This page is for conversations that do not fit the speaking, book, or consulting routes. It is the contact path for inquiries that benefit from a direct response from Ken.
The four categories below are the inquiries that arrive most often. If your inquiry fits one of them, the email address at the bottom is the right way to begin. If your inquiry is closer to one of the dedicated routes (speaking, the book, the diagnostic and consulting work), the relevant page is the better starting point.
Media and Journalism
Interviews, profiles, source citations, fact-checking, and editorial inquiries from journalists working on stories about sustainability, circular economy, business transitions, or the work this site develops. Ken responds personally to media inquiries within two business days and is generally available for substantive interviews on the framework’s contributions, the forthcoming book, the work at SC Johnson and with McDonough and Braungart, and the broader strategic questions the practice addresses
Podcast Guest Requests
Ken is a working podcast host and a regular guest on other podcasts. Guest invitations are welcome from shows whose audiences include leaders, founders, sustainability practitioners, designers, or others working at the intersections this practice occupies. Specific topic preparation is welcome; Ken does not require a fixed script but does benefit from a sense of the conversation’s intended direction.
Writing collaborations and institutional invitations
Invitations to contribute to anthologies, edited volumes, special journal issues, trade publications, and other written work. Ken occasionally accepts these where the venue and topic match his current focus. Substack and personal essays are written and published independently at kenalston.substack.com.
How to inquire
The fastest path is direct email to ken.alston@circularityedge.com. A response will arrive within two business days.
For inquiries that require more structure than email allows, a brief discovery conversation is also available. The conversation is calibrated to commercial inquiries by default but can serve other purposes when the inquiry warrants a synchronous discussion.
A note on ‘coffee conversations’.
Ken does not offer informal coffee conversations. This boundary protects the time required to do the work properly. Inquiries that fit the categories above are welcome through the email or the discovery conversation. Inquiries seeking general advice, networking, or unstructured connection are respectfully declined.