January 30, 2012
Framed by the 2012 State of Green Business report, the 2012 GreenBiz Forums bring together thought leaders and sustainability executives to define the trends, challenges and opportunities in sustainable business today. The Forums are the can't-miss event for sustainability professionals, and the reasons why are simple: You'll learn about the latest trends from thought-provoking speakers, make new connections with peers and suppliers, and bring back innovative, actionable ideas you can apply in your own organization. These one-day events engage stakeholders across industries, sectors, and regions to discuss how, and how well, companies are addressing sustainability in a comprehensive view of the state of green business today.
Click here to register for the GreenBiz Forum. Visit our FAQ page for more information about pricing. Registration is subject to availability - please register early to guarantee your attendance!
SponsorContact Alan Robinson, VP of Sales and Business Development, at alan@greenbiz.com or (650) 209-5446 to learn more about sponsoring the GreenBiz Forum.
* Monday, January 30 2012
| 7:45 AM - 8:30 AM | Breakfast and Registration |
| 8:30 AM - 8:45 AM | Welcome and IntroductionsPresented by: Edwin Lee Mayor, City of San Francisco; Joel Makower Chairman & Executive Editor, GreenBiz Group |
| 8:45 AM - 9:30 AM | State of Green Business 2012Joel Makower and John Davies present the 2012 annual State of Green Business Report, reviewing key trends and indicators and the state of the profession today. Presented by: Joel Makower Chairman & Executive Editor, GreenBiz Group; John Davies VP, Senior Analyst, GreenBiz Group |
| 9:30 AM - 9:40 AM | One Great Idea: Tackling Home Energy through Good DesignWhat happens when technology makes a difference? Matt Rogers, Founder and Vice President of Engineering at Nest Labs will discuss how the company integrates design and technology to create a better thermostat - and make home energy management easy, understandable, and cool. Presented by: Matt Rogers Founder and VP of Engineering, Nest Labs |
| 9:40 AM - 9:50 AM | One Great Idea: Making Energy UsefulElectronVault is changing the face of energy storage and use with a unique battery technology usable across an incredible range of functions at as little as half the cost of other offerings. The company is using their revolutionary battery technology around the world to introduce EVs to new markets and electrify regions for the first time. Presented by: Linda Maepa Co-Founder and COO, ElectronVault |
| 9:50 AM - 10:20 AM | Keynote Interview: John Donahoe in conversation with Joel MakowereBay's CEO John Donahoe, in conversation with Joel Makower, explores the business case for sustainable consumption, addressing the unique opportunities and roles of big business, small business, and technology in driving this shift. Presented by: John Donahoe President and CEO, eBay In conversation with: Joel Makower Chairman & Executive Editor, GreenBiz Group |
| 10:20 AM - 10:45 AM | Networking Break |
| 10:45 AM - 11:25 AM | Can San Francisco Be America's First VERGE City?VERGE describes a convergence taking place among energy, information, building, and transportation technologies that will revolutionize cities. Capitalizing on this convergence will require visionary political leaders, private-sector investors, and unprecedented partnerships among cities, companies, utilities, investors, and other institutions. San Francisco already has invested in green and smart technologies affecting vehicles, traffic management, building efficiency, and infrastructure. What will it take for the City by the Bay to be the showcase city for the coming convergence? Presented by: Brian Dalgetty Director, Strategy & Product Management, IBM; Stephan Dolezalek Managing Director, VantagePoint; Gordon Feller Director, Urban Innovations, Cisco; Melanie Nutter Director, Department of the Environment, City of San Francisco In conversation with: Joel Makower Chairman & Executive Editor, GreenBiz Group |
| 11:25 AM - 11:35 AM | One Great Idea: Getting to Net ZeroWhat does Net Zero mean, and what does it take to get there? Michael Bangs, Director of Global Facilities Operations at Adobe will discuss how the company has amplified its sustainable innovation strategies to rethink its energy management and operations on the path to net zero energy. Presented by: Michael Bangs Director of Global Facilities Operations, Adobe Systems |
| 11:35 AM - 11:45 AM | One Great Idea: Looking to Your Employees for InnovationEmployees are an enormous resource for innovation. In this One Great Idea, Weinreb will identify companies who have found over $100M in savings stemming from employee’s suggestions. She will highlight sustainability innovations as well as the systems that support the capturing of ideas. Presented by: Ellen Weinreb Managing Director, Weinreb Group |
| 11:45 AM - 12:15 PM | Keynote Interview: Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan in conversation with Joel MakowerMethod founders Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan, in conversation with Joel Makower, will give attendees a peek behind the company's methods to show how they've become a force within their industry - not as a result of their size, but by innovating their way to the top. With insight into their latest initiative - harvesting trash and plastics from the North Pacific Gyre to create their bottles - they'll discuss the implications of these efforts from financial, supply chain, and consumer perspectives, and what this newest innovation means for the company. Presented by: Adam Lowry Co-founder and Chief Greenskeeper, Method; Eric Ryan Co-founder & Chief Brand Architect, Method In conversation with: Joel Makower Chairman & Executive Editor, GreenBiz Group |
| 12:15 PM - 1:30 PM | Food for Thought Lunches |
WORKSHOPS I |
| 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM | Advance Preview: Findings from Ernst & Young and GreenBiz Group Survey on Sustainability ReportingBe the first to hear the findings of a new survey by Ernst & Young and GreenBiz Group on the latest trends in sustainability reporting in a time of economic uncertainty. Hear what C-suite executives at Fortune 1000 companies have to say about return on investment for sustainability projects, the shift in key stakeholders driving sustainability initiatives, what ratings and rankings matter most, GRI reporting and the role of CFOs in sustainability efforts. Join an interactive discussion on how these findings may impact your sustainability strategy and initiatives. Presented by: Mark Sogomian Partner, Ernst & Young; Steve Holetz Associate Director, Ernst & Young; Rebecca Sternberg Senior Manager, Ernst & Young; Barruch Ben-Zekry Manager, Ernst & Young |
| 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM | Optimizing Office Recycling and Reducing WasteBusinesses today realize that smart purchasing practices, use, and disposal of office supplies can go a long way toward fulfilling a company’s sustainability goals. In this workshop, representatives from paper manufacturer Boise Inc. will briefly explore the sustainability impacts of office paper, from manufacture to disposal/recycle, and how the choices you make affect all pillars of sustainability. We will then take a deeper dive into how to reduce overall office waste and provide tools and resources that workshop attendees can immediately put into action. Presented by: Denise Tripamer Marketing Manager, Boise Inc.; Ken Kurtzig CEO, iReuse |
| 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM | The Story of StorytellingThis workshop will explore strategy tools for building brands around stories, and specific tactics for getting those stories out to the world. Presented by: Jonah Sachs Co-Founder and President, Free Range Studios |
| 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM | Breaking Down Barriers to Energy EfficiencyIf improving energy efficiency was as simple as flipping a switch, everyone would cash in on huge savings in dollars and emissions. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. In this workshop, you'll hear the lessons learned by EDF's Climate Corps on overcoming the barriers to energy efficiency, in companies, cities and universities. Featuring real-life case studies from REI, Climate Corps will show how to identify opportunities and create practical, actionable energy plans. Participants will engage in an interactive, collaborative exercise on tackling their own challenges for maximizing energy opportunities. Presented by: Sitar Mody Project Manager , Environmental Defense Fund; Jake MacArthur EDF Climate Corps Fellow, REI; Alex Michalko CSR Analyst, REI; Kirk Myers Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, REI |
| 2:30 PM - 2:45 PM | Break |
WORKSHOPS II |
| 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM | Taking a Resource-Focused Approach to Value CreationLeadership companies are leveraging sustainability initiatives to achieve profound savings and untapped value across the enterprise. Learn why organizations are examining their use and production of energy, carbon, water, materials, and waste; resource-focused sustainability strategies companies are adopting to create value; and the benefits of a resource-focused approach, including insulation against commodity price shock and collaboration between customers, suppliers, and your organization. Presented by: Kyle Tanger Director, Deloitte |
| 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM | Getting Your Office to Zero EnergyAs states adopt strategies to achieve energy-efficiency goals, corporations face a growing need to transform their own energy practices. Learn about the challenges and opportunities in creating and implementing an energy-efficiency plan and embracing renewable energy, and what steps to take to ensure success. Presented by: Michael Bangs Director of Global Facilities Operations, Adobe Systems |
| 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM | How Futures Techniques Can Benefit You, Your Company and SustainabilityLearn about harnessing futures techniques such as trends and horizon-scanning and scenario, and examine the benefits of futures thinking to you and your company. Participants will learn case-studies of how companies have done this in practice; and will participate in hands-on exercises to introduce them to using futures tools. Presented by: Peter Madden Chief Executive, Forum for the Future |
| 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM | Measuring What MattersEveryone knows that what gets measured gets done. But how do you make sense of the growing universe of sustainability indicators, metrics, and KPIs that are such an essential part of sustainability reporting? How do you select powerful measures and compelling goals -- that help track and drive better decisions, and better performance? And how do you actually put those measures to work for your organization: supporting strategy, enabling implementation, and driving results? Join Levi Strauss & Co. Sustainability Director Colleen Kohlsaat and Natural Logic CEO Gil Friend for this WORKshop about how to answer these questions for your organization. Presented by: Gil Friend President and CEO, Natural Logic; Colleen Kohlsaat Director, Global Environmental Sustainability, Levi Strauss & Co. |
| 3:45 PM - 4:15 PM | Networking Break |
| 4:15 PM - 5:00 PM | GreenBiz Guru SessionsSmall-group consultative sessions led by experts and thought leaders. |
| 5:00 PM - 5:15 PM | Closing Remarks |
| 5:15 PM - 6:30 PM | Evening Reception |
 Director of Global Facilities Operations, Adobe Systems Bangs is the Director of Global Facilities Operations for Adobe Systems Incorporated. He has worked for technology companies for 25 years including 3Com and Juniper Networks. Read more… |
 Manager, Ernst & Young Ben-Zekry is a Manager in Ernst & Young LLP’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services practice with a focus on the consumer products industry. Read more… |
 Manager of Corporate Sustainability, Pacific Gas & Electric At Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Benjamin is the Manager of Corporate Sustainability. He works collaboratively to measure, communicate, and improve PG&E’s environmental and sustainability performance. Read more… |
  Owner, Brown and Wilmanns Environmental, LLC Dr. Brown has worked in environmental and energy management for over 25 years leading efforts to establish cutting-edge programs in industry and government. Read more… |
 Director, Strategy & Product Management, IBM Dalgetty helped to launch the new IBM Industry Solutions Software division at the beginning of 2010, and is currently leading Solutions Strategy and Product Management. Read more… |
  VP, Senior Analyst, GreenBiz Group Davies heads up research efforts for GreenBiz Group and leads the GreenBiz Executive Network, a member-based, peer-to-peer learning forum for sustainability professionals. Read more… |
 Managing Director, VantagePoint Dolezalek has spent more than 25 years in Silicon Valley working exclusively with technology-driven companies. He joined VantagePoint in 1999 and has led the Firm’s CleanTech Group since its inception in 2002. Read more… |
 President and CEO, eBay As President and CEO, Donahoe leads eBay Inc., a global ecommerce and payments leader with revenues of $9.2 billion in 2010 and hundreds of millions of users in nearly every country on Earth. Read more… |
 Sustainability Manager, Genentech Excoffier is the Sustainability Manager at Genentech in South San Francisco. She is responsible for sustainability strategy, performance, and reporting. Read more… |
 Director, Urban Innovations, Cisco Feller leads projects, on a worldwide basis, with leaders from government, private enterprises and independent sector. Prior to joining Cisco, Feller was CEO of Urban Age Inst., which was a World Bank spin off that, since its’ founding, fosters breakthroughs within and among cities. Read more… |
 Senior Director of Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility , Sodexo Fowler is currently the Senior Director of Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility for Sodexo North America. Read more… |
 President and CEO, Natural Logic Friend helps companies design, implement and measure profitable sustainability strategies. He is widely considered one of the founders of the sustainable business movement, and was recently named an inaugural member of the ISSP Sustainability Hall of Fame. Read more… |
 Associate Director, Ernst & Young Holetz serves in the Climate Change and Sustainability Business Development role for Ernst & Young’s West Sub Area. Read more… |
 Director, Global Environmental Sustainability, Levi Strauss & Co. Kohlsaat serves as Director of Levi Strauss and Co.'s Global Environmental Sustainability team in the company's Social and Environmental Sustainability organization. Read more… |
 Director, Sustainability, Ball Corporation Kulmann joined Ball in 2008 as Manager, Sustainability in the company’s European Headquarters in Germany. Read more… |
 CEO, iReuse After working in the corporate and non-profit sectors for over a decade with PeopleSoft, eBenefits, and then CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, Kurtzig pulled together the best aspects of each along with his passion for the environment to start iReuse in 2004. Read more… |
 Mayor, City of San Francisco Lee is the 43rd Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco. The former City Administrator, Lee was appointed unanimously as successor mayor by the Board of Supervisors on January 11, 2011 to fill the remaining year of former Mayor Gavin Newsom’s term. Read more… |
 President, Natural Capitalism Solutions Lovins is President of Natural Capitalism Solutions, a professor of Sustainable Business Management at Bainbridge Graduate Institute, and Chief Insurgent of the Madrone Project. Read more… |
 Co-founder and Chief Greenskeeper, Method Lowry's focus is bringing sustainable innovations to the Method business. He also directs the sustainability aspects of product design, sourcing, production, and marketing. Read more… |
 EDF Climate Corps Fellow, REI MacArthur was an EDF Climate Corps Fellow with REI during the summer of 2011. He spent the majority of his time evaluating energy efficiency projects at corporate facilities, ultimately identifying projects that will save over 400,000 kWh annually and $120,000. Read more… |
 Chief Executive, Forum for the Future Madden leads Forum for the Future’s 75 staff on their mission to save the planet. Forum for the Future helps to create – and then implement the strategies and innovations needed to prosper in a low-carbon world. Read more… |
 Co-Founder and COO, ElectronVault As co-founder and COO of ElectronVault, Maepa focuses on operations, alliances, and technology. ElectronVault is expert in the design and manufacture of high-reliability, large-format energy storage systems. Read more… |
 Chairman & Executive Editor, GreenBiz Group Makower is a well-respected voice on business, the environment, and the bottom line. As a writer and strategist on corporate sustainability practices and clean technology, he has helped a wide range of companies align environmental goals with business strategy. Read more… |
 CEO & Founder, Effect Partners Martin guides organizations and businesses in increasing their revenues by creatively addressing social change issues. Read more… |
 CSR Analyst, REI Michalko is Corporate Social Responsibility Analyst for REI, a national retail co-op dedicated to inspiring, educating, and outfitting for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship. Read more… |
 Project Manager , Environmental Defense Fund Mody works with leading companies, cities and universities through EDF's innovative Climate Corps program. Read more… |
 VP, Environmental Sustainability, Clorox Morrissey is a CPG veteran with over 25 years of experience in a variety of marketing, business development, strategic planning and general management roles. Prior to his current assignment, he was COO of Naturize BioSciences Inc. Read more… |
 Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, REI Myers is CSR Manager for REI, a national retail co-op focused on getting people actively engaged in human-powered recreation and stewardship. Read more… |
 Director, Department of the Environment, City of San Francisco Nutter serves as the director for the San Francisco Government's Department of the Environment. She joined SFE after working as the deputy district director for Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House. Read more… |
 Director of Environmental Sustainability, Akamai Technologies As the Director of Environmental Sustainability at Akamai Technologies, Peill-Moelter oversees the strategy and execution of environmental initiatives across the company, including carbon management and reporting, energy efficiency and waste reduction, employee engagement and stakeholder-awareness. Read more… |
 Founder and VP of Engineering, Nest Labs The creator of the world’s first Learning Thermostat, Nest Labs is focused on reducing home-energy consumption. The Nest Learning Thermostat learns human behaviors and preferences, automatically adjusting the temperature so you can stay comfortable while saving energy and money. Read more… |
 Co-founder & Chief Brand Architect, Method Ryan co-founded Method in 2001 and has since built the company into a $150 million brand at retail — a brand that was ranked the 7th fastest growing company in America by Inc. Magazine in 2006 and the 16th most innovative company in the world by Fast Company. Read more… |
 Co-Founder and President, Free Range Studios Sachs' pioneering communications work has helped hundreds of progressive organizations break through the media din with strategic, inspiring messages. Read more… |
 Partner, Ernst & Young Sogomian is a Partner in the Assurance practice of Ernst & Young LLP, based in Los Angeles, and serves as the West Area leader of Ernst & Young’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services practice. Read more… |
 Senior Manager, Ernst & Young Sternberg has more than 19 years experience, including 6 years leading sustainability strategy development, reporting and performance management, product stewardship and other initiatives. She has assisted many Fortune 1000 clients in developing sustainability strategies and implementation program. Read more… |
 Associate Director of Global Energy Initiatives, News Corporation Sudan is Associate Director of Global Energy Initiatives at News Corporation. Launched in 2007, News Corp.’s Global Energy Initiative is a company-wide commitment to minimize its environmental impact, grow sustainably, and inspire others to take action. In 2010, News Corp. Read more… |
 Director, Deloitte Tanger is a Director with Deloitte Consulting LLP who is responsible for the ClearCarbon By Deloitte service offering. Read more… |
 Marketing Manager, Boise Inc. Tripamer is a Marketing Manager at Boise Inc. and has nearly 15 years of experience working in a variety of industries including energy, consumer packaged goods, office products and paper. Read more… |
 Managing Director, Weinreb Group Weinreb leads Weinreb Group, a sustainability-centered recruiting and consulting firm. Over the past 15 years, Weinreb Group has provided sustainability services to companies including Nestle Waters, Levi Strauss, Nike, Clorox and Hewlett Packard. Read more… |
Meet Our GreenBiz Gurus!
GreenBiz Guru sessions are small-group consultative sessions led by experts and thought leaders. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage with speakers and their fellow Forum attendees on topics of interest. The Guru sessions take place at 4:15 - 5:00 pm, and participation is first come first serve.
Chris BenjaminSustainability Reporting Strategies |
Michael BrownAssessing Material Choices |
Katie ExcoffierInstalling EV Charging Stations at the Office |
Holly FowlerSustainable Agriculture |
Bjoern KulmannSustainable Supply Chain |
Hunter LovinsEmployee Engagement: Spreading Sustainability Throughout Your Whole Company |
Michael MartinGreen Marketing ROI |
Bill MorrisseyEmbedding Sustainability in Your Organization |
Nicole Peill-MoelterGreen Data Centers |
Rupesh ShahSupplier Sustainability Policy - including your small suppliers |
Tanya SpencerSustainability as a Business Strategy |
Vijay SudanThe Role of Credits in Corporate Energy & Sustainability Strategy |
Kyle TangerTaking a Resource Focused Approach for Greater Operational Savings |
Premier Sponsors
 | Autodesk is a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software. Customers across the manufacturing, architecture, building, construction, and media and entertainment industries use Autodesk software to design, visualize and simulate their ideas. Autodesk’s vision is to help millions of architects, designers and engineers worldwide radically transform the built world by making sustainable design easy and accessible. With 80 percent of a product’s environmental impact determined by decisions in the design phase, Autodesk software has an important role to play.
Read more… |
 | Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee, and its network of member firms, each of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and its member firms. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.
Read more… |
Supporting Sponsors
 | At Adobe, we are inspired by purpose-driven creativity. Through our technologies, software, and business practices, every day we enable millions of people across the globe to participate in the world around them. We believe that great things happen when you empower the community to create change.
Read more… |
 | At Boise Inc., our commitment to deliver lasting value means we go beyond what's expected for investors, customers, and the environment. We are a leading manufacturer of paper and packaging products and believe that good business and good sustainability practices go hand in hand. We focus on not only environmental sustainability, but social and economic as well through our processes, products and programs such as CHOICES, Project UP and our partnership in Box Tops for Education.
Read more… |
 | Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 152,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.
Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.
Read more… |
 | At Microsoft, we are committed to software and technology innovations that help people and organizations around the world improve the environment. Our goal is to reduce the impact of our operations and products, and to demonstrate responsible environmental leadership.
Read more… |
Contributing Sponsor
 | Whether you design them, manage them or work in them, Steelcase can help you create sustainable, high performance work environments anywhere in the world. By approaching sustainability holistically, Steelcase aspires to create enduring value for people, planet and global economies -- fully leveraging our assets, our relationships, and our resources. Visit www.steelcase.com/sustainability to learn more. Read more… |
Exhibitors
 | Wendel Rosen is well known for its early commitment to sustainability as a governing practice, achieving third-party green business certification nearly a decade ago. Since forming its Green Business Practice Group in 2003, Wendel Rosen has provided green and traditional businesses with sound legal advice in areas such as climate change, green building, renewable energy, organic food/natural products, and more. The firm has also worked to improve the business climate, assisting in drafting and advocating for the passage of AB 361, California's landmark Benefit Corporation legislation. Read more… |
 | Pacific Gas and Electric Company is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 15 million people in Northern and Central California. PG&E also offers customers a suite of smart energy solutions that include innovative energy efficiency, demand response, and solar energy programs and incentives. Read more… |
 | With over 100,000 customers, salesforce.com is the enterprise cloud computing company that is leading the shift to the social enterprise. Social enterprises leverage social, mobile and open cloud technologies to put customers at the heart of their business. Based on salesforce.com’s real-time, multitenant architecture, the company’s services include:
-Salesforce Chatter
-Salesforce Sales Cloud
-Salesforce Service Cloud
-Salesforce Radian6
-Salesforce Data.com
-AppExchange
-Force.com
-Heroku
-Database.com Read more… |
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Venue InformationMission Bay Conference Center For a map and directions, please click here. |
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Hotel InformationThe Orchard Garden Hotel For a map and directions, please click here. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I register for the GreenBiz Forum?Click here to register for the GreenBiz Forum. Registration is $695. Registration is subject to availability - please register early to guarantee your attendance!
I can only stay for part of the forum. Can I transfer my issued registration to someone else for the rest?
No, one registration may not be shared by multiple people.
Is there a group discount?
Yes! GreenBiz offers a 25% discount to all eligible groups of 3 or more (members must be from the same company, or parent company). Group registration to the GreenBiz Forum is strongly encouraged, and invitees have the option of adding team members during registration. Once you've added all team members and are ready to checkout, the discount will be automatically deducted from your total conference fees.
Are there opportunities to volunteer at the event?
The deadline for volunteer applications has now passed, but feel free to fill out a volunteer application to be considered if a position does become available. Click here for more information about volunteering and to fill out an application.
What is the refund policy for the forum?
Registrations for the forum are non-refundable. However, if you register but are then unable to attend, we are happy to apply the amount you paid to a future GreenBiz event or product, or you can transfer your registration to a colleague. Please email ellie@greenbiz.com if you need to cancel or transfer your registration.
