Join UMaine Net Impact as they host
Maine Businesses for Sustainability (MBS)! 
 

Through this one part networking and one part working session you will 

• Learn about how Maine Businesses for Sustainability can help your business achieve greater profits, engage your employees, become more environmentally aware and more!

• You will also have the opportunity to benchmark your current sustainability practices and learn ways to become more sustainable through local resources.

• Meet business students who can provide assistance and consulting 
   
• Meet and network with like-minded businesspeople 
   
• Visit the LEED-certified Foster Student Innovation Center

AGENDA
 

        4:00 – 4:30PM         

Welcome, Refreshments, Networking

         4:30-5:30PM           

Introduction to Maine Businesses for Sustainability 

THE IMPACT OF SUSTAINABILITY ON THE ECONOMY 

Jay Friedlander as he speaks about unlocking innovation and building sustainable best practices that best impact your business and the economy.

Jay Friedlander is the founder of the Sustainable Business Program and the inaugural Sharpe-McNally Chair of Green and Socially Responsible Business at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. College of the Atlantic, the first climate neutral college in the U.S., has been cited by the Princeton Review, the Sustainable Endowment Institute and others as a leader in sustainability.

LEARN ABOUT MAINE BUSINESSES FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Dave Widener of Dead River Company and MBS’ Board President will tell you all about MBS’ mission, vision and values. He will also share information on MBS’ Sustainability Benchmarking Tool and a sneak-peak at their Sustainability Index.
 

BENCHMARK YOUR OWN BUSINESS
(Don't forget to bring a laptop) 

Engage in a workshop that delves into the Sustainability Benchmarking Tool (the “Tool”). The Tool is a web-based survey that was designed in partnership with Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences. The Tool let’s you benchmark your current sustainability practices and learn about how to improve your business through local resources. You’ll get to experience the Tool first hand and benchmark your own businesses sustainability practices! You’ll leave the workshop with a greater understanding of how your business can grow in the long-term and a list of resources to help you do just that! Please remember that this is a working session, so if you have a computer please bring it to the event to access the Tool via our web-based portal. 

             5:30 – 6:00pm        

Q & A, Wrap-up, Networking

So what exactly is the Tool?

The Sustainability Benchmarking Tool is a web-based survey that let's you benchmark your current sustainability and learn about sustainable business practices. The questions are broken down into categories, including Finances & Governance, Employee Relations, Community Engagement, and the Environment. Each question provides you with information on why it is important to a sustainable business.

When you submit the Tool, you instantly receive a Sustainability Snapshot that analyzes your current practices and lists resources to improve your efforts. Our emphasis on local resources ensures you become more sustainable in a sustainable way. We are continually improving our resource list and encourage local businesses to submit their company to be listed as a resource.

We will use the data to fuel Maine's Sustainability Index. The Index will include graphical representations of the anonymous data we collect from the Tool and will help educate about sustainability in Maine. Who will use the Tool? Legislators interested in fostering specific policies; consultants looking at specific industry trends and business practices; educators and students; and, the general public who might be interested in what steps Maine businesses are taking to become more sustainable.

FAQs

What can/can't I bring to the event?

Make sure you bring a notebook so you can write down all the great things you learned! If possible, bring a laptop computer for the workshop. We will not be able to provide extra's for the workshop.

Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?

You can contact Terry Porter at terry.porter@maine.edu or Richard Cannon at Richard_Cannon@umit.maine.edu. For any questions regarding Maine Businesses for Sustainability, please contact Alison Nason at alison@wearembs.org.

What are my parking options getting to the event?

Here's a map of where the Innovation Center is and where you can park. Parking is available for free at the Jenness Lot, the lot closest to the Foster Center for Student Innovation.