Dyed MBA Mom

Rather than pursuing science and a PhD as one might expect of a child of a Physicist and a Biologist, I pursue business. After winding along the business road: Stanford Economics, Tuck at Dartmouth MBA, top strategy consulting firm, high-tech start-up that goes public, I decide to take time off to raise kids and decide what I really want to do. Guess what I realize?

Making the Dream, Reality

I realize those dreams of the teenage me are pretty good.  Even more so after discovering my children have severe nut allergies.  To avoid allergens I have to read ingredient labels in detail.  Look out  – when you’re forced to read ingredients & labels – you begin to see the toxins companies are selling to us in food, toiletries, cleaning products, toys and other products.  I decide to start my own company, having learned that changing big companies from within can be like steering a tanker – you can move them a few degrees at a time.   By leading a nimble small company, I can make a bigger difference and help you and other parents make choices that are less toxic for your family and environment.  This grass roots educational approach influences you as a citizen.  By pursuing your interest in reducing toxic exposure for your family & your environment; you as a citizen in your role as a customer, as a shareholder, as an employee, as a community member and as a voter influence companies’ decisions & directions.

Aha-Yes!

Aha-Yes!  You act in your own educated self-interest to reduce your toxic exposure. Your actions in the economic and political system influence companies to make decisions that improve health and environment for customers, employees and community.  Voila!  A child’s dream come true!    Let’s get to it…