Building Community Continuity for 2026 and Beyond
By Stephen Jordan Communities today face disruptions that never trigger a federal disaster declaration — cyber incidents, heat waves, housing shocks, supply-chain interruptions, failing infrastructure, and more. Traditional disaster response frameworks were not built for this reality. They activate after something breaks. But what communities increasingly need is an approach that protects lives, livelihoods, and living environments every day , not only in crisis. This broader
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The ISD Academy: A Commitment to Our Communities
By Stephen Jordan, CEO, Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD), and David Dodd, CEO, International Sustainable Resilience Center (ISRC) We have stared down America's breaking points—not from textbooks, but from the rubble. For Stephen, it was Superstorm Sandy causing trees to crash in the backyard leaving the family huddled with neighbors during a week-long blackout. Housing repairs took months. David is so committed he lost a leg working on the economic recovery of Puer
4 min read
Thanksgiving and the Revitalization of American Community
By Stephen Jordan As we gather around tables this Thanksgiving, we're participating in a time-honored celebration of community in the United States today. Being together, appreciating the many blessings that we have been given - and not taking them for granted – are part of what bind us together, not just as families or friends or neighbors, but as Americans. However, by some indicators, the fabric of our communities is coming apart. Do you know that only 26% of Americans
6 min read
Let’s Rethink Giving to Disaster Relief
With Giving Tuesday coming up December 2, it’s a good moment to have a conversation about donations to communities hit hard by natural disasters. The rush to raise money after a natural disaster is dramatic and necessary. Search and rescue, relief, and crisis management are critically important. But there is no such urgency to support long-term recovery . Unfortunately for many families, that’s the disaster after the disaster. Long after the camera lights have turned off, peo
3 min read
Why Not Focus on Community Continuity and Continuous Resilience?
By Stephen Jordan I had an interesting conversation today with a senior corporate executive. As we wrapped up, she said something that made me realize we really need to clarify that the Institute for Sustainable Development is trying to break through with new concepts that the current frame of talking about community shocks and stresses doesn't take into account: “It’s a shame you focus so much on disasters.” At ISD, we actually don’t. Our mission is grounded in the opp
4 min read
The Synthetic Shift: How AI and Robotics Are Rewiring the Emerging Silicon Economy
By H. Bruce May, October 25, 2025 (As posted on LinkedIn) We are moving from a labor-based economy to an innovation economy where corporations receive government funding based on the amount and quality of the services they provide, to other businesses, to the government, and to citizens who have been removed from the synthetic labor pool. Introduction We are not merely automating tasks; we are automating the very concept of labor. As AI and robotics scale across industries,
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