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About Us
Icology - the practice of serving the basic human needs of every individual while sustaining the environment to serve future generations. Our Vision Universal access to quality, affordable and ecologically sound housing and shelter solutions In collaboration with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international aid agencies, micro-finance groups and other social enterprises, Icology Group provides innovative technology to serve a largely un-served market at the base of the economic pyramid (B.O.P.) with affordable, ecologically sound homes and emergency shelters. Established in 2008 as a social enterprise Icology Group:
Icology Group, Inc. is internationally known for its unwavering commitment to improve the quality of life of those living in substandard conditions and of generating sustainable business opportunities in the process. Christopher R. Scott - Director and Co-founder
Profile Lumber and I WOOD™ were developed by California registered contractor Christopher Scott in response to his realization that a simple standard was essential if the forest industry wanted to expand into "build it yourself" house kits. He previously spent 15 years with two of the largest lumber companies in North America, as Senior Vice President for International and Domestic marketing with experience and expertise extended to the home improvement and building industries. He introduced Sweden's "IKEA" component furniture to North America, and owned four of their first stores on this continent. "The need for affordable sustainable housing is indisputable" he says "and we now have an ultra low-cost solution that benefits individuals and their communities at many different levels". Jacky Vel – President, C.E.O. and Co-founder
Drawing on her 19 years experience of international business management in the high-tech optics and laser industry, most recently as General Manager for Distribution at Melles Griot in California, Jacky now applies her vision, integrity and passion-for-business to a social challenge of immense proportions. “The emergence of the social business model has created opportunities to apply the skills and concepts of entrepreneurship and corporate management to the needs of the impoverished for the very first time” she says “and it is very humbling to be able to contribute to such a revolutionary way of operating while knowing that what we do has such a positive impact on so many”. Sa’id Mosteshar – Non-executive director and Co-founder Noni Verbiscar Brown – Non-executive director
2006 Nobel Peace prize winner Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Foundation have introduced a new term to the business lexicon: social business. Writing in his book, Creating a World without Poverty , Yunus lays out the framework for a social-objective driven business model and urges others to adopt it in the fight against global poverty. In such a social business the company’s mission is achieved through creating or supporting sustainable "non-loss" business enterprises where all of the profits are ploughed back into the company rather than being distributed to shareholders. Writers such as Stuart Hart (Capitalism at the Crossroads: aligning business, earth and humanity) and C.K. Prahalad (The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating poverty through profits) highlight the real opportunities to “do good while doing well” with many examples of entrepreneurial success serving an otherwise un-served market of 4 Billion people. Inspired by this new “social impact” model for doing business, Icology Group was founded in December 2008 as a C-Corp social enterprise to provide affordable housing solutions that would allow individuals and their families to thrive in an environment of security, safety and comfort. Adequate shelter is considered to be one of the most basic of human needs alongside air, water and food. Icology Group uses innovative lumber technology to bring affordable shelter and housing solutions to disaster recovery zones and impoverished people of the world. Our kits are delivered flat pack, easy to assemble and made from sustainable forest products. Significantly lower costs per square foot and IKEA-inspired self-assembly make it the first high quality, universally affordable, ecologically sound housing solution available. Icology Group embraces sustainable development initiatives. The environmental impact of each of its I Homes is between 30% and 50% less than an equivalent sized dimensional lumber, brick, cement block or container based home. With the security, dignity and improved health that adequate shelter brings, Icology Group puts its home owners on a path to a more sustainable and self sufficient future for themselves, their families and their entire community. |
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