Sustainability meets virtual reality: The story of ‘The Greenprint’ founder Jordyn Barber

Jordyn Barber is a passionate entrepreneur and sustainability advocate who is making a difference in the world through her company, The Greenprint. Born and raised in Georgetown, South Carolina, Jordyn’s upbringing awakened in her a deep appreciation for the natural world and a desire to protect it.

Who is Jordyn Barber and how was The Greenprint created?

Jordyn was taught by her grandmother, a teacher in segregated schools, about Georgetown’s prominence due to its profitable rice fields that were once tilled by enslaved Africans. Inspired by her grandmother’s wisdom, Jordyn knew her mission in life was to educate herself and  reform society from exploiting people to valuing their dignity.

Photo Credit: Instagram @createthegreenprint

After completing her Bachelor in Arts in Interactive Media and Master of Fine Arts in Film and TV Production at the University of Southern California, Jordyn solidified her ideas in a short film, as well as a book titled The Greenprint, her call to reimagine cities and communities to address racial injustice, wealth inequality, and climate change without waiting for a financial or societal green light. Coincidentally, Green is the last name of Jordyn’s family members who transitioned from slave labor to freedom.

After the book appeared in Medium, Colleen McGregor, a former classmate with a background in immersive media production and non-profit development, became interested in Jordyn’s project. Drawing on what she had learned about game theory at school, they would create a sustainable and equitable community in the virtual world that would replicate what they wished to see in reality.

Photo Credit: Instagram @createthegreenprint

The team faced rejections from grant applications and obstacles in developing their virtual world, so they expanded their community by bringing on board an architect, Alexandra Thomopoulos, and a coder, Yara Feghali. They also organized virtual connection events where guest speakers discussed a range of topics such as non-violent communication, sustainability, and urban farming with the community.

Through these sessions, they discovered the diversity of ideas about what an ideal society entails. The team welcomed creative technologist, Viviane El Kmati, who proposed that The Greenprint should be a collaborative effort instead of imposing their vision on others. It could be a world-building game for anyone to use to design their vision for an empowering and affirming community.

With this new perspective, they went on to win Artizen’s Femme Futures Grant and Artizen’s Black Reality Grant. The financial award and mentorship helped them create an early prototype of The Greenprint VR.

What is The Greenprint?

The Greenprint is a sustainable virtual world-building game that allows users to design their ideal communities. Its goal is to create a collaborative space where people can come together to discuss and implement sustainable living practices.

Photo Credit: Instagram @createthegreenprint

The game is designed to be empowering and affirming, and aims to help users create a better future for themselves and the planet. The Greenprint has won grants and awards and has a growing community of users who are passionate about sustainable living and creating positive change. Users are able to:

• Walk around a 3D scan of the land
• Build on the site by placing blocks that represent homes, gardens, farms, energy sources, and more
• Ask and answer questions about the site
• Simulate population needs, resources, and financial management
• Explore the curated global build where you can connect with users
• Co-design community systems that value dignity, sustainability, and innovation
• As the design goes from macro to micro, The Greenprint provides a detailed blueprint for building the community in the real world

Through her work with Greenprint and her dedication to creating positive change, Jordyn Barber is a visionary leader in the sustainability movement, using innovative technology to empower individuals and communities to create positive change for the planet. Her work with The Greenprint is inspiring and has the potential to make a real impact on the world.

www.createthegreenprint.com / @createthegreenprint at instagram to learn more!