Volunteer Work Day at Hayes Valley Farm with Net Impact

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Posted by Cornhusker on May 29, 2010 – 10:30 am
Filed under Events (Net Impact), Outdoors activity, Volunteer

Date: Sunday, June 27
Time: 12:30-4:30 pm
Location: Hayes Valley Farm, 450 Laguna Street (at Fell), San Francisco, CA 94102
Org URL: www.hayesvalleyfarm.com
RSVP: http://hayesvalleyfarmvolunteer.eventbrite.com/

Get Dirty with the San Francisco Professional Chapter of Net Impact! Come shovel, plant and water at one of the Hayes Valley Farm workdays to transform this urban space into a thriving farm that produces food for volunteers and the neighborhood community. Located in the center of Hayes Valley on an old freeway offramp, Hayes Valley Farm is an education and research project creating urban agriculture in the center of San Francisco.

What to Bring?
Please bring warm clothing you don’t mind getting a little dirty, tough shoes as there are some sharp objects on the site, a water bottle and a positive attitude. If you happen to have these, please bring snacks to share, wheel barrows, shovels, rakes, tarps, cardboard and heavy working gloves.

More info:
* YouTube Video on HVF: http://www.youtube.com/user/hayesvalleyfarm#p/a/f/0/I49JFgzSQH8
* Volunteer Work Day: What’s it Like? http://www.hayesvalleyfarm.com/activities/volunteer-work-days.html

July 14 Monthly Gathering – Sustainable Manufacturing

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Posted by menteral on May 29, 2010 – 10:25 am
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.

[POSTPONED] Making Your Impact: Planning for Action Workshop

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Posted by menteral on May 29, 2010 – 10:22 am
Filed under Careers, Events (Net Impact)

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO THE FALL… PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES.

Workshop on Making Change in Your Organization!!

Date: TBD
Time: 10:00-1:00 pm
Location: TBD (potentially outdoors or in a sunny venue appropriate to a Sunday afternoon)
RSVP: http://makeyourimpact.eventbrite.com/

Join us for a practical workshop on making social and environmental change at your organization from within. In an interactive morning, we will cover topics such as strategically approaching your company culture, navigating sustainability conversations, goal-setting and action-planning. Combining short lectures with small and large group discussions, this session is designed for you to develop and tailor an approach that allows you to make a difference in your organization. The frameworks and topics covered will be broad enough to accommodate a wide variety of experiences. Whether you have already launched an established initiative or have felt tongue-tied in your attempts to broach the topic of sustainability at work, this workshop is for you!

Abby Jandro is a PhD candidate in Organizational Psychology at Alliant International University with a passion for leadership, organization strategy and making positive change.

Alessia Carega is a Sustainability Practitioner in San Francisco. She is a Senior Strategist in consulting services at Saatchi & Saatchi S, specializing in designing and implementing strategies for integrating sustainability into company culture by engaging employees.

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

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Posted by Cornhusker on April 20, 2010 – 4:28 pm
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

______________________________________________________________________
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/?

Greenermind Summit 2010

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Posted by Cornhusker on April 20, 2010 – 10:08 am
Filed under Uncategorized

Net Impact SF presents its event of the year, the Greenermind Summit 2010!

The Summit promises to be a defining event for the Bay Area – thanks to a unique format, idyllic location, and inspiring people.

BUY TICKETS

Date: Friday June 11th through Sunday June 13th
Location: Mendocino Woodlands Cabins
RSVP: greenermindsummit.com
 Cost: $150 for non-members, $140 for members of Net Impact, IDSA, YWSE, and the HUB. Cost includes lodging, lunches, and dinners.

A Sustainability Unconference.
The Greenermind Summit is a forum for great people from the Bay Area to come together to share innovative ideas, make meaningful connections and get inspired to act. Our goal is to help lay the foundation for an active and collaborative community that can make great things happen in the Bay Area. The event is brought to you by Net Impact SF, IDSA-SF, and the Young Women’s Social Entrepreneurs.

Set In the Beautiful Mendocino Woodlands.
Rustic cabins nestled along a river in the redwoods with shared meeting halls, kitchens, hiking trails, swimming holes, and fire circles that are perfect for memorable conversations and meaningful connections.

Learn more at greenermindsummit.com

Careers to Callings: Discussion Session Notes

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Posted by menteral on April 18, 2010 – 10:20 am
Filed under Careers, Events (Net Impact)

The discussion at last Wednesday’s “Careers to Callings” event was fantastic. Thanks to everyone who made it out – and a special thanks to Ibanga Umanah for conceiving and catalyzing the event, Julie Menter for facilitating, Rayna Wiles for visually recording, and all of our special guests (Phillipe Goldin, Colleen Murray, Kate Mulder, and Brian Sullivan).

Some quick takeaways of the event are below (thanks to Emily Sadigh for helping with these notes!)

Personal Actions to Improve Work:

  • Being happy at work often simply involves really knowing yourself. Taking the time to be mindful of your emotions and meditate can help with this – as can really understanding your particular strengths. Remember, what comes easily to you might be a valuable strength.
  • Simply clarifying and stating your values can reduce stress-causing cortisol levels.
  • Being really up front about who you are with co-workers is important – bring more dimensions of yourself to it. Don’t be a different person at work than you are outside of work.
  • Journal, keep track of your successes and failures
  • Take advantage of review processes, take people out to lunch, ask your boss what his/her long-term goals are
  • Realize that what you’re doing at work – even if you don’t love it – may prove invaluable to you later on in life (and towards ends you care more about). Think about your experience path and the skills you are building.
  • Each day, think about who you’re serving? When you feel like what you’re doing is helping others (even if only one person) – it can bring you out of the daily grind and give you a greater sense of meaning.

Model Company Programs (good examples for your workplace)

  • The companies that have the most engaged employees are those that have a strong culture and can really clearly tell you what they are and what they are not (i.e. Patagonia).
  • Google’s G2G program (googlers teaching googlers, everything from biking to statistics) (http://knol.google.com/k/steph-fastre/teach-and-you-shall-learn/1fc9wqbhtn4k0/2#)
  • Google’s meditation rooms (knowing yourself builds self-confidence) and places for play and interaction (ball pen, cafeteria)
  • Title 9’s worst mistake contest (risk-taking indicates autonomy/ownership)
  • Sabre’s Walk in Your Shoes Program
  • Sabre’s “Hack Day” (open time to invent something new and improved)
  • St. Jude Medical bringing in a patient helped by the company’s product or emailing when a heart valve is made for a baby
  • Talent show or group volunteer program to unearth skills and create other forms of interaction
  • St Jude Medical’s performance reviews requiring employees to write down long-term goals that ensure annual conversations about employee’s long-term jobs and their current job relates

Other takeaways:

  • As companies (and individuals) grow – there is an “ossification” process that makes them move slower.
  • People are much more likely to stay in a situation where they feel unfulfilled than shift to something that is uncomfortable.
  • Alignment of personal, societal, and business goals is a powerful combination.

Further resources and reading:

  • Drive by Daniel Pink (three elements of true motivation—autonomy, mastery, and purpose). Also see TED Talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html
  • Fred Factor by Mark Sanborn (the example of Fred the Postman)
  • Firms of Endearment (about how values-based firms outperform) http://www.firmsofendearment.com/index.html
  • Habits of the Heart (job, career, calling) (preview available on google books)
  • Gallup’s “best friend at work” dimension: http://gmj.gallup.com/content/511/item-10-best-friend-work.aspx
  • Wired to Care by Dev Patnaik (of Jump Associates)
  • Mindfulness clock

Below are some images from the event – including the mindmap-style notes from Rayna (click to see larger).

Net Impact in the East Bay: Happy Hour at Jupiter

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Posted by Cornhusker on April 17, 2010 – 11:59 am
Filed under Events (Net Impact), Networking

EDIT: This event has been canceled due to poor weather.

Date: Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
Time: 5:00 – 8:00pm
Location: Jupiter, 2181 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley

Hello East Bay!  Last month’s happy hour at the Lake Chalet was so much fun, we’re doing it again!  This time we’ll be at Jupiter in Berkeley, which is conveniently located across from the Downtown Berkeley BART station.  Our focus for the event is on building community among Net Impact members (and friends) who work and/or live in the East Bay, so please join us!

We’ll be out on the patio from 5pm-8pm; look for the Net Impact sign on our table when you arrive.

For more information on the venue, visit http://www.jupiterbeer.com/jupiter/

Events

Yards to Gardens Launch – Help Needed Getting Established in SF

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Posted by menteral on March 24, 2010 – 7:40 am
Filed under Food & Ag

Interested in community gardening and urban farming? If so, you may be interested in helping out Yards To Gardens become established in the Bay Area. It’s an online web platform looking to create an ecosystem of neighbors and communities helping each other garden. Check out this letter from the Y2G founders…

Hi folks!
Yards to Gardens (www.y2g.org) is a new website out of Minneapolis, MN designed to connect eager gardeners with available space.  It’s a simple concept: say you have some extra space in your yard but no time for gardening, you can go to the website and in just a few seconds you can post your yard as a resource for someone to garden. Or say you’d like to be gardening in your neighborhood but you don’t have a yard and the local community garden is full.  Just go to the website and see if there are any available yards in your area, or post yourself as a gardener.

This month we added new listing categories so that you can post or find just about anything gardening related.  Got any extra compost or mulch?  How about extra seeds or seedlings?  Or maybe you’re cleaning out the garage and you find some old gloves and a trowel.  Find a happy home for your extras by posting them on www.Y2G.org.

We’ve partnered with Gardening Matters of the Twin Cities, MN (www.gardeningmatters.org) in an effort to help manage the explosion of interest in community gardening in the area.  Over the past few months we’ve begun to reach critical mass in the Twin Cities with over 50 listings in the area.  We’d love to work with other community groups around the country to help provide this resource for gardeners looking for space and resources.

I’ve attached a press release.  Please check it out, share it with friends and other listservs, give us feedback, and let us know how we might help Y2G grow in your area.

Sincerely,

The Y2G Team

Y2G.Press.Release

Y2G.ad

Rock climbing with NET IMPACT-SF at Mission Cliffs

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Posted by Cornhusker on March 22, 2010 – 11:12 pm
Filed under Events (Net Impact), Outdoors activity

Rock Climbing

Register for Rock Climbing with Net Impact in San Francisco, CA on Eventbrite

Looking for an exciting way to spend your weekend?

Come join us on Saturday, May 1st from 4-6pm for an afternoon of casual fun and physical and mental challenge at one of the best Rock Climbing gyms in San Francisco, Mission Cliffs. We’ll go out for cheap food and beer afterwards in the Mission.

It should be a fun way to meet your fellow Net Impacters, learn more about them, and share a good laugh.

Don’t worry if you have never climbed. A few of us have our belay certification, so you can climb the higher wall (if you are daring!) with one of us, or you can play around on the fun boulder problems in the training area. Also, lessons are available if you want them, but we recommend just getting a feel for it first before you jump into a lesson. If you have your belay certification and are interested in helping teach others please email Mausoldj@gmail.com

Please RSVP by April 31st. 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. If there is still space available, walk-ups are welcome on the date of the event.

Mission Cliffs charges $18 for a Day Pass and $6 for climbing gear so make sure to bring some money if you are interested in coming.

If you are traveling by BART or MUNI, Mission Cliffs is conveniently located 6 blocks from the BART exit at 16th and Mission St. and 3 blocks from the MUNI’s stop at Bryant and 19th st. on the #27 MUNI line.

**If you have a great idea for an event you’d like to plan with Net Impact, e-mail us at sfprofessional@netimpact.org.

Events

Net Impact in the East Bay: Taco Tuesday at Lake Chalet

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Posted by Cornhusker on March 18, 2010 – 10:36 pm
Filed under Events (Net Impact), Networking

Date: Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
Time: 5:00 – 8:00pm
Location: The Lake Chalet, 1520 Lakeside Drive, Oakland

Attention East Bay Net Impact members (and friends)!  Please join us for an informal gathering at the Lake Chalet in Oakland, at 17th and Lakeside. Specials include $2.50 tacos, $3 pints, and half price margaritas.

In addition to plenty of time for socializing with your fellow Net Impact members, those who are interested can help us brainstorm additional activities to organize in the East Bay.

We’ll be out on the dock from 5pm-8pm; look for the Net Impact sign on our table when you arrive.

For more information the Lake Chalet, visit http://www.thelakechalet.com/thedock

Events