Attendees and participants gather at the 2024 VBSR/SI-MBA program at Kalkin Hall.
Thanks to all who joined VBSR and The University of Vermont – Grossman School of Business Sustainable Innovation MBA (SI-MBA) program as we networked, connected and heard 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 was a robust way to raise awareness of best practices as the year begins.
Attendees and participants at the 2024 VBSR/SI-MBA program at Kalkin Hall.
Panel:
- Stacia Betley, MegaFood
- Kristen Graf, Darn Tough Vermont
- Gabbi Heath and Sam Richards, UVM SI-MBA Students
- Mara Neufeld Rivera, Chroma Technology
Be a Force for Good – with UVM SI-MBA Students and Alumni
Together with UVM,VBSR has created 3 different ways our members might work with SI-MBA students and alumni:
2. Bring current SI-MBA students on as pro bono consultants through SIMPACT
3. Host a current SI-MBA student for their capstone Practicum Project
Recap: Businesses for Climate Action Lobby Day
Mel Hall, Co-Founder, Global Village Foods, addresses the media during the Businesses for Climate Action press conference. (Photo by Elijah Kushen / Courtesy of VPIRG)
On February 1st, Vermont business leaders sent a clear message to our elected officials: the time for bold climate action is now.
VBSR, SunCommon, Seventh Generation, and VPIRG hosted an impactful Businesses for Climate Action Lobby Day at the Vermont State House.
Over 60 VBSR members came together and recognized the urgency of tackling the climate crisis to ensure the viability of our communities and clarified our shared responsibility to transition away from fossil fuels.
Christopher Miller, Global Social Mission Director, Ben & Jerry's, addresses the media during the Businesses for Climate Action press conference. (Photo by Jesse Dawson / Courtesy of Burton)
Our 2024 VBSR Policy Priorities for Climate and Clean Energy are:
Updating the Renewable Energy Standard (the RES) so that Vermont is the first in the nation to achieve 100% renewable energy.
Passing a comprehensive flood omnibus bill that includes financial support for small business recovery efforts. Learn more here.
Establishing a Climate Superfund by holding fossil fuel corporations accountable to clean up the environmental mess they are responsible for. Learn more here.
VBSR members meet with legislators as part of Businesses for Climate Action Lobby Day. (Photo by Jesse Dawson / Courtesy of Burton)
Once the press conference concluded, VBSR members scattered throughout the building to meet in small groups with our elected officials and deliver the day’s message.
Our conversations were held in committee rooms and proved to be impactful in demonstrating public support for the three pieces of legislation that VBSR was endorsing for climate action this session.
Vermont business leaders pose outside before entering the Vermont State House to address members of the media during the Businesses for Climate Action Lobby Day, February 1, 2024, in the Cedar Creek Room. (Photo by Jesse Dawson / Courtesy of Burton)
For a deeper dive on the day...
Full recap with photos and powerful excerpts from podium statements can be found here.
VNRC's video Climate Dispatch featuring Kate Ogden/Seventh Generation and Representative Conor Casey/Montpelier can be watched here.
Vermont Public's The Frequency featuring Mel Hall/Global Village Foods can be heard here.
A special THANK YOU to these members for their support of the event:
VBSR Member News Round Up
Many of the changes measured and reflected in the Turtle Fur 2023 Annual Impact Report came directly from employees, pictured here. (Photo courtesy of Turtle Fur)
Turtle Fur: Gold Member Turtle Fur has released their 2023 Annual Impact Report. It gives an overview of their wins, losses, and what they’re doing to improve as a business and as a force in the Outdoor Industry. Many of the changes they have implemented over the past few years have come from passionate employees using their voices and speaking up for change. Listening has resulted in great impact – in addition to a great looking report! Learn more here.
VSJF: Managed by VBSR member Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF), Farm to Plate is Vermont’s statewide food system plan – and the program just released The Vermont Food Security Roadmap to 2035. The shared goal expressed in the report is that in 2035, all Vermonters will be food secure. Vermont has the tools, knowledge, and resources to create food security and ensure that every person living here has the food they want and need to be healthy and nourished. Learn more here.
Salvation Farms: VBSR member Salvation Farms was recently joined by Vermont’s Congresswoman Becca Balint for an informational meeting. The meeting was hosted by the Center for an Agricultural Economy at their Vermont Food Venture Center in Hardwick, where Salvation Farms is a frequent renter of their commercial kitchen space to produce minimally processed, frozen food from surplus vegetables that Vermont farms have no market for. Learn more here.
UVM, OnLogic, Resonant Link: Based on regional advances in a more efficient, innovative material than silicon (glad you asked...it's called Gallium nitride/GaN!), Gold Member UVM is feeling positive about a recent designation as a “Tech Hub” by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA). There’s no attached funding – yet – but, Resonant Link and Gold Member OnLogic are poised to play roles in the Hub, which will also get a talent workforce development boost from UVM's Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) program. Learn more here.
VCET: New investments like those from VBSR member VCET are helping ZymoChem contribute to job growth and the development of their Burlington satellite division. The biotechnology start-up develops bio-based materials for everyday products including hygiene items and textiles. ZymoChem is redesigning manufacturing with ingredients that do not come from fossil fuels. "Our decision to invest in ZymoChem was driven by the immense potential we see in their work, the synergies with Vermont's rich pool of talent, and our desire to support sustainably-minded companies," said David Bradbury, President and Seed Fund Manager at VCET. Learn more here.
UVM: The Gund Institute for Environment at UVM recently announced a $200,000 Catalyst Award for a research project examining whether engaging in pro-environmental behavior can lead to more pro-environmental attitudes and values. “We often think about pro-environmental behavior as being the end of a linear process, with values and attitudes coming first,” says Principal Investigator Rachelle Gould. “We’re investigating an approach to thinking about pro-environmental behavior that flips this approach on its head: thinking about behavior not as the end point, but as impacting attitudes and values.” Learn more here.
Sunset Lake Cannabis: Sunset Lake Cannabis, a farmer-owned cannabis cultivator and manufacturer in South Hero, VT, has announced it is officially Climate Neutral Certified. With this, they become Vermont’s first climate neutral certified cannabis farm. They join a growing movement of socially responsible companies achieving the Climate Neutral Certified standard by measuring its 2023 greenhouse gas emissions, setting actionable carbon reduction plans, and compensating their brand footprint with eligible-verified carbon credits. Learn more here.
Vermont Community Foundation:
The Vermont Women's Fund, a component fund of the Vermont Community Foundation, recently released the final report of This Way UP. This Way UP was designed and funded by the Vermont Women's Fund to demonstrate the importance of identifying business ownership data by gender, something that does not currently exist in the state of Vermont. Before now, women business owners were invisible as contributors to our economy - but no more! The Vermont Women’s Fund is pleased to announce the completion of its work to identify and survey women-owned businesses in Vermont. Learn more here.
The Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust recently announced contributions totaling more than $2.66 million to support mental and behavioral health programs in 12 American mountain communities – including Vermont. $250,000 was granted to the Vermont Community Foundation, which will support mental and behavioral health and substance misuse prevention and treatment projects for seven subgrantees in the Stowe, Ludlow, and Mt. Snow communities of Vermont. Learn more here.
Nominations Open for 2024 Vermont Top Workplaces
For the first time, the Burlington Free Press will honor quality workplace culture in the region. Any organization with 35 or more employees in Vermont is eligible to earn Top Workplaces recognition.
The nomination deadline is March 1. Anyone can nominate any organization, whether it is public, private, nonprofit, a school, or even a government agency.
To nominate an employer or for more information on the awards, go here or call 802-264-5205.
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.
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!
This past week saw the advancement of one of VBSR's top climate priorities: the Renewable Energy Standard. Lawmakers also continued to gather data and ponder solutions to Vermont's housing crisis while the Senate passed the Budget Adjustment Act.
VBSR continues to put voice and capacity into investing in values-driven legislation, understanding that investments in our people and planet are essential and come with long-term cost savings.
Here's a recap of recent activities...
Renewable Energy Standard – the RES:
After weeks of testimony and years in the making, the House Committee on Environment and Energy voted to pass H.289 on a vote of 9-1.
The outcome of updating the RES equates to nearly quadrupling the amount of new renewable energy Vermont electric utilities are required to deliver to their customers in the next decade and gets Vermont to 100% renewable electricity.
Let's keep the momentum going! Contact your legislator NOW to voice your support for updating the RES!
The Climate Superfund:
As Vermont grapples with the impacts of a changing climate, responsible parties like Big Oil – companies like ExxonMobil and Shell – should be required to pay a fair share of the cleanup costs.
The Senate Judiciary Committee began its testimony on S.259 this week, the bill establishing a Climate Superfund.
Workforce Development and H.707:
H.707 would adjust the composite of the State Workforce Development Board and how it functions, create the Office of Workforce Expansion & Development, and creates a new full-time position – Executive Director of the Office of Workforce Expansion & Development to be in charge of VT's workforce system.
H.707 will be taken up in the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee.
Housing Joint Hearing:
Members of the House Committee on Human Services and the House Committee on General and Housing convened last week before a panel of experts, including VSBR member Pathways Vermont, to learn what would be necessary to reduce unit generation availability for the lowest-income Vermonters.
There was a unified message across all presentations: there needs to be a focus on moving people out of hotels and into permanent housing solutions. Many experts acknowledged that...
the crisis must be addressed holistically;
providing four walls alone will not be sufficient;
permanent supportive housing brings critical services to those relying on housing programs to secure long-term success.
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.
Are you a member with values-led news to share?
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.
