about
Design that Makes a Difference
The Pratt Design Incubator for Sustainable Innovation was launched in 2002 to help launch and grow social/environmental enterprise. Since its inception, the Incubator has supported the launch of 23 companies and consulted for 15 organizations. in 2010 our businesses generated more than $4.2M in revenue and created close to 50 jobs. The Pratt Design Incubator is a part of the Center for Sustainable Design Studies at Pratt Institute.
Our Mission
Our mission is to create impact through sustainable business incubation. Our vision is a world built on sustainable business practice.
Our Incubation Services
The incubator supports its start-ups with custom-tailored services for doing business in a sustainable way. Our start-ups have access to our training curriculum in Sustainable Entrepreneurship and to mentorship-based coaching. We provide the following to our entrepreneurs:
-Access to Markets
-Access to Networks
-Access to Office Infrastructure
-Access to Training
-Access to Talent
-Access to Capital
Our Consulting Services
The Incubator also taps its extensive network to provide sustainable design innovation to businesses and organizations who are seeking ways to improve their products and services in the areas of resource use, ecological impact, health and social equity
Management Team
Debera Johnson
Founder and Executive Director, Pratt Design Incubator
Debera Johnson, is Pratt’s Academic Director of Sustainability and has been working across the institute to implement Pratt’s strategic commitment to link the greening of its campus with greening of its academic programs. Deb is leading the vision for Pratt’s Center for Sustainable Design Studies and Research (CSDS) - an open source regional resource center for educators and designers. http://csds.pratt.edu. Deb was the chair of the Industrial Design Program at Pratt from 1998 to 2005 and serve as chair of the NYC chapter of the IDSA, the education director for IDSA Northeast region and strategic director for education for the “Designers Accord”. Recently she founded PALS (Partnership for Academic Leadership in Sustainability) an international group of educators envisioning the future of art and design education.
Carolyn Schaeberle
Assistant Director, Center for Sustainable Design Studies
Growing up in New Hampshire, Carolyn dreamed of becoming a ballerina. Twenty years later, she hung up her pointe shoes and picked up a power drill. After receiving her Engineering degree from Smith College she went on to work for DEKA, developer of the Segway, where she worked on a high tech water purification system. While working at DEKA, she realized that she was more fascinated with how people interacted with the technologies being developed rather than the technologies themselves.
Carolyn is a recent graduate of the Masters of Industrial Design Program at Pratt Institute. Her thesis, entitled “Beyond the Tap”, explored how improved water is managed in the developing world. In addition to teaching as a visiting instructor, she is the Assistant Director of Pratt’s Center for Sustainable Design Studies.
Nina Zilka
Office Manager, Pratt Design Incubator for Sustainable Innovation
Nina Zilka is the co-founder and designer for Alder, a high end women’s wear label that bridges the gap between affordable pieces and quality clothing, all while having a unique and interesting design. She graduated from Pratt Institute in 2010 with honors, and in addition to her work at her label and at the Incubator, she teaches classes on sewing and design at the Brooklyn and Manhattan Textile Art Centers. Her designs have been recognized by WWD, Surface Magazine, Elle.com, and Refinery29. As Office Manager of the Pratt Design Incubator, she is responsible for the daily operations of the space.