How alignment, innovation, and a unified vision can scale sustainability across the materials industry.
At mindful MATERIALS' 10th anniversary celebration, we recognized Jeff Frost for his invaluable contributions to advancing industry alignment and collaboration. Jeff’s journey is a testament to vision, leadership, and a steadfast commitment to uniting the materials industry under a shared purpose.
From his early experiences in natural building practices to his pivotal role in launching the mindful MATERIALS Collaborative, Jeff has driven systemic change. In this Q&A, he reflects on the milestones that shaped his career, the urgent need for collective action, and his hopes for the future of sustainable materials.
Q: Please share a little about your journey and how you became involved with mindful MATERIALS.
Jeff: In 2015, HKS released the mindful MATERIALS labeling prototype to the broader market after a successful year-long pilot. At the time, I had just joined SERA Architects in Portland, Oregon, and during a conversation with Tim Conway, he mentioned that several regional groups were developing their own versions of mM labels and questionnaires. I immediately recognized that for mindful MATERIALS to succeed, it needed to be a national, unified collaborative—regional variations would only create confusion for manufacturers and complicate the process. I reached out to Nancy Hulsey and proposed bringing these regional groups together to form the mM Collaborative, which officially launched in January 2016. Alongside Nancy, Arthur Clarke, Jasmin Madson (HKS), and Ed Clark (ZGF), we formalized the mM Collaborative, established working groups (many of which I led), grew the membership, and traveled across the country to promote the initiative. By June 2016, we launched the mM Collaborative website, and in February 2017, we partnered with Origin/GIGA to develop the mM Database. I oversaw the deployment of this platform, providing guidance, gathering feedback, and helping manufacturers upload their data. We introduced this work—and the "BIG ASK"—at the 2017 Declare Summit, encouraging broader participation in key working groups, including Outreach, Content, Admin, Furniture/Textiles, Manufacturer Ambassadors, and Portal teams. Brightworks, where I represented the organization, became part of the Steering Group alongside HKS, GIGA, and HMTX, offering both financial and advisory support.
Jennifer Atlee joined the team in 2017/2018 and stayed through 2019/2020, during which time we ran feedback forums at Greenbuild 2018, supported the growth of the mM Library, and transitioned mM from a collaborative organization into a formalized benefits-based structure. I remained active as a Steering Group and Board member while Brightworks continued to play a role as part-owners. After Jennifer’s departure, I remained on the Board, and Brightworks continued its ownership engagement, supported in part by Chris Forney. Before mM became a nonprofit, I was part of the Board that hired Annie Bevan as Director/CEO. I continued serving until 2021/2022 when we began developing the Common Materials Framework (CMF). At that point, I stepped aside to avoid conflicts of interest, as Brightworks was contracted to develop CMF for mM.
The CMF was an outgrowth of Brightworks’ Brightside Scoring Tool (version 2.0), and Jack and I led the working groups to develop CMF v1.0. During this phase, Brightworks contributed significant time, fees, and intellectual property to support the effort. While Jack carried out much of the public-facing work with mM as a consultant, I transitioned into an advisory role, continuing to support mM and its mission through our work at Brightworks.
Q: What first sparked your interest in sustainability within the building materials industry?
Jeff: My passion for architecture began in high school, inspired by the work of Bruce Goff and Bart Prince, whose organic architecture celebrated natural building practices and simple materials. By 2000, I was working on natural building projects in Arizona, using methods like straw bale and rammed earth construction. It was during this time that a client shared their struggles with chemical sensitivity, which opened my eyes to the importance of addressing toxins and chemicals of concern in building materials. This experience led me to resources like BuildingGreen and the Healthy Building Network, where I deepened my understanding of healthier building practices. In 2005, I took this knowledge to the next level and opened a green building store, offering sustainable products to the market. For five years, we worked to bring these solutions to the public, until the financial collapse of 2008 forced us to close our doors.
Q: What motivated you to contribute to mindful MATERIALS, and what do you see as the most significant impact of your work so far?
Jeff: For me, it has always been about industry alignment. From the early days in 2015, when we pulled the national collaborative together, to where we are now in 2024, my focus remains the same: achieving broader alignment across the industry. We cannot scale this work effectively without shared frameworks for evaluating materials, agreed-upon criteria for what matters most, and accessible data that enables action—not just for specialists, but for everyone. Alignment is the key to unlocking meaningful, widespread progress.
Q: Can you describe a project or achievement with mindful MATERIALS you’re particularly proud of?
Jeff: All of it. It’s been a decade of investment of time, energy, and passion to see the vision come together. And, while it's had some fits and starts, it's largely coming to fruition thanks to others who shared that same vision and had far greater capacity than me to see it happen.
Q: How do you see the materials industry evolving in the next few years, and what role would you like mindful MATERIALS to play in that evolution?
Jeff: I see mindful MATERIALS as the manifestation of a vision for an aligned and coordinated industry—a central, agnostic organization that supports the larger whole, helping to "float all boats." As a non-profit, mM has the opportunity to play a pivotal role in organizing the industry under a shared vision, and potentially even a more sustainable financial model. Right now, too many organizations rely on funding sources that create conflicts of interest, such as accepting money from entities they certify or provide standards for, which makes it difficult to advance those standards or address conflicts without jeopardizing financial support. I believe mM can act as a central force that supports certification and standards organizations while continuing to move the market forward. Additionally, mM can help consolidate investments toward shared goals and outcomes. Currently, significant resources are being spent on tangential efforts that distract from what truly matters: simplifying the process, aligning tools, and ensuring everyone is empowered to select best-in-class materials.
Q: What are some changes you hope to see in sustainable materials practices, either within your organization or across the industry as a whole?
Jeff: A common framework, common approach, common reporting, and aligned funding are essential to achieving shared industry goals. Architects, in particular, need to recognize their role in supporting these efforts. Too often, firms invest significant amounts of "hidden project time" into materials work—whether for LEED, WELL, LBC, or personal and firmwide sustainability goals—without realizing the impact on their bottom line. This hidden materials tax drains resources and reduces firm profits. Instead, architects need to shift their mindset and invest in solutions like mindful MATERIALS, which streamline the process and create greater industry alignment. A shared vision will drive this change and ensure we all move forward together.
Q: What inspires you in your work toward sustainability?
Jeff: That we don’t have enough time. We need more attention and more action. We already have little to zero chance to stay at 1.5 degrees. We’re trending towards two to three degrees at a minimum. And so many people are just taking baby steps. We’re already 20 years behind, and people are still behaving like these next five years, leading to 2030 as a time to explore versus the urgent need to act.
Q: What advice would you give to someone starting in the sustainable materials space?
Jeff: Industry alignment is the only way this work will ever scale. Instead of creating “new” solutions in silos, it’s critical to get involved with mindful MATERIALS, join a group, and take meaningful action. mM thrives on feedback, innovation, and leadership—all grounded in a shared commitment to industry-wide implementation.
This became clear during a conversation I had with Lindsay Baker at Verge last week. After her presentation, someone approached her and asked if her new Declare Labels for Social and Carbon impacts would align with the Common Materials Framework (CMF). Lindsay began to respond, “Yes, they will be. We work closely with mM to…”
I paused her and suggested a stronger response to share next time: “Actually, the CMF is meant to evolve as our standards evolve. While we actively align our work with the CMF, it’s not a static document. If we create a new metric or measure that adds value to our collective work, the role of the CMF is to integrate those innovations into future versions.”
This approach reflects the collaborative, evolving nature of our industry’s efforts—one that requires shared vision, constant innovation, and alignment to truly scale impact.
Q: Are there specific goals or initiatives you’re excited to work on in the coming years with mindful MATERIALS?
Jeff: The key to scaling this work comes down to three critical elements: data, funding models, and tools that make the Common Materials Framework (CMF) actionable. Robust, reliable data is essential to drive decisions, sustainable funding models are needed to support long-term progress, and user-friendly tools will enable the industry to effectively implement the CMF in practice.
Connect with Jeff > https://www.linkedin.com/in/frostjw/
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