Conference Program

Speaker Profiles

2009 Program

Welcome Reception 5:00 - 7:00 pm

Registration: Beginning at 5:00 pm, you can pick up your conference materials and network with other attendees. Light refreshments will be served.

Jenny McNulty, Executive Director, Urban Solutions

At 6:00 pm, join us for a special presentation by Jenny McNulty, Executive Director of Urban Solutions. McNulty will share how Urban Solutions’ Green Business Program is working with businesses in the South of Market neighborhood to implement sustainable business practices. Several local businesses will be present to speak about their greening experience.

Our Tuesday night local focus continues as we welcome Global Exchange's Green Careers Program - Developing a Green Workforce.

Global Exchange, in partnership with City College of San Francisco South East Campus, has launched a unique program that provides environmental education, job training, mentorship, and support for city college students of the Bayview-Hunters Point community. Interns from the program will be on hand to share about their experiences. 2009 participating businesses include: AlterECO, Bay Area Wilderness Training, Biofuel Recycling Cooperative, Hayes Valley Neighborhood Parks Group, Luminalt, MyFarm, Rising Sun Energy Center (CYES), Solar Living Institute, SunWater Solar, Sustainable Spaces and Wildheart Gardens.

Wednesday, November 11

7:30 - 8:30 am: Healthy Continental Breakfast and Conference Registration open

7:30 - 4:45 pm: Lounge open for meetings, relaxing, and learning about Green Business Network Benefits

Alisa Gravitz, Executive Director, Green America

Denise Hamler, Director, Green Business Network, Green Festivals®

Interactive session: Share your personal story on how you started this journey as a green business leader and ecopreneur.

Networking Break
10:00 - 10:15 am

Bob Johansen, Author, Leaders Make the Future

Today’s businesses are operating in a world characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Johansen, a Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for the Future, will help you identify and acquire the abilities you need to thrive in this difficult world. He will present the ten new skills needed to thrive in the next decade, and provide the tools, examples, and advice to help develop your expertise in each of the future skills.

Q & A

Book Signing - 11:00 am: Leaders Make the Future

Dealing with the Tough Stuff: Practical Wisdom for Running a Values-Driven Business
11:15 am - 12:00 pm

Margot Fraser, Founder & Former CEO, Birkenstock USA

Deborah Nelson, Executive Director, Social Venture Network

A business plan is only going to get you so far. As leaders of values-driven businesses, we face issues that more conventional colleagues don't ever have to grapple with.

In Fraser's new book, Dealing with the Tough Stuff, personal insights and seasoned advice is presented by five business leaders. Co-author Fraser engages her audience with the tough issues. As she puts it, “you can’t get this in business school - it’s like being coached by some of the nation’s top socially conscious entrepreneurs.”

Q & A

Book signing - 12:00 pm: Dealing with the Tough Stuff

Vegetarian Lunch
12:00 pm
Catered by Ananda Fuara Restaurant

An Afternoon of Business Tools for the New Economy

Moderated by: Randy Paynter, Founder and CEO, Care2.com

Social Media for Sustainable Business
1:00 - 1:45 pm

Joey Shepp, Founder and CEO, Earthsite, LLC

Learn how to leverage social media to build an open, authentic brand. Discover how Twitter, Facebook and blogging can help grow your business and communicate your sustainable mission. A must-attend for any business thinking about social networking or for those struggling with making it work.

The Truth is Your Best Tool
1:45 - 2:30 pm

Jerry Stifelman, Founder and Creative Director, The Change

Discover why and how to leverage your brand assets in order to engage your customers and develop a loyal following.  Find out how to integrate your motivations for being in business, your passions and practices into a cohesive, distinctive brand persona.

Life in the Valley: A Cooperative Vision
3:30 - 4:15 pm

Theresa Marquez, CME, Organic Valley Family of Farms

The Greening of eBay
4:15 - 4:45 pm

Libby Reder, Head of Environmental Initiatives, eBay, Inc.

Reder is the co-founder/leader of eBay’s employee Green Team and manages eBay’s Environmental Initiatives.  Learn how this huge company is working to improve the environmental performance of its operations, and teaming with employees and eBay users to encourage more sustainable behavior in the seller business operations and around buyer product choices.

Product Expo -- Marketplace and Community Connections
4:45 - 6:45 pm

A great way to network with all the conference attendees.

Come prepared to set up a business display at this Product/Business Expo. The two-hour exhibit-style session is designed to get all conference attendees networking and doing business with each other. Available to all attendees at no additional charge.

Snacks and open bar during this session.

Thursday, November 12

The Truth About Green Business
8:30 - 9:15 am

Gil Friend, Author, The Truth About Green Business 

The Truth is that green business practices are good for business and for the world. They increase profits, lower costs, and attract customers. Friend, a leading green business expert, profiles 52 focused ‘truths’ that provide a practical roadmap – for large and small – to make money.  Featuring the insights and practical tools that decision-makers need to master to successfully ‘go green.’ Everything that matters, from strategy to operations, supply chains to marketing, IT to finance, and beyond.

Q & A

Book signing - 9:15 am: The Truth About Green Business

Building a Just Economy – Green Jobs and Green Pathways Out of Poverty
10:00 - 10:45 am

Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, CEO, Green For All

An inside look at the Obama administration’s stimulus package and how it is providing access to green jobs in underserved communities, and how green businesses can play a role. Also learn more about Green For All’s collaboration with the Hip Hop Caucus on Green the Block, a way to engage and mobilize low-income communities and communities of color to participate in the benefits of the clean-energy economy. Join the campaign to connect business leaders, youth, policy makers, politicians and unions in creating green collar jobs and green pathways out of poverty.

Q & A and audience participation

Slow Money Can Revitalize Local Communities
11:00 - 11:45 am

Woody Tasch, President/Chairman, Slow Money

What would the world be like if we invested 50% of our assets within 50 miles of where we live?  If organic farming and small food enterprises are key to the health of the economy and society, why do they receive so little funding from government, philanthropy and capital markets? Such questions lie at the heart of Slow Money, formed to catalyze the flow of investment capital to small food enterprises and to support sustainable agriculture and the emergence of a restorative economy.

Book Signing 11:45 am: Slow Money

Vegetarian Lunch with Topic Tables
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Catered by Ananda Fuara Restaurant
Speakers and attendees will facilitate table-talk discussions on a variety of topics. Pick a subject/table that interests you. You are welcome to organize a table. Sign up at the registration area in the lobby.

Socially Responsible Business: How to Stay True to Your Principles in the Current Economy
1:30 - 2:15 pm

Priya Haji, Co-Founder and CEO, World of Good

Haji will discuss how socially responsible companies are coping in the current economic environment while staying true to their missions. As the economy begins to rebound, residual stresses beset socially responsible companies, but problem-solving against unique constraints leads to great innovation. Haji will describe innovative coping strategies her company has followed and also point to broader examples.

World of Good is dedicated to building ethical shopping experiences with mainstream retail partners, including Whole Foods and eBay. Launched in partnership with eBay, WorldofGood.com is the world’s largest online marketplace to offer consumers one destination to shop for thousands of products that positively impact people and the planet.

Desireé Wolford, Business Membership Coordinator

Learn how to use the Network to build your business. Business members share their experiences.

Networking Break
2:45 - 3:00 pm

Workshop Sessions

New Ways to Finance your Green Business
3:00 - 3:45 pm

Ted Levinson, Senior Lending Manager, RSF Social Finance

Levinson is the Senior Lending Manager at RSF Social Finance. He will talk about their Social Investment Fund - a $75 million portfolio of senior debt to non-profits and businesses with a social mission as well as RSF's Mezzanine Fund for growth capital needs of companies with deep social impact.

Started twenty-five years ago, the Social Investment Fund has evolved from exclusively offering mortgages to non-profits to also financing the working capital and equipment needs of established businesses throughout the U.S. and Canada. The Mezzanine fund is RSF's newest product and acts as a complement or alternative to pure equity financing, resulting in less dilution of ownership and less loss of control - key considerations for companies with deep social missions that might be compromised through equity financing alone.

Making of a Brand: Ecocentric Bodycare – Always Beneficial, Never Artificial
3:00 - 3:45 pm

Joshua Onysko, Founder and CEO, Pangea Organics

Hear the true confessions of an eco-prenuer inspired by a trip to India and a coffee-table book, Making Hand-Made Soap. In the past nine years, Onysko has retained private ownership of Pangea throughout its growth. Never straying from its vision, Pangea’s efforts have been recognized with 47 awards in the last four years. Pangea products are free of petrochemicals, parabens, GMOs or synthetic or harmful ingredients and are cruelty-free and organic.

Alisa Gravitz, Executive Director, Green America

Rebecca Shaloff, Screening Director, Green Business Network

This is your chance to shape the strategic plan for Green Business Network's next 25 years. We have identified five strategies that combined will offer your business great visibility, bring the green business community voice to Washington DC, and provide tools to chart your specific sustainability course. Want to put the Green America Seal on your products? Wish there was a policy desk in Washington looking after green business interests? Give your input directly to staff in this session.

B2B Barter Exchange Program
4:00 - 4:45 pm

Chris Lindstrom, Co-Founder, Social Labs

Inspired by the success of business to business barter systems in Europe. Discover how B2B barter exchanges can benefit your business in the US.

The Carbon Concierge
4:00 - 4:45 pm

Mickey Lee, Strategic Director, The Carbon Concierge

The Carbon Concierge will assist your business in offsetting your carbon impact. Take immediate and tangible steps to reduce and offset your personal and business carbon footprint. Simple tools are used to help understand the carbon emissions impact of your business operations.

World of Good at eBay – How your Green America Business Membership Provides the Access
4:00 - 4:45 pm

Eric Weiss, Senior Manager, Seller Recruitment, World of Good, Inc.

World of Good, eBay and Green America have teamed up to provide access to a marketplace for people-positive products. Currently over 18,000 of the 20,000 products on the World Of Good.com by eBay site are provided by Green Business Network members. Learn how this great opportunity can grow your business.

How to Make the Most of GenGreenLife.com
4:00 - 4:45 pm

Charisse McAuliffe, Founder & CEO, GenGreen Digital Media

GenGreen Digital Media delivers via web, mobile and licensed API agreements to such clients as National Geographic and Gannett. The company has strategic partnerships with Green America, Live Earth and Ecobroker. The GenGreen Life website is a popular destination for LOHAS consumers. Beyond the comprehensive local living green directory, the site features blogs, tips, articles and events. Learn how Green America's partnership with GenGreen Digital Media expands your ability to reach consumers.

Business Problem-Solving – Share Your Biggest Challenge
5:00 - 6:00 pm

Share your challenges and gather the wisdom of your peers to make your business work better, using the wisdom of your group.

Break
6:00 - 7:00 pm

Organic Banquet and Keynote
7:00 pm

Catered by Ananda Fuara Restaurant

The 8th Annual Green Business Leadership Award
Presented by 2008 winner Mr. Ellie Pooh 
Entertainment by Michael Bootzin and Morgan Simon

Bryan Welch, Publisher and Ed. Director, Ogden Publications, Inc.

The conscientious people in business today are laying the groundwork for a new business paradigm. We need bold new solutions now. We need a new vision for the future of business and the future of humanity.

From the practical perspective of a businessman and farmer, Welch suggests four questions as guiding principles for shaping our new vision. Is it fair? Is it repeatable? Is it beautiful? Is it abundant? Join Welch as he discusses how these questions can help us create a threedimensional vision for the future of our businesses, our species and our planet.

Enjoy the Chill-Out Lounge
9:00 - 11:00 pm
Sponsored by Seven-Star Events 
With organic beer and wine

Fri - Sat - Sun: Green Festival

All conference attendees receive two free tickets.

635 8th Street at Brannan
See the Green Festivals website for full program