COVALENCE was born from two friends who enjoyed challenging experiences away from the pace of modern city life to practice a more traditional set of social values. In these remote, unplugged settings, they found themselves completely disconnected from the outside world—no internet, no stores, and no modern conveniences.
It was in this raw, unfiltered space that they knew they needed to act on their gut feelings: while technology had increasingly taken over the world outside, here, amidst creativity and community, they saw the potential to reconnect with the essence of human experience. They saw a world evolving rapidly around them, and that new socializing tools were needed to help society manage the increased cognitive loads. They saw impaired decision-making, more impulsive, less healthy choices when ones mental resources were depleted. The way people self-identify, was being shaped by social media and negatively affecting the mental health of many around them. Knowing that they can see themselves through others, they had to focus on what was in people's control, initially.
Patrick Janiak, a concept designer with a passion for the immersive functional art & design, humanity, and the environment, and Nathan Walworth, PhD., a bio-geneticist and climate scientist, recognized that the complexity of our global challenges lie not just in any one field of study, so dynamic convergence of new, cross-discipline experimental collaborations is the kind of education needed, as well as in our build world. They understood that to truly impact culture and drive meaningful change, they needed to help others, help themselves, on a first principle basis, and fuse their expertise and passions into something greater than the sum of its parts— Covalence.
Our Founders: A Synergy of Disciplines
Patrick Janiak brings to Covalence diverse backgrounds of experiences that inform his perspective for creation. Trained in Master Planning and Landscape Architecture, with a background in costume design, and personal training, Patrick’s approach to fashion is anything but conventional. His journey has been one of exploration—across disciplines, cultures, and mediums—all of which converge in the designs and philosophy of Covalence. Patrick’s unique perspective is rooted in the belief that thoughtful design can influence one's disposition and behavior, which then fosters deeper connections, and in turn, helps shape one's identity through the way they resonate in their world.
Dr. Nathan Walworth, Ph.D. a bio-geneticist and climate scientist, has spent his career at the forefront of addressing global environmental challenges. Nathan’s expertise in biotechnology, regenerative design and his deep understanding of the ecological and cultural shifts needed to sustain our planet are integral to Covalence’s mission. Nathan and Patrick realized the dimensionality needed to remedy our global dilemmas is not simple, nor something they could completely do. However, there is a framework of thought, which they wanted to exemplify to help shape culture, and for others to iterate on, to help shape parts of their cultures.
His partnership with Patrick is a testament to this belief, merging scientific insight with creative innovation, with focus on first principle thinking and how people connect.
