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)
Thank you, friends, neighbors and associates for attending the largest business conference in NW Washington!
Watch a recap of the Conference and hear what speakers and attendees think the business world of tomorrow should look like. View this video from the Bellingham Business Journal or this video done by SC Members.
We listened to and networked with world class local, regional and national speakers. Review some of their presentations below.
John Abrams, Co-founder and CEO, South Mountain Company
Green Builder John Abrams celebrates the idea that when employees share in the rewards as well as the responsibility for the decisions they make, better decisions result. John will show us how a cooperative corporation such as South Mountain Company can flourish as a community of people dependent on one another. He will talk about the principles of business including employee ownership and long term thinking. “I don’t really believe in ‘responsibility without accountability’. When people will personally benefit or suffer as a result of their decisions, they will naturally make better decisions.” John's book COMPANIES WE KEEP: Employee Ownership and the Business of Community and Place was published in 2008. South Mountain Company is a 34-year-old employee owned design/build and renewable energy company in West Tisbury, Massachusetts.
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 will share success stories with local and regional food enterprise case studies. ACEnet's efforts to build partnerships, to brand regional food businesses, and shape regional policies in support of this exciting economic development work is one of the leading examples of how investing in the local food economy can have a big impact. 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.
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 most recently the Green Collar Jobs: Realizing the Promise. Alan will explain what makes a green job, how investment in clean energy creates jobs, and how Northwest leaders can foster a green-collar workforce in our region. A sought-after keynote speaker, Durning has lectured at the White House, major universities, and numerous conferences. 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
Joan will show us that in the absence of a comprehensive national policy, cities have taken the lead in addressing the interrelated environmental problems of global warming, pollution, energy dependence, and social justice. Cities are major sources of pollution but because of their population density, reliance on public transportation, and other factors, Joan asserts they are uniquely suited to promote and benefit from green economic development. In addition to writing her successful and widely influential Emerald Cities: Urban Sustainability and Economic Development, Joan Fitzgerald is the Director of Law, Policy and Society Program at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. Cities have long been places of innovation; Joan will showcase what’s possible.
Tamara Barnett, Senior Ethnographic Analyst, Hartman Group
See Tamara's PresentationThe 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
As Technical Director at New Buildings Institute with over 18 years consulting on sustainable design and energy efficiency, Mark will lead a session on the key performance indicators to consider in building performance, how to obtain this data, and how to compare it to other similar buildings. For most buildings, simple steps can lead to energy savings of 5-15%, with deeper savings possible with cost effective upgrades.
Martha Rose, Owner, Martha Rose Construction
The rules of the Real Estate market have completely changed, and in this New World you’ll need an effective marketing and financing strategy that will set you apart from your conventional financing peers. While the building industry waits for the market to bounce back, green building heroine Martha Rose is taking the creative initiative to move forward. She’ll explain why taking the right risks and understanding the green economy is keeping her business in a secure place.
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!
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.
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.
Getting Money in a Recession: Breakout Session with Tom Dorr from The CEV and Roger Long and Greg Booth from People's Bank
Read the "Who Turned off the Tap" talking points
See the "How to Get a Business Loan" handout
Read about the Five C's of Credit
Tom Dorr, Director of the Center for Economic Vitality, Western Washington University. Before coming to Western, Dorr owned and managed small businesses ranging from start-ups to turnarounds. He’s received numerous awards for client service, innovation, bringing investments to our local economy, and for job creation. Every year he speaks to numerous business groups throughout the United States.
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 performance 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.
Cancellation 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:
