In her TED lecture, Solitaire Townsend calls herself a “spin doctor” and a “propagandist”—monikers that conjure up a less than flattering image. Yet, Townsend also was recognized with the Ethical Entrepreneur Award by The Financial Times in London. It’s that seeming contradiction that makes Solitaire one of the most effective business leaders focused on designing a new sustainability message.

Townsend co-founded Futerra, a UK-based public relations and marketing firm, in her early twenties. The award-winning agency has grown worldwide with offices in London and New York. Passionate about making sustainable lifestyles more desirable, Solitaire challenges accepted messages on sustainable development and is a vocal advocate for a new and visionary approach. Futerra has become an industry leader on business ethics, social marketing, behavior change, and green messaging.

Whether devising sustainability campaigns for Unilever, Shell or Microsoft, advising the United Nations, UK and Chinese governments on greening their citizens, or helping Greenpeace International reach decision-makers, Townsend makes sustainable developments accessible and desirable.

Her expertise is in communication, across the board on sustainability, from corporate responsibility to climate change and ethics to biodiversity and fair trade. Her publications include Sell the Sizzle, The Greenwash Guide, and Rules of the Game. She writes regularly for Ethical Corporation, the Green Alliance and other national media.

In 2010, she was appointed Chair of the newly created UK Green Energy Scheme to regulate the green energy tariff market in the UK. She has also been named one of 15 London Leaders for Sustainability, a member of the United Nations Taskforce on Sustainable Lifestyles and a board member of the think tank Tomorrow's Company.