You want to leave a mark on the world. Not a scar.
Carnegie’s mission is to galvanize the design community to build a better future with Materials that Matter. This year, we teamed up with Metropolis Magazine to offer an unparalleled immersive experience to designers looking to become changemakers in our industry. We believe in the power of passionate individuals to change the world, and the responsibility of material manufacturers to empower each designer on that journey. Translating our mission into action in service to the design community, we are proud to introduce the Carnegie Changemaker Experience.
Explore the Experience
The Carnegie Changemaker Experience is a series of three trips of a lifetime. Each trip is offered to a small group of designers selected through an application process that runs between June and November of 2024. Each trip is an all-expense-paid immersive experience designed to explore a specific topic related to sustainability, responsible material manufacturing and specification, and future-facing design solutions.
Learn more about each trip below.
Material Innovation | Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium | May 2025
Journey to Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Belgium to explore cutting edge product design and manufacturing strategies. Visit legacy sustainable manufacturers like Création Baumann, and be the first to visit a Xorel manufacturing facility. Hear from design industry trailblazers and participate in hands on workshops and roundtable discussions.
Navigating Sustainable Specification | New York | September 2025
Hear first hand from organizations that are working tirelessly to cut through the greenwashing noise and enable designers to specify responsibly, such as Healthy Materials Lab and Mindful Materials. Metropolis Magazine will host an event at their headquarters, and we will take a quick trip upstate to the radically sustainable Grace Farms.
A Holistic Approach to Health | San Diego | November 2025
Visit local B-Corp manufacturers like Kirei by Carnegie to learn how businesses thrive in today’s ultra-competitive environment by adopting the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profits. Inspiring project visits and iconic architecture tours also await participants on this trip.
Applications for the Carnegie Changemaker Experience are now closed.
Selected winners will be contacted in early December
What past participants are saying
It was nothing short of incredible
"It was nothing short of incredible. The information that was shared was phenomenal and I know that all of our eyes were opened to embrace the necessity of Environmental Design. I personally know the impact that it made upon each and every one of the participants."
Designer at Lehman-Smith-McLeishI have a renewed awareness of the environment
"Thank you. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't reflect on some aspect of the trip. I have a renewed awareness of the environment and the responsibility each of us has in preserving it for the future generations."
Designer at Jova Daniels BusbyAn amazing opportunity
"Of all the impressive "everything exposed" tours, this was an amazing opportunity to develop relationships with other professionals with similar conviction to the environment."
Designer at NBBJThe dedication stood out throughout the tour
"The dedication to establishing new manufacturing practices and partnerships in response to our environmental issues and sustainability stood out throughout the entire tour. Our last dinner together was so much fun and surprisingly very emotional—which says a lot of the tour overall!"
Designer at Zimmer Gunsel FraserAdded to my knowledge of sustainable design practices
"The Carnegie trip was great on many levels. So much of what I learned has added to my knowledge of sustainable design practices - which is constantly evolving."
Designer at Envision DesignA sustainable future
"Thanks for taking on the daunting task of creating a new paradigm—a sustainable future—achievable because of individuals and companies like Carnegie. You have my respect, admiration and continued support."
Designer at Cadwallader DesignI owe my inspiration to Carnegie
I was incredibly inspired by the Carnegie Tour. We learned healthy environments don't have to be ugly. Green design is good design and makes good business sense. I owe my inspiration to Carnegie."
Designer at Sasaki