Speaker Topics 2011 Conference

In discussing the State of Sustainability, Maggie Winslow will focus on the relationship between the state of ecological sustainability and the economic drivers that can propel our global marketplace, and local businesses, either toward or away from sustainable business operations. She will challenge some of the traditional assumptions and models about economics that put us at risk of missing transformative opportunities in our businesses and day to day lives. And she will provide us with an interesting and provocative picture of the future of sustainability and where we can go from here.

In his role with the California Energy Commission, Panama Bartholomy works to implement energy efficiency standards and helps the state meet aggressive renewable energy portfolio goals. He'll bring light to Governor Brown's take on California's energy future discussing today's policy drivers, and the programs and innovations driving energy, green building, sustainable communities and climate policy. Expect the latest insights straight from Sacramento with an eye toward local implications.

Drill down from the macro economic view to hear specific areas where the North Bay economy offers opportunity for green business growth. Learn which sustainability oriented market segments have potential for growth in the coming years. Hear where Sonoma County is leading the drive to set policy that encourages sustainable development. We'll wrap with actions can you take to support a more Sustainable North Bay.

Social Media is translating sustainability principles into business practice through radical transparency, networked collaboration and optimized efficiency. In this workshop, Joey Shepp will lead you through world-changing trends, new-paradigm principles and real-world applications in leveraging social media for your sustainable enterprise. Go beyond marketing in applying social media to all areas of your business. Gain practical digital business skills to drive sales, cut costs, engage customers and reduce your carbon footprint.

There is a profound need for a comprehensive vocational high school that would give all students in the opportunity to train for careers in the emerging green economy. In this working session, Len Greenwood and Joseph Kennedy will share their experience developing GreenQuest, a proposed vocation high school in Sonoma County, and lead a working session dedicated to utilizing the gathered wisdom of conference attendees to help manifest it. Through partnering with local business and other experts, GreenQuest students would study and contribute to “real world” issues such as climate change, building efficiency, environmental protection, etc. through practical service-learning projects, while also undergoing exceptional academic preparation for further studies. Through profound engagement of student, teacher and community members, dropout rates would be reduced, remediation needs eliminated, and emerging students will be nurtured through ongoing mentorships into satisfying career paths. The goal is whole human beings, ready to take on the profound challenges of our day in a positive and practical fashion. This session will give participants the opportunity to contribute to furthering this endeavor through a “design charette” approach to key components of the project, including fundraising, site, public-vs-private, curriculum, business engagement, etc.

Deborah Hirsh from the San Francisco office of nonprofit organization, B Lab, will describe the work of her organization to certify and support Certified B Corporations, including their latest initiatives to bring the B Corp message of corporate accountability and transparency to consumers. She’ll be joined by two visionaries from the B Corporation community for an enlightening conversation that will include fresh ideas for understanding the ever-evolving conscious consumer, as well as the latest public policy developments in California, Maryland, Vermont and six other states to support sustainable business.

This panel will bring to bear relevant and practical insights as to how everyday investments and social entrepreneurs can find each other, and create significant and sustainable financial returns. Jenny Kassan from Cutting Edge Capital will talk about the opportunities that exist for non-traditional capital raising, sparing entrepreneurs the typical hurdles that come with Venture Capital or Angel Investors. Esther Park from RSF shares a wealth of resources for those seeking meaningful and transformative financial investment opportunities. This session is relevant for both enterprises looking for access to capital and socially responsible investors concerned with investment portfolio returns.