By Menaka Gopinath, Chief Marketing Officer, Project Management Institute (PMI)

The Power of Stories That Scale

Earlier this year we premiered a three-part documentary series, The Solutionaries, produced in collaboration with TIME Studios. Throughout the creation of the series, I was struck by one simple truth: the people who will save our world aren’t waiting for permission – they’re already shaping what’s next.

At PMI, we believe imagination and implementation are equally essential to progress. Our work often lives in that beautiful tension between what’s possible and what’s practical, embodied in our purpose: “We maximize project success to elevate our world”. As a marketer and a believer in storytelling as a catalyst for change, we wanted to find a way to illuminate that connection — to show that great ideas alone don’t change the world; the projects that bring them to life do.

That’s how The Solutionaries was born.

From Hope to Habit: The Role of Project Management in Sustainability

Sustainability is one of the greatest project challenges of our lifetime. And yet, too often, sustainability goals stay just that: goals.

At PMI, our research shows that 76% of leaders say their employees need new skills to achieve sustainability objectives, and 51% believe upskilling is essential for transformational impact.

That’s why project management matters more than ever. It’s not just about hitting milestones; it’s about building systems that can scale action. Every sustainability initiative, from a zero-waste factory to a regenerative food supply, depends on project leaders who can connect the dots between intention and implementation.

I often say that “real impact needs disciplined execution.” That’s not a slogan; it’s a truth I see every day. Whether you’re a chief sustainability officer or a creative director, embedding project management practices into every project helps teams align shared goals, manage complexity, and deliver measurable results. And when those practices are paired with a clear sustainability focus, the impact is even greater. In fact, according to

PMI’s Maximizing Project Success report, projects aligned with sustainability and social good are twice as likely to succeed – and 55% of those projects meet or exceed customer satisfaction, compared to just 33% of non-aligned projects.

From Concept to Collaboration

The Solutionaries is a partnership between Project Management Institute (PMI), TIME Studios, and our creative collaborators at Good is the New Cool. Together, we set out to tell a new kind of sustainability story – one that’s hopeful, human, and grounded in action.

Each episode spotlights a visionary innovator tackling the climate crisis through bold, creative thinking:

· Cyrill Gutsch, founder of Parley for the Oceans, who’s revolutionizing fashion by introducing natural materials, biofabrication and green chemistry as alternatives to conventional and often harmful and toxic material standards.

· Rebecca Hu-Thrams, co-founder of Glacier, whose AI-powered robots are transforming how we recycle, to reduce landfilling and unlock a circular economy at scale.

· Dr. Lisa Dyson, founder and CEO of AirProtein, who’s literally turning carbon into nourishment by producing protein from the air we breathe and addressing the world hunger crisis.

These innovators have imagination in abundance. But what turns their ideas into impact, and vision into measurable change, is execution. Behind every “aha!” moment is a project plan, a process, and a thousand “inchstones” of progress towards bringing these innovations to market at scale.

Why We Partnered with TIME

As marketers, we’re storytellers, and we’re also bridge builders. By bringing The Solutionaries to life in an accessible and visual format, we’re creating a cultural moment that connects PMI’s purpose to a broader movement for change and sharing it with a diverse audience base

TIME Studios gave us an unparalleled platform to reach global audiences who may never have encountered project management before. These are the dreamers, the doers, the sustainability officers, the engineers and creatives, the innovators – people who might not call themselves “project managers,” yet manage projects every day that shape our world.

By partnering with a brand like TIME – synonymous with storytelling that influences and captures attention – we’re reframing project management not as a discipline hidden in the background, but as the engine of real-world impact.

Together with TIME Studios, our purpose-led partners at Good is the New Cool, and director Edward Buckles Jr., we shaped a series that’s visually striking and emotionally resonant – but is also fundamentally about execution. Surrounding each of The Solutionaries are project professionals, the people taking bold ideas from possibility into implementation.

These stories remind us that no matter how overwhelming the challenge may seem, there are paths towards solutions, approaches to drive those solutions to scale, and leaders brave enough to start.

Activating Change: From Screen to Stage

Launching this initiative has been more than a content exercise; it’s been a campaign of connection.

In October 2025, we brought the series to life at events that convened some of today’s most influential thinkers and creators.

At Soho House in Los Angeles, we introduced The Solutionaries to a room filled with chief sustainability officers from companies like Disney, Edelman, and Brilliant Earth. Our message was clear: Project management isn’t just for project managers. It’s a capability every organization needs to translate ideas into outcomes.

The next day, at GOODCon LA, I joined a fireside chat with Afdhel Aziz and Bobby Jones to discuss why storytelling is one of the most powerful tools for systems change. We talked about how “inchstones” — the small steps toward big progress — can inspire teams to keep moving forward.

And finally, standing on the TIME100 NEXT stage in New York, I had the honor of introducing The Solutionaries to a global audience of innovators and artists. It was a moment that captured everything I believe about marketing leadership: when we elevate stories of possibility, we ignite participation.

Marketing with Purpose

As marketers, we often talk about creativity, innovation, and engagement. But to me, the real question is: What are we doing with that attention?

In a world overflowing with information, purpose-driven storytelling must go beyond inspiration – it must enable action. The best marketing isn’t about persuasion; it’s about participation and empowering others to envision possibilities that drive transformation.

That’s what The Solutionaries represents. It’s proof that when we combine imagination with execution, when we tell stories of big ideas being made reality, we can turn the abstract into the actionable.

Every frame of this series reflects a belief I hold deeply: that marketing can be a force for good – not by selling more, but by showing what’s possible and inviting others to help make it real.

Closing Reflection: Finding Inspiration

I often think back to something one of our featured innovators, Cyrill Gutsch, said: “Innovation is the highest form of protest.”

That line has stayed with me. Because innovation – like hope – demands courage.

The courage to reimagine systems that no longer serve us. The courage to collaborate across boundaries. The courage to act before certainty arrives.

That’s the essence of The Solutionaries: brave people who found their inspiration and followed it, one project, one idea, one action at a time.

And that’s the message I hope this series leaves with every viewer: we all have the capacity to be Solutionaries. The fastest route from idea to impact is simple: move from imagination to implementation.

By Menaka Gopinath

Keywords: Sustainability, Marketing, Project Management

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