Sustainable innovation conversation at UVM, the Businesses for Climate Actions Day is here, Member News and more...
2024 Forecast: What Can We Expect
for Purpose-Driven Businesses? FREE – Thursday, February 8 – REGISTER NOW
Participants arrive at the 2023 VBSR/SI-MBA program at Kalkin Hall.
Join VBSR and The University of Vermont – Grossman School of Business Sustainable Innovation MBA (SI-MBA) program as we network and connect while social responsibility experts share their mission-driven projections for the year – for Talent, People and Culture, ESG, Climate Resiliency, Supply Chain, and more.
The "2024 Forecast: What Can We Expect for Purpose-Driven Businesses?" panel promises to be a robust way to ground your organization in best practices as the year begins.
2024 Forecast: What Can We Expect for Purpose-Driven Businesses? When: Thursday, February 8, 5:00 - 7:30 p.m. Location: Kalkin Hall, University of Vermont - Central Campus, 55 Colchester Ave, Burlington, VT 05405 Cost: FREE and open to the public
Etienne Morris, Collective Engagement and Morris Recruiting & Consulting
Panel:
Stacia Betley, Mega Food
Kristen Graf, Darn Tough Vermont
Gabbi Heath, UVM SI-MBA Student
Sam Richards, UVM SI-MBA Student
Mara Neufeld Rivera, Chroma Technology Corp.
Connecting at Lawson's Finest Liquids – Thanks for Being There! –
Thank you for helping us kick off 2024 in Waitsfield for our first VBSR Networking Get-Together of the year – the people and space at Lawson's Finest Liquids taproom made everyone forget all about the sketchy weather for a while!
If you could not be there, we missed you – and stay tuned for more Networking Get-Togethers in the near future.
Special thanks to our host, Lawson's Finest Liquids, and our sponsors, Hagan, Let's Grow Kids, and Open Approach!
– TOMORROW! –
Businesses for Climate Action Lobby Day
If you want to make a difference on climate change, bringing your voice to the State House is one of the most impactful things you can do.
VBSR, Champion Members Seventh Generation and SunCommon, and VPIRG will host the annual Businesses for Climate Action Lobby Day at the Vermont Statehouse on Thursday, February 1 in Montpelier.
Over 30 Vermont businesses will be there including Burton, Capstone Community Action, Danforth Pewter, Encore Renewable Energy, Lawson's Finest Liquids, Norwich Solar, SunCommon, Ursa Major, and Vermont Green FC.
It isn't too late to get engaged! Join us tomorrow!
All 140 students of the 2023 Arts Institute pose on the steps of Vermont State University Castleton. (Photo courtesy of Governor’s Institutes of Vermont / Matthew Binginot)
Governor's Institutes of Vermont: The Governor’s Institutes of Vermont (GIV) is now accepting applications for the 2024 offerings of its residential summer programs. This year, GIV will be offering eight different summer Institutes including Arts, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Science & Technology, Global Issues & Youth Action, Health & Medicine, Mathematical Sciences, and Technology & Design. Each Institute works with local businesses, community organizations, and educational centers across Vermont to offer students the learning adventure of a lifetime. Learn more here.
Mamava: In addition to having just celebrated their 10th Anniversary by returning to the site of their first lactation pod placement, Champion Member Mamava’s innovation in the world of “inclusive guest experience” continues to expand. Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles is one of the latest locations to deploy Mamava pods (five!) to increase convenience and comfort for breastfeeding parents pumping and nursing. The arena hosts over 240 events a year—from annual GRAMMY Awards to Disney on Ice—and is home to four professional sports teams. Now attendees can enjoy shows and games while also feeling included if they are breastfeeding. Learn more here.
UVM: A new white paper co-authored by Gold Member UVM’s Gund Institute for Environment offers approaches for companies to track and disclose their impacts and reliance on nature. Companies now have an outsized impact on biodiversity worldwide. Simultaneously, those businesses often rely heavily on those same natural systems. So it’s critical to reduce the impacts the private sector exerts on the biodiversity that supports our lives.The paper demonstrates that biodiversity and ecosystem reporting can be streamlined and scientifically robust. Learn more here.
VEEP: The Vermont Energy Education Program (VEEP) brings experiential learning to K-12 classrooms across VT, so students (and their teachers) can understand where our energy comes from and how our energy usage impacts the climate. VEEP is now offering hands-on workshops for adult audiences as well. These workshops are especially useful to businesses and communities that are considering weatherization initiatives, transportation planning, or other energy conservation/emissions reduction work. Interested in hosting one for your employees, or sponsoring one in your local community? Learn more here.
Adventure Dinnerand AO Glass: VBSR members Adventure Dinner and AO Glass were recently featured in a long-form story on NBC’s 1st Look. Not only does the feature showcase an appreciation for our state's talented and mindful communities, but it also homes in on the offerings we share that remind us to slow down, step off the beaten path, and soak in the possibilities around us. When it comes to why it all works, "Community is everything," says Sas Stewart of Adventure Dinner. Learn more here.
VEIC / Efficiency Vermont: Champion Member VEIC’s Efficiency Vermont program has announced that Vermonters are increasingly embracing heat pumps to cool and heat their homes and businesses, with more than 63,000 installed through the end of 2023. Vermonters have installed more heat pumps per capita than any other state in New England, with 97 heat pumps for every 1,000 residents. And heat pumps are seen as a key factor in combatting climate change: a typical U.S. home could cut its heating-related climate pollution by 45-72% by switching to an all-electric heat pump in place of a gas-fired furnace. Learn more here.
Vanguard Renewables: Vanguard Renewables has announced that renowned supplier of maple syrup, The Sugarman of Vermont, has joined the New England chapter of the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance. This collaboration aims to reduce the environmental impact of food and beverage manufacturers while supporting regional dairy farmers. Member companies commit to recycling their unsalable food waste through Farm Powered anaerobic digestion on local dairy farms, thereby generating renewable energy. Learn more here.
VSJF / DeltaClimeVT: The eighth DeltaClimeVT energy and climate business accelerator program has opened up the application process. The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) program is designed to accelerate the drive towards a zero-carbon future for Vermont, by helping Vermont’s utilities increase adoption of clean energy, smart building and electric vehicle technologies that enable the integration of distributed energy resources with the grid. Application deadline: February 5, 2024. Learn more here.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont: The Snow Days of Gold Member Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont have returned! Snow Days is their way of helping Vermonters shake off the cold weather blues by getting outside and enjoying all the great winter activities our state has to offer. The connection with nature and time with friends, family, and neighbors supports personal wellness, community ties, and rejuvenates our spirit during this time of year. Join events, share photos, win prizes and more. Learn more here.
NOFA-VT: NOFA-VT has announced new Farmer Resilience Grants – a pool of funds they will distribute directly to farmers as grants to fund projects that will improve longer-term resilience on farms. Learn more here. They have also announced their conference keynote speaker for their Winter Conference later this month: Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, a regenerative agriculture visionary and the founder of Tree-Range Farms and Regenerative Agriculture Alliance. Learn more here.
Vermont Arts Council: Each year the Vermont Arts Council spends a day at the Vermont Statehouse advocating for arts, culture, humanities, and the broader creative sector in Vermont. This year’s “Creative Sector Day” was held on January 23 and focused on updating legislators and giving committee testimony. Learn more here.
VOBA: The Vermont Outdoor Business Association (VOBA) Outdoor Recreation Day at the State House is now open for registration. You can join other outdoor business enthusiasts in Montpelier on Friday, February 16th – just carve out a few hours to join from 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. to meet with legislators, listen to testimony, and network on a wide range of issues from flood relief and climate resiliency to sustainable recreation, conservation, workforce, and more. Learn more here.
ASBN: The American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN) has released its COP28 Recap. Each year world leaders gather at the Conference of Parties (COP) to negotiate and discuss global climate commitments and the biggest questions surrounding the climate crisis. If you want a succinct recap of implementation of the conference, the Paris Agreement, and the Kyoto Protocol, this is a great place to start. Learn more here.
UVM: Gold Member University of Vermont (UVM) always has opportunities for Vermont businesses to engage with talented undergraduates and graduate students. Don’t miss these upcoming ways to connect with UVM students and avail yourself of campus assets related to hiring.
UVM Annual Spring Job & Internship Fair: UVM invites recruiters from regional and national organizations to campus to connect with UVM students about job and internship opportunities. The Wednesday, February 28 event is the largest career fair of the semester at UVM and includes organizations from all industries who want to recruit Catamounts. Learn more here. Still have questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to John Kim, UVM SI-MBA Career Advisor, at John.Kim@uvm.edu.
UVM Summer Intern Housing: Have you got interns coming to (or staying in) the Burlington area this summer? If so, UVM has affordable, accessible housing for them. With residence halls located minutes from downtown Burlington and easy access to local attractions and transportation, your visiting interns can make the most of their experience. Learn more here.
Vermont Department of Health: The 2024 Worksite Wellness Awards
The 2024 Worksite Wellness Awards application is now open. These awards recognize efforts by Vermont employers to promote employee wellness.
All worksites are encouraged to apply, even if you are just starting with your wellness initiatives. Applications are due on May 31st, 2024.
Has your organization accomplished something recently that is part of creating a just, thriving, and transformative economy that works for all people and the planet?
If so, we want to hear about it! Members are encouraged to post valued-led news at https://vbsr.org/post-news or share it directly with VBSR Communications Manager, Talley Summerlin, at talleys@vbsr.org.
Support the Flood Omnibus Bill:
Sign Our Open Letter
The Flood Omnibus bill (H.723) establishes the mechanisms – such as the Flood Recovery Assistance Program – which can fill the funding gaps to help businesses get back on solid ground after this summer's historic flooding.
Governor Scott needs to hear from you on this matter as we ask that the state of Vermont continue to invest dollars into flood recovery to ensure a climate resilient economy and prosperous Vermont communities in the years ahead.
Please sign our open letter to the Governor which will also be shared with all of Vermont's elected House of Representatives and State Senators.
Sponsored by Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility, Montpelier Alive and the Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance (VOBA), this letter is one of the easiest, most impactful ways you can elevate this issue.
It takes about 2 minutes at most to sign – please sign now!
Last Tuesday, Governor Scott addressed the General Assembly to chart the priorities outlined in his budget. He dialed in on a message of affordability, prioritizing public safety and housing.
Committees also worked last week to get the first wave of bills out to their respective floors. Work began on updating Act 250 in multiple committees, and it will likely dominate the discussion in the coming weeks. Read on for more highlights.
Healthcare:
Last week, the House Health Care Committee held a hearing to consider a proposal to expand Vermont's Medicare Savings Program (MSP). First introduced in 2023 as a stand-alone bill, the proposal was recently integrated into Section 9 of H.721.
Expanding the MSP is a step we can and must take to advance economic justice for low-income Vermonters.
Learn more and hear from Vermonters – in their own words – about this issue.
S.18 Seeks to Ban Flavored Tobacco:
VBSR has endorsed S.18, the bill that would ban the sale of flavored tobacco products as of January 1, 2025.
The bill aims to make tobacco products less appealing to people, particularly minors and the BIPOC community, who have been heavily targeted in persuasive advertisement campaigns by Big Tobacco.
You can learn more about the issue by clicking here.
Housing and a Creative Approach to Shelter:
Officials from the Vermont National Guard and the Agency of Human Services have proposed to Senate Appropriation that the State purchase the Waterbury Armory for emergency housing.
If approved, the Waterbury Armory would provide shelter for 40-50 people in need, and it is estimated that it will cost $4 million to get the shelter up and running.
Call For Ideas: VBSR Annual Conference
and Other Programming
The 2023 Annual VBSR Conference gets underway with the Keynote Address. (photo by Ben M. Collins)
What kind of experiences do you want Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility to offer? Who do you want to hear from? About what? Where? We want to hear from you!
We are collecting ideas from our network to help shape the topics, themes, format, presenters, and venues for our programming (including our 34th Annual VBSR Conference, which will be held May 9th at Hula in Burlington).
We welcome ideas from both VBSR members and those in our extended network! Everyone in VBSR’s community has valuable expertise, policies, practices, and experiences that can help realize our vision of a just, thriving, and transformative economy for all people and the planet.
Submissions are due Thursday, February 1st. Submit your idea now!
"I loved the JEDI panel and felt that was very deep and impactful for people. Loved the venue."
"I found the panels interesting and informative."
"I really enjoyed the content of the panels I attended, I thought they were very informative and it was helpful to see how other organizations are wrestling with today’s big problems to inspire creative problem-solving in my own workplace."
Save the Date: Annual VBSR Conference – Thursday, May 9
That's right! It is already time to mark your calendar for this year's VBSR Conference.
VBSR businesses and nonprofit leaders, policymakers, students, and inspired individuals will gather for a full-day event that will include a keynote address, timely sessions, innovation labs and more focused on the leading edge of social and environmental impact.
Plus, there's always ample opportunity for networking and meeting exhibitors.
