2. Welcome
We’re glad you chose to join us for the Second Annual Opportunity
Green Conference here at UCLA.
Over the past year it has been exciting to hear stories of people
who met through Opportunity Green and ended up doing business
Welcome together. Companies got financed, people got hired and attendees
left inspired that they could take their companies to the next level in
sustainability, while being profitable.
This is a new year and a new conference but the goal of
BEING GREEN + BEING PROFITABLE is still the main objective. Even
in this unpredictable economic climate, sustainable business and
AGENDA
design practices are gaining momentum like never before. More and
more companies are clearly seeing the value, savings and competitive
advantage gained by employing sustainable practices in their daily
6 | SATURDAY operations. Consumers are becoming more savvy and demanding
more local, sustainable, innovative products that deliver high value.
7 | SUNDAY But only as long as they’re at the right price!
The opportunity and challenge of transforming our economy into a
10 | SPEAKERS
model of sustainability lies with us. If we lead by building products
and services that are both good for the environment and highly
profitable, others will follow.
44 | PARTNERS
We extend tremendous thanks to our speakers, hosts, sponsors,
partners, volunteers and board of directors for their time, energy,
support and for raising the bar in our quest to think big, offer more
and continually improve.
45 | CREDITS & We would also like to graciously thank the Anderson School of
Management the Harold and Pauline Price Center for Entrepreneurial
THANKS Studies, the UCLA Sustainable Resource Center and UCLA Catering
for hosting our dream and supporting our mission and our growth.
And to you, our participants, we thank you for you attendance,
46 | MANIFESTO
your thoughts, and your entrepreneurial energy. We hope that you
accomplish every goal you’ve set for yourself in attending Opportunity
Green 2008.
Sincerely,
Karen Solomon + Mike Flynn
3 OPPORTUNITY GREEN | BEING GREEN + BEING PROFITABLE
3. Welcome From The UCLA Office of the Chancellor
Dear Conference Participants:
Welcome to the 2008 Opportunity Green Conference. We are delighted
Opportunity to host this forum where students and professionals can share ideas
on how businesses can address the triple bottom line of financial,
environmental and social performance.
Green Attracts: Sustainability for a business or university is a cross-functional issue. In
addition to world-class education and research on sustainability, UCLA
is addressing our own footprint through a variety of initiatives in energy,
waste management, transportation, housing, and other areas. As a
result of efficiency measures and retrofits, we use less energy per square
foot than we did ten years ago. UCLA’s award-winning transportation
program saves 1.9 million vehicle trips per year through ride share,
subsidized bus passes and other measures available to students, faculty
| Entrepreneurial CEOs and staff.
| Business Owners
| Heads of Corporate Social To build a sustainable future, we must work across disciplines and create
responsibility
partnerships between the public and private sectors. UCLA’s Leaders
| Designers
in Sustainability graduate program enables students from management,
| MBA/MS/PhD-level graduate
students policy, planning, law, engineering, and other areas to tackle issues
| Bloggers of sustainability and gain the skills they need to be leaders in their
| University Officials, fields. As part of the program, students work on projects for local
Academics + Educators businesses and agencies. The UCLA Center on Corporate Environmental
| Non-Profits Performance builds bridges between academia and business through
| Investors cross-disciplinary research, educational programs, and ground-breaking
| Venture Capitalists collaboration.
| Environmental Officers
| Marketing/PR Executives
By tackling the challenge of climate change together, we can build a
| Engineers
| Policy Makers/Government sustainable future for everyone. I commend your interest in this issue
Officials and hope you enjoy your time at UCLA.
Sincerely,
Gene D. Block
Chancellor
University of California, Los Angeles
5 OPPORTUNITY GREEN
4. AGENDA DAY ONE AGENDA DAY TWO
MORNING SESSIONS CONCURRENT | 3:15pm - 3:30pm MORNING SESSIONS CONCURRENT PANEL AND | Ryan Scott
covel grand ballroom BREAKOUT SESSIONS Organic Refreshment Break covel grand ballroom IN-DEPTH WORKSHOPS TRACK TWO | ------------------------------------------
covel grand ballroom CONCURRENT covel grand ballroom northwest auditorium
BREAKOUT SESSIONS | 8:00am - 9:30am Big Ideas, Inspiring
| 8:00am - 08:45am
| 1:15pm - 2:05pm covel grand ballroom Organic Breakfast | 1:20pm - 2:00pm Solutions
covel grand ballroom
TRACK ONE | ---------------------------------------- | Al Seckel
Registration & | 3:30pm - 4:15pm
TRACK ONE | ------------------------------------------
covel grand ballroom | 9:30am - 9:40am | Thomas Hall
Organic Breakfast covel breakout
What’s Hot What’s Not TRACK ONE | ------------------------------------------
covel grand ballroom Business Case for CLOSING KEYNOTE
| 8:45am - 9:00am What’s Next: The Latest covel grand ballroom Morning Introdution Sustainability
Trends in Sustainability Media Matters in a SPEAKER
covel grand ballroom Boise + Annabelle | Chris Henn
MODERAtOR |Grace Hawthorne Sustainable World Mike Flynn + Karen Solomon | Cher Chronis covel grand ballroom
Welcome & Introdution | Tom Szaky
Karen Solomon &
MODERATOR | Michela O’Connor Bill Moses, Chairman of | Tom Feegel
| Marc Alt Abrams Opportunity Green | Josh Dorfman | 3:05pm
Mike Flynn, Co-Founders, | Zem Joaquin | Jonathan Greenblatt CLOSING SPEAKER
Opportunity Green | Mark Dwight | Greg Owsley
| Boise and Annabelle
| Bruce Brandfon | 9:40am - 10:40am TRACK TWO | ------------------------------------------
| Gene Block covel grand ballroom northwest auditorium
TRACK TWO | ---------------------------------------- TRACK TWO | ------------------------------------------ | Matt Peterson
| Nurit Katz Open Source Design
north west auditorium north west auditorium | Charles Zimmerman WORKSHOP LEADERS
| 9:05am - 10:25am Designing Sustainable Interactive Clean Technology | Marc Alt
covel grand ballroom Mobility: How are we Investment Panel | 10:45am - 11:30am | Scott Mattoon
Keynotes getting there? MODERATOR | Sylvia K. Burks covel grand ballroom | Peter Falt
| Colin Finlay - Cause & Effect MODERATOR |David Stokols | Gayle Pergamit Corporate Leaders in
| Stephanie Ryan - A Paradigm for | Howard Levine | Adeo Ressi Sustainability TRACK THREE | ------------------------------------------
Consistent Success in Sustainable | Mary Nickerson | Andy Funk MODERATOR | Jonathan Greenblatt
| Robert Davis covel breakout
| Rick Ridgeway - The Good, The Bad, | Michael Besancon
| 4:15pm - 4:30pm Workshop: Communicating
and The Ugly | Rick Ridgeway
Organic Refreshment Break the Benefits of Green
| 2:05pm - 2:25pm to a Client
| 10:25am - 10:45am WORKSHOP LEADERS
Networking and Organic Organic Refreshment Break | 4:30pm - 5:00pm CONCURRENT PANEL AND
Day One Closing | John Roberts
Refreshment Break IN-DEPTH WORKSHOPS | D’nae Kingsley
CLOSING KEYNOtE
covel grand ballroom
| 10:45am - 11:30am CONCURRENT | Josh Dorfman
BREAKOUT SESSIONS | 2:00pm - 2:20pm
covel grand ballroom
| 5:15pm - 8:00pm | 11:45am - 12:25pm Break
Keynotes covel grand ballroom
Being Green + Being TRACK ONE | ------------------------------------------
| Jane Savage - The Considered
Profitable After-Party CONCURRENT PANEL AND
Program: A Model for Continuous | 2:30pm - 3:15pm covel grand ballroom
IN-DEPTH WORKSHOPS
TRACK ONE | ---------------------------------------
(Open Bar) Effective Strategies
Assessment and Improvement covel grand ballroom
| Tim Cole - Moving Forward
for Waste
covel grand ballroom | Paul Ligon
with Product Standards Case Study - | Brian Allenby | 2:20pm - 3:05pm
Green Branding of | Cynthia Ruiz
| 11:30am - 11:40pm Pangea Organics by IDEO TRACK ONE | ------------------------------------------
Greening and Conversation | Joshua Onysko covel grand ballroom
SPEAKERS | Amy Leventhal TRACK TWO | ------------------------------------------ Best Practices in
| Marina Mintz TRACK TWO | -------------------------------------- covel breakout Green Social Media
Workshop: Nuts to Butter: a WORKSHOP LEADER | Michael Leifer
north west auditorium
| 11:40am - 12:15pm Sustainable Design Exercise | Ben Black
How will the Recession Impact Getting Funded and What to | Heidrun Mumper-Drumm | Rob Reed
the Green Economy Invest In
| Adeo Ressi
SPEAKERS | 12:30pm - 1:15pm
| Andy Funk
| Russ Walker Lunch
| Matt Kahn
| 12:15pm - 1:15pm
Organic Lunch
7 AGENDA
5. BEING GREEN +
BEING PROFITABLE
| BEING GREEN + BEING PROFITABLE
MIKE FLYNN As co-founder and COO of
Opportunity Green, Mike Flynn is the quintessential,
young green entrepreneur working hard to remove
“mutually exclusive” from the outdated attitude in
business toward social responsibility and profitability.
Opportunity Green 2007 put together a sold-out green
business conference for 500+ attendees that featured
keynotes like Kevin Wall from Live Earth; inspir-
ing, educating, and connecting a business community
towards an environmentally sustainability. Mike is also CO-FOUNDER AND COO
the co-creator of Feral Green (www.feralgreen.com) a OPPORTUNITY GREEN
four person humanitarian/ecological adventure and
surf trip from Newport Beach, CA to the Southern tip of
South America, all in a vegetable oil burning 4x4 truck,
educating and promoting alternative fuels and ecologi-
cal conservation throughout Latin America. Mike holds
FOUNDERS a BS, Cum Laude in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA
and will be attending the 2009 TED conference, where
some of the most talented and influential leaders in
business, technology and design collaborate advance
environmental sustainability.
BILL MOSES has crafted a green sustainable life KAREN SOLOMON Karen Solomon launched
that merges both the sustainability of business/com- Opportunity Green with partner Michael Flynn, in 2007
merce with home. Currently, he owns and operates Casa for the purpose of leading the advancement of sustainable
Barranca Retreat Center & Winery in Ojai, California, a entrepreneurship, raising awareness of the importance
fully sustainable eco-retreat that hosts green businesses of the triple bottom line and building strategic partner-
such as Patagonia as well yoga and mediation retreats. ships between thought leaders, business owners and The
Casa Barranca Winery is the first certified organic win- Next Generation. The initial success of Opportunity Green
ery and vineyard in California’s Central and Southern has already created an educational and networking plat-
Coast. Prior to this, Bill worked in New York with Bear ANGEL INVESTOR; FOUNDER, form that continues to grow beyond the conference level CO-FOUNDER AND CEO
Stearns & Co. and subsequently was a Managing Partner CASA BARRANCA ORGANIC to include salons, marketing events, eco-retreats and in OPPORTUNITY GREEN
and Investment Banker for Axiom Capital. He was also WINERY + ECO RETREAT the near future, the Opportunity Green Resource Center
CEO and Founder of Capital Formation Group, Inc. and Road Show, connecting the leaders of sustainability
with the Greenest Generation at colleges and Universities
across the country. Karen’s extensive background in poli-
tics, international sales, marketing, media, technology and
project management for companies such as DataDirect
Networks, Women In Technology and Wales Ltd (Israel)
has provided her with the tools to create something that
could really make a difference. Karen is a graduate of
Rutgers College (BA), Rutgers University.
6. MICHELA O’CONNOR ABRAMS is the
President and Publisher of Dwell, an award-winning
design and lifestyle media company. In 2006, Dwell hit
the coveted Adweek HotList as well as the Advertising
Age A-List, and was a Cappell’s Circulation Top Ten
Performer for the second consecutive year. In 2005,
Ms. O’Connor Abrams helped lead Dwell to the General
Excellence honor at the National Magazine Awards and
was the Sales Leader of the Year for Media Industry PRESIDENT +
News. Prior to Dwell, Ms. O’Connor Abrams was the PUBLISHER, DWELL
President of Imagine Medias Business Division, includ-
ing the flagship publication Business 2.0. With over 20
years of experience, she has held executive positions at
IDG, Ziff-Davis and McGraw-Hill, served on the Board
of Magazine Publishers of Americas Independent
Magazine Advisory Group, is an Operating Partner at
Meriturn Partners, and holds advisory roles at GOOD
Magazine, AdPerk and Enclave Rising.
SPEAKERS
BRIAN ALLENBY oversees print and web media
and marketing for Reverb, in addition to managing
day-to-day operations that include tours, events and
industry relations. Reverb is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
environmental organization founded by Guster guitar-
ist/vocalist Adam Gardner and his environmentalist
wife, Lauren Sullivan with the purpose of educating and
engaging musicians and their fans to promote environ-
mental sustainability. Reverb has coordinated greening MANAGER OF OPERATIONS
programs for the likes of Dave Matthews Band, John & EDUCATION, REVERB
Mayer, Jack Johnson, Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crow
and has worked with Warner Music Group, Live Nation,
Wolf Trap and other industry organizations. Prior to
joining Reverb, Brian worked in both the music and
environmental fields. After graduating from American
University in Washington DC, he promoted and pro-
ducing concerts from Charlottesville, VA to Vermont
and then transitioned to the environmental pursuits
by working for NativeEnergy, a national leader in the
renewable energy and carbon offset market.
11 SPEAKERS
7. MARK ALT is president of Marc Alt + Partners, a ners, Allconnect and iFloor.com, and also Internet REIT,
design, research and brand strategy agency dedicated OnRequest Images, Citizenhawk and SneakerVilla. As an
to sustainable innovation. Current clients include MINI entrepreneur, Black was VP of Corporate Development for
USA, Bloomberg LP, The Green Electronics Council, a team that transformed Harris Interactive into the lead-
The Consumer Electronics Association, and Lippincott ing internet-based market research firm, culminating into
Mercer. As an advocate of business transformation, a successful IPO and now generates more than $250M
Marc develops conferences that attract the leading in revenue. Black is an attorney and worked at Latham &
minds in the fields of sustainable development, corpo- Watkins after clerking on the Federal Court of Appeals for
rate social responsibility and innovation. In 2006, Marc PRESIDENT, the First Circuit in 1997. Black earned both his Bachelors
developed Grow, the first conference dedicated to the MARC ALT + PARTNERS of Arts and his Juris Doctor degrees at Cornell University.
intersection of design, sustainability and commerce,
and in 2008 he launched Greener Gadgets, a confer-
ence exploring the challenges, possibilities and trends GENE BLOCK Dr. Gene Block became chancellor
in the greening of the $170 billion consumer electronics of UCLA on August 1, 2007, taking the helm of a world-
industry. Marc serves on the advisory board of the The class institution comprising 37,000 students and 27,000
Designers Accord and is founding co-chair of the AIGA faculty and staff, with an annual budget of $3.8 billion.
Center for Sustainable Design. As chief executive officer, he oversees all aspects of the
university’s three-part mission of education, research and
service. A champion of public universities, Chancellor
MICHAEL BESANCON Entrepreneur and envi- Block has called for UCLA to deepen its engagement with
ronmental advocate, Michael Besancon, has spent Los Angeles, a city that offers a microcosm of the global CHANCELLOR OF UCLA
most of his career in the business of providing natural community, and to increase access for students from
and organic foods to a population craving a healthier underrepresented populations. A native New Yorker,
lifestyle. In 1970 he built, owned and operated Follow Chancellor Block holds a bachelor’s degree in psychol-
Your Heart Natural Foods, where he developed a line ogy from Stanford University and a master’s and Ph.D. in
of vegan products that are still sold in natural food psychology from the University of Oregon. He completed
stores throughout the nation today. He joined Whole a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford, studying with Colin
Foods Market in 1994 as Director of Purchasing in the Pittendrigh, “the father of biological timing,” and Donald
Southern Pacific Region and now chairs Whole Foods SENIOR GLOBAL VP OF Kennedy, who later served as president of Stanford.
Market’s National Green Mission Task Force, which has PURCHASING, DISTRIBUTION Chancellor Block and his wife, Carol, have two children.
lead the Company towards the 2006 purchase of renew- AND MARKETING, WHOLE
able energy credits from wind farms to offset 100% of FOODS MARKET
the electricity used in all of its U.S. offices, stores and
facilities. This was the largest wind energy credit pur- BRUCE BRANDFON led Scientific American to a
chase in the history of North America and made Whole revitalized position in the marketplace, with ad pages and
Foods Market the only Fortune 500 Company to do so. revenues up more than 100%. He created solid reposition-
ing for the magazine as a must-read for ambitious leaders
in public policy, business, science, and finance. He super-
BEN BLACK is the co-founder of New Cycle Capital, vised global sales and marketing and developed a close
a venture capital firm focused on investing in businesses working relationship with the Editor and Chief. Bruce
that promote The Sustainable Economy. Black was previ- formed joint ventures with other media partners includ-
ously on the investment teams at Maveron, a consumer- ing Forbes and The Financial Times, initiated Conference VICE PRESIDENT AND
focused venture capital firm founded by Howard Schultz, and Seminar franchise development. Expanded SA offer- PUBLISHER, SCIENTIFIC
the Chairman of Starbucks, and Rosewood Capital, a ings via Special Sections internationally and in the US and AMERICAN
consumer-focused private equity firm. He has been inte- restructured the compensation plan to motivate perfor-
gral to investments that include two Inc. 500 award win- mance. He launched SciAm Mind magazine in 2005 and
GENERAL PARTNER & Earth 3.0 in 2008.
CO-FOUNDER NEW CYCLE
CAPITAL 13 SPEAKERS
8. SYLVIA K. BURKS Ms. Burks’ practice focuses on team for Archidea. He is the on the Executive Committee
the representation of established and emerging tech- and Board of Directors for the US Green Building Council
nology companies in the areas of corporate securities, and the Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments, a
mergers, acquisitions and strategic alliances, intel- member of the USGBC Governance Committee, Chair of
lectual property matters, as well as general corporate the USGBC Ethics Panel, Vice-Chairman of the ASTM
representation. Ms. Burks’ particular focus is in han- Resilient Flooring Committee, a member of the ISO
dling cross-border transactions representing public and Flooring Committee, the ASTM and ISO Sustainable
private companies based in Europe and Asia. Prior to Building Committees and spends his extra time presenting
joining Pillsbury, Ms. Burks was a partner at Coudert PARTNER, PILLSBURY WIN- at various conferences on sustainability issues.
Brothers LLP in their Global Corporate practice. She has THROP SHAW PITTMAN LLP
practiced law at the German firm of Boden Oppenhoff
& Schneider (now Linklaters) in Cologne, and also in ROBERT DAVIS was appointed senior vice presi-
the Competition Directorate at the Commission of the dent in 2005 and is responsible for vehicle research and
European Union in Brussels. Ms. Burks is a frequent development, manufacturing and product quality and
speaker on various topics including cross-border licens- future product plans for North America. He reports to
ing and acquisitions, venture capital investment, and Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO for MNAO. Since
investment in companies in the life sciences sector. joining Mazda in April 1990, he has held various key
positions, including vice president of product strategy
and development, regional general manager for Midwest
CHER CHRONIS is a creative and strategic market- Region and sales, marketing and dealer development for SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT,
ing communications executive who has built and led the Southeast and Northeast Regions.Prior to joining PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
numerous successful results-driven marketing programs Mazda, Davis worked for Chrysler Motor Corporation AND QUALITY
over the past 20 years. She has extensive experience in Atlanta, Ga., as district sales manager for the Atlanta MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN
working directly with top executives, investors and the zone. Davis earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from OPERATIONS
media. Her core strength as a marketing professional is Clemson University in 1985, and his MBA from Georgia
the depth and breadth of experience on both the client State University in 1989.
and agency sides. She has done everything from brand
marketing and public relations, to business development DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
and investor relations, for a wide range of companies. COMMUNICATIONS ASUS JOSH DORFMAN Josh Dorfman is the creator,
Cher Chronis joined ASUS in 2007 as the Director of COMPUTER INTERNATIONAL producer, and host The Lazy Environmentalist, the envi-
Marketing Communications for North America, specifi- ronmental radio talk show airing live daily on Lime Radio
cally to extend the company’s brand identity and edu- on Sirius Satellite (Channel 114). His book, The Lazy
cate consumers of its innovations, and design expertise. Environmentalist: Your Guide To Easy, Stylish, Green
In addition, she is responsible for consumer related Living, was labeled by Dwell Magazine as “a guide to
co-marketing and co-branding business development going green without resorting to Birkenstocks and brown
opportunities, charitable donations and green focused rice casserole.” Josh is also the founder & CEO of Vivavi,
initiatives. provider of contemporary, eco-friendly furnishings at HOST/AUTHOR, “THE LAZY
ModernGreenLiving.com, Vivavi’s companion resource ENVIRONMENTALIST”;
helping consumers find green homes and green building FOUNDER & CEO, VIVAVI
TIM COLE has been in the flooring industry since experts. Inc. Magazine has called Vivavi “one of the fifty
1970 and with Forbo for the past 18 years, with respon- most intriguing companies helping to drive today’s green
sibilities ranging from Technical Rep to Sales Manager revolution.” Josh is a spokesperson for the FilterForGood
to Director overseeing the Technical, Marketing and campaign, a partnership between Brita and Nalgene that
Customer Service in North America and Product encourages consumers to reduce their plastic water bottle
Innovation Manager throughout Europe. Tim is waste. Josh has a BA from the University of Pennsylvania
responsible for environmental initiatives and product and an MBA from Thunderbird, The Garvin School of
development and is an international PR representative DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL INITIA- International Management.
of the Flooring Environment Group and the editorial TIVES AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT,
FORBO FLOORING SYSTEMS NORTH
14 AMERICA 15 SPEAKERS
9. GreenEvent_ASUSAd_300dpi.pdf 10/28/2008 4:18:44 PM
You can recycle
more than you think
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
To find out which Patagonia clothes are recyclable
through our Common Threads Recycling Program,
visit patagonia.com/recycle, or call 800-638-6464.
10. MARK DWIGHTRickshaw Bagworks is the San TOM FEEGEL is the founder of environmental busi-
Francisco-based manufacturer of messenger bags, com- ness strategy consulting firm, Brand Neutral. He has
puter carrying cases, lifestyle luggage and accessories over 15 years experience leading successful management
for the bicycle, outdoor and urban lifestyle specialty consulting firms, specializing in start up and entrepre-
retail markets. Dwight was formerly CEO of Timbuk2 neurial ventures within large corporations, helping clients
Designs, where he oversaw a financial turnaround and increase eco-efficiencies and capitalize on new media to
period of rapid growth, and then sold the company to create and sustain competitive advantage. Tom served Al
private equity investors in 2005, which resulted in the Gore and Kevin Wall as the Chief of Staff for Live Earth,
locally-publicized distribution of $1.2 million to the FOUNDER AND CEO, the worldwide concert events broadcast on 7-7-07, to FOUNDER AND CEO,
company’s 40 factory employees. Dwight is a Bay Area RICKSHAW BAGS raise awareness of the global climate crisis and to enlist BRAND NEUTRAL
native, with 20 years experience in high-technology citizens in lifestyle-based solutions. In 1993, Tom founded
and consumer marketing, product development, and NetResponse, an award-winning interactive business strat-
manufacturing operations for the likes of Cisco Systems, egy consulting firm that advised dozens of Fortune 500
Astro Studios, and Kensington. Dwight has a B.S. companies on the strategy, development, and launch of
in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA, both from their digital services and offerings. With over 120 consul-
Stanford University and currently serves on the Board tants and industry experts, and offices in Washington, DC,
of Directors of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce New York City, and San Francisco, the firm helped develop
and Mavericks Surf Ventures. Dwight lives in the SOMA several of the most successful early Internet brands, many
district of San Francisco. of which still thrive today.
PETER FALT DesignworksUSA is BMW’s global COLIN FINLAY is one of the world’s foremost docu-
advanced design center where 3rd party clients benefit mentary photographers, covering a broad spectrum rang-
from future knowledge, success oriented goals, and deep ing from war to the environment. His photographs have
global resources. Peter is passionate about aligning busi- been featured in Vanity Fair, TIME, U.S. News and World
ness objectives with design, development, and communi- Report, American Photo, Los Angeles Magazine, Asia
cation services to reach tough goals. “The ability to speed week, World Health Organization, UNICEF, Photographic
sustainably designed and well communicated products Magazine, Communication Arts and Discovery. His work
and services to market has both immediate and long- has been honored by the Lucie Award/IPA, POYi (Picture
lasting benefits for everyone. Conversely, poorly designed DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC of the Year International), New York Art Directors, Photo DOCUMENTARY
and highly marketed “green-washed” products confuse PARTNERING, BMW GROUP District News (PDN), Applied Arts, International Center PHOTOGRAPHER
the public and add to the overall problems of sustain- DESIGNWORKS USA for Photography, the Academy of Television Arts and
able understanding rather than supporting it.” Holding a Sciences and he has been awarded the prestigious Picture
BFA in Industrial Design, Peter has a history of sustain- of the Year International honor six times. He is the author
able design and triple bottom line understanding includ- of “Testify,” a collection of images from seventeen years of
ing water purification, low-cost mobile chillers for local photo journalism around the globe, and “Darfur: Twenty
organic farmers, recycling systems, published work in Years of War and Genocide in Sudan.” which features eight
Victor Papanek’s The Green Imperative, and good design world-renowned photographers and writers and was co-
award from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum. produced with Amnesty International and his non-profit
organization, Proof.
18 19 SPEAKERS
11. ANDY FUNK Andy J. Funk is an accomplished entre- book and documentary film, “Fired! Tales of the Canned,
preneur turned venture capitalist. He embodies the Funk Canceled, Downsized and Dismissed” was #1 on The
Ventures philosophy by combining his passion for busi- New York Post Hot List and was called “hilarious” by
ness and investing with an altruistic vision. An entrepre- The Nation Magazine, and “entertaining and slyly sub-
neur since age 18, Andy’s diverse accomplishments prior to versive” by Oprah Magazine. Besides her six-year stint
age 24 include the establishment and sale of: Microdyme, on the cult favorite Dinner and a Movie for TBS, she’s
(acquired by iBoost) Helping.org (acquired by America hosted shows on ABC, HBO, Sci-Fi, The Style Channel,
Online,) Daily F1 (acquired by Total F1) Andy is the author The Game Show Network. Annabelle attended NYU and
of the chapter “Investing Today for a Better Tomorrow” in CEO AND CHAIRMAN lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Emmy-Award
the book “VC: Best Practices” and is a frequent panelist and FUNK VENTURES winning writer Jeff Kahn, and their ten year old son in a
presenter for such events as the MIT Enterprise Forum, house lit (dimly) by CFLs.
PWC MoneyTree Survey and many other industry forums
and conferences. Andy has been featured on Forbes Radio,
the Wall Street Journal, Financier Worldwide, the Los THOMAS HALL Tom Hall is Director of Facilities
Angeles Business Journal and other notable publications. Planning and Development for the Los Angeles
He resides with his wife Kristi M. Funk, a renowned breast Community College District. The Los Angeles Community
cancer surgeon, in Santa Monica, California. College District is presently implementing a $2.2 bil-
lion construction and renovation program based on the
principles of sustainability, making it one of the larg-
est sustainable development programs in the world.
JONATHAN GREENBLATT is a senior advisor Tom has received two Bachelor of Science Degrees, the
to the X-PRIZE Foundation, a former vice president first in Biology from Iowa State University and a second DIRECTOR LOS ANGELES
of Starbucks Coffee Company and a board member of in Electronic Engineering from DeVry University. Tom COMMUNITY COLLEGE
the Starbucks Foundation. He is now the co-founder also holds a Masters of Business Administration and an DISTRICT
of Ethos Water which will invest more than $10 mil- Education Specialist Degree in the Administration of
lion by 2010 in sustainable water programs that help Higher Education from the University of Central Missouri.
children around the world get clean water. Acquired by
Starbucks in 2005, Ethos is currently sold in more than
6,000 Starbucks locations and other premium retail CEO, GOOD WORLDWIDE INC. GRACE HAWTHORNE ReadyMade is a design
outlets across North America. Greenblatt teaches social and lifestyle brand for Gen X/Y who value creativity
entrepreneurship at the Anderson Graduate School and an independent approach to their material world
of Management at UCLA and previously served in the through sustainability and reuse design. ReadyMade
White House and Commerce Department. He is a direc- was launched in 2001 and sold to Meredith Corp. in
tor of the African Leadership Foundation and a member 2006. Prior to ReadyMade, Hawthorne was a strate-
of the 2007 Class of Henry Crown Fellows of the Aspen gist for film, television, print, and new media compa-
Institute and the Pacific Council on International Policy. nies like Giant Robot, Inside, ICM, Trimark Pictures,
Greenblatt lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two Primedia, and Supercross. Hawthorne has been a board CO-FOUNDER AND
sons and is an avid member of Red Sox Nation West. member of the University Art Museum, Humanities PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER
West, and SFMoMA’s Media Arts Council and is the
co-author of the award winning book, ReadyMade:
ANNABELLE GURWITCH When Annabelle How to Make Almost Everything. Her artwork has
Gurwitch isn’t shrinking America’s ecological foot- been exhibited in the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum’s
prints as the host of Wa$ted!, she’s offering her unique Triennial, the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston,
brand of humor and perspective on politics, pop cul- and Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. Hawthorne
ture and the environment for The Nation Magazine. is an art graduate of UC Berkeley, holds an MBA from
com, NPR, and CNN Headline News. Annabelle is the the Anderson School of Business at UCLA, and an MFA
national spokesperson for the Forest Ethics’ Do Not from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.
Mail Registry campaign to stop junk mail and her recent
ACTRESS, AUTHOR AND
20 ACTIVIST 21 SPEAKERS
12. PINK CLOUD EVENTS
STYLE. SUBSTANCE. SUSTAINABILITY.
Pink Cloud Events is the young, hip, green event production company
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The Newman Group
Robert Newman
Vice President
Wealth Advisor
(213) 553-3336
robert.n.newman@morganstanley.com
Merryll McElwain
Financial Advisor
(213) 553-3339
merryll.mcelwain@morganstanley.com
601 S. Figueroa
28th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90017
13. Policy from the UCLA School of Public Affairs and is
CHRIS HENN has more than 20 years of insur- co-President of the Los Angeles Professional Chapter of
ance industry experience. Chris leads Esurance’s insur- Net Impact.
ance operations, corporate services, internal audit, and
customer service operations. Chris drove the decision
to build a claims fleet based on hybrid vehicles and has MATT KAHN is a Professor at UCLA’s Institute of the
transformed Esurance’s acquisition of office supplies and Environment. He holds secondary appointments in the
equipment, transitioning towards more environmentally Department of Economics and the Department of Public
friendly products. Chris is also the executive sponsor of Policy. He is a Research Associate at the National Bureau
Esurance’s internal green steering committee. of Economic Research. Before joining the UCLA faculty
MANAGING DIRECTOR – in January 2007, he taught at the Fletcher School at Tufts
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, University. He has also taught at Columbia, Harvard
ESURANCE and Stanford. In 2006, the Brookings Institution Press
ZEM JOAQUIN Inspired and mentored by William published his book Green Cities: Urban Growth and the PROFESSOR AT UCLA’S
McDonough and other environmental thinkers, Zem has Environment. This book’s Chinese translation was pub- INSTITUTE OF THE
developed a lens that makes it impossible to view products lished in 2008. In late 2008, Princeton University Press ENVIRONMENT
as she once did. Cradle to Cradle means that everything will publish his book Heroes and Cowards: The Social Face
that comes from the earth (and even what doesn’t) should of War (joint with Dora L. Costa). His research focus is
go back as a biological nutrient. She has always worked in environmental and urban economics. He blogs on these
design, whether it was as a critic or promoter and believes subjects at greeneconomics.blogspot.com. His research
the time has come to reinvent the way we think about webpage is mek1966.googlepages.com.
design. As a board member of Global Green, Healthy
Child, Healthy World and Teens For Safe Cosmetics, Zem FOUNDER/EDITOR IN CHIEF,
has access to the latest and greatest information about ECOFABULOUS D’NAE KINGSLEY is the account lead on AMCI’s
green innovations. She is certified by Builditgreen as a consumer work with Scion. In her previous role at
green building professional and studies both online and AMCI, D’nae assisted in AMCI’s Strategic Planning prac-
off line, exhaustively. She applies this knowledge in her tice, where she worked in Brand Alliances, identifying
eco-consultancy business, as green contributing editor at and implementing successful lifestyle and media part-
Domino Magazine, on television and radio spots and, most nerships for top automotive brands around the world.
emphatically, on ecofabulous.com. As a publicist at Manning Selvage & Lee, D’nae led press
events, media campaigns and strategic partnerships for
General Motors and Procter & Gamble. D’nae’s efforts ACCOUNT MANAGER, AMCI,
NURIT KATZ is a sustainability professional focused withGM included Cadillac vehicle marketing and race AUTOMOTIVE MARKETING
on building multi-sector and interdisciplinary collabora- division, Goodwrench consumer engagement and GM CONSULTANTS INC.
tion. She was recently hired to lead UCLA’s sustainability Environment & Energy strategy. D’nae’s efforts with
efforts as the university’s first Sustainability Coordinator, Procter & Gamble included an award-winning influenc-
where she will foster partnerships among academic, er-based integrated marketing campaign. She led the
research and operational departments to further cam- integrated marketing efforts for Galpin Auto Sports and
pus sustainability. Nurit founded the UCLA Sustainable MTV’s “Pimp My Ride.” In this role, D’nae was integral
Resource Center in 2005 to provide resources for the to the highly praised “Pimp My Ride” Earth Day episode,
community on sustainability. As Director of the pro- SUSTAINABILITY which re-defined “green cars” to the Gen X/Y market.
gram, she hosted numerous educational events, served COORDINATOR, UCLA
as President of the Graduate Students Association and
helped develop the new interdisciplinary graduate cer-
tificate program - Leaders in Sustainability. In 2008
she helped launch the new UCLA Center for Corporate
Environmental Performance as well as the Los Angeles
Expo Light Rail Line. Nurit holds an MBA from the UCLA
Anderson School of Management and a Masters in Public
24 25 SPEAKERS
14. MICHAEL LEIFER is a Cultural Anthropologist HOWARD LEVINE With a background in finance, cor-
with an expertise in building and maintaining markets porate restructuring, intellectual property rights, business
and social movements. He is the author of “Green Social development and general business law, Howard conceived
Currency,” debuting in early 2009 and was a Founding and developed the Venture Vehicles business plan after
Member of the UCLA World Arts and Cultures Major. recognizing that the world would soon be entering a new era
Michael founded Cancer411.org, a Non-Profit dedicated of personal mobility. In 2005, Howard discovered a proven
to addressing cancer patients, enrolled Erin Brockovitch and patented technology that provided dynamic stability
and solidified partnership deals with Oncology.com, to enclosed tilting three-wheel vehicles. Howard enlisted
NBC / iVillage’s Healthology, Nexcura, Userplane, CULTURAL ANTHROPOLO- world-class strategic partners, closing the company’s first FOUNDER, COO & GENERAL
the US National Health Institute and the US National GIST AND SENIOR VICE round of venture capital funding in 2007, launching the COUNSEL, VENTURE
Cancer Institute. In 2000, Leifer established Guerilla PRESIDENT/ExECUTIVE design and engineering phase of its development. Recent VEHICLES, INC.
PR, Inc. a non-traditional advertising agency special- DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA, milestones include the passage of a bill by the California
izing in social media and influencer-based market- SWIRL legislature granting enclosed three-wheel vehicles access to
ing campaigns. Guerilla PR Won the Ad-Tech 2007 HOV lanes. Howard founded Comedy World, Inc. in 1999
“Best Social Media Marketing Award” and works with and served as its General Counsel. Mr. Levine received a
Fortune 500 brands Coca-Cola, Nestle, Sony, Isuzu, Red B.A. from Brooklyn College (C.U.N.Y.) and a law degree
Bull, Napster, Dwell and many others. Leifer recently from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
sold Guerilla PR to Swirl, whose clients include the SF
Giants, Oakland Raiders, Skype, PayPal, Jamba Juice
and eBay Motors.
PAUL LIGON has 20 years of experience in the
AMY LEVENTHAL Amy’s been a writer for over environmental field. He joined Waste Management’s
15 years—marrying the art of strategy and story as a Upstream division in 2003 and currently directs the strat-
means of creating meaningful opportunities for con- egy, engineering, and innovation team. Between 1990 and
nection. She has written about everything from electric 2003, he was a senior consultant with the Tellus Institute,
cars and biodynamic wines to organic bodycare and where he advised agencies and businesses on emerging
luxury hotels, for world-class design firms and advertis- best practices and policy in the environmental fields. His
ing agencies including IDEO, SYP, Celery Design, GMO, clients included the US Environmental Protection Agency,
Hill Holliday, Arnold Communications and Hal Riney The United Nations, The Beijing Municipal Environmental DIRECTOR,
& Partners. During that time, she’s had the privilege to STRATEGIC STORYTELLER Protection Bureau, The California Integrated Waste WASTE MANAGEMENT
work on some incredibly inspiring projects and spec- Management Board, General Motors, ConAgra, Texas
tacular brands. In a nutshell, Amy enjoys helping com- Instruments, and others. He has published or delivered
panies turn chaos in clarity, and is equally as inspired more than 30 presentations and professional articles on
by the strategic side of things as she is the creative bits. business and sustainability, and is a Certified Hazardous
This year, she had the pleasure to co-write two books Materials Manager (CHMM). He has an MBA from
with IDEO in their Eyes Open series of Field Guides for Dartmouth College, where he founded the “Vermont
the Curious. Starting with New York and London, the Student Environmental Program” and Tuck’s “Business
series explores cities as a lens for design inspiration. and Sustainability Initiative,” both of which continue to
provide practical training and experience to students pur-
suing careers in the environmental field.
26 27 SPEAKERS
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16. SCOTT MATTOON serves on the Board of JOSHUA ONYSKO Founder and CEO Joshua
Directors of Architecture for Humanity, sponsor of the Onysko’s commitment to social sustainability launched
Open Architecture Network. He is an active advocate for Pangea Organics six years ago. He envisioned an
open source and sustainable business. He seeks to apply institute that would aid corporations in becoming
the principles of transparency, collaboration and shar- more socially responsible and environmentally sound
ing in his work as Chief Architect for Sun Microsystems’ and heeded a friend’s out-of-the-box suggestion to
Western U.S. Market. Scott is technical liaison for Sun to make soap to fund the project. Forty-one products
the TED community, and serves as lead systems archi- later, Pangea Organics is currently the largest U.S.
tect for Sun’s support of TED prize winners Cameron CHIEF ARCHITECT OF THE cold-processed organic soap manufacturer—always FOUNDER AND CEO, PANGEA
Sinclair, Neil Turok and Bill Clinton for their work in U.S WESTERN REGION SUN organic, handcrafted, fair-trade (whenever possible) ORGANICS
Africa. Scott’s career has spanned several leadership MICROSYSTEMS and cruelty-free, and never containing petrochemicals,
positions with companies helping to shape business and parabens, GMOs or other synthetic or harmful ingredi-
society on the Internet including 4charity.com, Live365. ents, Pangea’s ingredients begin to break down within
com, Cybersource, and NeXT. A glimpse of his sensibili- 48 hours of use. A generous portion of profits support
ties relating to open source and sustainable business are the Pangea Institute, a non-profit that researches and
revealed on his downstream blog. teaches sustainable living and business practices.
GREG OWSLEY In his 13 years at the brand hub for
HEIDRUN MUMPER-DRUMM A graphic New Belgium Brewing, Greg Owsley has grown along with
designer and letterpress printer, Heidrun Mumper- the company from a homespun marketer to a position Dr.
Drumm serves as adjunct associate professor in the Douglas Holt coined as the “1st Cultural Branding Director
Graphic Design and Humanities & Design Sciences in America.” During his tenure, the company New Belgium
departments at Art Center College of Design. Since has blossomed from a 30,000 annual barrel microbrewery
2003, her focus has been on the incorporation of sus- to the 3rd largest craft beer brewer in the country kicking
tainability principles into design education and the ART CENTER FACULTY, out close to a 1/2 million barrels annually. From stag-
design process. HUMANITIES + DESIGN ing events like the traveling bicycle carnival, Tour de Fat,
SCIENCES, GRAPHIC DESIGN to the Redefining Folly advertising/advocacy campaign, CHIEF BRANDING OFFICER,
Owsley and the New Belgium team have created a style NEW BELGIUM BREWING
MARY NICKERSON leads marketing strategy, of branding that is as fermented with authenticity as it is
development, and implementation for Toyota’s Hybrid dosed with quirkiness. In 2007, Brand Week, Advertising
Synergy Drive, technology and environmental Toyota Age, Deliver, Beverage Industry and Communication Arts
brand strategy, as well as external communications for all recognized the brewery’s playful, yet sincere approach
Marketing. Previously, she led the Prius and RAV4 to sustainable branding.
EV marketing programs as the national manager of
Advanced Technology Vehicle Marketing. She joined
Toyota in 1997 as national manager of procurement for GAYLE PERGAMIT is cofounder and CEO of Agua
the company’s North American Parts Operations. Prior Via. Ms. Pergamit has focused on business development in
to joining Toyota, she was the director of material opera- NATIONAL MANAGER, the disruptive technologies which have characterized the
tions for Delco Defense Systems, and spent 20 years CROSS-VEHICLE HYBRID San Francisco Bay Area. Ms Pergamit cofounded AMiX,
in management positions at General Motors’ Hughes MARKETING, which pioneered the e-commerce business models which
Electronics. Nickerson earned her Master’s of Science TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, underlie E-Bay and Priceline. She taught analysis and
degree in business administration from Claremont U.S.A., INC. communication skills at Stanford University Graduate
Graduate School, Peter F. Drucker School of Business School of Business, and has co-authored two books: one
in International Business. She earned her Bachelor’s of on the subject of nanotechnology co-written with Dr. K. CEO AND CO-FOUNDER,
Science degree in finance at California State University Eric Drexler, founder of the field of nanotechnology, and AGUA VIA LLC
Long Beach. She lives on a ranch in southern California, Christine Peterson. Ms. Pergamit was previously named
with her husband and two sons and enjoys growing by the publication “Microtimes” as one of Silicon Valley’s
organic wine grapes and avocados. Most Influential People.
30 31 SPEAKERS
17. MATT PETERSEN joined Global Green USA in 1994. kets and was an early pioneer in the growth of the World
He serves on the Council of Green Cross International, and Wide Web, an advocate for the burgeoning private space
is Chair of the GCI Energy and Resource Efficiency pro- exploration industry, and the founder and former CEO of
gram. Petersen guides Global Green USA’s new programs, Game Trust, Inc., the leading community and ecommerce
including water, energy, green power, climate change, and software platform for online casual game play.
nuclear weapons. In the aftermath of the Gulf Coast hur-
ricanes, Petersen mobilized resources to create the Global
Green “Healthy Homes and Smart Neighborhoods” initia- RICK RIDGEWAY As Patagonia’s Vice President of
tive which resulted in: the New Orleans Sustainable Design PRESIDENT AND CEO, Environmental Initiatives and Special Media Projects,
Competition with Jury Chair Brad Pitt; the NOLA Green GLOBAL GREEN USA Rick promotes two of the company’s three-part mission
Schools Initiative funded by the Bush Clinton Katrina statement: “…to make the best product, cause no unnec-
Fund; and work with Habitat for Humanity throughout essary harm, and use business to inspire and implement
the Gulf Coast to create more energy efficient housing. In solutions to the environmental crisis.” Rick oversees the
2008 Matt was honored as the Hillary Institute’s inaugu- company’s environmental grant-making, education and
ral Hillary Senior Fellow and serves on advisory boards special projects. Rick also manages Patagonia Productions,
for Discovery’s Planet Green, the Leonardo DiCaprio a division that publishes book and produces films. As one VP OF ENVIRONMENTAL
Foundation, the Pacific Council on International Policy of the world’s foremost adventurers, Rolling Stone maga- PROGRAMS AND COMMUNI-
and the Environmental Media Association (EMA). zine called Ridgeway “the real Indiana Jones,” being one of CATION, PATAGONIA
the first Americans to summit K2, considered the hard-
est mountain in the world to climb. He has produced and
ROB REED is the visionary behind Max Gladwell, a directed over 30 adventure shows for television, 40 articles
leading independent blog that covers the nexus of social for the likes of Outside and National Geographic and
media and green living and represents the belief that authored six books, including the highly acclaimed Seven
our social and environmental problems are solvable and Summits, The Shadow of Kilimanjaro and Below Another
that entrepreneurs and social media will play a central Sky. Rick lives with his wife in Ojai, California, and they
role. Reed is also co-founder of Media Maxwell, a social have three grown children.
media and cause marketing firm. Reed is a career-long
journalist, marketer, former editor for Bike and Powder
magazines and has written for National Geographic FOUNDER MAx GLADWELL JOHN MARSHALL ROBERTS serves as communi-
Adventure, Men’s Journal, and Stuff magazines. In cations consultant for several client organizations, includ-
2005, Reed wrote The Way of the Snowboarder and then ing Evenson Design Group, a sustainable branding and
joined Earth Biofuels, Inc. as Director of Marketing and design firm in Los Angeles. A former psychology professor,
Communications, where he was responsible for Willie John’s unique insight into the psychology of the communi-
Nelson’s BioWillie biodiesel brand. He later collabo- cation design process has made him a prominent contribu-
rated with Julia Roberts on CitizensSchoolBus.org and tor to several pioneering entertainment projects over the
Reed was responsible for the branding and marketing of past decade, including two $200 million dollar plus theme
Conserv Fuel, a “green filling station” in Brentwood, CA, park designs. Recent clients include the Oscar-winning DIRECTOR OF MARKETING,
that sells B99 biodiesel and E85 ethanol. BRC Imagination Arts, the Joseph Campbell Foundation EVENSON DESIGN GROUP
and Knock Knock, Inc. An outspoken voice within in the
ADEO RESSI is The Founding Member of Los Angeles sustainable business community, John is
TheFunded.com, an online resource for CEO’s to particularly interested in using his research to further the
research, rate, and review venture funds worldwide. environmental movement’s agenda, for both profit and
Adeo serves on the Board of the X PRIZE Foundation, non-profit organizations, creating messaging campaigns
a non-profit chartered to inspire human achievements that inspire environmental action. His new book “Igniting
through competition, joining a recognized group of Inspiration: A Persuasion Manual for Visionaries” is
Trustees that includes Larry Page, Craig Ventor, Elon quickly becoming an indispensable tool for a new genera-
Musk, and Dean Kamen. A serial entrepreneur, Mr. tion of socially conscious marketers, business leaders, and
Ressi has focused on launching companies in new mar- FOUNDING MEMBER, THE activists in the Los Angles area and beyond.
FUNDED; TRUSTEE,
32 x-PRIZE FOUNDATION 33 SPEAKERS
18. What’s the easiest
way to move a rock?
Find out at the EDG booth
and enter to win a Kindle
(e-reader) by Amazon.
EVENSON DESIGN GROUP
t 310 204 1995
www.evensondesign.com
19. CYNTHIA RUIZ Environmentalist and commu-
nity activist Cynthia M. Ruiz joined the Board of Public RYAN SCOTT created Causecast with the goal of dras-
Works on July 19, 2005 and currently serves as its tically increasing online giving by providing cause-based
president. Commissioner Ruiz, who was one of Mayor knowledge, tools and social connections in an empower-
Antonio Villaraigosa’s first appointees after his elec- ing and entertaining environment. A former CTO, Ryan
tion as mayor, previously served on the Board of Public Scott is widely recognized as the (young) father of opt-in
Works in 2003-04. Ruiz brings more than two decades email marketing and has made it his mission to change
of community involvement and experience to a team the world through viral technologies and social networks.
that ensures quality and efficient delivery of key City ser- PRESIDENT, CITY OF LOS Ryan Scott co-founded NetCreations, Inc., the first 100%
vices to the public. She is a graduate of California State ANGELES, BOARD OF PUBLIC opt-in e-mail marketing company that proved ethical email FOUNDER AND CEO
University, Los Angeles, where she earned a Bachelor WORKS marketing was profitable and sustainable. NetCreations CAUSECAST
of Science degree in counseling and Chicano Studies grew to a $58 million public company in 2001 and was then
and a Master of Science degree in counseling. The acquired by Pagine Gialle for $111 million. Ryan currently
Commissioner was a rehabilitation counselor for more holds investments in numerous Information Technology
than 25 years and an expert witness for various court and Environmental Service companies including Signum
cases for 20 years. She also has more than 20 years of Biosciences, Sierra Nevada Solar, Cool Earth Solar, T1ME,
teaching experience in workers compensation rehabili- Mahalo, and Tesla Motors. Ryan Scott lives in the greater
tation and review of related case law. Los Angeles area with his wife, Joanna..
STEPHANIE RYAN Stephanie started her career AL SECKEL Al Seckel, a renowned cognitive neuro-
at Innovation Associates consulting firm (founder, Peter scientist and award-winning author in the field of visual
Senge, author of best seller, The Fifth Discipline), where perception, has been very active in creative thinking and
she designed and delivered leadership programs on science-related issues for over thirty years. He has lectured
the disciplines of organizational learning to corporate extensively all over the world and has been a featured
clients. Currently, Stephanie is working with B Lab, a speaker at the TED conferences. He is a a member of John
non-profit that certifies triple bottom line companies. Brockmans’s Third culture, The Edge, a prestigious group
She believes the emerging sector of private companies of world thinkers, and serves on the Board of Directors of
for public benefit is a key leverage point for today’s eco- CONSULTANT, the Pete Conrad Foundation. Previously, Seckel served as FOUNDER AND VISIONARY,
nomic and social challenges. WHIDBEY INSTITUTE the Executive Director and Senior Board Advisor to the X GLOBALSOLVER
PRIZE Foundation for the Ocean X PRIZE project. FOUNDATION
JANE SAVAGE Jane’s passion for sustainable
design was ignited while earning a BFA degree with DAVID STOKOLS is President and CEO of the AMCI
a major in Industrial Design from the Rhode Island Group, based in Los Angeles, California. AMCI is a global
School of Design. She worked in kid’s footwear in company specializing in alternative marketing, prod-
Boston and New York until joining Nike in 1997. In her uct education, brand and culture building, and, product
11+ years at Nike her positions included Design Director testing for the automotive industry. Offices are located
of Kids Footwear and Design Manager of Women’s in L.A., Detroit, N.Y., San Diego, London, Brussels and
Sport Performance Footwear until her recent appoint- Beijing. Mr. Stokols is one of the early partners in the
ment to help lead the Nike Considered Design move- DIRECTOR, CATEGORY INTE- company which was founded in the ‘80s. AMCI is now
ment for Nike Corporate Responsibility. For Jane, her GRATION, NIKE part of the Omnicom global agency network. As President PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE
work at Nike is an exceptional opportunity to connect CONSIDERED DESIGN of AMCI, Mr. Stokols leads the organizations efforts as the AMCI GROUP
the mandates of her industrial design education toward #1 rated automotive specialty marketing company. You
a global good. A native of Brookline, Massachusetts, she might recognize AMCI’s and Mr. Stokols’ work in hun-
is currently enjoying her home in Portland, Oregon with dreds of nationally advertised product claim T.V. commer-
her husband Michael and their son Max. A diehard Red cials over two decades.
Sox fan, she loves movies, television, reading, gourmet
cooking, running, travel, and sports.
36 37 SPEAKERS
20. at the National Journal Group. He spent is early years as
TOM SZAKY Tom Szaky is co-founder and Chief a congressional aide on Capitol Hill and as a public affairs
Executive Officer of TerraCycle, Inc., producer of the staff person for a nonprofit health care policy association.
world’s first products made from and packaged in Walker is a 1990 graduate of Vanderbilt University and a
waste materials. TerraCycle has won the Home Depot native of Columbia, Kentucky.
Environmental Stewardship award twice, and been
named by multiple organizations as the most eco-friendly
products in Mass Distribution. Tom came to the United CHARLES ZIMMERMAN is leading the
States in 2001 as a freshman at Princeton University. In “Sustainable Buildings Network” at Wal-Mart. This net-
2002, he took a leave of absence to dedicate himself full- CEO, FOUNDER, TERRACYCLE work, among other things, is charged with increasing the
time to starting TerraCycle, Inc., beginning as a two-man overall energy efficiency of new and existing buildings by
outfit in the crowded basement of an old office building in 20-30 percent. Prior to his current role, Mr. Zimmerman
Princeton. Today TerraCycle is one of the fastest growing worked in the International Division for Wal-Mart Stores
private companies in America. as Director of Design and Construction. Mr. Zimmerman
has worked for Wal-Mart since 1997. Previously, he
worked in both the consulting industry as well as for VICE PRESIDENT OF PRO-
BOISE THOMAS Boise formerly served as the face the Texas State Department of Highways. In 2007, Mr. TOTYPE & NEW FORMAT
of G Living, a modern green lifestyle network, where he Zimmerman testified before the United States Congress DEVELOPMENT, WAL-MART
wrote, produced and hosted over 100 environmentally- on two separate occasions regarding energy efficiency STORES, INC.
focused shows, including an online series The Real G, matters. Mr. Zimmerman is a graduate of the University
where he interviewed sustainability expert John Picard of Arkansas, a registered professional engineer, mem-
and the founders of Method. Boise has covered numer- ber of the Arkansas Academy of Civil Engineers and
ous environmental events including the premiere of was recently appointed to the advisory board for the
Leonardo DiCaprio’s The 11th Hour and the 2007 California Energy Efficiency Center at UC - Davis.
Environmental Media Awards presented by E! Boise HOST ALTER ECO/PLANET
worked as a leader for AmeriCan Adventures, driv- GREEN/DISCOVERY CHANNEL
ing foreigners across the US, teaching them about the
country’s national parks and resources. Boise has spent
7 years in commercial work, booking a total of 71 televi-
sion spots for many major brands and advertisers. He
currently lives in Venice, California where he and his
wife practice a sustainable lifestyle while developing an
eco-oasis in Kansas that they hope to use as a tool to
teach others about the importance of sustainability.
RUSS WALKER joined Grist as executive director
in July 2008. Prior to Grist, he was assistant manag-
ing editor for Nation and World at washingtonpost.
com, providing unique online components to comple-
ment the daily journalism of The Washington Post. He
was senior producer of washtech.com, which was re-
launched in 2002 as TechNews.com, a website focusing
on both the national and local technology scene, where
he supervised the site’s politics, nation, world, business, ExECUTIVE EDITOR, GRIST
and technology sections. Walker was online director
of FreedomChannel.com, a political video website that
covered the 2000 elections, and he was an editor of
health care policy and international affairs publications
38 39 SPEAKERS