Meet Global Women Asia Sustainability Fellow - Olivia Plotnick

Founder, Wai Social

Olivia is an American advertising entrepreneur in Shanghai, guiding, co-developing, and amplifying prominent brands on sustainability practices, products and services. She is also a former President and board member of the International Professional Women’s Society (IPWS) in Shanghai.

1. Why is sustainability important to you?

Finding and developing sustainable solutions is not important, it is imperative. The consequences of doing anything less are already proving to be irreversibly destructive.?

2. What does women’s leadership in sustainability mean to you?

We cannot expect to live in a sustainable future without equality. I believe women in leadership positions today must not only take responsibility to foster equality among future leaders but be given a platform for others to see them. When we see, we believe it is possible. That is how real change is made and sustained.?

3. Any role model and why?

When I think of how I define sustainability, especially under the lens of women’s leadership, I draw direct inspiration from Jerrie Ueberle , founder of the 世界女性未来发展学院 . Jerrie founded the World Academy for the Future of Women in Xinzheng, China, in 2008 to advance and accelerate women’s leadership worldwide.?

An incredible quote from her I love:?

“We are so much smarter than we act. Instead of saying it’s not possible, they should just say it’s not convenient or it’s not worth my time or something else. But it IS possible. Look at what we’ve created on this planet. It’s possible. We just need to have the leadership to find the way.” – Jerrie Ueberle

4. Anything you would like people to know about you that may not be apparent from your professional life?

Though I spent the past decade living in the world’s largest cities, including Shanghai, I grew up in rural Oregon, 65 km from the nearest town. I spent my childhood playing outside every day, year-round. Over the last 30 years, I have witnessed the forests I love burn, the rivers and creeks I played in dry up, and the animals I watched from a distance put themselves in harm’s way just to survive. I am acutely aware of how delicate our world is and the alarming damage we have already done to it.