Here at SJF we’re committed to promoting jobs that help sustain our environment and reduce our carbon footprint. Given our mission, our upcoming “Summit on the New Green Economy” will include multiple opportunities to learn strategies and best practices for attracting and retaining “green” jobs. We hope the speakers at our Summit will inspire you to ride the wave of the new green economy.
We’re bringing to Durham a number of national leaders who have promoted green investment. Our founder, David Kirkpatrick, will moderate a discussion on green economy capital markets on the Summit’s second day, June 3. These panelists will talk about how foundations, investors and others can support investment in the growing green economy. This panel will include: Andrew Kassoy, of B-Lab; Ariane van Buren, of Ceres; Mark Pinsky, of Opportunity Finance Network; Kathleen Starr, of The F.B. Heron Foundation; and Don Shaffer, of RSF Social Finance.
In addition, we’ll also have separate sessions on “Supporting Green Jobs Growth,” “Supporting Social and Green Entrepreneurship,” and “Green Building Job Strategies.” All of these panel discussions are designed to give budding entrepreneurs, economic developers, and others key tools to tap into the green economy.
The pieces are in place and the excitement for sustainable development is palpable. Now is the time to grow the new green economy. We have many proven leaders in green development lined up to share their tips and this burgeoning industry. Presenters like groSolar, CleanScapes Inc., RecycleBank, ZipCar, Intechra, Sencera, ConsumerPowerline, NativeEnergy, SPUD, and Helios have been hugely successful, as they have expanded rapidly, attracted more than $170 million in investment capital, and created hundreds of green jobs.
Take CleanScapes, for example. The company offers recycling, organics, waste collection, and urban ‘clean-scaping’ services in the Northwest. CleanScapes maintains a strong social responsibility and workforce engagement ethic. Since SJF invested, CleanScapes has grown from 94 to 220 employees. Meanwhile, the company is collaborating with municipalities to pursue their “zero waste” goals through waste reduction, composting, and recycling. This approach yields strong environmental and economic development benefits. SJF has invested in companies like CleanScapes because its model promotes sustainability and also generates good jobs. CleansScapes CEO Chris Marin will share from his experiences in a zero-waste CEO panel with leaders of portfolio companies Intechra and Salvage Direct; the panel also will feature the CEO of Thrift Recycling Management.
Get more information on our Summit sessions here: http://www.sjfund.com/?id=339
And stay tuned for more information on the Summit. We hope to see you there!
