Nate Garvis

Brainstormer, Change Agent, Concerned citizen, Connector, Designer, Foodie, Idea generator, World traveler

Nate Garvis is the Founder of Naked Civics, LLC, an innovative public affairs consultancy focusing on Social Innovation Design and Counsel. Naked Civics produces value for clients by connecting them to the most important ideas, people and institutions in their communities of interest. Operating at the crossroads of Fortune 100 business, governments worldwide, health care systems, academic institutions, non-profits and non-governmental organizations for the past twenty years, Garvis has built the skills and relationships that help clients navigate for success by earning influential reputations in addition to asserting their brands. Prior to creating Naked Civics, Garvis served as V.P. Government Affairs and Senior Public Affairs Officer for Target Corporation, one of the world's largest retail concerns. He serves on a number of academic, think-tank, business and non-profit boards throughout the country, including Allina Hospitals and Clinics, Rational Energy, the College of Arts and Sciences at St. Thomas University and the Public Affairs Council, which he formerly chaired. He is one of the co-founders of Dotopia, a social enterprise that is creating lifestyle philanthropy for all. Nate is a frequent lecturer and public speaker on the subject of cross-sector approaches to reengineering communities for better prosperity. He also serves as Social Innovator in Residence and Design Council at the Social Innovation Lab at Babson College, the number one ranked business school for entrepreneurs in the nation for eighteen years running. The Social Innovation Lab is designing multi-sector approaches to creating common good outcomes for communities through the power of enterprise and design. Nate has a B.A. in history from the University of Minnesota and a law degree from the University of Oregon. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and two young daughters.

Moving our communities forward rather than right or left

We can accomplish meaningful civic health by designing our values into the products, services and processes that surround our everyday lives in ways that are much more successful than merely waging political war against each other.

I was asked to present at TEDxTC last year and the good folks at TED.com chose to post my talk on the main site (http://www.ted.com/talks/nate_garvis_change_our_culture_change_our_world.html). I couldn't be happier and I'm truly gratified by the conversations - supportive and not - that it has generated. Exactly my intent! Our world rises and falls on the stories and actions that we create between one another. Let's make them generous and productive.