August 30
Building a Strong & Vibrant Team B2B
Led by Justin Wright of Habitus Incorporated
@ SBN Boardroom
September 18
Boston Local Food Festival
@ Rose F Kennedy Greenway
|
|
|
Dear Members and Friends,
New England is now entering our very sweet harvest season where fresh local food is plentiful and delicious! The drought has made it difficult for our farmers. But thankfully these folks are resilient and accustomed to dealing with weather challenges. No better time than now to visit your farmers market, enjoy your CSA, or receive healthy local organic food from a delivery service like Boston's own Boston Organics! And local Gravenstein apples will be here soon--the earliest New England apple discovered in Denmark in 1669! I love August!
SBN is also happy to celebrate our largest membership growth in our 28-year history--so far in 2016 we've had 58 new members. A big SBN welcome to all our new members! The board and staff fully expect to see continued membership growth between now and the end of 2016 as SBN's value proposition, new programs, and influence continue to expand.
This summer has also seen some major changes in the SBN staff! I want to offer
Alex Barber a big THANK YOU for being such a strong and stable staff member for over three years. We are thrilled to announce that
Maddie Phadke has been promoted to SBN's Managing Director! We are excited to have her accept this position, and if you don't know Maddie, you have a special treat in store for you when you have the opportunity to meet this dynamic leader.
Amy Klein is moving after being a key full-time staff member of SBN for nearly two years. We're happy to say that she will her continue to lead our marketing work in SBN through the phone and computer!
SBN welcomes with great enthusiasm two new staff members--Josh Berman and Brian Watson and two summer interns Kate Swanberg and Abbie Milewski. You can read all about these dynamic and dedicated SBN leaders in this newsletter!
The SBN Board recently completed our annual Board Retreat which was filled with celebrations of SBN's growth and increased impact. The SBN Sustainability Leadership Summit inspired everyone and pushed us to expand and enhance our vision. This retreat gave the Board the opportunity to strategize on how we can make real SBN's expanded vision. More on this in future newsletters!
I hope you have a glorious August and I look forward to seeing everyone at the Seventh Annual Boston Local Food Festival!
With Appreciation,
Laury Hammel
Executive Director
|
|
|
|
Thanks to Alex!
Alex Barber's leadership has been extraordinary over the past three years and he has made a big impact. He has contributed to the production and promotion of all SBN's programs and in particular the Sustainable Business Leader Program, the SBN Membership Campaign, and the Volunteer Coordinator for the Boston Local Food Festival. Alex is in the process of taking some time off and planning a future of local entrepreneurship! Alex has promised us that he will continue to be active in SBN and that we will see him at the upcoming Boston Local Food Festival! We wish him the best of luck in his bright future--his kind heart and upbeat spirit will be greatly missed.
Congratulations to Maddie!
Maddie Phadke has been SBN's Local Food Coordinator for almost two years. Largely as a result of Maddie's leadership, during this time SBN's local food programs have grown and expanded in every way! The Board is excited to announce that Maddie has accepted a promotion to be SBN's Managing Director. Maddie will continue to lead our local food program as well as expand her leadership capacity inside SBN and our programs!
Welcome Back Amy!
Amy Klein has been an important part of the SBN Team for almost two years and her organizational, administrative, and graphic skills have been exceptional and are much appreciated. In July, Amy moved to St. Louis with her husband who is in a Masters Program at Washington University. Fortunately, SBN will be able to utilize her considerable skills as she will work remotely 1/2 time for SBN.
New Staff
Brian Watson joined SBN as our new Membership and Local First Coordinator in July. Brian graduated from Amherst College in May 2013 with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Psychology. During his time at Amherst, Brian interned with CISA, helping run their Local Hero campaign, and building upon a strong personal appreciation for local food and sustainability. After graduation, Brian worked for NESCAUM advancing the organization's work in clean air policy on regional and national levels. Outside of the office, Brian enjoys working for a local farmstand at Boston Public Market, and volunteering as the Co-Director of Events and Programming for YNPN Boston. Brian loves to adventure outdoors, read far too many e-books and explore the local restaurant and craft beer scene.
Joshua Berman is SBN's new Project Coordinator. Josh graduated from McGill University in 2016 with a BA in Latin American and Caribbean Studies and a minor in Economics. While Josh is passionate about all things Latin America, he has an equal passion for all things sustainable and food! While studying sustainable development in Latin America, all of Josh's interests were brought together when he found that sustainable food and food systems are an integral part of strong and healthy communities. Josh was deeply involved in Student Body Politics at McGill and also captained the McGill Quidditch Team! Josh spends his time away from the office cooking, running, golfing, & practicing slacklining and yoga.
Our Fantastic Interns!
Kait Swanberg
joined SBN during the summer of 2015 as the organization's intern after graduating from UMASS Amherst with her Bachelor's degree in Management and capstone in Sustainable Business Management. She went on to receive her Master's of Science degree in Organizational Leadership from Nichols College, and currently works as a Manager at Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park. After returning to Boston from a 6-month service with AmeriCorps, Kait continues to volunteer and support SBN and their mission of building a Massachusetts economy that is local, green and fair. Kait enjoys spending time with nature and supporting Boston sports teams.
Abbie Milewski
is one of SBN's fantastic Summer Interns. Abbie travels
from Worcester to Cambridge on the sometimes irritating Commuter Rail to get to SBN is well worth the trek! Abbie says 'I'm amazed by the SBN staff and extended sustainable community that permeates the Greater Boston Area and I'm very humbled to now be a part of it! It's been a great learning opportunity that I will be sure to take back with me to school in the fall. See you all on
September 18th
!'
|
|
RSVP for the Boston Local Food Festival!
|
The Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts is excited to announce the
7th Annual Boston Local Food Festival! On Sunday, September 18, 2016, the Festival will return to the Rose F Kennedy Greenway in downtown Boston and transform the park into the nation's largest local and sustainable food hub!
(RSVP not required but you will receive an e-mail reminder so you don't miss out!)
The Boston Local Food Festival is a free outdoor festival that showcases farmers, local restaurants, food trucks, specialty food producers, fisher folks, and organizations focusing on healthy food and fitness from New England. The Festival also features lively chef & DIY demos, a seafood throwdown competition, diverse music and performances, family fun zone and more. In 2015, the Festival attracted over 140 vendors and 50,000 attendees.
Festival goers learn about the benefits of sustainably grown and produced food, shop the market, eat delicious local food, participate in fun, educational activities and exhibits, engage with top local chefs and enjoy local music. Themed "Healthy Local Food for All", the Festival connects Massachusetts and New England eaters of all backgrounds with the abundance of fresh, nutritious local food choices available close to home.
The Festival is a zero-waste event, meaning we divert over 90% of our waste each year and we offset 100% of our energy use! All perishable items sold are made from locally sourced products. Best of all, we bring this annual event to the community free of charge. So grab your reusable water bottles and bags and enjoy New England's largest one day farmers market, while celebrating "Healthy Local Food for All"
|
 Tuesday, August 30 . 6:30-8:30pm
@ SBN Boardroom
REGISTER
Building a Strong & Vibrant Team
The Role of Authentic Listening in Workplace Negotiation
In the workplace, we often spend as much time communicating, negotiating and managing conflict as we do performing our actual jobs. Authentic listening is the #1 skill negotiators need in order to effectively communicate with their counterparts. Attend this B2B to learn the incredibly simple yet incredibly effective three part process of authentic listening that will allow you to breakthrough the dynamics that create positional behavior, conflict, miscommunication and impasse between colleagues.
Facilitator: Justin Wright -
Habitus Incorporated
Justin Wright is a consultant, facilitator and executive coach. He has expertise providing transactional assistance, advising clients on behavior change, mediating disputes and providing mediation and negotiation training and executive coaching. Justin has trained and advised individuals at companies such as Anika Therapeutics Inc, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Bavaria, the Better Future Project, Commonwealth Financial, Eastman Chemical, IBM, IFC Cantabria, FINCA International, Neighborworks, the SIGNUM Foundation and Akamai. This corporate training work is complemented by the acedemic teaching Justin has done at Yale and Northeastern University. At present, Justin is focused about training individuals and organizations pursuing missions of Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Entrepreneurship.
|
|
SBN Member, Fancypants Baking Co, Awarded 2016
Small Business of the Year!
|
|
The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
recently
announced
their 2016 Small Business of the
Year Awards (SBOY), recognizing 10 of the region's leading small businesses. Fancypants Baking Co., of Walpole, MA, is proud to be included in this prestigious group of honorees.
The Chamber's Small Business of the Year Awards recognize the achievements of Greater Boston's smaller for-profit companies, with annual gross revenues of more than $1 million. Winners include businesses who display strong financial performance, achievement in management, workplace excellence, product innovation, and community and social responsibility.
"Small businesses are major contributors to Boston's economic success, and this year's Small Business of the Year honorees truly exemplify those important contributions," said James E. Rooney, president and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber. "We are thrilled to recognize these remarkable businesses and thank them for all they do to keep Boston thriving."
Fancypants Baking Co., has been a Boston-area business since its 2004 beginning in a Boston (Roslindale) apartment. The company manufactures premium cookies for nationwide delivery, but the company retains strong roots in its local businesses, working with many area companies including Roche Bros. supermarkets, Wilson Farms, BJs Wholesale, Winston Flowers, and many more. Their continual effort to provide non-GMO, nut free, handmade cookies has earned them the trust of their customers and the recognition from the Boston business community.
|
|
Garden Mixology Connects People with Local Craft Distillers!
This Summer, SBN teamed up with the Trustees to host Garden Mixology classes. The intimate classes took place in some of Boston's urban gardens that are managed by the Trustees.
In the courses, participants connected with a local distillery who instructed them how to make cocktails, step by step, using local ingredients. Local caterers also paired creative appetizers with the drinks for a delicious experience!
SBN is excited to continue this partnership with the Trustees and think of new, creative collaborations for the future!
|
|
|
Welcome to the Newest Members of our Growing Network!
Red Apple Lunch
was started by moms who understand the struggles of balancing work and family. They came up with an easy way to get healthy, homemade school lunches to your children. They source the best regional ingredients year-round and prep and pack them in a way that's delicious, exciting and good for kids. By promoting healthy, balanced eating to support your children throughout their day, they help children realize their full potential...with a full stomach!
Our Family Farms is
a marketing coop of local dairy farmers working together to offer consumers high quality milk, while also preserving a traditional way of life. The members are small, family-run farms milking Hosteins, Jerseys, Brown Swiss, Milking Shorthorns, Ayrshires, and Normandies. Most importantly the farmers are committed to always providing the very best tasting milk that is ALWAYS rBST* Free. All of their farmers graze their cows on pasture each spring, summer and fall, which keeps the land open and preserved.
|
|
Renewing Members
Boston Solar
designs and installs solar panels for homeowners, businesses and institutions. Their goal is to simplify the transition to solar energy. After 1800+ solar installations, the company has become recognized as a major solar provider in New England. Boston Solar can address all the energy needs of a home or business using its in-house team of engineers and technicians. This allows for complete integration of energy services, providing customers with an optimal and convenient solution under one roof.
Preserve b
elieves that any new product should be more than merely functional - much more! They take a holistic approach, designing products to be beautiful, sustainable and reliable. Their products are designed with an eye toward style, and they tend to stand out from the crowd. Made out of recycled #5 (polypropylene) plastic, Preserve products can be returned to the recycling stream when the time comes to replace them.
Recycled Paper Printing
is a printing and mailing services company which only prints on recycled papers. They are the nation's oldest printing company which exclusively uses recycled papers. They have helped establish and build a market - both in terms of supply and demand - for recycled paper, serving to protect our rainforests and our environment.
Red Sun Press is a cooperatively-managed printing and graphic design shop. They have a small plant with fully equipped offset presses, electronic design and pre-press capabilities, and a growing customer base of non-profit organizations, socially responsible businesses and government agencies. As a cooperatively-run business, workers have an equal vote on the governing body of the company. They share in long term planning, policy making, financial oversight, and profits.
Taza Chocolate
stone grinds organic cacao beans into perfectly unrefined, minimally processed chocolate with bold flavor and texture, unlike anything you have ever tasted. Taza is a pioneer in ethical cacao sourcing, and the first U.S. chocolate maker to establish a third-party certified Direct Trade Cacao Certification program. They maintain direct relationships with cacao farmers and pay a premium above the Fair Trade price for their cacao, partnering only with cacao producers who respect the rights of workers and the environment.
Tel-Affinity Corp. is an independent telecommunications and data communications sales consulting firm specializing in helping businesses control costs and optimize service levels. They are committed to ensuring that customers have access to the best possible telecommunications/data communications products and services to meet their business needs and budgetary constraints. Their objective is to build and retain mutually-beneficial long-term customer relationships by helping each customer find the product mix that best matches their needs and by providing ongoing customer service and support to supplement that of the carriers.
|
White House Honors CABA Executive Director,
Michael Green!
|
On Friday, July 15, the White House Recognized CABA's Executive Director,
Michael
Green
, as
"White House Champion of Change for Climate Equity." We are delighted to see Michael recognized by the White House for his work empowering the underserved small business community to prepare for and adapt to climate change. Building a strong, resilient local business community is central to what they do at CABA, because it is a critical component of protecting our most vulnerable citizens from climate change.
|
Take Action on Rising Sea Levels, Join BARS!
|
CABA's 2016 summer campaign, Businesses Acting on Rising Seas (BARS), has reached the targeted goal of initiating conversations with 500 businesses across coastal Massachusetts on the threats brought about by a changing climate. The campaign has taken Climate Action Business Association (CABA) outreach teams to communities throughout Boston and Cambridge, as well as nineteen towns along the Massachusetts coastline. Each business received a resiliency guide consisting of eight straightforward steps a business could take to increase their resiliency.
Rising seas pose a serious, yet often overlooked threat to businesses in coastal communities; this is why BARS focused on communities with the highest levels of flood risk in the state. Out of 233 businesses who responded to our survey questions, we can deduce that nearly 80% of businesses in high risk areas of coastal Massachusetts do not have an emergency plan in place.
By providing business owners with resources and uniting small business communities to take action, we are creating a more resilient economy and a model that can be used by others to do the same in their communities.
|
|
Green Tip of the Month:
Go Paperless!
|
|
It's easier than ever to go paperless! Encourage your office to switch to digital storage and organization!
|
|
|
|
|
Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts
