The Future of Business: 2010 and the New Economy

FRIDAY APRIL 30, 2010

Whatcom Community College, Syre Student Center
8:00am-5:00pm (registration opens at 7:45)

The best one day investment you can make for:

CLICK HERE to See the full agenda!

Join your friends, neighbors and associates at the largest business conference in NW Washington!  World class local, regional and national speakers include: 

John Abrams, Co-founder and CEO, South Mountain Company

South Mountain Company is a 34-year-old employee owned design/build and renewable energy company in West Tisbury, Massachusetts. CEO and Co-owner John Abrams will explain how a cooperative corporation such as South Mountain can flourish as a community of people dependent on one another.  He will talk about the eight cornerstone principles of business including employee ownership and long term thinking. John's book COMPANIES WE KEEP: Employee Ownership and the Business of Community and Place, was published by Chelsea Green Publishing in 2008.

Katie Wallace, Sustainability Specialist, New Belgium Brewing

New Belgium takes pride in being a responsible corporate role model with progressive programs such as employee ownership, open book management and a commitment to environmental stewardship.  Hear how NBB has integrated sustainability and employee ownership into their culture, how they have worked to engage their coworkers and how those efforts have played a large part in the financial and environmental successes of NBB.

Leslie Schaller, Director of Programs, Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet)

Leslie has worked for ACEnet since 1992, developing infrastructure and public policy that enables farmers and food producers to receive entrepreneurial support, resources and capital they need to access markets and improve sales/equity. ACEnet addresses rural economic development, entrepreneurship, and local food systems as a trainer-practitioner and peer-learner.

Alan Durning, Executive Director, Sightline Institute

Alan Durning founded Sightline Institute, a Seattle based think tank, in 1993. Sightline's mission is to bring about sustainability, a healthy, lasting prosperity grounded in place, with a specific focus on the Pacific Northwest. Durning contributed significantly to Sightline's effort to create a new regional index of progress, the Cascadia Scorecard and has led many of the organization's other successes. Durning is also author or co-author of more than ten Sightline books including This Place on Earth 2002: Measuring What Matters.

Joan Fitzgerald, Author of Emerald Cities: Urban Sustainability and Economic Development 

In addition to writing her successful and widely influential Emerald Cities: Urban Sustainability and Economic Development, Joan Fitzgerald is the Director of the Law, Policy and Society Program at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. She also provided expert testimony to the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health & Human Services on supporting pathways to advancement for low-wage workers in green technology and health care.

Tamara Barnett, Senior Ethnographic Analyst, Hartman Group

The Hartman Group is acknowledged as the premier provider of consumer insights in Health and Wellness and a pre-eminent market research organization. Tamara will share provocative insights from this predominant consumer culture consultancy on consumers’ changing notions of value and what this transition in definition of value means for businesses. There’s no question that we have witnessed a change in behavior due to the recession. She’ll show how consumers have moved beyond the traditional marketing definition of value to a more holistic one linked to sustainability.

Mark Frankel, Technical Director, New Buildings Institute

Mark has been consulting on energy efficiency and sustainable design for over 18 years. As Technical Director at New Buildings Institute he oversees the development of national and regional programs, policy, training, codes and research on high performance buildings and energy efficiency.  In addition, Mark has consulted on hundreds of capital projects, ranging in scale from single and multi-family residential projects to large commercial buildings all over the country.  Mr. Frankel also has extensive experience with the USGBC’s LEED program, both as a consultant to projects seeking LEED ratings and to the USGBC.

Martha Rose, Owner, Martha Rose Construction

Martha Rose, known by many as the ‘Queen of Green,‘ is a national leader in the Green Building Movement. Her interest in energy efficiency and sustainable building practices goes all the way back to the 1970‘s and currently is her main focus. Today Martha and Martha Rose Construction are striving toward building Zero-Energy spec-homes.

Chef Tom French, Founder and Director, Experience Food Project

The Experience Food Project looks at economic development through a different lens. Hear how creating an authentic food experience is inspiring a new frontier for social enterprise. Learn how exercising and utilizing our creativity when it comes to sustainability can lead to powerful revenue streams and create new employment opportunities.  Tom’s enthusiasm is infectious!

Stephanie Artino, Principal and CPA, Metcalf Hodges

Stephanie Artino joined Metcalf Hodges in 1999 and became the Firm’s newest principal and shareholder in 2008.  She continues the legacy of high quality and integrity in the profession and in her contributions to Metcalf Hodges as a business enterprise. Stephanie’s passion is for business advisory services where she helps small to medium sized businesses grow and assists their owners in reaching their personal and professional goals.

Janet Ott, Executive Coach, Ott & Associates

Janet is an executive coach, facilitator and workshop leader with her own business, Ott & Associates, in Whatcom County.  Her rich and varied professional background includes corporate consultation, a nursing career, college faculty positions and a psychotherapy practice for more than 20 years.  She leads two five day courses for Excellence Northwest, “Reset for Excellence” and “Breakthru to Excellence”. She is a former board member of SC.

2010 and the New Economy

In a world that's been "reset" by a sharp worldwide recession, accelerating climate change and a collapse of trust in business--the implication and opportunities for local business are enormous. Billions of dollars are being invested to stimulate the economy and most of that money is going toward energy efficiency.  The local food sector is soaring.  There are new opportunities in the building industry through building perfocmance and energy efficiency.  Localization is a new marketing tactic for all - big/small and near/far. 

Now is an essential opportunity to learn how to leverage your resources, implement changes, and succeed in a world where business as usual is no longer viable.  Come and learn what these changes in the marketplace and the new economy mean to your business

Who Should Attend?

This is our biggest event of the year providing a forum where you can connect and exchange ideas that inspire the entrepreneurial spirit: one conference for all business...and Green Building, Energy and Food & Farming (with breakout tracks for each program)! We really are at a crossroads, with promising paths in front of us. With few signposts to guide us, we get to create innovation here and now. This conference is for:

• Business owners and leaders

• Farmers, Restauranteurs, Food Producers

• Architects,  City Officials, Builders, Planners
• Energy Professionals
• Financial community, investors, banking, lending, foundations
•  Leaders in sustainability and social change
• Leaders of mission-driven organizations, nonprofits, social businesses
•  People seeking to invest in change
•  Policy makers, decision-makers
•  Academics, students, researchers
  

Localicious!

After the Conference join us for great local food, libations, and an opportunity to connect with leaders of the local food economy AND our region's most influential and innovative business owners and employees.

Vendors: To reserve your space or for more information, contact Food & Farming Program manager, Laura Leigh Ridenour at 360-647-7093 x106 or lridenour@sconnect.org by Friday, March 26. 

Registration

$99 - SC member early bird
$109 - general admission early bird
$119 - SC member (after April 2)
$149 - general admission (after April 2nd) 

Localicious Vendors: $79 (with the donation of tasters for our post-conference gathering). Call Laura Leigh for details: 647-7093

 *NEW THIS YEAR*

Discount 1:
Recruit a non-member to the conference and they pay the SC member price!

Discount 2:
Receive $20 off each ticket when you register at least 3 people from the same company!

Call Laura at 647.7093 x108 to register under a discounted rate.

Register HERE 

Limited number of sponsorships and expo tables available:

Expo: $250-SC Members $300-General (includes one free admission)! Contact Laura@sconnect.org for more information

Sponsorships are still available (includes 1 or 2 free admissions, an expo table, and several other exciting marketing benefits for your business).  Contact Mariah@sconnect.org for more information.

Cancelation Policy

If your plans change and you cannot attend, we encourage you to transfer your admission.  Please contact laura@sconnect.org with the name of the transfer.  Otherwise, if you cancel we deduct a $15 flat rate from your refund for processing purposes (before April 23rd). After April 23rd, only a 50% refund will be available.

Special Thanks to our 2010 Lead Sponsors

                     

           

 

And to our Co-Sponsors:

          

 

Click HERE to read about last year's conference