2024 Annual Report

2024 Annual Report

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Founder’s Letter by Sharon Prince

a place for profound transformation and change

Architecture, and the space it creates, moves us; it inspires us to reach toward possibilities that once seemed unattainable.

Grace Farms, intentionally designed to defy boundaries and limited perceptions, bridges divides by bringing people together from diverse sectors, communities, and backgrounds to address our most pressing challenges.

Nine years ago, I remarked that the possibilities we could achieve together are as open as our landscape. On the evening of October 21, the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) performed four extraordinary pieces of music to a sold-out audience of 700. The breathtaking performance of 31 world-class musicians, led by 2023/24 Fellow Conductor, Luis Castillo-Briceño, was heightened by the shifting light across the Sanctuary, the meadows beyond, the fall hues, and the sound of the music reflected off the architecture itself. Grace Farms was the final stop on LPO’s first U.S. tour in 10 years.

LPO’s performance and our partnership demonstrates that art creates the potential for individual and social transformation, expanding our worldviews and perspectives. In January, during Human Trafficking Prevention month, we invited British author, artist, and human rights activist, Hannah Rose Thomas, to come to Grace Farms to launch her book, Tears of Gold. As part of the event, select prints of Yazidi, Rohingya, and Nigerian women from the book were on display, providing a testimony to their humanity and resilience. She also joined Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, President and CEO of the International Peace Institute and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for a powerful conversation about her work.

Over the course of the year, music transformed our space. Curated by Marcus G. Miller, our exceptional music programming was enjoyed by over 3,000 people and included performances by musicians like Sheléa and the James Carter Quartet.

In May, we unveiled With Every Fiber, the first public exhibit to present Design for Freedom and inspire understanding about the provenance of the materials that go into our buildings, and whether they are made with fair labor. Designed by Studio Cooke John Architecture + Design, it includes contributions from 20 preeminent designers, material suppliers, artists, cultural institutions, and the construction industry. With Every Fiber features a curated recording by a quartet of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, poetry by U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo recorded on-site, as well as text by our former artist-in-residence Carrie Mae Weems. Also on view are several photos by humanitarian photographer, Lisa Kristine. It also features an immersive biomaterials installation by Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture (Yale CEA) emphasizing the relationship between culture and sustainability and bringing forth the concept of ethical decarbonization.

Chelsea Thatcher, our Founding Creative Director and Chief Strategic Officer, who initialized and curated the exhibit, reminds us that the “choices we make matter.” We all have agency to help eliminate forced labor in the building materials supply chain.

In 2021, we launched Grace Farms Tea & Coffee, a Certified B Corp giving back 100% of its profits to support Design for Freedom and to demonstrate that it’s possible to make ethically and sustainably sourced tea and coffee. This year, we introduced our Wellness Teas into 26 Whole Foods Markets, expanding the reach of Grace Farms and initializing public demand for ethical sourcing. Simultaneously, we expanded our corporate sponsorships with organizations including JPMorganChase, UBS, Sciame Construction, and Bloomberg. Forbes referred to the initiative as a new kind of social entrepreneurship “steeped in purpose.”

We also expanded internationally with the next iteration of the Design for Freedom Toolkit and Design for Freedom new accelerators in India and the UK. We extended our engagement in Europe and Asia, equipping public and private sector partners to address this egregious human rights violation. As The Right Honorable The Baroness Young of Hornsey OBE, wrote in her introductory letter, “The creation of The Design for Freedom International Guidance & Toolkit is part of that forward movement responding … to the challenge of engaging the construction sector in meaningful dialogue.” Despite the challenges, she reminds us there is real momentum and desire behind the drive for change.

Since 2020, we have built our Design for Freedom Summit into a premiere industry event resulting in new partnerships and outcomes including a dozen Pilot Projects across three continents. We brought on Elaine Mitchel-Hill, our new Design for Freedom International Lead, who is at the forefront of the human rights movement in the United Kingdom and currently serves as Co-Chair of the ILO Child Labour Platform India Working Group.

Prior to the official release of the Design for Freedom International Guidance & Toolkit on Human Rights Day 2024, I was honored to address the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK in London. I joined over 60 parliamentarians from 17 legislatures to address strengthening legislative frameworks to combat forced labor. We engaged in high-level roundtable discussions at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK’s Legislative Strengthening Seminar and provided them an exclusive preview of the Guidance & Toolkit.

None of this would be possible without the place of Grace Farms. It has become a profound catalyst of change, from advancing Design for Freedom globally, to welcoming tens of thousands each year to engage in hundreds of thought-provoking programs interweaving nature, arts, justice, community, and faith. Our nearly 80 acres of biodiverse landscapes serves as a classroom during our signature Earth Day and throughout the year: Visitors can experience the wonder and awe of nature with our Director of Horticulture Kimberly Kelly and find inspiration through year-long programming.

Building upon our LEED Silver certification for Operations and Maintenance (O+M) that we received in 2019, we achieved LEED Gold recertification for the River building, reflecting our ongoing commitment to thoughtful stewardship and sustainable practices. 

Looking toward 2025 and 2026, we will head into our 10th anniversary year with exciting new outcomes and opportunities for the public to engage with Grace Farms. These programs, along with our ethically sourced teas and coffees, prompt us to consider if the story we are collectively creating is one of dignity or one of exploitation.

I believe this speaks to the potential agency within each of us.

With grace and peace,

Sharon Prince
CEO and Founder

Grace Farms Foundation