University of Minnesota College of Design
In 2012, John Cary joined the University of Minnesota College of Design as a research fellow, focused on public interest design, working alongside Dean Thomas Fisher.

Tandus Flooring
In December 2011, John began consulting with Tandus Flooring, a major building materials manufacturer with a robust record around environmental sustainability, which is now looking to advance the social sustainability agenda.

Autodesk
Between April and June 2012, John and partner Courtney Martin will be the first-ever guest curators in residence at the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco, assembling a major exhibition on design and storytelling.

Santa Fe Art Institute
In August 2012, John and partner Courtney Martin will be artists in residence at the Santa Fe Art Institute, advancing their work together on design and storytelling.

Design Futures Council
In 2006, at age 29, John became the youngest-ever person named a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council, alongside the likes of Energy Sec. Steve Chu, Vice President Al Gore, and design guru Bruce Mau. He is the founder the DFC Emerging Leaders Scholarship program, sponsored by DuPont.

American Academy in Rome
In 2008, John held the Rome Prize fellowship in design at the American Academy in Rome, where he curated an exhibition on photographer Fausto Giaccone and the 1968 Battle of Valle Giulia.

Aspen Ideas Festival
In 2007, John was among the inaugural class of Ideas Fellows of the Aspen Institute‘s Ideas Festival. Now called scholars, John has successfully nominated over a dozen and a half emerging leaders to participate in the program.

PublicInterestDesign.org
In 2011, John launched PublicInterestDesign.org, where he blogs daily about the growing public interest design movement.

American Institute of Architects
John is a longtime member of The American Institute of Architects (AIA), having held appointed and elected leadership positions at the local, state, and national levels. ArchVoices, the Berkeley Prize Competition, and Public Architecture all earned AIA National Honor Awards for Collaborative Achievement under his leadership.

Rockefeller Foundation
In 2009, John held the Practitioner Residency at the Rockefeller Foundation‘s Bellagio Center on Lake Como in Northern Italy. He remains involved as an ambassador and evaluator for the program. John also chaired the 2010 Open Cities conference on new media and urban policy, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation.

Fetzer Institute
In 2011, John became a founding member of the Fetzer Institute‘s Advisory Committee on the Design Professions, which will allocate $1 million in new funding to support design initiatives around compassion, love, and forgiveness.

Taproot Foundation
Since 2002, John has been a close advisor to the Taproot Foundation, the largest nonprofit consulting practice in the world, and its founder, Aaron Hurst. John facilitated the redesign of the organization’s San Francisco offices by HOK and aided in furnishing its new New York offices, where he works frequently.

Humanscale
Since 2009, John has led over a dozen and a half Design Smart Seminars across the country for Humanscale. His latest tour, co-led with partner Courtney Martin, focus on design and social justice under the theme of “Big Gifts, Deep Needs.”