Forage and Sustain is a cultural ecosystem, and a cultivated way of being, encouraging us to forge deeper, more meaningful connections – with the self, the collective, and the Earth – so that we can usher in the futures we dream of.
For regenerative brands,
place-based organizations,
and visionary leaders
Our vision We’re dreaming of a world that’s different – where we measure our success by the levels of nourishment and fulfillment we feel on a collective scale. Where leaders and creatives take inspiration from the self, identify as tenders of the land, and see their work as integrous medicine that’s essential for our combined growth and liberation.
According to us, the relationship between visionary leaders and our Earth is a natural, symbiotic partnership that is rooted in the concept of mutualism. The ideas you have and the impact you can create are already a few steps ahead of the collective. If you can gently guide the journeys of your communities with intention, imagine the power of the ripple effect our mutual efforts would have.
Reconnecting with our ancestral wisdom is one of the most compelling ways in which we can reclaim our collective autonomy, building a future from the ground up that is ethically integrous, unconventionally imaginative, and courageously considerate.
Instead of focusing on grand gestures that feel out of reach, we’ve realized that it’s the microcurrents that create lasting impact and that actually shift culture. So, all that’s required for us to raise the standard of humankind is to drop down into our most authentic, genuine selves where we centre our uniqueness as a tool for change.
This work is our lifelong monograph on the ancient, natural and unexamined world, where, with wild curiosity, we’re continuously asking: what else is possible?
Arti Jalan
FounderAs a relational ecologist, I explore how story, place, and culture intertwine to shape emerging futures.
The intersection of strategic problem solving and idealistic, unconventional ideas is my playfield – the space where the formless begins to take shape. Driven by the pursuit of collective and planetary wellbeing, I work with regenerative brands, place-based organizations, and visionary leaders to gently shift culture, architecting meaningful touchpoints that elicit genuine, embodied, and innovative ways of being. My worldbuilding practice involves emergent strategy, cultural curation, Earth wisdom, authentic self-expression, and the cultivation of beauty and belonging.
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I’m a 3/5 Manifesting Generator, and if you know a bit about Human Design, you’ll know that as an MG, our innate nature centers around being unconventional, multi-passionate, and deeply curious. I share this with you, because to know me is to know that my path has been anything but linear. Experimentation, venturing into the untended understory of the Earth, pioneering the unknown – these spaces are my natural habitat, where my global and lived experiences sent me deep into the void, so that I could emerge on the other side, ready to be of sacred service.
My past creative endeavors and work includes:
Customer relationships for a tech startup in Toronto that rivaled Airbnb at the time
Teaching English in Asia to Grade 1 & 2 students
Experimenting with social media when it was at the cusp, for a Shanghai-based startup that was aiming to redefine what Made in China conveyed
Analyzing social media metrics for a Mumbai-based home goods atelier that was ingeniously blending sustainable luxury with traditional Indian craftsmanship
Volunteering for a women’s rights NGO that empowered girls from Mumbai’s Red-Light district to become active agents of social change
Creating my first business – Owl and Oak – a sustainable paper goods boutique and my first true form of courageous self-expression
This meandering trail that, at first glance looks rather aimless, is the indelible pathway that has brought me to Forage and Sustain. Understanding the importance of community relationships in business, non-verbal communication and the power of leading with love, social media for social good, following intuition in the pursuit of purpose – the insights gained have shown me that nothing we ever do is random, and that the journeys we take are what lead us towards our most supported evolution, our most important soul work.
Forage and Sustain began as a space for the collective, where the aim was to connect conscious consumers with sustainable brands, educating folks on how to make better every day purchasing decisions, nudging us into expanding our mindsets to think in more we-centered ways. Since launching in 2017, I have learned so much, gaining both wisdom and perspective. While the first 7 years of this business were around consciously taking, Forage now asks – what can we give? This space went from helping people buy better, to now supporting organizations, brands, and Earth-rooted individuals give better.
I’m trying something new, and I believe you’re here because you’re interested in walking this path alongside me.
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I sit in reverential gratitude for the imaginative and generous folks who had the courage and foresight to go first – laying the groundwork, shifting culture, educating through compelling storytelling, and shaping my understanding of this work.
adrienne maree brown / toko-pa turner / dr báyò akómoláfé / amber magnolia hill and the guests of the medicine stories podcast / vanessa chakour / robin wall kimmerer / katja swift and ryn midura / sophie strand / michael mead / asia suler / kami mcbride / jenna zoe / sharon blackie / nadine artemis / africa brooke / daniel quinn / sue monk kidd / richard powers / peter wohlleben / dr vandana shiva / priya parker / audre lorde / dr clarissa pinkola estés / ayana young and the guests of the for the wild podcast
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Artistry & Beauty
We believe that art and beauty are essential to the human experience. Dreamwork, storytelling, ceremony, biophilic and biomorphic architecture, craftsmanship, culture, contemporary art – the convergence of pleasure, love, strategy and courageous self-expression is the place where creativity, community, wonder, and innovation meet. We are sentient beings, and we come alive when we are inspired to feel.Sustainability & Regeneration
We care about real sustainability, the kind that looks below the level of the empire – away from climate capitalism and towards regeneration – ancestral foods and seeds, soil and ecosystem health, stories and song lines, myths and folklore. The kind that deeply listens – to Indigenous wisdom, to our elders, to each other, and to the land. And the kind that champions the wellbeing of folks at every level of society.Relationships & Reciprocity
We are parts of a whole. Interconnected, interdependent, intersectional. We place high value on relationship tending, as the only way forward is together. When kinship, community, and collectivism are genuinely laid at the heart of all endeavours, radical reciprocity becomes a natural byproduct, and socially sustainable practices like accessibility, mutual aid and cultural appreciation become inherent.Wisdom & Intuition
We value discernment in the form of folk knowledge, inner guidance, scientific discovery, intellectual dexterity, and Earth wisdom, where our shared lived experiences inform the way we organize and plan. Sometimes, the best way to move forward isn’t always the easiest or most desirable, but when we follow our intuition, we realize that it is the most natural.Authenticity & Self-Expression
Before we can create meaningful change on the outside, we must get comfortable and familiar with who we are on the inside. Our uniqueness is the medicine we are here to dispense, and when we root down in integrity and fully and lovingly embrace who we are – the complex, messy and magical – we can express in ways that effortlessly matches our soul work with the very folks who have been searching for us.
In a Nutshell
OUR PERSPECTIVEThe World is Ending, and That’s a Good Thing
This space is for the wise and well folk who are leaders in thought consciousness.
We think about sustainability and our futures differently here. Unlike most others in this sphere, we have unwavering hope for the future of humanity and our planet.
Unconventional? We know.
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Our free monthly newsletter series on spiritual ecology, storytelling and wellbeing. You’ll get thought pieces, personal recommendations, swoon-worthy imagery and field notes from our founder.
Interviews & Podcasts
