The Lineup
10:00 - 11:30 AM
Interested in sustainability for your business or organization, but unsure where to start? This session will cover how to evaluate and benchmark green opportunities, discuss energy efficient strategies as a place to start, and the latest products available to help you reduce resource use and your bottom line.
Read full description
Read a Summary of the Session Here!
- Vanessa Roanhorse, Project Manager, Delta Institute - Kristine Chalifoux, Registered Architect, LEED AP, The Smart Energy Design Assistance Center - Cassie Carroll, Executive Director, The Illinois Green Business Association - Lisa Elkins, Architect, Principal, 2 Point Perspective: architecture + interiors
Moderator: Cindy Davis, ResourceOne
1:45 - 3:00 PM
Natural Capitalism Solutions (L. Hunter Lovin’s organization) will be hosting an interactive workshop that teaches you not only the “how” for engaging employees, but creating a culture of sustainability in your organization that continually encourages improvement, changes organizational habits and behavior, as well as cuts costs!
Read a Summary of the Session HERE!
It's a cliche: "our employees are our greatest asset". The truth is ENGAGED employees may be an asset, although they are counted as a liability on the books. Regardless, apathetic workers are a liability. Numerous studies show that the best way to engage a workforce is to enable them to implement more sustainable practices as part of their job. Leading companies recognize that to leverage sustainability investments in the market, frontline employees - from sales to retail staff - need to be engaged. Learn how they are building sustainability training programs to deliver core competency. Learn how to engage and align employees around sustainability goals, while cutting costs and growing revenue. Workshop will be led by Natural Capitalism Solutions.
3:15 - 4:30 PM
Hear an overview of current Illinois incentives relating to energy efficiency, and gain a better understanding about budgeting and financing for green projects through a lender’s perspective. Learn why evaluating the savings to investment, as well as ROI, can help determine how to get the best bang for your buck.
- Don Fournier, Former Director of The Smart Energy Design Assistance Center, "Overview of Incentive Programs"
- Dara Reiff, Outreach Coordinator, CNT Energy
- Chad Sieben, VP Business Banking, Busey
Discover the correlation between sustainable business practices and their influence on the local economy. See how transitioning green practices into the community increases economic activity and creates more conscious community members. Also, hear examples of Illinois programs and communities putting these principles into action.
Read a Summary of this Session HERE!
- Joseph Clair, P.E., Center for Ecology and Environmental Development – Economic Development in Communities through Green Business - Lisa Medearis, Sierra Club Cool Cities Program
- Moderator: Eric Heineman - Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council
Gain a better understanding of the ecological importance of water, the state of our resources in the Midwest, and how to conserve them. Uncover practical water-saving tips for your business and how to mitigate surface and storm water runoff.
- George Czapar, Director, Center for Watershed Science - Megan Chery, Project Coordinator and LEED GA, Alliance for Water Efficiency - Jack Pizzo, Director, Pizzo and Associates Ltd., Ecology + Vision, Pizzo Native Plant Nursery LLC, and Native Landscape Contractors, LLC
Moderator: Marty Vanags, Executive Director, Indy Partnership
In this panel, discover the future of higher education and how it relates to sustainable business. Hear how education is changing to mirror a quickly shifting green economy, as well as strategies to foster relationships between business and higher education entities to help guide relevant curriculum.
- Gifford Pinchot, Founder, President, Pinchot & Company, and Founder, President, Bainbridge Institute
- Eban Goodstein - Director of Center for Environmental Policy at Bard College - Terri Berryman, Project Director, Career Pathways/TAA Grant, Illinois Green Economy Network - Ron Nahser, PhD, Director, Urban Sustainable Management Programs, Institute for Business and Professional Ethics and Driehaus College of Business, DePaul University
- L. Hunter Lovins - Natural Capitalism Solutions
A business's purchases directly affects its waste. Learn sustainable purchasing practices that support your local economy, decrease costs, and reduce waste from the start. Discover the business case for waste minimization and how to effectively collaborate with suppliers and waste haulers to reduce waste output.
- Eloise Karlatiras, President and CEO, Green Chicago Restaurant Coalition - Linda Laszewski, Resource Conservation Analyst, PepsiCo, Pepsi Beverages America - Dennis Salazar, President and Co-Founder, Salazar Packaging, Inc.
- Moderator: Don Schlorff, EVP Corporate Administration, Director of Sustainability, Busey
Learn through success stories how sharing your sustainability journey builds a better brand, creates a competitive advantage, and demonstrates the business case for sustainability. In this interactive workshop, identify the benefits and strategies of a green business, create your own green story, and learn how to successfully communicate it to stakeholders and new customers.
Read the Session Summary HERE!
- Julie Urlaub, Founder and Managing Partner, Taiga Company