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380 Broad Avenue Suite 1A
Englewood, NJ 07631 (right across the Hudson River from Manhattan)
Jason is an entrepreneur, business creator and developer, event producer, constant networker and leader in the corporate sustainability space. Prior to launching Companies Vs Climate Change Sustainability Consulting, Jason produced conferences and events for over 20 years. In 2015 he founded Companies Vs Climate Change, a boutique sustainability conference company. The conferences developed a strong following. They were mission based, content driven and provided intimate networking. He has worked in many industries including sustainability, nonprofit, technology, healthcare and life sciences. In 2006 he launched and led the global multi-million dollar event series “Digital Pharma”, which focused on digital pharmaceutical marketing, digital self treatment and patient to patient/patient to provider communications. He has always enjoyed the creative process of putting together an impactful event that leaves participants recharged and inspired..
Jason has a BA in Sociology and an MS in Communications from Clark University in Worcester, MA. He lives in Englewood, NJ with his fiance. He was thrilled to fulfill his dream of organizing a conference series that explores the massive business and human race saving opportunities that exist in the battle against climate change. He now has a goal to build a team of experts who will serve their clients to achieve their sustainability strategies.
Patrick creates positive environmental impacts and influences change through Corporate Responsibility. He led the Corporate Sustainability department of a Fortune 100 Company for several years. He is an authentic and dynamic leader. He has many years of international program and project management experience both internally and as a consultant. He understands how to navigate corporate matrixed organizations to focus on the triple bottom line. He is authentic and enthusiastic and an excellent communicator. Patrick knows how to successfully lead large international teams and will also roll up his sleeves to drive and deliver projects to completion. His experience includes:
• Corporate Sustainability program development
• Climate target setting
• Real Estate Sustainability Development
• Construction Project management
• Design and Space planning
• Energy, Water, and Material Waste Operational Efficiency
• Design and Building sustainability performance standards
• Energy Procurement
Patrick loves getting outdoors; camping, running, and spending time with his family.
Maureen Stroud is the Founder and Managing Director of Shinka Sustainability Consultants, LLC. Her inspiration for the name of the business comes from Japanese because she has a Japanese/English household since her husband grew up there and they travel there as much as possible.
In her practice, she is helping her clients evolve on their sustainability journeys and is passionate about product design and innovation. Her expertise is in developing sustainability strategies
She is also currently an Adjunct Professor in the Institute of Environmental Sustainability at Loyola University in Chicago. She teaches an online course on Assessment and Reporting for Energy, Air, Buildings and Transportation.
Stroud formerly managed the North America and Global Carbon programs at Whirlpool Corporation. In her role at Whirlpool, she was responsible for Whirlpool’s North American Sustainability Strategy and manages the sustainability initiatives for products under the Amana, Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, and Jenn-Aire Brands.
Previously, she developed sustainability standards for products in the building industry, managed a university sustainability program, provided sustainability and risk assessment services for large industrial and commercial clients, and managed hazardous waste remediation projects.
Maureen has held several voluntary and appointed positions including serving as a Board Member for the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum (WMSBF), Southeast Michigan Sustainable Business Forum (SMSBF), serving as a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)’s Emerging Professionals National Committee, and providing Pro Bono consulting services through Net Impact Chicago Chapter.
I am passionate about Zero Waste and sustainable materials management. Gone are the days when “waste” was valueless (in fact this was never the case), all materials have some inherent value, even if not in the recycling market they have value to another person. Our impact on the planet is massive, one of the best ways we can easily minimize our impact on a daily basis is by reducing our own personal, and our business’, waste generation. I have made a personal and household commitment to Zero Waste to landfill, and started Think Zero to work with business to help them realize their waste reduction and diversion goals. My personal motto is “every little bit counts”. Together, if we all make some effort to generate less waste and divert more from landfill, we can make a big difference.
Satish Kavirajan has over 20 years of experience in business development, sales and marketing. He was Managing Director of The Center for Business Innovation (TCBI), a conference company that focused on healthcare, technology and finance, for 19 years. TCBI organized events that attracted thousands of executives from across the U.S. In 2019, Satish started up a new conference company, Actionable Intelligence Network. Prior to his work as a conference organizer, he was a business journalist.
Satish holds BA and MBA degrees from Columbia University.
Soha Kirmani is a rising senior at the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business pursuing a B.B.A in Business Management. She is involved in many on-campus activities such as holding a mentor role to other students and participating in an Entrepreneurship society. She has also received an A.A.S in Fashion Business Management from the highly ranked Fashion Institute of Technology. While at F.I.T, Soha studied and cultivated an interest in the need for sustainable practices within the corporate fashion industry and has continued to develop an interest within this field into other corporate ventures.
Based in Hyderabad, India, Swapan Kumar is an experienced Sustainability & EHS professional with a demonstrated history of working in the manufacturing, management consulting and Audit industry.
Experienced Sustainability & EHS professional with a demonstrated history of working in the manufacturing, management consulting and Audit industry. Skilled in Sustainable Development, TCFD, Integrated Reporting, ESG Reporting, Climate Bonds, Carbon footprint and carbon neutrality, AA 1000AS Assurance, Corporate Social Responsibility, Water footprint and Water Positive, Water Resource Management, Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS), ISO 1400 1Lead auditor , OHSAS 18001Lead auditor, Stake holder engagement, Sustainable Business, IRIS Standard, BCMS Standard.
As the head of sustainability at Alaska Airlines, Jacqueline created and spearheaded the airline’s formal sustainability strategy and program. Under Jackie’s leadership, Alaska earned the reputation as the domestic aviation leader in environmental stewardship and received more than 25 environmental and sustainability awards, including being named the top North American airline on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index two years in a row (2017, 2018). Career highlights include: the launch and leadership of an industry-leading inflight recycling program, the first airline to fly multiple routes using sustainable aviation biofuels, the first airline to remove plastic straws and picks from service (“#StrawlessSkies”), and the publication of six Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) sustainability reports.
Jacqueline currently advises, teaches, inspires, and mentors others to achieve success in their sustainability and environmental compliance programs.
Specialties: public speaking, GRI sustainability reporting, DJSI, ESG data and reporting, carbon emissions, climate change, aviation environmental issues, waste reduction, environmental compliance auditing, sustainability strategy, training/instruction in a wide-variety of environmental compliance and sustainability topics.
Julian (Jay) received his Master of Science in Marketing from the University of Alabama (UA) in 2014. Jay’s experience can be summarized along the following three areas: teaching, research, and service.
In terms of teaching, Jay taught a variety of courses at two different institutions — UA and Alabama A&M University (AAMU). While at AAMU, Jay taught classes in strategic management and policy, marketing management, personal selling, consumer behavior, global marketing, public relations, and principles of marketing. Jay averaged a score of 3.8 / 4.0 on his students evaluations at AAMU. While at UA, Jay taught classes in international business, consumer behavior, and marketing research. Jay averaged a score of 4.3 / 5.0 on his student evaluations at UA. Jay was also awarded the American Marketing Association (AMA) Outstanding Graduate Student Educators Award at UA.
In terms of research, Jay has published research in the Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, which assesses consumers’ deal-seeking behaviors across different retail
shopping channels. Furthermore, Jay has research under review at the Journal of Services Marketing, which assesses the impact of customer perceptions of frontline employee authenticity on customer-employee rapport and customer assessments of interactional justice throughout frontline service experiences. This stream of research was awarded the Society of Marketing Advances (SMA) Best Paper in Services Marketing and Steven J. Shaw Best Paper in Conference award at the Society for Marketing Advances.
In terms of service, Jay has operated within various academic and professional capacities. While at AAMU, Jay served on a faculty committee aimed at improving the instructional quality provided by faculty to students. Jay also served as an academic advisor for undergraduate marketing students enrolled at AAMU. While at UA, Jay served as a marketing consultant for Habitat for Humanity. Jay also served as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Services Marketing and the European Journal of Marketing during his time at UA.
Barbara Gettes has over a decade of experience working in sustainable business.
Starting her own business which she grew by herself selling lip balms and other beeswax products in over 300 retail outlets from boutiques to Whole Foods, West Elm and Anthropologie stores. A late come into entrepreneurship she realized that business is an art in its own right especially when we attach business to a greater good.
On the side Barbara has taken pleasure in helping start-ups, makers and business grown and achieve their goals keeping sustainability in mind.
beesconnection.com
Barbara is available for consulting and conducting workshops on sustainable product development, brand development, new media marketing and social entrepreneurship.
I am a global leader who draws on my subject-matter expertise in business-model and technological innovation for a sustainable economy. Using my creative pragmatism and drawing upon my extensive network, I work with others to create shared value across internal groups and external stakeholders.
I work best by setting a clear vision and strategy, and enabling a diverse group to execute its projects. I will always hold the big-picture perspective, but I’m quite comfortable rolling up my sleeves and digging into a spreadsheet, document or deck. I believe in consensus leadership, and in leading with integrity and by example.
Despite tempering with my engineering degree, I’m a classic abstract-thinking extrovert. I love writing and public speaking, and excel at articulating a responsible company’s purpose and values, long-term vision, and successes and challenges, and in inspiring and persuading all manner of audiences.
My objective is to work as an intrapreneur for a large, impactful, purpose-driven organization to move it, and its industry, toward greater sustainability and resilience and long-term financial success.
An environmental sustainability professional with 7+ years of research, project management, business development and consulting experience in climate change, sustainability and social innovation sector.
Extensively involved in analytical research, monitoring and evaluation, knowledge development and technical advisory for integrating climate change and sustainability products/services in government policies, corporate strategies and investments in Canada, UK and South Asia.
Experience in developing risk assessment frameworks and climate resilience strategies, implementing institutional and governance reforms and building partnerships for marketing sustainability services across developing and developed countries.
Managed relationships with government, banks, green funds, universities, private sector, NGOs, networks, multilateral organizations, and think tanks.
Amata Green’s vision is to promote organic and sustainable food production done in a responsible manner, around the world. Sustainable and, better yet, regenerative farming for all agricultural operations is the goal. We want to secure the health of the planet and the humans and creatures that inhabit it. Sandia Martin is Amata Green’s Founder and CEO and is dedicated to mitigating climate change by promoting organic and sustainable food production in a regenerative and responsible manner, around the world.
Our capabilities are:
Organic Certification consulting
Sustainable farming consulting
Regenerative farming consulting
Hydroponics and aquaponics consulting
Vertical farming consulting
Urban farming and urban food gardens
Home food gardens
Health & nutrition of food supply
Food deserts
Biochar purchase and use consulting
Carbon sequestration in farming through biochar use
Carbon markets related to agriculture
As a strategic communications consultant and founder of Climate Social LLC, Marissa designs content and strategies to build compelling brands, promote high profile events, and engage communities that create positive impact. She is a successful entrepreneur who has mastered the art of fluently communicating on today’s platforms on the trends in responsible business. She also teaches these skills to empower her clients to promote their own work on the triple bottom line: people, planet, and prosperity.
Climate Social partners with mission driven for-profit and non-profit organizations across a wide range of industries. A few recent clients include the WBCSD, South Pole, Net Impact, EarthShift Global, Fermata Energy, GreenPoint Innovations, Forest Trends, Destination Better and Walk of Life Coaching. Prior to founding her own company, she worked with renowned online business publications Sustainable Brands and TriplePundit, the latter at which she led a monthly series of corporate-sponsored Twitter Chats which garnered millions of impressions per hour.
Marissa previously directed marketing for the U.S. DoE’s Energy Efficient Buildings Hub’s stakeholder engagement programs and consulted with startups at the Wharton SBDC. She co-founded Penn’s first College House Coordinators Green Team, led her peers through the University’s Green Office Certification, and helped create its first R.A. Sustainability Manual. Her past speaking engagements include the World Water Forum, Net Impact Annual Conference, PA/NJ/DE Tri-State Sustainability Symposiums, Penn Institute for Environmental Studies, and the Penn MES Annual Alumni Panel. She has contributed to national publications including the Huffington Post, Sustainable Brands, TriplePundit, Wharton IGEL, and Corporate Responsibility Magazine.
Event organizers have turned to Marissa has an influencer for targeted promotions and sales such as Sustainable Brands, SB Paris, Companies Vs. Climate Change, and St. Louis Climate Summit. She is honored to have been a guest speaker on several podcasts, been mentioned in Leo Raudys’ book, “Guide to Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility”, quoted in Marc de Sousa-Shields’ book, “Invest Like You Give a Damn”, and recognized as an influencer among ClearBright Consulting’s Top 50 women to follow on Twitter and Onalytica’s Top 100 most influential individuals in the online sustainability conversation.
8+ years of work experience in business innovation, sustainability, SDGs, banking, finance, audit and project management.
In my most recent assignment, I worked for Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) as Project Manager, India/Sweden responsible for managing their resource efficiency initiative in industry supply chain. The initiative is a global PPP committed towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.
I was also a teacher for one of a kind informal school “Free School Under the Bridge” in New Delhi, India. I spoke about this project as a youth speaker at student conference in Harvard University in Feb 2017.
As a graduate in economics and business administration, I have contributed positively across geographies in diverse projects on business innovation and sustainability. I have lived and worked in India, Switzerland, Norway, Netherlands, and Sweden, Canada PR holder, can join immediately
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Supply chain sustainability, Sustainability reporting, ESG benchmarking, Project management, Strategy roadmap, Stakeholder relationships, Product management, Product development, Database management, Storytelling, Qualitative & Quantitative analysis, Digital implementation, Design Thinking, Business Innovation, Business Development, Team management, Mentoring, Vendor management
Hi, my name is Kaleb Nation. I am unique in that I put my clients first. Meeting the needs of my client is my priority. My wide variety of skills and punctual attitude allow me to handle a diverse set of projects. I am distinctly creative producing design outcomes that achieve market success and increase brand visibility. I am focused on helping CvCC go to the next level by reaching new attendees and curating growth with past event attendees.
Jesse Rittenhouse is a seasoned business development professional, with years of experience in conference and event development. He believes in being socially responsible in business and that means concerning ourselves with the people and the planet, as well as profit, to be truly sustainable. Jesse has joined Companies Vs Climate Change to help businesses come together and share in solutions and adaptations for climate change.
Over the years, Jesse has helped to create the first fully-permitted biodiesel factory in Miami, became a leading recycling and solid waste industry expert, and founded the Recycling Energy Forum in 2015. He has produced, planned, and developed sponsorships for many sustainability-driven conferences, events, and talks over the years and brings this knowledge and experience to CvCC. He currently runs REF, a marketing agency focused on helping sustainable businesses. In addition, he voluntarily leads several environmental nonprofits as a member of the Board of Directors with Dream In Green, Marketing & Promotions Director for USGBC Miami Branch, and South Florida University Ambassador for Net Impact. Through his training as a Climate Reality Leader and through first-hand views of sea level rise in Miami, Jesse knows that climate change is a global issue that we must find solutions to for mitigation and adaptation.
Clarissa is an Electrical Engineer with a master’s degree from the LSE (London School of Economics) in Business Strategy and Information Systems. She is an internationally certified ESG practitioner with diplomas from the Harvard Business School in Corporate Social Responsibility, and from INSEAD in Social Entrepreneurship. Fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and English, she has a wide international academic and professional experience in Brazil, Argentina, USA, Mexico, Australia, South Korea, India, Qatar, Poland, Spain and the UK. Clarissa has worked in a variety of sectors such as: Banking, Telecom, Pharmaceuticals, Management Consulting, NGOs and Private Equity Funds, for over 20 years. She has successfully grown a Pharmaceutical Marketing start-up in Latin America and for the last 10 years, has served as a Non-Executive Director of YouCanFreeUs, an international humanitarian organization that combats modern slavery in several parts of the world. In 2017, she launched YouCanFreeUs UK to educate young people in the country about this issue. Clarissa is passionate about helping companies develop a robust ESG strategy to achieve their optimal social and environmental impact, while mitigating potential risks. She is currently based in London working for LIVOGO, a boutique development firm focused on Impact Investment & Sustainability, she co-founded in 2016.
Alessandro is a recent graduate of the Clark University MS in Environmental Science & Policy program. Alessandro’s passion for the environment began at an early age after learning how national parks were created to protect and preserve the most magnificent places across the landscape to allow individuals to connect with nature, regardless of their background. This passion continued to evolve throughout his childhood and his academic career. The importance of preserving the natural environment to not only protect future generations but to also maintain the many processes that natural systems support are the key factors that continue to drive Alessandro’s passion. As a result of his desire to immerse himself in environmental sustainability work, Alessandro has had the opportunity to work at environmental remediation and consulting company in Denver. His time at Clark University allowed him to be hands-on with important current environmental problems that helped him develop innovative problem-solving skills..
Master’s Research Paper on Promoting Mass Adoption of Electric Vehicles with Infrastructure Development: Lessons from the City of Newton’s Strategic Plan
Relevant courses include:
– Urban Development: Process and Change
– Planning and Zoning for Community Development
– Global Environmental Issues
– Cases in Environmental Issues & Policy Analysis
– Field Methods of Environmental Science
– Science Meets Policy in the Real World
– Natural Resource Management
– Sustainable Development Assessment & Planning
– Community Needs & Resource Analysis
– Fundamentals of Environmental Science
– Culture, Environment, and Development
Jatin brings over 15 years of consulting and sales experience, across India and South East Asia. He has spearheaded efforts to help organizations expand into new territories, build partnerships and executed aggressive scale-up plans.
He was till recently leading partnerships and new business development for SecureNow, a technology driven insurance broking and risk management firm. His role included building partnerships, developing product-market mix, enabling digital transition and leading the team to achieve sales targets, specifically for medical negligence and infrastructure sectors.
For over 10 years before this, Jatin was a core member of a start-up climate change and renewable energy consulting firm, Emergent Ventures India (EVI). He has developed and led a team of consultants in India and Southeast Asia with expertise in carbon markets, climate policy, renewable energy, and corporate sustainability. Having spent over 5 years in Southeast Asia, he brings direct experience of setting-up and managing business operations, developing relationships with key partners and leading business development efforts across the region. For banks, private equity funds and other financial institutions, Jatin has conducted investment grade technical, regulatory and ESG due diligence of infrastructure transactions. He had also several carbon financing projects and over 8M credits across South and Southeast Asia.
In addition to his role with EVI, he also served as a Director with Environmental Resources Foundation (ERF), where he led partnerships with funding agencies, implementation experts and large corporate looking for credible CSR partners.
Current MBA/MS in Environmental Science and Policy dual master’s student at Clark University with extensive professional experience in the healthcare, energy, and environmental services industries. Strong graduate and undergraduate research experience in sustainability, municipal stormwater management, climate change mitigation strategy, environmental impact assessment, and energy efficiency. Well-developed interpersonal and teamwork skills from four years as a college athlete, a public address announcer, and as a Graduate Teaching Assistant.
Avril’s professional background encompasses agricultural research, water resource management, and environmental consulting.
Avril is skilled in developing geospatial maps and geological/geophysical diagrams using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and subsurface visualization software. Her field experience includes soil and surface water sampling, groundwater monitoring, and subsurface data collection. In 2016, she led the preliminary data discovery for the infrastructure and operational assessment of over 300 Indiana Public Water Systems.
In support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s environmental remediation projects at the Hanford Site, Avril managed groundwater modeling data for the analysis of radionuclide fate and transport. Through partnerships with the National Science Foundation and the Agricultural Department at Iowa State University, Avril conducted several field and laboratory simulations to quantify water and nutrient retention in biochar-applied soils. Working with the Office of Sustainability, she contributed the development of Sustaining Hoosier Communities; an educational initiative that fosters collaborations between Indiana University and local communities.
Avril received a BS in Environmental Science and Environmental Studies from Iowa State University. She also holds a MS in Environmental Science with a concentration in Water Resources from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University-Bloomington.
I am currently studying at Clark University. I will complete my undergrad degree in May 2021 with plans to participate in the Fifth Year Master’s Program in Environmental Science and Policy. I also attended the School for Field Studies in Panama during my Spring 2020 semester studying Tropical Island Biodiversity Studies. I am currently looking for opportunities for internships and research in the field of Environmental Science, preferably with a policy focus.
Experienced Event Coordinator with a demonstrated history of working in the hospitality industry. Skilled in Customer Service, Teamwork, ArcGIS, R Programming, Microsoft Office, and conversational Spanish.
Based in the UK, Lee is an experienced Environmental Specialist with over 11 years in environmental management and sustainability and 20 years in the utility industry. Skilled in ISO 14001, ISO50001, Legal Compliance, Environmental Awareness, Management, Training, Documentation and accredited SKA assessor.
We work with clients on how they may best become more efficient in their solid waste management while reducing their operating costs by up to 30% and their CO2 emissions by up to 40%.
For universities we have done many analysis for showing annual costs savings of up to $ 500,000 per year.
For some schools we have found savings of more than $ 2 million over 20 years. For other schools, some with smaller budgets, we have found up to 40% cost savings. (For schools looking to finance cost reductions, we have access to low cost leasing programs.)
While analyzing waste handling on campuses, we have designed and developed the only waste handling system for universities that is based on waste generation, allowing for any size and type of receptacle, regardless of what type of truck is needed to empty the container. This system includes trash as well as all recycling efforts, from OCC to food waste and organics.
It is our goal to reduce the manual labor efforts of clients so that the staff now required to handle trash can be better utilized to achieve other results in maintaining greener environments.
Specialties: More than 15 years of:
Solid Waste Data analysis to determine actual cost of solid waste disposal
Equipment analysis to determine the right equipment to achieve client solution requests
Equipment design and efficiency solutions to reduce CO2 emissions, labor staffing, and operating costs
Writing Solid Waste Master Plans to affect change in real time as well as plan for the future.
I want to make the world a better place. I want to help vulnerable people in my community. I want my career to be committed to making a difference.
With nearly 20 years of professional experience in organizational development, business integration and the climate change advocacy industry, I’ve learned a lot both personally and professionally about how important it is to have a strategic system in place for each organization.
For any organization to have a lasting impression, not only with employees and management teams but even more importantly the clients and customers that they will be positively affecting, there has to be a strategy and the right implementation of processes and policies in place.
Experienced energy professional. Strong demonstrated history of working in development and deployment of renewable and energy efficiency technologies, at utility, facility and off-grid scales. Skilled in Management, Research and Development (R&D), Renewable Energy, Marketing Strategy, and Energy. Strong operations and product development skills with a track record of successful product launches and product line growth. Certified Energy Manager (CEM), Professional Engineer, BS, MBA, MS.
Paola has worked in various capacities across several industries with diverse stakeholders. These capacities include research and analysis of natural gas activities and strategies of global oil & gas companies, devising and executing successful business development strategies in the global textile industry, as well as analyzing financial institutions’ and multinationals’ reinsurance policies for complex reinsurance claims investigations in the U.S. and Latin America. Paola also led the creation and launch of an online business start-up related to energy management systems and sustainable/environmentally friendly products and services. She is the co-founder of a sustainability consulting company that advises companies in integrating all aspects of sustainability across their business strategies vis-à-vis the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Paola holds an M.A. in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), is a LEED-GA accredited professional, an International Society of Sustainability Professionals – Sustainability Associate (ISSP-SA), and is a board member of the United Nations Association – Miami Chapter. Paola is fluent in English, Portuguese, Italian and conversant in Spanish and French.
Highly experienced sustainability advisor, working with leading companies on developing their sustainability strategies and communications, in both Europe and New York.
I am highly experienced working with companies on developing strategic frameworks, and have worked with industry leading companies including H&M, L’Oreal, Elior Group, Coca-Cola Enterprises and P&G, to define and articulate vision, goal and targets.
In New York, I headed up the North America office of Salterbaxter for 2.5 years, leading a growing team, and winning a blue-chip roster of clients including FedEx, BNY Mellon, Macy’s and Aramark.
I have a particular specialism and interest in the apparel sector. In addition to my client work with apparel companies in Europe and the US, I spoke at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition conference in Vancouver in 2018 and the WeChangeFashion event in New York. I have also hosted the Companies vs Climate Change conference in Miami for the last two years.
I write on sustainability-related topics (as well as writing poetry and non-fiction). I edited the Salterbaxter annual Directions publication in 2012 on the subject of ‘Profits from Purpose’: http://www.salterbaxter.com/profits-from-purpose-the-big-mindshift-the-needs-to-happen/ My most recent publication in 2018 was about engaging employees in a sustainability experience.
I believe that through purpose, storytelling and creativity, we can engage employees and citizens* in moving towards a more sustainable world. (*Citizens or creativists – I don’t believe that we should be identified as consumers in a sustainable world). I have spent the first half of 2019 to travel to research a book – ‘A History of the Future of the World in 10 Trees’ and to use storytelling in a different way to raise awareness of climate change.
Jeffrey Potent develops and teaches graduate courses in corporate sustainable development, systems theory, natural capital valuation, and sustainable agriculture at the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs and the Columbia University Earth Institute. Mr. Potent advises graduate students and student teams on sustainability projects, contributes to the Columbia University Seminar Series on Sustainable Finance, serves on several non-profit and impact investment boards and hosted an annual forum on sustainable agriculture. He also consults and speaks publicly on corporate and agricultural sustainability and water quality.
Mr. Potent formerly led corporate partnerships for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Water in Washington DC, advancing sustainable and market-based approaches to environmental protection. Before this position, he served as EPA/US Department of Agriculture (USDA) liaison, facilitating collaboration among land grant universities, EPA, USDA, industry associations and other governmental agencies and academic institutions. He established a regional component of the USDA National Integrated Water Quality Program, serving as regional director and member of the program’s national leadership team. Earlier in his career, Mr. Potent led an energy and environmental engineering consulting practice, managed pollution prevention programs for a large environmental agency, and planned satellite and cable
infrastructure for a global telecommunications corporation.
Climate Solutionist driving the low-carbon economy, bridging the partisan divide for a more stable climate through education and advocacy.
Three decades’ experience educating and empowering leaders to make more informed policy and business decisions aligned with the triple-bottom-line. Leader, Miami Chapter, Citizens Climate Lobby Adjunct Faculty Member, University of Miami School of Architecture
Topics: Speaking & Presentation Skills, Corporate Sustainability, Green Building Principles, LEED (thousands trained on five continents), Climate Literacy, Natural Capital and GHG accounting principles, Building Science, Biophilic Design, Active Design, Sustainable Development, Train-the-Trainer, Voice Talent, Technology Training (past). Guest lecturer at area universities, non-profits, professional organizations, and trade shows on issues at the nexus of business, society, and environment.
I am the founding partner of a sustainability consulting firm based in New Jersey. I specialize in LEED certification, greenhouse gas inventories, and developing sustainability strategies.
I have helped diverse organizations achieve their sustainability goals—from Fortune 500 firms to small shops, from the US Open to an NFL stadium. I have completed over a dozen LEED certification projects, including LEED BD+C, LEED O+M, LEED ID+C, and Arc projects. I’ve developed greenhouse gas inventories for various organizations and developed and implemented the sustainability strategy for the US Open.
Proud and very excited to be joining this boutique firm of sustainability consultants with Companies vs Climate Change.Through over a decade of experience I have developed skills with brand development, product development and management, new media marketing and social entrepreneurship. I am thrilled to use these skills to help other businesses and corporations become more sustainable in their endeavors.Outside of my endeavors with my own business I have taken a great passion for connecting people, consulting, representing artists, and event planning.I am very involved in my community and value an incredibly strong and vibrant network of people across many channels of creative pockets. In short, I see the world as a canvas and business is the medium.
Experienced developer & implementer of corporate supply-chain strategies delivering “sustainable value” at Unilever and Mondelez International.
Based in the UK, he has extensive experience of ESG reporting & benchmarking: CDP, SBTs, TCFD, LCAs, DJSI.
Proponent of Build-Back-Better sustainability through COVID-19.
Leader of sustainability programs and x-functional teams across multinational supply chains.
Expert in delivering programs on:
Climate Change Risk Mitigation – Carbon and other GHGs, Renewables, Energy Efficiency
Waste – Packaging including Plastics, Food Waste, The Circular Economy
Water – Risk Assessment and Mitigation
Multi-Stakeholder Engagement – Social and Environmental Sustainability.
MBA (Manchester), Atmospheric Science PhD (Oxford).
UK-based, French & Portuguese speaker.
Diane has over 25 years of energy and environmental experience at the federal, state, and local level. Most recently, she has consulted for clean energy companies, non-profits, and educational institutions on clean energy related work in North Carolina and the Southeast. Her work spans from business market development, policy white papers, strategic analysis, communications, and facilitation. Current and past projects include development of a South Carolina Continuing Legal Education conference for the South Carolina Clean Energy Business Alliance, work with North Carolina military bases on energy resilience, work with an environmental organization on climate change issues, work with an energy storage developer looking to come into the Southeast market, and facilitation of important and difficult conversations among diverse stakeholders.
Diane graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Economics and a Master’s Degree in Energy & Environmental Policy from Harvard. Learn more about Diane by checking out her website dianecherryconsulting.com
am an East Carolina University Alumni. I graduated from ECU’s College of Business with a degree in Management Information Systems. Throughout my educational tenure, I had many successful projects such as launching a file server for The Cognitive Connection in Hickory, NC, and receiving the “Best Team Award” for my work on a document under the X-Culture Program in the 2019-1 Session(Team 60). I also produced a variety of software projects, most notably a “Travel Cost Calculator” with updating real time cost estimates using C# and Python.
During my time at ECU I worked in student positions for ECU’s IT Department, ITCS. I work three different positions to gain a wide range of experience. My first position was working on the Voice Services team, assisting with Cisco IP Phone issues and make sure the campus communications stay online. In my second position, I worked for the Web Services team migrating ECU’s dated website to a more modern and clean WordPress format. In my last position I worked on the student technologies help desk. I serviced the entirety of main campus ensuring that academic technologies were properly functioning. I was also an administrator for multiple courses of the Global Understanding program, where we connected our classrooms on campus to other classrooms virtually with institutions in China, France, Mexico, Nigeria, India, and many other locations. I work on the side building gaming computers for local clients and assisting others with hardware issues.
I spend most of my free-time outdoors. This involves hiking, swimming, hunting. Very often I am put in a natural environment, an environment that I’ve grown to love. After spending so much time in this environment I can only have the burning desire to preserve it and keep it pure. This is why I am excited to work for Companies vs. Climate Change. I have the rare opportunity to not only make an advancement in my career field, but make a positive impact on the world and the environment as I do so.
A native of St. Augustine, Fl. Chris grew up in and around the ocean, which embedded an appreciation for the role of nature and the desire to protect it. After a career on “Wall St.” in global macro trading, he took a hiatus for a variety of roles with conservation NGOs. This led to returning to finance for ESG investment advisory; combining markets with environmental and social issues. Today this eclectic background is used in a consulting practice for Kingfisher Parker – tailored advisory, campaigns and projects for companies and nonprofits. Chris partners with organizations to create impact around sustainability, climate action, ESG, conservation, CSR & renewable energy. Despite loving his work today, his favorite job was being a fly fishing guide in Wyoming and the Caribbean. Chris is based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Christian began his career at Environmental Advocates of NY as a community organizing field manager then became director of the community organizing team within his first year. He went on to expand the fundraising arm of the organization co creating a phone canvassing operation. Christian has focused most of his career on technology consulting helping small businesses become more efficient and effective utilizing technology. In a word, Christian focuses on betterment.
A true systems thinker, Christian engages stakeholders at all levels of an organization. It is through stakeholder engagement, coupled with expertise in integrating technology, people and process, that alignment and achievement of the organization’s sustainability strategy can be realized.
I work in energy and sustainability because I am driven by a passion for improving the quality of life for individuals, communities, and organizations, within a sustainable business framework. I try to live a low carbon /minimal polluting lifestyle and believe it is important, to be honest, integral and ethical at all times. It is through listening to my client’s problems understanding their needs and applying my wealth of knowledge, experience and commercial acumen that I am able to deliver sound considered sustainable advice.
In most cases I am able to save my clients a substantial amount of money and reduce polluting emissions, I can obtain subsidies, grants and innovative funding mechanisms to pay for your project, so in effect, it costs nothing to make changes that save money.
The quality of my advice is attributed to 40 years of experience in M&E engineering and building services. Beginning on the tools progressing to multi-million-pound M&E project management roles, lecturing, and academic qualifications. Since 2008 I have specialized in low carbon, energy efficiency, and renewable energy consulting.
Proficient public speaker and motivator and innovator.
I am available for Local, National & International assignments. Including training and public speaking.
Siena Spitzer is a graduate from Binghamton University with a B.A. in Environmental Economics. She has experience working internally with companies developing corporate social responsibility initiatives that help give back to the communities those companies are in. She has conducted research on living buildings and studied how green roofs can reduce waste runoff and lower heating costs of structures.
Her experience working with organizations like The Climate Reality Project and The Sierra Club have inspired her to help corporations incorporate the issue of climate change into their CSR plans.
Her goal is to use her analytical, marketing and writing skills to make companies more sustainable, while still honoring the company’s bottom line.
Based in Chile, Felipe is a versatile, creative and analytical professional with a background in business management and experience in logistics, operations, sustainability strategy international trading of goods and finance.
My goal is making innovative and sustainable ideas scaling up and for a better future, for a better world.
Some of my achievements in work have been: Developing improvements in production and control of self-made kits at DirecTV. Improve the buying calculations at Socofar and Rincón Didáctico. Raising the brands of Triple S, Junior Consultancy in Sustainability, and helping organizations improving their business strategy toward a more sustainable one.
I also like outdoor sports where I have been a volunteer for teaching mountaineering and climbing skills.
Expertise: Food PR, ecolabelling and fishery certification, supply chain operations, seafood and dairy production. Sandra is based in Barcelona.
Creative, Visionary, Strategic Planning ESG and Impact Investment Consultant
* Providing Strategic Consulting to domestic and international clients on ESG and Social Impact
* Guiding Fortune 500 Clients on Social Impact and ESG in the field
* Consulting for over 20 years on international ESG and Collective Impact Projects
* Researching and Drafting definitive legal treatise on nonprofit/for-profit ventures (now B Corps)
* Hard-working, creative, and logical thinking in business structuring
* Creating business plans/strategies that secured hundreds of millions in institutional finance
* Envisioning and structuring ESG-based corporate and nonprofit systems
* Providing friendly, team-oriented and customer-focused consulting service
I served as a lobbyist, adjunct law professor and spoke before the U.S. State Dept., U.S. Commerce Dept., USAID, USTDA, UNESCO and the World Heritage Group at U.N.
Karly Pulido is a passionate result-driven sustainability professional with experience in consulting complex projects. Karly attended the University of Florida where she pursued a Bachelor of Science in Sustainability and the Built Environment and a minor in innovation. During Karly’s undergraduate career she worked with LEED Lab on certifying a campus building to obtain LEED v4 O+M certification. Through this experience, she gained an admiration for the LEED rating system and became a LEED GA. Before graduating, Karly’s senior capstone analyzed the environmental impact of sustainable building materials of an on-campus building using Life Cycle Analysis.
After graduating with honors from the University of Florida she joined the United States Peace Corps where she served in Uganda as a Community Agribusiness Specialist. During her time in the Peace Corps, she worked with several not for profits including educational systems to help them improve the livelihood of their community. Living in an agricultural economy that depended heavily on predictable weather patterns, Karly saw first-hand the harsh reality of climate change in the developing world. Karly’s primary position was at an all-girls high school in eastern Uganda where she facilitated and taught students about climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Shortly after returning from the Peace Corps, Karly accepted a Sustainability and Social Responsibility Specialist position with Legacy Vacation Resorts. As the first Sustainability professional in the organization, she paved the way in making Legacy Vacation Resorts a more sustainable and resilient company. During her time at Legacy Vacation Resorts, she helped them become the first multi-state hospitality company in the United States to achieve B-Corp certification. During her time with Legacy Vacation Resorts, she managed the entire environmental footprint of the organization and worked closely with the Human Resources department to implement new policies and procedures that promoted social responsibility in surrounding communities. Karly quickly became an expert in the hospitality industry and wished to further her education by receiving a certificate of Hospitality and Tourism Management from Florida Atlantic University.
Karly continues to be driven by education and is currently obtaining her Master of Engineering in Sustainable Systems Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Through this degree, she is focusing on the advancement of renewable energy and energy efficiency in the built environment and in the private sector.
Gabrielle currently co-owns a sustainable consulting firm based in Idaho and she works as a consultant for multiple sustainable businesses in her area and abroad. She also works as a data manager for Automobile Revue AG and has previous experience at the ETH Zurich as a Scientific Advisor to the Forest Management and Development Group. She finished her Master Thesis in spatial statistics applied to forestry data at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL in German: Eidgenössische Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft). Her thesis title was “Spatial Aspects of Forest Monitoring Data and Surface Estimation: An Analysis of the Swiss National Forest Inventory”. The goal of this work was to find a statistically justified methodology for detecting locations in a big dataset that may be considered vulnerable or hotspots. She received her Master’s Degree in Biostatistics at the University of Zurich in 2015 and her Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics from the University of Washington in 2009. She has experience as a Clinical Evidence Analyst at Doctor Evidence and as a Research Assistant to the FORDEV Group ETH. She often works with Excel, Microsoft Word, Access, EndNote, LATeX and the statistical programming language R. Gabrielle has excellent organization, analytical and problem solving skills and is independent and hard-working in the workplace. She has a passion for languages, culture, research and travel.
Alexandra Barrera is a Corporate Social Responsibility professional with over 15+ years of experience. Alexandra has worked on strategy, research, corporate sustainability and impact measurement of several social impact initiatives and campaigns in various media companies, such as Univision, Warner Bros. International, Hallmark and Viacom Latin America. She is currently the Founder and Principal of BtheImpact, a consulting firm specializing in social impact and corporate responsibility marketing, programs, research and strategies.
Alexandra is a current board member of Dream in Green and holds a B.A. in Psychology from FIU. As well as an Executive Certificate in Social Impact Strategy from University of Pennsylvania and a Corporate Sustainability Graduate Certificate from New York University.
Is the founder of Sustainable Vision for Renewable Energy firm specialized in project development and is specialized in the development of solar, wind, and waste to energy projects to generate electricity and biofuels. He is also experienced in the environmental and recycling sector and has guided and executed projects for large corporations internationally to reduce their waste generation and to recycle existing waste generated. He graduated with an MSc in Renewable Energy Systems Engineering from the University of Surrey in 2011 and with a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the American University of Athens in 2010. He is currently looking to expand his expertise to the US market and is based in Florida.
Elise has over 24 years experience with many of the most recognizable names in the ocean media industry. Her past clients include Google Earth, WildAid, Mission Blue, the Sylvia Earle Alliance, Ocean Geographic Society, and Jean Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures. Elise brings broad experience crafting international messaging and coordinated outreach to her team.
Elise has chosen to strive, through action to manage the slow change that needs to take place to make a difference in the world. To the best of her abilities she uses all the facilities available to her to create partnerships, awareness, advocacy and education through a variety of applications, introductions, projects, events and programs.
Growing up in a fishing family in a small town north of Seattle, Elise learned how to gut fish before she could tie her own shoes. Life was lived outside climbing trees, catching tadpoles, building forts, exploring the San Juan Islands, working on fishing boats and treasure hunting on the shores of Puget Sound.
Elise knows how to chop wood, build fires, pitch a tent, design and build a home, operate power tools and can repair and troubleshoot most any issue. She has remodelled 4 homes and 4 boats and sold each for double the value. Elise facilitated the purchase, design and remodel of a 12,000 square foot warehouse for a past employer. She lived aboard boats for 10+ years which allowed her to apply her extensive skills continuously. Elise also did a 9 month stint on raw land during the winter of 2017-2018 with no running water, facilities nor electricity which shows she can adapt to most any environment/situation quite successfully.
“Find Your PASSION and FOLLOW IT!” Elise has found hers and you will ALWAYS find her somewhere in, on, over, under or around the ocean working tirelessly to make a difference for mankind and our future on this planet.
I have been in electrical and computer engineering, technology R&D, and have been an entrepreneur. Working with some key stakeholders I’ve been a CEO and director of 2 public companies, facilitated an annual meeting with conference calls to 1000 shareholders, an acquisition, and reported reviewed and audited financial reports to the SEC. Now, in addition to consulting & business support services, I’m committed to a project to accelerate environmental sustainability, market transparency, and social good. This includes, renewable energy, water resources, sustainable & organic agriculture, green buildings & communities, electric and hybrid-electric transportation technology, regulation, politics, health categories including food.
I am always looking for individuals and institutions with a passion for eco-business or “Eco Tech” and would like to support investment in green-tech and other sustainability companies. One of my pursuits is helping others make exciting and rewarding investments in key technologies, products & services in the green business areas as they pertain to the greater “deep ecology” philosophy of development.
Specialties: Executive management, innovation and product development, group facilitation, project management, electronics design, solar power engineering, engineering design software, environmental business, sustainable development, teambuilding, architectural support for renewable energy, entrepreneurship, trade shows, education (i.e. instruction at high school, college and professional levels), health, environmental health, research and development toward positive societal impacts of sustainability.
Brooke is a sustainability and value chain partnership-builder, with over a decade of experience conceiving and managing sustainability programs for BASF North America, The American Chemistry Council and The Grocery Manufacturers Association.
She is a well-known advisor and frequent speaker, having designed and implemented sustainability programs for professional sports teams, including the New York Yankees, The New York Jets, the US Professional Golfers’ Association and an NFL Superbowl Committee. She has served as an advisor to multiple standard-setting bodies and networks, including the UN Global Compact, CDP, The Sustainability Consortium, Sustainable Brands, the Green Chemistry in Commerce Council, GreenBiz and many others. She also knows how to engage colleagues, having designed, implemented and maintained BASF’s employee engagement platform, reaching 17,000+ regional colleagues.
Brooke very much looks forward to the opportunity to bring her networks, perspectives and enthusiasm to new projects as we look to define the future of growth through partnership and sustainable innovation.
With five years of experience in Corporate Sustainability and a lifelong commitment to implement sustainable business practices, I bring deep knowledge of sustainability metrics, broad experience in data analysis and communications, and a foundation of ethics and passion to every project. I also hold a certificate in Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI’s) Sustainability reporting standard which demonstrates my knowledge on the use of GRI sustainability standard.
Sustainability Communications and Assessments: I have experience in designing sustainability frameworks, materiality assessment, stakeholder engagements, sustainability strategy development, and implementation. I have created content for sustainability reports following the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Reporting standard and the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) and led internal data verification and validation for GHG and Sustainability report assurance. I have also prepared responses for CDP (Carbon Disclosure Projects), Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI), and a few other ESG disclosures and increased company’s transparency with respect to the environment, social and governance performance.
GHG Accounting: I have led the Corporate GHG accounting for Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions following GHG protocol and ISO 14064 (Part-1 and Part-2).
Project Management: I have devised programs to achieve ‘water neutrality’, identified locations for watershed development and natural resource protection as well as enhanced equitable access to freshwater resources to nearby communities. Apart from this, I have also developed programs to achieve ‘zero hazardous to landfill’.
Supplier Sustainability Assessment: I have developed standards and frameworks for supplier sustainability assessment and ensured responsible sourcing for business by identifying ESG risks in the supply chain through desk reviews and on-site assessments.
Dr. Stephany Mason is an environmental sciences, sustainability, and business development professional experienced with air, water, and materials chemical testing and building and materials sustainability. Stephany’s experience includes leadership of the research and development efforts at a geochemistry laboratory; management and technical oversight of tools and resources for high performance K-12 educational facilities including a building rating system; the creation, management, and business development for a start-up environmental chemistry laboratory; technical lead for a third-party indoor air quality certification program; Quality Assurance Manager at an environmental laboratory; and product development analytical chemist at a sensor technology company.
She holds a B.S. in geology (University of Illinois – Urbana,1987), M.S.E. in materials science and engineering (University of Pennsylvania,1991), M.Phil. in geological sciences (Columbia University, 1996), and Ph.D. in earth and environmental sciences (Columbia University, 2000).
Aharon Kestenbaum- Sustainability Consultant, LEED Green Associate and Fitwel Ambassador.
Aharon is a passionate sustainability and environmental project manager with over 12 years of experience of developing and implementing efficient and sustainable organizational policies, programs, and day to day operations. Aharon’s sustainability and EH&S experience is diverse, having worked in the public, corporate, non-profit and academic sectors.
Aharon’s core competencies are in the measurement and tracking and implementation, of waste energy and natural resource management, green building, and Sustainability and ESG reporting. Driven foremost by efficiency, he looks to solve problems quickly and at low-cost through data-driven, practical and innovative approaches.
See Aharon’s LinkedIn Profile for a more detailed overview of his experience, skills and credentials.
Education:
B.A.- Geography and Environment, Bar Ilan University (summa cum laude 2016)
MS – Sustainability Management, Columbia University (2019)
PhD. – Environmental Science and Management program, Montclair State University (expected graduation: 2025)
Biological Oceanographer, Tropical Rainforest Ecologist and Urban Sustainability Consultant / Educator with over 30 years of experience in philanthropy, environmental preservation, ocean plastic pollution, conservation of aquatic ecosystems and sea level rise sciences. Experience working, and collaborating, with private sector, non-profit, and government entities.
Lonny Knabe is a career energy efficiency, renewable energy, corporate climate change professional. He has 20 years of experience across all facets of energy, including sustainable building, procurement, governmental affairs and policy negotiation, performance management, team management, and external/NGO engagement.
“I believe energy is one of the most interesting, impactful, and important issues faced by organizations around the world. The strategic creation and implementation of a comprehensive energy program will bring benefits to every organization that will be leveraged in innumerable ways.”
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Architect and leader of Nike’s global manufacturing energy efficiency and renewable energy program strategy
Built a 1 GW global renewable energy asset development pipeline, including 200 MW of rooftop solar
Lead governmental policy working groups to create renewable energy policies in Indonesia, China, and Vietnam
Collaborative and results driven approach has produced $150M+ in energy efficiency cost reductions to date
Wide experience across business units including corporate responsibility, procurement, manufacturing, retail, logistics
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Recognized as a Top 50 energy professional in the U.S. by Energy Manager Today publication (2017)
Achieved #1 global rank for supply chain climate programs by the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE, 2018)
Led Nike to the #1 rated corporate climate program in 2007, 2008 (Climate Counts)
Selected to participate in the U.S. EPA Green Power leadership club, 2005
Amy received a BS in Business Administration from the University of New Hampshire. For 15 plus years, she carved out a career in corporate financial management, community economic development, marketing and business development. Her primary work was to teach balance sheet, investment management and other regulatory compliant requirements to CEO’s and CFO’s of small to mid-sized credit unions that serve underserved and marginalized communities. Amy built a national brand in the credit union movement by producing and hosting hundreds of regulatory compliant webinars, workshops and virtual conferences.
Amy returned to graduate school when her $37 billion corporate credit union succumbed to the financial crisis in 2012. She completed an MS in Environmental Policy Management, Energy and Sustainability from the University of Denver in 2018. A postgraduate legislative fellowship with the NY State Senate followed in 2018-2019, where she delved into learning the legislative process. During that session, she engaged with a wide variety of legislative work including a targeted focus on environmental policy, energy, and sustainability. Shortly thereafter, Amy was contracted by Munich Re, a German Re-insurance company. Her research, policy and business development insights provided the evidence for Munich Re to found their 2020 Climate Resilience and Bionic domains currently under development to include: smart cities, green infrastructure, rainwater harvesting, permeable pavement, vertical farming renewable and distributed energy systems, coastal/inland waterway management and wetlands development, 3D/sensors/real-time weather/other innovative technology and more.
Other Key Environmental Research/Writing/Analysis Topics Include:
Experienced business professional with over 30 years of sales and marketing roles in a variety of different B2B industries. Earned a Sustainability Certificate from Baldwin Wallace University in 2013 and a Master’s in Sustainable Management from University of Wisconsin-Parkside in 2019. Seeking opportunities to combine business experience and sustainability knowledge to assist organizations in leveraging these concepts to maximize and balance social, environmental, and economic impacts. Excellent written and oral communicator with appropriate knowledge and skill to balance the needs of various stakeholder groups.
• Green Building
• Waste Management
• Renewable Energy
• Environmental Ethics
• Business Development
• Project Management
• Research | Analysis
• Writing
• Team-Oriented
• Interpersonal Communication
• Creative Thinker
• Resilient
My driving passion is to use my skills, expertise and privilege to empower others to improve their own lives and communities. That’s what gets me out of bed and it’s driven my career and life choices. It’s why I’ve directed advocacy campaigns, NGOs and corporate and government sustainability programmes, worked in most sectors and several countries over the course of my 15+ year career (preceded by 10+ years of community activism, organising and campaigning in my native USA).
I have a diversity of experience that gives me a unique perspective and skillset. I’ve travelled widely, lived in five countries, worked in sustainable development, directed some of the biggest environmental and social justice campaigns in the UK, become a behaviour change expert, advised corporate leaders on climate change policies, briefed Government Ministers on sustainability issues and recently written a book on communicating social and environmental issues (due out in mid-2020).
Whatever I’m doing, I’m focused on informing, inspiring, empowering and sometimes pushing others to connect with their own humanity, understand the connection between themselves and everything and everyone else and create a more sustainable, equitable world. I tend to do it while bringing some natural zest, a sense of humour and a lot of energy. I get shit done. And I help others get shit done.
I’m an experienced chair, facilitator, media commentator and presenter. I find connecting with an audience a joy. Recent speaking engagements include:
– Guest lecturer, CIEE Barcelona sustainability course (March 2020)
– Panelist and host at CHANGE Festival, Warwick Arts Centre UK (October 2019)
– Dinner speaker at Corporate Energy Series, Paris (May 2019)
– Workshop Facilitator, Kering Group internal innovation summit, Paris (October 2018)
– Event Chair at GPEX global energy transition summit, Barcelona (September 2018)
– Keynote Presenter at PR Fest, Edinburgh (June 2018)
– Chair, UK Public Relations Consultant Association’s (PRCA) CSR and Sustainability Group (2015-18)
– Event Chair, ‘Companies Vs Climate Change’ Europe conference (October 2017)
– Workshop Designer & Facilitator at Circular Economy Leaders Summit, Edinburgh (September 2017)
– Keynote Speaker, Communicate, the annual UK conference for sustainability communications professionals (2015)
– Guest lecturer, University of St Gallen, Switzerland MBA in Sustainable Business programme (2015)
Olivia Gossett Cooper is a sustainability storyteller. She worked as an advertising and UX copywriter for 10 years before getting a MBA in sustainability. She combines these experiences to help brands develop their next sustainability initiative and craft the messaging around it. She understands both the science and urgency of more sustainable business initiatives, as well as how to engage a variety of audiences. Her sustainability newsletter Today We Will is Cooper’s way of connecting with consumers who care about sustainability, while keeping up on what they care about most. She lives in New York with her family and is part of the sustainable consumer movement growing there every day.
I am a social rights activist, internationally licensed/accredited Auditor for Social Compliance audit schemes like SA 8000, BSCI, Sedex SMETA ETI and ISO series audits. With over 300 social compliance & Quality compliance audits conducted nationally and internationally, i am also a freelance trainer for various international social compliance and ISO series standards/codes.
I have been serving industries since several years through skills of Training, Supplier Development & Auditing against globally recognized Management Systems/Standards & criteria that are necessary for organizations to cope up with needs of global markets of the modern world.
Experience of facilitating a wide & diverse range of clients has provided me insights & an in-depth understanding of key business processes, internal control systems, corporate governance & regulatory framework for a range of industries.
If CSR, ethical trade, worker’s rights and sustainability are words that attract you, I can offer you collaboration for joint efforts for betterment in supply chains and promote ethical sourcing in Pakistan and within region through my expertise :
FACTORY / WORKPLACE SOCIAL AUDITS
ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITS
CSR & SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING (Social, Economical & Environmental) aspects
CSR RESEARCH
SUPPLY CHAIN MAPPING
SOCIAL & ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
CSR ADVISORY
WORKER INTERVIEWS
TRAINING & CAPACITY BUILDING
GRIEVANCE MECHANISM (DIALOGUE WORKERS)
SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT & REMEDIATION
FEMALE WORKERS EMPOWERMENT & CHILD LABOUR ISSUES
Should you need any further information or you have ideas for working together, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards
Samad Ahmed Bilgrami
Jonathan is a full-time student at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego California, studying Business Management Entrepreneurship. During his time as a business student, he has established skills in teamwork, leadership, communication, financial analysis, and marketing. He has also acquired excellent customer service skills through sales, and values customer satisfaction. He has a passion for building lasting relationships, sustainability, helping others, assessing customer needs, and going above and beyond expectations. Jonathan is committed to learning and producing results while promoting the highest standards and values.
Bachelor of Arts – BA, Sociology, Senior
Florida Atlantic University
Sam just finished her dual-degree master’s program in sustainability and business at Chatham University. After receiving a variety of opportunities to work on several different topics while in graduate school she decided to try out the sustainability consulting field. Her specializations from her master’s education include Green Infrastructure (GI), Recycling, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). In addition, Sam did her undergraduate education in biology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), where she got experience in data analysis and hands on field work. Some of the best times she had was as her university’s SEEDS Chapter President and on her many traveling experience to places such as Puerto Rico, Yellowstone National Park, and even as far as South Africa!
Ryan is a recent graduate of Binghamton University, where he achieved his BA in psychology. During his time at BU, he expanded upon his social media skills, while interning with the Athletics Department. He is an environmental advocate and strives to leave the world a better place than he found it. Combining his love for marketing and the environment, he is passionate about discovering and promoting more efficient and sustainable ways for humans to interact with the world surrounding them.