Sustainable Opportunities Summit

2012 Program

TIME	Wednesday, March 21st 2012
8:30-9:20am Sponsored By:	General Session Keynote: Rob Bernard | Chief Environmental Strategist, Microsoft
9:20-9:40am	Break
9:40-10:40am	Vision: Sustainability Leaders Council Roundtable: Colorado Companies Discussing the Tough Choices Associated with Sustainability Moderator: Ellen Feeney | Vice President, Responsible Livelihood, Whitewave Foods, Inc. Marilyn Johnson | Director of Corporate Sustainability, IHS Claudia Capitini | Sustainability Maven, Eco-Products, Inc. Megan Bloomer | Director of Sustainability, DaVita, Inc. Description: Many of Colorado's best-known companies have been on the path toward sustainability for quite some time. While there is widespread agreement about the potential fiscal and intangible benefits of operating more responsibly, implementation often presents complex challenges and sophisticated decision-making. Hear from four experienced sustainability practitioners from leading businesses as they candidly discuss the tough choices they have encountered while integrating sustainability into their companies' operations. From engaging employees to capital budgets to supply chain analysis to green marketing, you'll get the details on leading a business sustainability program through the maze and on toward success. Strategy: Selling to Governments with Sustainable Procurement Policies Introduction: Susan Damour | Regional Administrator for the Rocky Mountain Region, GSA Moderator: Christopher Juniper | Founder, SustainALogic Cheryl Ansaldi | Customer Service Director, GSA Federal Acquisition Service Jim Mcyntire | Director of Purchasing, City and County of Denver Description: The U.S. Government is one of the largest single-entity purchasers of goods and services in the world. New and improved sustainable procurement policies and preferences are being standardized throughout governmental agencies and sectors. To jump on the opportunity of selling to government, businesses must modify their products and strategize their selling procedures to not only adapt but stay ahead of the curve. Representatives from the city/county, state and federal levels of government share the inside scoop of how businesses can best get their sustainable products in the government door. Nuts/Bolts: Target Industries Session: The Intersection of IT and Energy Efficiency Moderator: Mark Monroe | Executive Director, The Green Grid Rob Bernard | Chief Environmental Strategist, Microsoft Tad McAnally | Senior Partner, virtualwirks Cameron Brooks | Vice President of Policy, Tendril Pete Scarpelli | VP and Global Leader of Energy Services, CB Richard Ellis Description: Advancements in information technology are enabling innovators to transform the production, transmission and consumption of electricity into a new low-carbon norm. This panel breaks down the many ways that IT is driving the development of energy efficiency solutions. Bringing together perspectives in buildings efficiency, cloud computing, telecommuting, and smartgrid, attendees will learn how their businesses can adopt the newest energy efficiency solutions - minimizing impact while enhancing performance and cost-savings.
10:40-11:00am	Break
11:00-12:00pm	Vision: Target Industries Session: Energy- 5 Year Investment Outlook Moderator: Trent Yang | Director, CU Cleantech, Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, CU David Gold | Lead Partner for Clean Technology Investments, Access Venture Partners Ashley Grosh | Vice President, Senior Project Manager for Environmental Affairs, Wells Fargo TJ Deora | Director of the Colorado Governors's Energy Office Description: Energy and sustainability are becoming major topics around the corporate board room. How do we become more sustainable, more efficient in our activities and energy use, and how do renewables or alternative sources of energy improve our business? This is creating major changes in our energy infrastructure, energy use/interaction, and sustainability practices around the world. Any time there is change, there is opportunity for investment and returns. The panelists will address: Where are these opportunities? Who are making the investments? And what is the 5 year outlook for Colorado and the world? Strategy: Integrating Sustainability and the Strategic Plan Moderator: Josh C. Whitney | Senior Project Director, WSP Environment & Energy Ryan Martens | Chief Sustainability/Social/Strategy Officer and Founder, Rally Software Brian Martin | Director, Products and Environmental Compliance, Seagate Lara Wallentine Hussain | Director, Sustainability Stakeholder Relations and Public Affairs, Texas Instruments Description: Sustainable business leaders say that the way to achieve long term prosperity is not to launch random greening initiatives, but to integrate sustainability into the core business strategy. This panel discusses the complexities and contradictions involved with moving beyond siloed sustainability initiatives and toward an integrative strategic plan. Panelists will discuss how they have been able to help their companies move from one-off projects to strategic programmatic initiatives that deliver measureable revenue, savings and sustainability performance. Sub-topics include integrating product design, the supply chain, customers and other stakeholders, and setting a robust and relevant governance structure. Nuts/Bolts: Bridging the Green Divide: Shifting Green Marketing into the Mainstream Moderator: Alison Peters | Managing Director, Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, CU-Boulder's Leeds School of Business Kabira Hatland | Vice President, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide Robb Shurr | Founder and Owner, Walden Hyde Catherine Greener | CEO, Co-Founder, Clear Green Advisors Description: Companies worked determinedly over the past two decades directing green marketing toward consumers. Even so, green marketing never fully succeeded in selling eco-products and services to consumers beyond niche healthy lifestyle and pro-environmental communities. As green marketing has failed to gain traction in the mainstream marketplace, commentators have since declared green marketing dead. Is "eco" really over, or is it just evolving? Branding and marketing professionals share new research, cutting edge stories and tactical steps of shedding the tired green marketing framework and reinventing "sustainable" for mainstream consumers.
12:00-1:00pm Sponsored By:	Lunch Introduction: Will Sarni | Director and Practice Leader, Enterprise Water Strategy, Sustainability and Climate Change, Deloitte Consulting LLP Keynote: John J. Viera | Director, Sustainability & Vehicle Environmental Matters, Ford Motor Company
1:00-1:20pm	Break
1:20-2:20pm	Vision: Water: The Future of Water Moderator: Lyle Whitney | Water Conservation Supervisor, Conservation Division Aurora Water Department Will Sarni | Director and Practice Leader, Enterprise Water Strategy, Sustainability and Climate Change, Deloitte Consulting LLP Michael Glade | Director, Water Resources & Real Estate Molson Coors Brewing Company Stacy Tellinghuisen | Senior Energy/Water Policy Analyst, Western Resources Advocate Description: On our current trajectory, the quantity and quality of water is being depleted at a catastrophic rate. Both the near and distant future of water poses stark changes and challenges that will affect population, economic growth, energy, climate, pollution, and more. With that in mind, what does future water scarcity mean for the Colorado business region? This panel of local experts will discuss future scarcity and pricing issues; the food, energy and water nexus; and smart strategies that will help businesses manage scarce water resources for their bottom lines and the greater good. Strategy: The Social Bottom Line: Business as if People Mattered Moderator: Jeff Hohensee | Director of Strategic Partnerships, Alliance for a Sustainable Colorado Mairi-Jane Fox | Adjunct Professor, Colorado State University Karen Nakandakare | Senior Director of Diversity Program Management for Global Diversity & Inclusion, CH2M Hill Eric Drummond | Partner - Energy and Natural Resources/Clean Technology Patton Boggs LLP Description: Discussions about business sustainability often focus on the financial benefit of environmentally sound business practices. This session focuses on one of the most popular species in the environment; people. Enterprises that enhance social capital, enhance the value of their business across all business metrics: share price, financial performance, competitive advantage, productivity and brand value. In this session, panelists will substantiate the value of social elements and discuss how best practices toward an improved social bottom line are integral to comprehensive business sustainability. Nuts/Bolts: Comprehensive Approaches to Achieving Zero Waste in Your Business Moderator: Eric Lombardi | Executive Director, Ecocycle Dave Newport | Director, the Environmental Center, University of Colorado Marjorie Griek | Executive Director, Colorado Association for Recycling Adam Schlegel | Founder, Snooze Eatery Description: Zero waste management is at the forefront of organizational goals to create more sustainable businesses. This session centers on practical methods of zero waste opportunity evaluation and prioritization. Presented in a work-shop style, sustainability practitioners will walk attendees through the “how-to’s” of eliminating waste before it is created through purchasing and contracting, the why and how-to of sorting all your “discards” into four bins, and the importance of executive leadership in creating a culture shift within the business.
2:20-2:40pm	Break
2:40-3:40pm	Vision: Green Jobs in the Colorado Economy Moderator: Tom Morgan | Project Director, State Energy Sector Partnership, Colorado Department of Labor & Employment Brian Lewandowski |Research Associate, Business Research Division CU Paul Rochette | Partner, Summit Economics Description: Green jobs have been a hot topic politically and are needed in Colorado now more than ever. However, many factors surrounding the topic remain unclear. Considering consumer demand and the federal stimulus designed to create jobs, are green jobs still a growth sector? Do green jobs have adequate public support and business investment to grow effectively? This panel brings together findings from recent research and expert examination to discuss the obstacles confronting green job development and associated opportunities that await the Colorado economy. Strategy: Culture Shift and Getting Employees on Board Moderator: Dr. Jennifer Cross | Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Colorado State University Alison Culpen | Sustainability Program Manager, McKinstry Mark Gasta |Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, Vail Resorts Kai Abelkis | Director of Sustainability, Boulder Community Hospital Description: It has been shown that ‘sustaining’ sustainability programs in businesses for the long-haul requires a fundamental shift toward an organizational culture of sustainability. Practices in employee education, capacity building, adaptive management and more can be beneficial for getting employees on board and strengthening core support to carry the sustainability transition. Hear from three high level practitioners as they share vetted organizational and change management strategies from the top-down, bottom-up and operationally throughout a business. Nuts/Bolts: CORE Catalyst: Collaborate, Assess, Innovate Moderator: Pete Dignan | Founder and President, ProtoTest Lizette Peña | Senior Manager, CliftonLarsonAllen Kristine Carey | VP of Marketing, MyChelle Dermaceuticals Dave Thorpe | Vice President, Shaw Construction Description: Catalyst is a CORE program that matches small teams of MBA students from CU and DU with member companies to jumpstart their sustainability initiatives. Project teams perform a preliminary business sustainability assessment, called a B Impact Assessment. They use their findings to recommend high-ROI sustainability projects. In this session, hear how a diverse set of businesses leveraged the students’ expertise and enthusiasm to move from good intentions to action. Find out if the B Impact Assessment, and maybe even the Catalyst program, might be right for your company.
3:40-4:00pm	Break
4:00-5:00pm	Vision: Using Gamification to Change Behaviors Moderator: Aaron Dignan | CEO, Undercurrent & Author of Gameframe Description: In addition to advancements in technology and policy, sustainability is largely dependent on behavior change at scale. When it comes to motivating people and creating engagement, games set the standard. Lately, game mechanics and dynamics are cropping up in non-game settings – a trend called gamification. In this session we'll explore how games are influencing choices and experiences in the world of sustainability, and how to integrate game mechanics into your project or business. Strategy: Target Industries Session: New Manufacturing Renaissance – Innovative Companies Changing the Playing Field Moderator: Elaine Thorndike | CEO, Colorado Association for Manufacturing and Technology Dave Coombs | Senior Lean Consultant, Leonardo Group Americas Laura Davis | Director of Environmental, Health & Safety, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. Gerald K. Becker | Facility Manger, Woodward Description: Over the past decade, the manufacturing sector has been in decline not only in the United States but in many western economies. Most recently, changes in economic factors and the growth of new industries have poised the United States for a comeback. In this session, leading companies will discuss the rebirth of manufacturing, describe what it looks like through a lens of sustainability, and share how such a rebirth will mean a rethinking of networks, value chains, design and production. Nuts/Bolts: Building Partnerships for High Impact Change: Colorado's Greener Venues Moderator: Martin Tull | Executive Director, Green Sports Alliance Lindsay Arell | Sustainable Program Manager, Colorado Convention Center Scott Yeager | Facility General Manager, Red Rocks and Denver Coliseum, Aaramark Mike Tierney | Senior Director of Arena Operations, Pepsi Center Description: While sports and entertainment venues have historically been major agents of resource consumption and heavy environmental impact, Colorado venues have self-organized to turn that ship around. Joining forces in peer-to-peer collaboration, Colorado venues launched The Rocky Mountain Green Venue Partnership to share know-how and resources for enhanced operational performance. This session brings together the RMGVP founders to give you the how-to's for building an industry partnership for increased sustainability. Learn how the model they have created can be applied across sectors and industries, and how lessons they have learned continue to make Colorado venues even greener.
5:00-6:00pm	Networking Reception

Sustainable Opportunities Summit 2011 Program

©2012 Event by Social Enterprises, Inc.