Please join Babson College and Silicon Vikings for an event that will bring together entrepreneurs and social innovators to address emerging opportunities around Environmental Sustainability. This discussion, led by Jim Poss, founder of BigBelly Solar and entrepreneurship faculty member at Babson College, will feature experts in clean-tech, climate protection, social marketing, and impact investing. We will focus the conversation on the role of business in promoting sustainability, the opportunities… Show more that are emerging from environmental needs, and the unique challenges associated with being a social entrepreneur. The session will be interactive, with plenty of time for Q&A as well as networking.
Please join us at 5:30 pm for networking and light refreshments.
Agenda :
5:30 – 6:15 Registration/Networking 6:15 – 7:30 Panel/Q&A 7:30 – 8:00 Networking/Social
Jim Poss . Jim is a technology innovator, entrepreneur and adjunct faculty member at Babson College. Jim is the founder of BigBelly Solar, and is a globally-recognized innovator and entrepreneur. He founded BigBelly Solar in 2003 based on the idea of applying renewable energy to the complex and expensive process of waste collection.
Over the following years and after four product generations, BigBelly Solar now brings operational efficiency and environmental benefits to customers in virtually every US state and in more than 30 countries. Jim began his career in renewable energy with a Pew Foundation grant to build a wave-powered energy generator. He further developed his focus on renewable energy in technical and business roles with Spire Corporation (solar manufacturing) and Azure Dynamics (hybrid and electric vehicles).
Jim has been recognized as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and as one of Businessweek Magazine’s Most Promising Social Entrepreneurs. He is also an instructor in environmental entrepreneurship and other entrepreneurship courses in Babson College’s MBA and undergraduate programs and a clean-technology speaker. Jim proudly served the U.S. State Department as a clean technology lecturer to government, academics, civic leaders and students in Australia and Japan in 2011-2012.
Jim received his MBA from Babson College with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and dual undergraduate BA in Environmental Science & Policy and Geology from Duke University.
Wood Turner. Wood was most recently VP of Sustainability Innovation for organic yogurt pioneer Stonyfield Farm and is the company’s lead advocate, facilitator and educator on sustainability issues. He is responsible for catalyzing efforts that fulfill Stonyfield’s mission of not only minimizing negative environmental impact in all areas of its operations, but also advancing innovative impact-reduction solutions. Previously, he was the founding executive director of Climate Counts, a leading corporate rating organization. Wood holds degrees from Duke University and the University of Washington. He has advised many high-profile projects, including the Seattle mayor’s Green Ribbon Commission on Climate Protection and Newsweek Magazine's corporate green rankings.
Melanie Nutter . Melanie is the Principal of Nutter Consulting and provides sustainability strategy development and implementation for cities, foundations and companies. Melanie is also a consulting partner in PR & Company, a full service communications strategy firm for social entrepreneurs, nonprofits, foundations and for-profits with a social mission to propel, scale and accelerate world-changing work through innovative strategy, cross-sector connections and communications campaigns that achieve results .
Prior to this role, Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed Melanie as the Director of the San Francisco Department of Environment, where she continued to serve for Mayor Edwin Lee through February 2014.
The Department or Environment helps all San Francisco residents and businesses take an active role in protecting the urban environment, develops "first in the nation" policy initiatives, conducts outreach and education on sustainable practices, and runs innovative environmental programs on zero waste, green building, climate and energy, toxics reduction and clean transportation, among others.
During her tenure, San Francisco achieved an 80% waste diversion rate, reduced its carbon emissions to 14.5% below 1990 levels and was named the Greenest City in North America by Siemens and the Economist Intelligence Unit. Under Nutter’s leadership, the Department expanded its focus on community outreach and engagement, released an updated Climate Action Strategy, launched a citywide adaptation effort and started a biodiversity program. Nutter also championed smart city strategies to help San Francisco meet its sustainability goals.
Gene Ramirez . Gene is Managing Director and Head of Technology, Media and Telecommunications at Morgan Joseph TriArtisan (MJTA), a privately held merchant banking firm focused on principal investing and investment banking. In the session, Gene will address financing challenges and issues facing clean tech companies. Prior to MJTA, Gene was Founder of DaVincian Technologies, Founder of Vitalz, and has also been Technology Equity Analyst at Robertson Stephens. Gene has a Master of Business Administration (MBA), with focus on Entrepreneurship from Babson College - Franklin W. Olin Graduate School of Business and has a BA in Economics and Finance from The University of Texas, Austin.
Parking:
Type in "Babson San Francisco" here for many options: Park in San Francisco
Standard Parking (in the Rincon Center) 121 Spear Street ABM 75 Howard Garage 75 Howard Street (open until 11 PM ) Tower Valet Parking, Inc. 124 Folsom Street (open 24 hours) Propark Hills Plaza Garage 25 Folsom Street (open until 11 PM )
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