At the heart of the Coast Summit lies a simple but profound invitation: to reimagine what we value, and to act together in service of life. This year’s gathering brought together visionaries, innovators, students, healers, and storytellers, each offering a unique perspective on how we can build a more beautiful world. Across panels, a common thread emerged to align with this year’s theme of Healthy People, Healthy Planet: real change is rooted in community, fueled by hope, and made tangible through everyday action.
We began the day with a beautiful and thoughtful Land Acknowledgement at Main Beach led by Adelia Sandoval, Spiritual Overseer (Púul), Cultural Director, and a revered member of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians Acjachemen Nation.
We invite you to watch the Full Playlist from Coast Summit '25 here.
A New Story of Value: Wes Carter’s Welcoming Remarks
The Summit opened with a call to shift our collective narrative—from serving human comfort to serving life itself. Wes Carter, President of Atlantic Packaging and Founder of A New Earth Project set the tone for the day by calling for a new definition of progress, one measured not by extraction or control, but by harmony and regeneration.
Wes emphasized that true transformation is sparked not by shame or blame, but by inspiration and storytelling. The mission of A New Earth Project was echoed throughout: harmonizing innovation around the sacredness of life, and building an “enlightened we” rather than seeking individual enlightenment.
Progress, he reminded us, is already visible: from new circular supply chains to regenerative materials coming to market. Yet the invitation remains open: #WeDoThisTogether
Watch Welcoming Remarks from Wes Carter
The Story of Interbeing: Charles Eisenstein’s Opening Keynote
This keynote address for Coast Summit ‘25 from author, philosopher, and thought leader Charles Eisenstein reframed earth healing as an act of service, not conquest. The “story of separation,” where humans dominate nature, was contrasted with the “story of reunion,” which recognizes our deep interconnection.
Even small, seemingly futile acts of care, like cleaning a river when global plastic production keeps rising, were described as “powerful prayers” that shift reality. Love, he said, is the felt recognition that “your happiness is my happiness and your pain is my pain.”
We now live in “the space between stories.” The old world of control is dissolving, and a new one rooted in relationship and reverence is emerging. Gatherings like the Coast Summit remind us that we are not alone in stepping into that new story.
Watch Charles Eisenstein's Opening Keynote
Laguna Beach High School Support Collective
At Laguna Beach High School, the Student Support Collective (SSC) has nearly doubled in size this year, reflecting a growing desire among students to make a positive impact.
Through four committees - Outreach & Engagement, Education, Advocacy, and Event Planning - the SSC addresses mental health challenges like isolation, pressure, and cyberbullying. Their guiding belief is simple but profound: real change happens one person, one conversation at a time. By fostering kindness, connection, and support, the SSC is transforming campus culture and reminding us that small daily actions matter.
Modern Alchemy: Innovation in Sustainable Materials
Four pioneering companies returned from Coast Summit last year to share candid updates on their journeys to scale sustainable material, revealing both progress and persistence amid adversity.
Stems debuted the first banana-fiber jacket - twice as strong as cotton - after losing a major grant and operating on reduced salaries to stay afloat. Bureo announced a Patagonia wetsuit made entirely from recycled fishing nets, part of a growing movement to “untangle the oceans.” Sungai Watch expanded its river cleanup operations in Indonesia, mobilizing hundreds of volunteers after catastrophic floods. And Stoked Plastics pivoted to new European partnerships after funding losses, proving that resilience is a renewable resource.
Despite the headwinds of global plastic economics, the panelists agreed: progress is possible when we persist together.
Watch Modern Alchemy, One Year Later
From Soul to Soil
This panel showcased how soil health is inseparable from community well-being. From San Antonio church gardens feeding thousands of families with the help of Big Green; to The Ecology Center’s regenerative farm balancing ecology, economy, and equity; to Yogi Tea’s global supply chains built on traceability and reciprocity, each story illustrated how nourishment can be both literal and spiritual.
The conversation emphasized storytelling as an antidote to “climate doom.” By sharing stories of renewal, we inspire others to act and to remember that every meal, every connection, and every decision can nourish both body and spirit.
Breathwork and Well-being
Following lunch, Health Coach Ryah Arthur led a guided breathwork session starting with a four second inhale, two second hold, six to eight second exhale, teaching participants how to regulate, reset, and reconnect.
Breath became both metaphor and method: a reminder that transformation doesn’t require complexity. Sometimes, the most powerful practice is simply to pause, breathe, and begin again.
Watch Breathing Exercises for Focus and Connection
Storytelling for Change
After screening Built to Vanish, a short documentary film about Cruz Foam - a compostable packaging alternative to EPS foam that biodegrades in under eight weeks - panelists explored how positive storytelling drives action.
Representatives from Imagine 5, Cruz Foam, and A New Earth Project along with professional athlete, Cody Townsend, discussed how long-form storytelling creates emotional connection and market adoption. The film demonstrated that solutions exist, and the film’s success, amplified by global shares and partnerships, showed that stories of possibility can spread faster - and further - than fear.
Financial Wellness as a Foundation for Whole-Person Health
During this panel, one message came through loud and clear: financial wellness is an essential part of holistic health. When people feel empowered and secure in their finances, they’re better able to care for their bodies, minds, and communities.
Atlantic Packaging’s Wellness Program, led by Becca Schusler, illustrates this truth in action. With more than 70% participation among 1,200 employees, the program has improved health outcomes and reduced medical costs, all while fostering a culture of care. The program recently added financial literacy training in recognition that this is a source of stress for employees and gaining control through budgeting could help reduce that stress and contribute to overall well-being.
Speakers expanded the conversation beyond numbers. Breene Murphy of Carbon Collective described investing as an act of alignment, directing money toward a regenerative future rather than extraction. Entrepreneur Cherie Kloss shared her story of burnout and renewal, showing how redefining success around health and purpose can restore both vitality and vision.
The takeaway: wellness is not a perk or a program. It’s a practice that connects physical, emotional, and financial health into one integrated whole. Thriving people build thriving companies.
Healing Path: Integration and Mental Health
This panel explored integration as an ongoing process of weaving transformative experiences - psychedelic, emotional, or otherwise - into daily life. Therapists and facilitators shared practical tools such as journaling, embodiment, and nature-based rituals to ground insight into action.
Healing, they emphasized, is cyclical. The work is not about fixing ourselves, but about expanding our capacity to hold both joy and pain. When we integrate individually, we help the collective integrate as well.
Life Force and Wholeness: Jon Rose
In a deeply personal and powerful closing session, humanitarian and former pro surfer, Jon Rose, shared his journey from trauma and burnout to healing and wholeness.
After responding firsthand to 47 global disasters through his clean water nonprofit, Waves for Water, Rose confronted severe PTSD and embarked on a multi-year process of recovery through therapy, plant medicine, and self-work. His concept of life force - the energy we’re born with that fractures through trauma - offered a potent framework for understanding vitality and wholeness.
By sharing his story publicly for the first time, Rose modeled what courageous vulnerability looks like and invited others to normalize mental health conversations, especially those in service roles.
Watch Jon Rose's Closing Keynote
What We Carry Forward
The Coast Summit was a living testament to the power of community, storytelling, and hope. Across panels, a few themes stood out:
- Interconnection: Whether through soil, story, or service, our well-being is bound to the well-being of others and the planet.
- Everyday Action: Small acts—of kindness, innovation, or self-care—are the seeds of transformation and lasting change.
- Resilience: Progress is rarely linear, but persistence, creativity, and support in community make transformation possible.
- Hopeful Storytelling: Sharing positive stories helps us move beyond fear and toward collective action.
As we move forward, may we remember: the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible is already being built—one conversation, one innovation, one community at a time.
#WeDoThisTogether