Thought Leader Profile
Janine Benyus
Biologist, Innovation Consultant, and Author, Founder, Biomimicry Institute
Janine Benyus is a biologist, innovation consultant, and author of six books, including her latest - Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. In Biomimicry, she names an emerging discipline that seeks sustainable solutions by emulating nature's designs and processes (e.g., solar cells that mimic leaves). Since the book's 1997 release, Janine has evolved the practice of biomimicry, consulting with sustainable businesses and conducting seminars about what we can learn from the genius that surrounds us. Her favorite role is biologist-at-the-design-table, introducing innovators to organisms whose well-adapted designs have been tested over 3.8 billion years.
In 1998, Janine co-founded a bio-inspired innovation consultancy called Biomimicry Guild. Clients have included Arup Engineers, Carollo Engineers, Consorta, Fox and Fowle Architects, General Electric, Gensler Architects, Hewlett-Packard, HOK Architects, IDEO, Interface, Kohler, Levi's, NASA, Nike, Norm Thompson, Novell, Patagonia, S.C. Johnson, Herman-Miller, and Shore Bank Pacific Bank. As a result of working with the Biomimicry Guild, the world's largest commercial carpet manufacturer (Interface Inc.) introduced Entropy™, a carpet inspired by random pattern formation in nature. In record time, Entropy™ rose to become Interface's top-selling line of carpet, representing 40% of its carpet tile sales.
Janine is currently creating a Google of Nature's Solutions in collaboration with Rocky Mountain Institute - a public database of biological literature organized by engineering function. She is also developing a "biology-taught-functionally" course for engineers and designers, the only biology most will encounter in their university education. To help further biomimicry education and research, she recently founded the nonprofit Biomimicry Institute.
Speaker at FiRe 2007
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News for Janine Benyus
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Posted on Wed May 7, 2025, 7:00 am
Surrounded by Genius: Lessons From Nature on Great Design - atmos.earth -
Posted on Mon Jan 20, 2025, 8:00 am
From bullet trains to green buildings: Innovators take cue from nature throug... -
Posted on Thu Aug 8, 2024, 7:00 am
Janine Benyus: “Biomimicry: Applying Nature’s Wisdom to Human Problems” - res... -
Posted on Thu Aug 8, 2024, 7:00 am
Nature’s blueprint for building prosperity - Ellen MacArthur Foundation -
Posted on Thu Nov 9, 2023, 1:18 am
Along Came a Spider - Sierra Club -
Posted on Mon Apr 10, 2023, 7:00 am
Could biomimicry help slash building-related emissions? - Corporate Knights -
Posted on Mon Oct 25, 2021, 7:00 am
New Film ‘Biomimicry’ Explores Nature’s Technology - One Earth -
Posted on Mon Dec 23, 2019, 6:15 am
Janine Benyus - Earth Island Institute -
Posted on Tue Jul 9, 2019, 7:00 am
Biomimicry draws on nature’s billions of years of R&D for design solutions - ... -
Posted on Thu Jan 17, 2019, 9:16 pm
Focus on Leadership: A talk with Janine Benyus, founder of the biomimicry mov... -
Posted on Wed Aug 15, 2018, 7:00 am
Janine Benyus on 3.8 billion-year-old solutions to today's design challenges ... -
Posted on Tue Jul 8, 2014, 7:00 am
Janine Benyus: Nature has answers, if we ask the right questions - Trellis Gr... -
Posted on Mon Apr 21, 2014, 7:00 am
VIDEO: Inhabitat Interviews Janine Benyus, Biologist and Founder of The Biomi... -
Posted on Fri Nov 15, 2013, 8:00 am
Biomimicry: looking to nature to solve human problems - The Guardian -
Posted on Sat Jun 22, 2013, 7:00 am
Biomimicry 3.8 Founder Janine Benyus Says Biomimicry is the Key to a Green 3D... -
Posted on Thu Mar 14, 2013, 7:00 am
The Incredible Science Behind How Nature Solves Every Engineering Problem - B... -
Posted on Mon Sep 17, 2012, 7:00 am
Biomimicry leader Janine Benyus to speak at University of Akron Thursday - Cl... -
Posted on Tue Apr 3, 2012, 7:00 am
'Evolved to Fit: Biomimicry in the Built World' Lecture by Janine Benyus at M... -
Posted on Tue Oct 4, 2011, 7:00 am
Janine Benyus: Biomimicry Is Innovation Inspired By Nature - Fast Company -
Posted on Tue Apr 5, 2011, 7:00 am
Sustainability in 7: Janine Benyus on Biomimicry - Core77
