Category Archives: Green Design

July 14 Monthly Gathering – Sustainable Manufacturing

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Filed under Events (Net Impact), Green Design, Operations

Date: Wednesday, July 14
Time: 7-9 pm
Location: Green Zebra Environmental Action Center; 50 Post Street ; Crocker Galleria, lower level; San Francisco, CA 94104
RSVP: http://sustainablemanufacturing.eventbrite.com/

Interested in cradle-to-cradle manufacturing? Heard of industrial ecology and want to know more about how organizations are looking to build closed-loop manufacturing cycles? Come to a panel on “Sustainable Manufacturing” on Wednesday, July 14th at 6:30 pm and hear from a variety of panelists about the projects they’re working on, the difficulties they’ve encountered, and the bright prospects that drive them to pioneer new practices in the production of goods and services. We will dive deep into exploring the many ways individuals and companies are realizing the importance of designing systems with interlinked, mutually beneficial relationships, and help turn waste outputs into useful inputs for new goods and services.

Panelists:
Travis Lee is co-author of LUNAR Design’s “Designer’s Field Guide to Sustainability” and author of LUNAR’s daily sustainability inspiration series ‘365 Ways.’ As Sustainable Engineering Lead, Travis Lee is responsible for coordinating sustainable engineering efforts within LUNAR. This responsibility includes driving the creation of guidelines and tools for designers and engineers, advancing the sustainability dialogue with clients, and continuously making LUNAR a more sustainable company in its day to day operations.

Paul Tasner has over 30 years of experience in supply chain management. Founder of the San Francisco Bay Area Green Supply Chain Forum, Paul has consulted with companies such as Clorox, California Closets, Method Products to develop greener manufacturing practices. Paul is currently a VP of Supply Chain and Sustainability at Reclipse Group Consulting and lectures for the MBA program at San Francisco State University on the challenges of developing sustainable supply chains.

Ethical Supply Chains in Luxury Goods: Exciting, Green and Fabulous!

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Filed under Education, Events (Net Impact), Events (other Bay Area), Green Design, Networking, Social Entrepreneurship

Date: Thursday, May 13th, 2010

Time: 7:00 – 9:00pm

Location:

Galleria Park Hotel (joie de vivre); 191 Sutter St; San Francisco, CA 94104

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Did you ever wonder, “where did this come from?” or “how do we find a way to source our goods without hurting people or damaging the environment?”

Join our prestigious local panel of experts and learn how to live an environmentally responsible lifestyle without sacrificing luxury!  Come join us at this fabulous event and be educated by local experts across different industries. This event and its panel will educate consumers on sustainable alternatives that exceed the expectations as they relate to “environmentally responsible” consumer goods. Focusing on the supply chain process, we’ll discuss the past, present, and future of consumer goods in terms of their environmental/social impact.

Come early to dine at the hotel’s sustainable restaurant, “Midi”, and be sure to stick around after the discussion for drinks and networking!

Our Local Experts Include:

Meghan Connolly Haupt is the founder of C5 company, which now holds C5 sustainable custom jewelry, the Meghan Connolly Haupt sustainable jewelry brand and Sulusso (which means “on luxury” in Italian), an online retailer of jewelry by designers committed to social and environmental responsibility. Prior to starting C5 company, Meghan was a sustainability and strategic alliance consultant whose clients included NASA Ames, the Golden Gate Bridge and Airship Ventures. She holds a master’s in corporate responsibility and has lived and traveled in more than 25 countries.

Heather Franzese is a Senior Category Manager in Garments & Textiles at TransFair USA. TransFair USA is currently changing the Face of Apparel in the United States by opening up a New Fair Trade Certified(TM) Apparel and Home Goods Pilot Program for Public Comment. TransFair USA is one of twenty members of Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International (FLO), and the only third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States. Prior to joining TransFair USA, Heather was a Social Compliance Specialist at Columbia Sportswear. Heather was a student at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.

Domenica Peterson is the co-founder of Global Action Through Fashion. Before co-founding Global Action Through Fashion, she did PR for People Tree in London, hand sewed for the couture fashion label NATAN in Brussels, did research for Sustainable Global Sourcing, and worked with TransFair USA on the first certification standard for Fair Trade apparel and textiles in the US.  She is an artist and loves sewing and fashion design.  She was President of the University of the Pacific Council of Social Entrepreneurs and has a B.A. in International Relations and Global Studies.

Grant Ennis is co-founder of Global Action Through Fashion. Grant has over 5 years experience in international non-profits both in the field and in the U.S.  He has a background in youth livelihood development and microfinance and sees ethical fashion as the ideal framework for promoting supply chain consciousness among consumers in the first world.
The discussion will begin around 7:00 and conclude around 7:45. Don’t forget to give us a few of your best questions for the panelists!

After the panel and Q&A, we’ll head downstairs to the bar for lively discussion and drinks. As always, remember to consume responsibly!

See you there!

RSVP  http://excitinggreenandfabulous.eventbrite.com/?

December Monthly Gathering: Sustainable Design

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Filed under Events (Net Impact), Green Design

Date: Wednesday, December 9
Time:
7:00 – 9:00pm
Location:
Poleng Lounge (1751 Fulton St)
RSVP: http://nisfdecember2009.eventbrite.com/

For our December 9th Net Impact SF monthly gathering we will be discussing sustainable design and, as always, our special guests will be both  inspiring and approachable. Our fabulous guests this month are:

Adam Reineck: IDEO
Adam Reineck is a senior industrial designer at IDEO in Palo Alto, CA. Since joining the company in 2005, he has had the opportunity to work for a broad range of clients, including Nike, Samsung, HP, and the US Department of Energy. He greatly enjoys the rigorous craft of designing tangible products as well as thinking broadly and systemically to solve complex problems. Adam’s work has been published in Wired, BBC.com and The New York Times. Adam graduated with distinction from California College of the Arts in 2004 as the IDSA student merit award winner for his year. He is dedicated to creating meaningful and engaging experiences for people that are well considered from an ecological and an aesthetic point of view.

Joe Spataro: Lunar
Joe Spataro is a Senior Mechanical Engineer at LUNAR in San Francisco, CA. He works hand-in-hand with some of the top industrial designers in the world to create beautiful, functional products. Over the past five years he has worked with clients including Pfizer, Stryker, Becton-Dickinson, Mode Products, and many others. Working at the forefront of product design consulting often requires educating clients about the importance of a thorough design and engineering process in addition to producing a physical product.

Joe’s interest in sustainable product development and socially responsible business practices took root in 2005 while he was developing a disposable medical device. A friend gave him a copy of Natural Capitalism and, upon reading the book cover-to-cover, he began to seriously reconsider the nature of his profession. He strives to integrate sustainable thinking into the product development process and he has a profound respect for the difficulties clients often face when trying to do so. At LUNAR he is a member of the Elements Initiative, a core team responsible for reducing the environmental impact of products designed and engineered by LUNAR as well as reducing the environmental impact of LUNAR’s design process.

Heather Fleming: Catapult Design
Heather Fleming is the CEO and co-founder of Catapult Design, a non-profit product design firm serving developing world markets. Catapult’s clients are organizations working in impoverished communities around the world with design and technology needs, including:  rural electrification, water purification and transport, food security, and health. Before starting Catapult, she worked as a product design consultant in Silicon Valley, designing products for a diverse range of clients.  In 2005 she also co-founded and led a volunteer group focused on design programs for developing countries through Engineers Without Borders.  Heather also teaches Design for Sustainability at Stanford University.

Adam Menter: Autodesk (introducing guests and lightly moderating)
Adam works at the intersection of design, business, and sustainability. He is currently working with Autodesk to better integrate sustainability into their products (CAD tools for designers and engineers) and their companywide product development process. Prior to working with Autodesk, Adam was a design strategist at Jump Associates. He holds both a mechanical engineering degree and an MBA from Vanderbilt University. He is also a leader of the San Francisco professional Net Impact chapter.

NOTE: Net Impact SF Chapter Leadershipt team meeting begins at 6pm and is open to anyone interested. Please RSVP separately at sfprofessional@netimpact.org.

Events

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We host a gathering for the Net Impact SF community on the second Wednesday of every month (usually…), featuring a different discussion topic each time. This offers the opportunity for informal interaction with the invited guests and with your fellow Net Impact members, with the discussion topic serving as a launching off point for engaging conversations.

Our chapter leadership team meeting begins at 6:00 pm – if you’d like to attend or sit-in, feel free. E-mail us to let us know you’re coming.

Contact Us: sfprofessional@netimpact.org
Chapter Website: www.netimpactsf.org

 

West Coast Green 2009 Conference, Oct 1-3 (Net Impact Discount)

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Filed under Events (other Bay Area), Green Design

west-coast-greene-logo

UPDATE: As a member of Net Impact, you are invited to attend the full conference with a 20% discount ($160 off), AND bring one friend FREE to the official After Party at the Academy of Sciences! Just click here: http://www.webregpro.com/events/wcg/09/partners/net_impact/

West Coast Green 2009 is the largest interactive conference and expo on green innovation for the built environment (October 1-3, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco CA). Net Impact is a media partner for the conference this year and Net Impact members receive a 20% discount. Please visit this link: http://www.webregpro.com/events/wcg/09/partners/net_impact/

More about the conference:

Join the community of 14,000 international innovators and entrepreneurs at West Coast Green, returning to San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center October 1-3, 2009, as we team up to turn passion into action and transform the built environment.

West Coast Green assembles the entire chain of green industry professionals, business leaders and policy makers in order to create meaningful and lasting positive change.

Engage in dynamic, big-picture, systems-based thinking and find the tools, people, and skills you need to fully express your brilliance.

A feast of educational, fascinating, and inspirational experiences, West Coast Green offers:

  • Interactive sessions and summits on topics including Smart Systems, Clean Tech Innovations, The New Energy Economy, Social Innovations and more!
  • Design Charrettes and Conversation Salons facilitated by industry experts that tackle real-world issues and create valuable connections
  • Top speakers share their technical knowledge, on-the-ground expertise, and visionary wisdom while inspiring action and change
  • Expo floor featuring 300+ companies showcasing their most current products and technologies; innovations so new they have yet to hit the market.

Advance your knowledge with extraordinary new ideas; develop seed projects and bring them to life; network, socialize and meet your next business partner; and discover what inspires you to create change.

Be among the world’s thought leaders in architecture, engineering, green building, and design, creating a healthy, sustainable, and profitable future.

Event (2/4): Bowling TOGETHER with Net Impact!

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Filed under Competitions, Events (Net Impact), Events (other Bay Area), Green Design

[HURRY... This event is almost sold out. As of 1/31 there are only two tickets left. Sales end three hours before the event.]

Come join us on Wednesday, February 4th for an evening of casual fun and good conversation at YBCA’s bowling alley in downtown San Francisco!

Inspired by Robert Putnam’s groundbreaking book, Bowling Alone, on the decline of social capital in America – the SF professional chapter of Net Impact is hosting this get-together in defense of the social connections that make our society strong and vibrant. Meet your fellow Net Impacters, learn more about them, and share a good laugh.

So skip Lost, The Office, and 30 Rock …your fellow motorists will thank you:

bowlingalone

One lucky person will win new copy of Bowling Alone and there will be more information on Robert Putnam’s ideas at the event.

Please RSVP soon as possible. Space is limited and spots will be given on a first-come, first served basis. This event is open to both members and not-yet members.

Food is available from Mo’s Grill until 8pm. Mo’s is located right upstairs from the bowling alley…so get there early or order right when you get there if you want food. (http://www.mosgrill.com/yerba_buena_gardens/hours_and_location)

Date: 2/4/09
Time: Lanes reserved starting at 7pm.
Place: Yerba Buena Bowling Center (SOMA: 750 Folsom Street, between 3rd & 4th streets)
Cost: $25 for two hours of bowling (including shoes)

RSVP: http://bowlingtogether.eventbrite.com/

Greener by Design 2009

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Filed under Green Design

TIME: May 19-20TH
LOCATION: San Francisco
Register before January 15th and receive an additional $150 using net impact’s discount code
Greener By Design promises to be an extraordinary and memorable event with a world-class roster of speakers, starting with keynoters William McDonough, the renowned green designer and architect; and Tom Szaky iconoclastic founder of Terracycle, a revolutionary company that is turning waste into products for some of the world’s largest companies- You’ll also enjoy small consultative sessions with leading designers and thought leaders; and hands-on experiential sessions certain to expand your thinking.

CONTACT: Erin Brody at 203-403-9012 or ebrody@globalexec.com
RSVP & INFO: http://www.greenerdesign.com/greenerbydesign

Commonwealth Club Event (1/26): Getting Your Green Dream Job

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Filed under Careers, Competitions, Education, Events (Net Impact), Events (other Bay Area), Green Design

Time: January 26th, 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. panel discussion, 7-8:30 p.m. job fair
Location: Commonwealth Club Office (595 Market Street, 2nd Floor)

Want a green job? INFORUM will tell you how to get it. In an increasingly green society, eco-friendly jobs are popping up everywhere. You don’t have to be an eco-expert to take advantage of this new market. Whether you’re just entering the workforce or looking to transition into a green career, our panel of experts will give you the ins and outs of finding a green-collar job. Following the panel discussion, INFORUM’s job fair features a wide variety of businesses, organizations, government sectors and schools that can help you take the next step in the green job market (there are still table openings at the job fair, if your company would like to be represented – please see below).

Panelists include:
Nick Ellis, CEO, Bright Green Talent
Liz Maw, Executive Director, Net Impact
Jeff Horowitz, Founder, Avoided Deforestation Partners
Joel Makower, Executive Director, Greener World Media – Moderator (invited)

HIRING? Hosting a table at the job fair is FREE…
From Leonard Alder… I’m assisting the Commonwealth Club in organizing the job fair portion of this program. If your organization is interested in having a table at the fair, please contact me as soon as possible. There is no charge for organizations to have a table at the fair, but space is limited. Feel free to contact me with any questions. (Leonard Adler, Founder – Green Jobs Network, leonard@greenjobs.net)”

Cost: Commonwealth Club MEMBERS FREE, $18 non-members, $7 students

Buy tickets

ALSO…additional resources for finding green jobs:

  • Green Collar Blog – A blog featuring job postings, industry reports, and links to resources for job-seekers.
  • Green Job List - An e-mail list that provides job announcements and notices of relevant events for those seeking jobs that focus on environmental or social responsibility.