Paul and Lynn Hunt

Paul and Lynn Hunt experienced their first real encounter with resilient living in 1985 when they made the decision to forego the paycheck and start their own company, Hunt Technologies. Despite many years raising their family on little-to-nothing, they never looked back. Their tenacity eventually led to The Turtle, a device capable of sending data over already-established electrical wires. This gave electric utilities a tool that allowed them to automatically read electric meters, gathering data 24 hours a day. Thanks to The Turtle, Hunt Technologies experienced rapid growth and soon had more than 200 employees.

Paul and Lynn sold the business in 2001, but quickly reinvested themselves into a new idea – Hunt Utilities Group, commonly known as HUG. They put together a coalition of minds to conduct research and development into ways of reducing the world’s dependence on carbon-based fuels. At the same time, they started Happy Dancing Turtle, a nonprofit arm centered on environmental education and promotion of resilience as a way of life.

The Hunts believe it is everybody’s duty to use the resources they have to make the world a better place. When it comes to investing – in your community, your family, or in the search for world solutions – the giving of time is equally important as money. In other words, volunteering is a valuable aspect of resilient living. Resilient living, said the Hunts, is about whether you’re willing to do the hard work (and stick to it) for a payoff that is measured in your quality of life and a better world for everyone.