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Green Growth: How Companies Are Embracing Sustainability and Social Responsibility for a Better Future

In this insightful compilation of interviews, we gather the wisdom of multiple business leaders who have embraced the principles of sustainability and social responsibility. Uncover the innovative strategies they’ve employed and the tangible impact these practices have had on their company’s growth and brand image. Gain valuable insights to help guide your own organization’s journey toward a more sustainable and responsible future

Suzanne Sachs

Title: President

Company: Vintagediamondring.com

Linkedin: 

One of the biggest trends and challenges today is taking care of our environment and the planet. Women today are more socially conscious and aware of sustainability, environmental impact, and natural alternatives than ever before. It is no surprise, then, that many consumers are concerned with choosing an eco-friendly engagement ring that will show their commitment to the planet even as they make their commitment to each other. Vintage rings are inherently sustainable. They represent the ultimate in recycling, protecting the environment, and promoting social justice.

Any business can have a logo and a product, but when a consumer can turn to a company and know their purchases say something about who they are and what matters to them, it falls into a different category. When you connect with them on that level you are able to tap into their world.

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Melissa Bell

Title: Owner

Company: The Milo Agency

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hellomelissabell/

I simply try to take on clients who are doing good in this world. There are a million skincare, clothing, crypto, and other e-commerce related clients in the world looking to sell more goods that were bought for cheap, white-labeled, and re-sold with the sole purpose to make someone rich. By taking on clients who are working to better the lives of others, and amplifying those clients, I feel I am helping the world in ways that I can.

Many think you have to be a billionaire with a plethora of donatable cash available to be able to assist and help others. But that’s not necessarily the case. An individual can lend their expertise without overcharging to do good. One of my clients, Fischer Process Industries, an industrial pump distributor on the East Coast, took a pledge about five years ago to not do business with the pollutant oil and gas companies for instance. Another client of mine, Alice Min Soo Chun, is donating hundreds of thousands of lights to those in need, and even doing the unimaginative mission to travel to these countries herself in time of need. April 18 she will embark to Turkey to help those who were devastated from the earthquake, and then she’s going back to Ukraine to help more of the children in the children’s hospitals who lost power due to the war. As she states, “The risk of doing nothing is greater than the risk of being wrong.”

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Jodi Breau

Title: President

Company: Dental Lace® Inc

Linkedin: NA

From the early days Jodi Breau, President of Dental Lace Inc. made a conscious decision to create a company that didn’t make a harmful impact on the environment.
Starting with the products. I created 100% zero waste dental floss called Dental Lace Refillable Floss. I found local suppliers where I could purchase zero waste shipping materials and packaging.
When the business out grew my home, I purchased a property that met my sustainability standards or could be made to do so. Examples: The property has Heat Pumps for heating and cooling. It’s located in a community with a strong recycling program. I found a workforce who is like minded.
We maintain, as much as possible, the zero waste concept which is to reduce, recycle, refuse, reuse, and rot everything before it’s sent to a landfill.
Principles of sustainability and social responsibility is a major component of our brand and how we do business.

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Alexis Taub

Title: Founder

Company: Alexis Jae Jewelry

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-taub

At Alexis Jae Jewelry, we strive to embed sustainability and social responsibility principles into our business model. We have taken a conscious approach to our operations, including the sourcing of our materials, and the causes we support.

One of the primary ways we incorporate sustainability into our jewelry-making process is by using recycled gold. This practice not only reduces the environmental impact of gold mining but also minimizes the carbon footprint of our products. In addition, we ensure that all of our gemstones are ethically sourced from suppliers who adhere to fair labor practices and environmental standards.

Breast cancer is a cause that is close to our hearts, and we are committed to supporting breast cancer research through our partnership with A Cure In Our Lifetime. We donate a percentage of our profits to this organization to help fund breast cancer research. We also offer specialty pieces like our pink string bracelet, where 100% of the profits are donated to breast cancer research.

Through our philanthropic initiatives, we have had the privilege of meeting and connecting with many women who have been affected by breast cancer. We believe that our jewelry not only tells a story but also helps to create moments of joy and hope in the lives of those who wear it. We are proud to be part of these little moments that make a big impact on people’s lives and the huge advances in breast cancer research.

While supporting breast cancer research is not the primary reason why people purchase our jewelry, we do believe that it helps our customers connect with our brand and our mission. We have found that people are increasingly interested in supporting companies that align with their values and are socially responsible. By prioritizing sustainability and social responsibility, we have created a positive impact on our company’s growth and brand image. We believe that by continuing to prioritize these principles, we can create a better world for everyone.

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Kaitlin Mogentale

Title: Founder, CEO

Company: Pulp Pantry

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pulp-pantry/about

Pulp Pantry transforms upcycled ingredients — the overlooked, nutritional byproducts of fruit and vegetable processing — into wholesome, better for people and better for the planet, snack staples. The brand’s flagship product is a line of veggie chips reinvented, made from nearly 50% upcycled ingredients providing nearly a full day’s serving of fiber in each bag.
Leveraging a unique sourcing model, Pulp Pantry has upcycled over 150,000 lbs of fresh vegetables that would have otherwise gone to waste.

Experts say we’ll need to increase our food supply by 60% to feed the world in 2050, requiring 70% more water and other resources like land and labor. But Pulp Pantry has uncovered so many areas in our food system where nutritious resources are mindlessly lost. Shouldn’t we fix the issue with waste, first?

In the spirit of product integrity, transparency, and building trust, Pulp Pantry participates in third party verification for important sustainability claims. Pulp Chips are Certified Upcycled by the Upcycled Food Association, Plastic Neutral Certified by rePurpose Global, and Pulp Pantry is working actively on compostable packaging solutions with plans to launch single-serve compostable packaging in 2022. The brand has worked with a University consulting group to establish a “food waste impact calculator” and estimate the greater impact associated with each pound of produce upcycled. Pulp Pantry hopes to work with accreditation agencies to create carbon offsets associated with upcycling food.

Pulp Pantry’s forward-thinking have received industry-coveted awards, and the upcycled products are currently sold in all 50 states (although concentrated on the West Coast) via Amazon, gopuff and pulppantry.com, and top retailers including Whole Foods, Erewhon, Thrive Market and specialty/ natural retailers across both coasts.

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Rosann Fleischauer

Title: Owner

Company: First Byte Designs

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosann-fleischauer/

The fashion industry is plagued with challenges in these areas. Most consumers want cheap goods, cheap means waste, for this reason these consumers are not First Byte Design clients. A First Byte Design client appreciates our effort to maintain a responsible balance between our products, services and values.

First Byte Designs is always looking for ways to improve its client engagement through the effective use of locally available resources, materials and technology. First Byte Designs provides companies with the tools they need to accomplish their goals; selling materials, providing educational opportunities and creating white labeling solutions. Direct to the consumer First Byte Design provides design services and educational programs.

Here are a few examples of how First Byte Designs incorporates sustainability into its business model encompassing the basic ideas that sustainability is achieved through intelligent decision making and a conscious effort to consider the overall impact of one’s journey before taking a single step.

Reduction of waste yarn through the intelligent design process whereby every last bit of the materials are used in my designs and when the entire amount is not used, it is repurposed.

Patterns which can be used to make my designs are sold as downloadable files rather than printed when possible. Less than 5% of pattern sales are on printed paper and when printed they are printed on recycled paper and mailed in recycled envelopes. To further reduce waste all patterns are printed by a local printer to eliminate the need for a printer and its associated environmentally unfriendly supplies in my office.
Reduction of greenhouse gases through video conferencing rather than on site visits with clients and running classes on line instead of in person

Use of responsibly sourced materials including fibers which are Oeko-Tex Standard 100 compliant, are sourced responsibly from farms employing animal welfare standards as imposed by the EU because their standards of care are higher than in the US and/or dyed locally in small batches by fellow small business owners. My entire book, Cozy Coastal Knits, due out in June of 2023 abides by this high standard.

When styling photo shoots I have strict policy against buying anything new. I work with models who are the same size as myself so they can wear my clothes or I can shop for vintage pieces at our local consignment stores to style the shoots. For instance, it is a dirty little fashion industry secret, literally dirty, that stylists traditionally will buy clothes and return them after a photoshoot. We do not and will not engage in this disgusting practice. All props and clothing are sourced second hand or borrowed from friends.

While my business is small, my customers appreciate my commitment to sustainability. It has been easier to get them on board with these principles since 2020 when the world shifted away from business travel. The economic impact of this change for my expenses meant my business did not have to purchase or lease a new vehicle. I put so few miles on my car now I no longer keep a business vehicle. I use my personal car for the few trips I still make to see clients which for the record is a 2001 two seater with 122,413 miles on it. Total savings with just this change; $350 per month in car leasing payments, $700 excise tax per year, and $870 in insurance per year. Sustainability makes economic sense for me and my clients. They don’t pay for travel time and I don’t waste resources getting to their offices.

Social Responsibility it context sensitive. In an effort to respect the expectations of a society, it is important to define that society; its values and objective prior to developing a plan. In short, to listen and respond rather than react.

Since I now teach on line my students can remain in their homes or they can choose to gather together based upon their own preferences for engagement, not my dictate as to location and time. The geographic boundaries of my classes have been eliminated. I am teaching a class on line in April in which there are students in New Zealand who never would have the opportunity to engage with my class if it were not for the power of video conferencing.

The “bottom line” reflects the positive impact the socially responsible and sustainable practices have had for First Byte Designs. Our client base continues to expand and our client relationships continue to become more enriched through the respect we bring to each other and the objectives we are able to achieve together.

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Rinal Patel

Title: Founder

Company: Webuyphillyhome

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rinal-patel-95a632231/

I’ve always supported the idea of starting and expanding a business in a way that makes it sustainable and conscientious of its impact on society and the environment. Despite the fact that my firm was successful when I first launched it, after a while I started to see how climate change was affecting the environment. I began to consider how I could improve the environment and draw in additional clients who shared my commitment to sustainability. I started by assessing the environmental impact of my office. I learned that my office was using a lot of energy and producing a lot of waste in this way. I put various environmental measures I had learned about into effect in the office to lessen the carbon footprint. I installed energy- efficient lighting, encouraged my employees to use public transportation or carpool, and set up a recycling program that reduced waste. I began to incorporate sustainable practices into my real estate transactions. I encouraged my clients to consider energy-efficient homes and provided information on green building practices and renewable energy options. I realized my business could play a role in supporting local communities so I started working with local non-profits, donating a portion of my commission to their programs and participating in community events. I also encouraged my employees to volunteer their time and skills to support local initiatives.
After some time of incorporating these concepts into my company model, both my brand’s reputation and business started to develop considerably. More individuals started to use my services as a result of my clients starting to perceive my business as one that cared about sustainability and social responsibility. My employees were proud to work for a business that was improving the environment and the neighborhood.
That helped me realize how conscious and concerned my clients are about social and environmental concerns, as well as how supportive they are of companies who share their beliefs.
Then, my business achieved success on all fronts: financially, socially, and environmentally.
I was really pleased and proud that I had built a company that would be long-lasting and would benefit society and the environment.

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Charlie Razook

Title: Founder & CEO

Company: Jackfir

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-razook-4a949317

Sustainability and CSR, which coincidentally are my initials, are at the core of our brand. Our brand mission is to make men look and feel their best without adding to their toxic burden. I concepted Jackfir while undergoing 3.5 years of leukemia treatment. My doctors told me they could not pinpoint how I became sick, but that it was some combination of genetics and environment. Right there and then, I decided to take my health into my own hands. After some research, I quickly discovered that health and environment are innately tied together.

I became acutely aware of environmental toxins and industrial pollution in our everyday interactions and products. I looked inside my medicine cabinet and shower and all I saw were chemicals.

I decided it was time to bring a super clean option to men’s personal care aisles. There are tons of false claims and greenwashing in the industry, so we made sure to become highly certified by third parties so you know you can trust us. Plus, our clean-certifications remove the need to comb through perplexing ingredient lists!

Jackfir’s three products — The Classic Shave Cream, The Classic Daily Moisturizer, and The Classic Daily Facial Cleanser — are all EWG Verified and contain at least 70% organic ingredients. But we didn’t stop there. Our products are also allergy-tested, dermatologist-tested, certified vegan, gluten-free, GMO-free, and certified cruelty-free. Most importantly, all of the products are highly effective and don’t make any sacrifices by being free of harsh chemicals.

Because we use high-quality, vetted ingredients and ingredient suppliers, our prices are a bit higher than what you would find in a mass retailer. This is very intentional and begets a slightly slower growth model as the customer has to think a bit more before flippantly adding to cart, but we believe, and are finding to be true, that many men want a slightly more expensive, less toxic, higher quality option in men’s personal care aisles. Our return customer rate is great as well, so our hunch definitely appears to be correct.

It is also worth noting that we think what is good for you is good for Mother Earth (and vice versa) and are always trying to do better. In terms of our product packaging, Jackfir product tubes are made from 50% post-consumer recycled plastic, meaning plastic that is likely destined for landfills or the ocean. Our product cartons and shipping boxes are made from sustainably sourced FSC mix paper. FSC certification ensures that products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits.

Even further, in an effort to minimize our carbon footprint, a portion of all sales goes to One Tree Planted, a non-profit organization which helps plant trees all over the world.

This focus on sustainability also adds to our prices as an indie brand. We are not simply going for the most affordable option that an aggressive capitalist might. We are trying to be thoughtful about human health and the environment, and we are willing to spend a bit more if we find it socially responsible. As with most consumer products, we anticipate economies of scale to eventually make all of this more affordable!

At the end of the day, we find customers to appreciate our sustainability and social responsibility efforts. We are definitely reaching customers who prioritize this, experiencing growth from our focus on high quality, and hoping that others will follow suit. This should be the norm in such a high waste and highly chemical industry!

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Simone Kelly

Title: Founder & President

Company: Grasons Co.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grasons-co-estate-sale-services-business-liquidations/

At Grasons Co., we are dedicated to incorporating principles of sustainability and social responsibility into our business model. We firmly believe that it is our responsibility to reduce our impact on the environment and support the communities that we operate in. As part of our green initiative, we are promoting the benefits of holding an estate sale over using a junk removal service as an eco-friendlier option. We have implemented various eco-friendly practices in our estate sale and business liquidation services, such as reusing and recycling items to minimize waste and encouraging sustainable living by promoting the purchase of second-hand items.

Our commitment to sustainability and social responsibility has not only allowed us to reduce our environmental impact but has also had a positive impact on our brand image and company growth. Our customers appreciate our efforts to promote eco-friendly practices, and this has increased their preference for our services over those that do not prioritize sustainability. Additionally, our franchisees and employees take pride in being part of a company that gives back to their communities.

The integration of sustainability and social responsibility has been essential to our success as a business. It has helped us build a positive reputation among our customers and employees and sets us apart from our competitors. We are committed to continuing our efforts in this regard as we believe it is crucial for our long-term success and the betterment of our planet and communities.

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Angela Olea

Title: Founder & Brand President

Company: Assisted Living Locators

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelaolea/

At Assisted Living Locators, social responsibility is a fundamental part of our business model. We provide a no-cost service to help seniors find quality, top-rated in-home care, independent retirement options, assisted living communities, and memory care. We are committed to improving the quality of life for seniors in communities across the country while also giving back to society. To achieve this, we encourage our franchisees to volunteer their time and resources to make a positive impact on the lives of seniors. Our involvement also includes thousands of hours assisting the seniors with locating care options without any compensation.

Our commitment to social responsibility has had a significant effect on our company’s growth and brand image. Our customers appreciate our dedication to making a difference in the lives of seniors and our efforts to give back to the community. They trust us to provide quality care and services, and this has helped us build a positive reputation in the industry. Additionally, our franchisees feel proud to be a part of a company that prioritizes social responsibility, which has helped us attract and retain top talent.

Incorporating principles of social responsibility into our business model has been essential to our success. It has helped us build a reputation as a company that cares not only about our customers but also about the communities we serve. We believe that by taking care of others, we can make the world a better place, and we will continue to prioritize social responsibility in everything we do.

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Sean Smallwood

Title: Owner & Family Law Attorney

Company: Sean Smallwood, P.A.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/Orlando-divorce-attorney/

At my law firm, we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and promoting sustainable practices. This includes using energy-efficient equipment, reducing waste, and promoting remote work to reduce transportation emissions. Social responsibility is also essential to our success. We regularly partner with local organizations to provide our services and time to underserved communities and people in need.
Integrating sustainability and social responsibility into my business was the right thing to do as we have built stronger relationships with customers and employees, differentiated ourselves from competitors, and created a more sustainable and resilient business for the future. By incorporating these principles, I can contribute to a cleaner tomorrow for my children and the children of all families I represent through my work as a Family Law Attorney.

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Jacquelyn Rodriguez

Title: Founder of Enlightened Styles and The Clean Beauty Biz Coach

Company: Enlightened Styles and The Clean Beauty Biz Method

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleanbeautybizcoach/ Website: https://wwwcleanbeautybiz.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleanbeautybizcoach/

At Enlightened Styles, my holistic hair salon, we are committed to creating a safe and non-toxic environment for our employees and guests. To achieve this goal, we have successfully transitioned to a clean beauty business model, utilizing non-toxic, botanical product lines, and conscientious protocols.

I have been advocating for more environmentally friendly salons and spas for over a decade and have successfully integrated principles of sustainability and social responsibility into my business model. Through our efforts, the salon has achieved Gold status from the Green Business Bureau, an internationally recognized authority that measures a business’ greening initiatives and fosters a community of like-minded companies.

We have implemented sustainable solutions to reduce our carbon footprint, such as using salon products with very little to no plastic and partnering with businesses like Green Circle Salons, which recycle hair, leftover color, color tubes, and many other things. We no longer use plastic caps for processing; instead, we use biodegradable bags. We replace plastic and disposable cups with reusable glass and ceramics, use biodegradable tapioca paper instead of foils for color and highlights, and use soap pods in biofilms to clean towels and spa robes.

While we have made significant progress towards sustainability and social responsibility, I acknowledge that the beauty industry as a whole still has a long way to go. I understand the challenges and limitations of fully going green and sustainable due to the lack of eco-friendly alternatives for certain salon products and the higher costs associated with sustainable solutions.

Despite these challenges, I am committed to continuing my journey towards sustainability and being innovative in finding ways to change things. I encourage my clients and fellow salon owners to explore new sustainable solutions and product lines, as I do.

Our commitment to sustainability and social responsibility has positively impacted our growth and brand image. Consumers are increasingly seeking out brands that align with their values and contribute to a better future. As a clean beauty business coach, I am passionate about empowering salon leaders to create businesses that not only drive profits but also create positive change in the world. My dedication to creating a safer, healthier, and more sustainable salon experience is a testament to the power of entrepreneurship in driving positive change.

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Leena Chitnis

Title: Founder & CEO

Company: Timberdog®

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leenachitnis/

Even though we’re a startup, I paid for a carbon sequestration study because I believe values start on the ground floor, not just when it becomes convenient to be sustainable. We determined that if we plant one tree per RuffRest sold, we will be a carbon neutral company. So, I’m planning on planting two trees per product sold, to achieve carbon negativity (putting our more oxygen than we take in).

Trust, transparency, and sound business ethics make up the thickest layer of the brand cake. All the rest is just pretty frosting. I’ve worked for too many organizations who woke up and chose morals late into their legacy years. I vowed to be different, even though it has — and will continue — to cost me. Trust is an investment and will yield its dividends faithfully.

Finally, for me, growth isn’t just about “quarterly earnings.” I won’t just answer to shareholders. My customers are my boss, and our earth is equally important. Success to me is also about retention (reducing churn), repeat customers, and building a vocal and interactive community around my brand.

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Joan Casali

Title: CEO

Company: The Sweat Relief Company

Linkedin: Joan CEO, The Sweat Relief Company

I decided to no longer use polyester fabric to make my company’s shirts because of the harm it does to the environment. I donated all our inventory at the time to a charity. My company now only sells shirts made with recycled polyester. I didn’t like carrying that guilt on my shoulders. Also, I had to switch manufacturers because the manufacturer did not have access to recycled polyester fabric. In terms of social responsibility, I now only use terry cloth that is OEKO-TEX certified. But previously I bought terry cloth fabrics that were not certified, because the certification did not exist. We stopped using any terry cloth in inventory that did not have a certification because I couldn’t be sure it was safe enough — so it sits at the factory gathering dust. I think these changes are an improvement to our brand. I want people to know that we really do care about their health and well-being and we are willing to take on some losses if it means we are providing the public with a safer and better quality shirt.

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Yvette Estime

Title: Lead Designer/co-owner

Company: Dirty Celebrity

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirtycelebrity

When most people think about sustainability in the fashion industry, they go to upcycling and repurposing rather than thinking in a circular model. The truth is that sustainability should go further. My brand uses the circular model which includes manufacturing practices like initial ordering (small quanities), zero waste (using every scrap to keep it out of landfills) and using deadstock materials for limited edition drops.

We use our social media platforms to educate people about sustainability and inform them how to become smarter shoppers.

All our efforts have led to recognitions from investor capital group, Cornlus which paired with PNC to offer funding to women owned business, a mentorship with Selfmade, a women business collective and support group and most notably a grant from the CFDA for being a sustainable accessories line. We only have been in business for 3 years and we have seen that people care about our planet and the brands like mine that care as well.

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mary sue papale

Title: founder

Company: Suggies

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-sue-papale-b8731711/

Suggies has always been about being environmentally conscious. We look at all our products through the lens of how they impact our planet. Sustainable principles are the building blocks of our shoe brand. We look at all aspects of shoemaking and running a business through the lens of sustainability. It is part of what differentiates us from our competition.

Suggies are made with fewer than eight components versus thirty in an average sneaker. Suggies are cut close to order, producing less waste and using a stitched construction, averting toxic glues and producing a lower carbon footprint.

We also partner with an Italian tannery with a Gold Rating from the Leather Working Group for responsible tanning practices.

Our sole is made of natural rubber and rice husk. As a brand, we have always strived to be less reliant on petroleum products, and we are very proud of this unique compound. Most shoe companies moved to synthetic rubber over the years due to lower raw material prices and more efficiencies in mass production. A win for the bottom line for companies but not the planet, as converting polymers into rubber comes with a high environmental cost.

When choosing where we make our shoes, we also review product quality, speed to market, reduced environmental impact, and ethical conditions for the workers. This is why we select factories in the Americas. We believe in a hands-on approach with our factory partners.

Suggies boxes are made of 100% post-consumer and post-industrial content. They are fully recyclable and biodegradable. In addition, our box maker is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Made locally in the United States, the Suggies box is ethically manufactured and designed with simplicity and sustainability.

We talk about all of these things in our marketing. These are the points of differentiation in our brand. We also have a well-made, comfortable, breathable shoe that women covet because it is stylish and comfortable.
A brand needs to have a product-market fit as well as a good sustainability story.

At Suggies, we live and breathe sustainability. It’s not just a buzzword for us — it’s the very essence of our brand. We’re proud to stand for something that matters, and that’s the main reason why women continue to choose us time and time again. Sustainability isn’t just a passing trend for us. It’s a core value that shapes everything we do. When women shop with us, they make a powerful statement about what matters to them and to the world.

For us, sustainability is our brand’s DNA. We stand for it, and the main reason women buy from us.

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Dmitrii Kustov

Title: CEO / Marketing Director

Company: Regex SEO

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/digitalspaceman/

Four years ago, our company switched to remote work, and this had a good impact both on our business and on the planet.

By allowing our employees to work from home, we’ve been able to cut down on transportation, electricity, and single-use items like takeaway containers. We’ve also found that our team members are more productive and motivated when they have the flexibility to work from a location that suits their needs.

Another benefit for business was that by switching to remote work, we expanded our borders and started working with people from different countries. This provides a wider pool of talented candidates when searching for the right person for a position. In addition, remote work can also help reduce salary costs as average salaries in other countries may be lower than in the United States.

But it’s not just our company that’s benefiting from remote work. By embracing sustainable practices, we’re contributing to a healthier planet and creating a positive impact on the environment. And when customers see that a business is committed to sustainability, it can enhance the brand image and help attract like-minded customers.

So, let’s encourage more businesses to embrace sustainable practices like remote work. By doing so, we can create a brighter future for our planet and promote a positive, sustainable business culture that benefits us all.

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James Anderson

Title: CEO

Company: Veritas Buyers

Linkedin: https://veritasbuyers.com/

I believe that real estate businesses play a crucial role in promoting sustainability and social responsibility. We have a significant impact on the environment, communities, and the people who live and work in the spaces they create.

Whenever we do housing inspections and manage housing deals, I try to regularly assess and evaluate our sustainability and social responsibility efforts, and look for opportunities to improve and expand upon them.

As a professional home buyer, I try to promote some ways I wish to see real estate businesses do to support and contribute to sustainability and social responsibility. This includes adopting green building practices, obtaining green certifications, sustainable land use and development, promoting walkability and public transportation, and retrofitting existing properties

As much as possible, I would like to stay informed about industry best practices, new technologies, and evolving social and environmental concerns to ensure our business remains a responsible leader in the real estate sector.

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Heather Fritzsche

Title: Global CEO & Co-Founder

Company: The Spearhead Group

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/spearheadgroup/

The Spearhead Group is a global sustainable packaging company that has committed itself to saving the world through sustainable packaging with a number of socially responsible initiatives — and has seen $40 million in revenue growth since its 2018 founding.

Some recent highlights:
– Spearhead recently launched its Bottle2Bag™ program, which converts recycled plastic bottles (rPET) into luxury textile bags for spirits, food and beverage companies — which can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 70% and water usage by 90% in a year. Spearhead is the preferred diversity supplier for high-profile spirits packaging clients such as Crown Royal and Don Julio.

– In keeping with its mission for diversity and equity, the company also just announced the appointment of four women CEOs in four countries. Pictured left to right: Pooja Sikand, CEO Spearhead India; Patricia Burguete, CEO Mexico and Global Head of Sustainability; Heather Fritzsche, Co-Founder and Global CEO, Spearhead USA; and Giovanna Pinna, CEO Spearhead Italy.

– Lastly, Spearhead has headed up its own sustainable nonprofit, Spearhead Project Earth™, which is dedicated to cleaning packaging waste from waterways on Burlington Island, NJ.

Each of these initiatives has had a remarkable impact on Spearhead’s brand image and its ability to grow as a company in compliance with its values.

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Ercan Ceviz

Title: Co-Founder & CEO

Company: &Better

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ercan-ceviz/

In 2017, I became a father. It was one of the greatest moments of my life and brought everything into focus for me. I felt the need and desire to live in a better way — a more sustainable way — for the health of myself, my new family, and the planet.

My journey began by looking at the products my family was using at home every day. As an ex-P&G manager and management consultant, I had some experience in consumer packaged goods so it was a natural fit. I decided to create the best all-natural and sustainable personal care brand I could. That was how &Better was started — the simple desire to do better for my family.

Not satisfied with just creating something “plastic-free”, I used my knowledge of how a big commercial brand worked coupled with extensive research to look for opportunities throughout the value chain to create a better product. So our approach to sustainability has always been holistic, with a focus on end-to-end sustainability at every step of our supply chain:

Ingredients
Early on, it became clear that not all natural products are created equal and that the quality of our ingredients was what was going to set up a part. We handpicked our plant-based ingredients from responsibly managed community farms in Ghana. We choose to use organic ingredients when possible and never use harsh chemicals during the extraction process to ensure the final product is free from chemical residues. Through our commitment to using natural, plant-based ingredients, we help to promote life on land and protect biodiversity.

Product
Our solid-form products were a strategic choice to reduce our carbon footprint and plastic waste. By reducing packaging sizes and eliminating plastic packaging and petrol-based ingredients, we promote responsible consumption and production practices. We also reduce the impact of personal care products on marine life and promote life below the water by reducing plastic packaging and petrol-based ingredients.

Manufacturing
To protect the potent benefits of our ingredients, we handcraft our products in small batches using the cold process technique, which also helps us use less energy and water during production.

Packaging
Beyond the fact that our shampoo bars and soaps use no plastic bottles, we wanted to make sure the packaging we did use was also sustainable. Our packaging is minimal and made from recycled materials using soy inks so it is fully compostable.

Social Responsibility
Our commitment to a better world goes beyond creating sustainable products. By purchasing our main ingredient — shea butter — from local community-owned farms in Ghana and following fair-trade practices, we contribute to reducing poverty and promoting economic growth in the region. Our support empowers local farmers and helps promote education and knowledge-sharing in the Ghana regions where we source our ingredients.

And we made another strategic choice: to increase the amount of shea butter we put in our bars. We made a decision to formulate our products with 25% shea butter in our products, while most others only use around 5% and stretch with other vegetable oils. This was not only a decision to ensure we were providing the highest quality product we could, but also a decision to support the community-owned farms. Our philosophy is, the more shea butter we put in our products, the more we are helping support traditional family shea butter farmers in Ghana.

Our commitment to producing products that promote better health and well-being, both for consumers and for the environment, has earned us a reputation as a socially responsible personal care company. We have found early success selling on our website and Amazon and have earned a loyal and growing following of customers interested in responsible consumption who thank us for giving them a truly sustainable option.

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Joshua Host

Title: Co-founder

Company: Thrivelab

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuahost/

As practitioners struggle to have enough time with their patients in the healthcare system, Thrivelab does things differently. Most regular doctor visits are just a few minutes, but our consultations at Thrivelab for HRT and TRT therapies are 45 minutes to ensure ample time to cover patient history. Since the appointment isn’t rushed, our clients feel more comfortable, educated, and supported to move forward with their health decisions — and that’s how it should be.

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Kat Duff

Title: Founder / CEO

Company: Glotanicals

Linkedin: N/A

Because my brand is a mission driven company focused on sustainability within the beauty industry, we’ve incorporated sustainable principles into every layer of our business from day one. For us that means not only creating sustainable products but also tracking & offsetting carbon emissions, supporting regenerative agriculture for our ingredients, and giving back by planting trees for every product sold.
The brand was founded for sustainability due to the gap in the marketplace for quality sustainable products and the mass amounts of waste the global beauty industry creates annually (over 120 billion units of plastic packaging to be exact). Since sustainability is the mission at the heart of our brand it is also the differentiator for us within a crowded marketplace and has helped to set us apart. Beauty customers are becoming more aware of the waste of the industry and are looking for more eco friendly products. The issue though is that many of the other “sustainable” products out there are crappy products or are greenwashed. Our customers really appreciate our sustainability efforts and have grown to trust us through our commitment to them and delivering quality product experiences.

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Archie Filshill

Title: CEO and Co-founder

Company: Aero Aggregates

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/archief/

Aero Aggregates is a manufacturer that turns roughly 140 million glass bottles a year into material used in road construction, green roofs, gardens, building foundations and more. The ultra-lightweight closed-cell glass aggregates are 85% lighter than quarried aggregates. They’re durable, non-leaching, rot-resistant, and highly frictional. They also cost much less to manufacture, ship and use than other forms of aggregate.

The products not only accelerate construction but also reduce the overall carbon footprint of a lot of materials. For example, a project at the Philadelphia International Airport using the company’s aggregates reduced the number of trucks that would have been needed to transport quarried aggregate by 600.

The firm’s open-cell aggregate (Growstone®) has beneficial applications to reduce water usage and promote better plant growth. By extending rooting capacity it produces thriving plants with less irrigation and maintenance.

The wide acceptance of Aero Aggregates products has led the Eddystone, PA company to open production facilities in Dunnellen, FL and Modesto, CA in the last two years.

For more information on Aero Aggregates sustainability efforts, visit https://www.aeroaggna.com/sustainability

For further information, contact Rick Alcantara, 856.217.8662, rick.alcantara.pr@gmail.com

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Margo Perkins

Title: Founder

Company: Margo Paige

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margofery/

At Margo Paige, sustainability is the core of our model. We create sustainable products so we and our customers can align our lifestyles and our ethos. Margo Paige practices environmental and social sustainability all the way from design to doorstep in our product line. We believe you should not have to sacrifice style for sustainability, or vice versa. We have created 7 product standards that keep us accountable with our materials, partnerships and designs. By adding these standards and creating a circular business model, our goal to attract new customers to buy and think differently.

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Josh Petrawski

Title: CEO

Company: Sports and Fitness Exchange

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuapetrawski/

I run Sports and Fitness Exchange (the nation’s largest fitness equipment liquidator). We purchase returned or damaged fitness equipment merchandise (Treadmills, Ellipticals, Bikes, etc..) from large brands such as Nordictrack, Proform, and Life Fitness and resell them to consumers for 50–70% off.

All of our items are not new, but they are not used either. Our products are items that would otherwise end up in the landfill if it wasn’t for us. I think the best way to explain it is with an example:

Before us, brands such as NordicTrack would get returned items due to the items being shipped to the wrong address, the buyer being unable to pay, or the box being damaged, etc. Once those items were returned, NordicTrack could not sell those as new, so they would throw them away. However, we work with NordicTrack to re-sell those products at a steep discount to protect the environment and the pocketbook of our customers. The items that are damaged or unusable get the plastics, microchips, and metals recycled so that nothing ends up in the landfill.

We help these brands reduce their carbon footprint and create a win-win for consumers.

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Chiquita Hall-Jackson

Title: Attorney

Company: Hall-Jackson & Associates, PC

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chiquita-hall-jackson/

I have owned and operated my own law firm since 2014, in Chicago. Since that time I have focused my practice area of law on employment law. This includes workplace discrimination, harassment, and whistleblowing. After several settlements and verdicts, I noticed that the workplace cultures were not changing for these companies. It was only another invoice on their desk. Also, my clients’ mental health was declining at a rapid rate. So I decided to start a social justice movement and launched Blow The Whistle Law (BWL) in addition to my law practice.
With BWL we are on a mission to disrupt workplace/corporate cultures as we all know it to be. Such as hostile working environments and the mental health issues it causes. In all aspects of my business models we focus on the principles of sustainability with noting that human principle must be catered to first. This also goes with the social responsibility because we seek to have companies cater to each individual as human first regardless of their protected class then we create rules, policies and procedures in the workplaces that are inclusive and equitable for all. This includes equipping each person with the necessary training to enhance their skills.
The human principle then leads to the social and economic sustainability and social responsibility. Using our method, a company will see its employees as human first and this allows for social development and the ability of one to bring their authentic self to work. This acknowledges the culture and communities these individuals comes from. This allows for dialogue and culture education in the workplace. Which all leads to employees feeling safe, secure, and productive in the workplace.
This ultimately leads to the economic principle of sustainability because the more productive the worker the better economic growth for the company.
This is developed in my business model of THE F.R.E.E METHOD®. While it is something I do in my capacity of an DEI advocate, it crosses all aspects of my businesses in the law firm, with Blow the Whistle law as we push more workers to hold their colleagues accountable for their actions for the sustainability and social responsibilities that most employers forget to maintain in the workplace.
This has been beneficial to the company’s growth and brand image as we have expanded from law firm to the champion for employee’s rights. My personal brand has truly benefit as I have be named the Discrimination Disrupter™ by my peers. I am on a mission to disrupt toxic and unhealthy working environments as we all know it today so when my child enters the workforce she can work in a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment.

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Russell Tuchman

Title: CEO

Company: Rebuildee

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rebuildee/

Social responsibility is at the heart of Rebuildee. It’s how our company was born. In 2018, the Los Angeles area experienced the devastating Woolsey Fire, which ended up cutting off the city of Malibu from getting supplies for those in need. I saw a news story about a wealthy individual who loaded up a private yacht with supplies and maneuvered it into the Malibu bay to help those affected by the disaster. I knew there was a need to fill to help individuals affected by natural disasters.

After this, my team and I immersed ourselves in closing the gap between when people are most likely to donate to those in need vs. when most people are actually in the recovery process and start rebuilding their lives and homes. While the immediate relief period is usually handled well by governments, non-profits, and NGO’s to get people food, water, emergency medicine, etc., the long-term recovery period is an inefficient patch-work system where many people slip through the gaps because insurance and government aid are inaccessible or insufficient. This is how Rebuildee was born.

Our dedication to social responsibility has supported our overarching company-wide growth. Since Rebuildee launched our disaster recovery platform in October 2022, we have over 60 contributions, across over a dozen campaigns, representing disasters and socially vulnerable populations in 4 states, and we’re just getting started!

We have a growth plan in effect to target strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations to grow our footprint, and support communities nationwide. Our revenue will come in two stages after we prove product market fit. First, revenue will be generated from a 5% platform fee and voluntary tips from helpers, and then from a 5% lead generation commission from local businesses once onboarded later in the year. Those in need though will never pay a dime to receive aid.

Rebuildee builds resiliency by shifting reliance away from government entities and insurance companies and increasing agency in local communities. Those affected by disasters will now have an additional outlet for local recovery through Rebuildee, decreasing the need for external support, which can oftentimes be insufficient, inefficient, or inaccessible. Rebuildee allows communities to be in charge of their recovery process by increasing transparency into the areas where people need assistance post-disaster.

Rebuildee provides a novel, community-led approach to the rebuilding and disaster recovery process. The platform is intended to be agile and highly scalable, and to help communities avoid unnecessary bureaucracy by providing an additional channel for recovery in affected communities.

It’s our social responsibility to help those in need to make a positive impact on the world! It’s my goal that Rebuildee continues to assist people who need support, and is an easy to use platform to tap into during time of need. To bring our mission to life, we are also looking to partner with brands / like-minded organizations to provide additional philanthropic opportunities to collaborate.

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Steve Levine

Title: President and CEO

Company: AtmosAir Solutions

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-levine-a5784b25/

Sustainability is integrated into every aspect of our business and throughout our engagement with customers, partners, and community. We strive to reduce global carbon footprint and improve the air quality of the indoor spaces we serve while minimizing energy usage within the built environment worldwide. Our company growth is driven by the demand of our customers to enhance health and wellness in buildings while aligning with a brand that provides an impact on all occupants. We are committed to expanding our ESG programs to include all of our stakeholders, by providing cleaner and healthier air across a wide range of industries.

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Jamie Mitri

Title: Founder and CEO

Company: Moss Pure

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jmitri

Moss Pure is live moss walls and frames for your home and office. Most moss wall companies use preserved moss, which is no longer living, Moss Pure is the first and only company to use live moss as an air filter and stress relief device. No watering or sunlight is needed, and our products make stunning decor pieces in your everyday space. Our proprietary technology has prolonged the life of live moss from days to years and has enhanced the ability of live moss as an air filter. Plants that are natural air filters will take, for example, 20 years to purify only 2% of your air. Our patent pending science allows our moss filter to capture 30% of carbon dioxide and toxic pollutants, including dust and allergens, within minutes. Our multi-layered air filter is constructed of eco-friendly materials, and our products, such as the Mountain Frame and Zigzag Frame, are made of 100% reclaimed wood.

Moss Pure was created during a competition at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT Lebanon Challenge) in June 2020 where it won First Place Startup. It then went on to participate in the United Nations Development Programme, where it won Top 10 Startup in August 2020.

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Laura Nespoli

Title: Founder

Company: Meshin Movement

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-nespoli-storyteller/

A few years ago, I was working as a brand strategist at a creative advertising firm when I woke up one night with a vision for what I was supposed to be doing with my life. I saw a meal experience with a narrative of connection woven into every course and custom around the table. I saw every paid meal paying forward awareness and proceeds to a community organization in need. From that vision, I realized uniting people through the power of story was my purpose, and working without a more direct impact on social good was no longer an option. So I left my job to pursue my purpose and this vision, founding my company, Meshin Movement, from the ground up.

As a one-woman business operation, meeting and adhering to formal B-corp criteria would be impossible from a time and resource perspective. I have to serve as my own accountability board. And with that in mind, being a socially responsible business leader takes on many forms.

Social responsibility in the work itself. I’ve been fortunate to work for and partner with purpose-oriented businesses, many of whom are B-corp members or otherwise community-minded. For those who are direct clients, I help them articulate their purposes and commitments to help them fulfill their purpose. I seek out and nurture relationships with project partners who share my value of social responsibility. And because I have to take on work and projects with clients who may not always be so socially-minded, I’ve pledged to donate 10% of my profits to the world’s most effective charities. So no matter the focus of the work, I create a positive impact through my proceeds. I also take that giving mindset to the world’s most effective charities and apply those principles to giving in my community, serving as a sponsor and donor to many organizations doing the work on a local and regional level.

Social responsibility through education and member networks.
As a solopreneur, I’m conscientious about what I miss from the traditional corporate training focused on DEIA and social responsibility in business. I have to invest in this leadership development and training to ensure I continue to better serve my clients and the world. I’ve invested in DEI training and coursework rooted in social-emotional intelligence. And I seek out content and reading material for on-going self-education.

I’m a member of a network for socially responsible business leaders that also offers education and professional development content for attendees. And I’m a member of a strategists’ network, Overflow, that is a B-corp advancing the work of diverse independent thinkers, together.

Social responsibility by giving from my expertise, skill sets and passions.
I’ve been fortunate to host a number of those contemplative meal experiences, Meshin Meals. Some have been out of my home, raising money from small group dining experiences to give back to my community. One was on behalf of a non-profit organization who wanted a custom Meshin Meal to welcome a new board of directors into their brand purpose and commitments.

I’m now working on a project to use the scale of resources and influence of marketing to create awareness and movement on the world’s most pressing social issues. I saw the abundance of resources brands have to promote their products and services in dramatic contrast to the resources social impact groups must work from. As a strategist, I see the convergence of information, barriers, and insights and can identify opportunity. There is a big opportunity here to use forces in motion for the greater good. So I’m currently working on bringing this idea to life–to create More Movement with Marketing by using brand dollars to create awareness for the issue of poverty in my hometown city of Rochester, NY. Our community is handicapped by the poverty epidemic. We need to change the narrative and spark a larger conversation to address the issue. So far, local stakeholders responsible for the region’s economic prosperity are excited about what this idea could do for the region.

Operating with social responsibility at my core has led to fruitful partnerships. My commitment to my values strengthens affinity for my brand and I know that it is a factor for clients who decide to work with me over another consultant. Sustainability and social responsibility are not a nice-to-have, they are a requirement to thrive in the future of work. Weaving these into practice and ensuring I can operate with shared values in action on par with a global corporation shows a level of sophistication that I believe makes clients feel good about working with me, and most importantly, makes me feel good about the work I do every day.

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Andy Pace

Title: Healthy Home Concierge, Founder of The Green Design Center and Host of the Non-Toxic Environments Podcast

Company: The Green Design Center

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpace/

As founder of the oldest healthy building supply company in the United States, I have over 30 years of experience helping clients with severe environmental allergies and chemical sensitivities source the healthiest materials for their homes. I have made it my mission to research and vet each product that I recommend and work to troubleshoot home solutions for my clients that are both eco-friendly, sustainable and healthy to the occupants in the home — meaning no off-gassing or VOC’s. As a business owner, this has benefited me in that my passion and reputation for being honest and thorough have allowed me to connect and work with the best manufacturers in the business such as AFM Safecoat paint, for example. The Green Design Center has become a leading resource for those in need of healthy home advice and I now share my experiences on my podcast the Non-Toxic Environments Podcast to educate those in the industry who want to invest in creating healthy homes. Our educational podcast is offering social responsibility by sharing our knowledge of what the benefits of building a healthy home are and available on all podcast platforms. I help clients big and small prioritize their projects and work within their budgets to offer the healthiest solutions to their homes from window treatments, air purifiers, bathroom tiles to even caulk and paint. Satisfied and healthy clients are a testament to the work that we do.

About Andrew Pace:
Andrew Pace is a Healthy Home Concierge and Founder of The Green Design Center, a leading resource for homeowners and contractors looking to source products that are healthy and green and receive expert consulting advice on designing and building healthy green homes. Andrew is the host of the weekly Non Toxic Environments Podcast. He is a worldwide expert on green and healthy building products and services customers and contractors from around the globe. As founder of the oldest healthy building supply company in the United States, Andrew has become one of the single most helpful and educational experts dealing with the day-to-day concerns of those individuals who suffer from allergies, asthma and chemical sensitivities.

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Trey Vilcoq

Title: CEO

Company: BRIXY

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trey-vilcoq-114b5/

The team at BRIXY has a heritage of making safe and effective personal care products. With our latest chapter, BRIXY, we are applying that heritage and layering in our love for the planet. We’ve become fond of saying we’re elevating better-for-you, and making it better-for-the planet. We specifically set out to address the disposable plastic crisis, that big wall of plastic bottles that greets you at even the most environmentally-minded store. Did you know that our plastic recycling process is largely broken and less than 6% of the plastic created actually gets recycled? That’s why BRIXY products are 100% plastic-free. The packaging we do use is the minimal amount, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, and readily recyclable (or compostable!) Not only do we use more environmentally friendly packaging, but our BRIXY bars also last a long time, 2–3 times longer than products in plastic bottles.

We’ve also incorporated social responsibility from day one. 1% of BRIXY sales go to support ECOEVO — a non-profit we created — and their mission to replenish the planet, safeguard against climate change, and restore the beauty of natural habitats. As BRIXY is an emerging brand — we’ve been in business less than one year — perhaps it’s a bit too early to tell how offering more sustainable alternatives and incorporating social responsibility is impacting our company’s growth and brand image. We do understand that more and more people are looking to be more mindful when purchasing products and adopting more sustainable alternatives. We’re also firm believers in using business as a force for good so we’ll keep doing what we do!

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Ahriana Edwards

Title: Founder & CEO

Company: Vaila Shoes

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahriana-edwards/

Vaila Shoes is a modern dress shoe brand for women who wear extended shoe sizes of 9–14. Vaila was founded with an intention to empower women of forgotten shoe sizes. After over a decade of failed dress shoe shopping experiences at retailers who stock limited, outdated and less inclusive footwear, Ahriana Edwards (founder) decided to create Vaila to give women access to footwear that fit well and look good. Vaila Shoes are engineered for the larger foot structure, designed with modern fashion trends in mind, and made for women who handle business and beyond. Vaila is on a mission to achieve plus-size inclusivity in the footwear space.

Social Impact: There’s no question about the need for extended size dress shoes. Aside from Vaila’s for-profit model, Vaila is committed to contributing to additional spaces that need its products but aren’t financially stable to obtain them. Vaila will dedicate time to donating pairs of shoes to women’s shelters and helping women prepare for getting back into the job market. Vaila will also donate shoes to young ladies who are entering their modeling career and need proper footwear to accommodate their runway shows. Vaila is also working on initiatives to partner with college students (primarily college athletes) as they prepare to transition from the court into the workforce. Lastly, Vaila fully supports the LGBTQIA community and wants to aid in providing transgender women an updated shoedrobe as they are transitioning while in the workforce. Inclusivity is everything that Vaila Shoes stands for. The time to be supported and included for having an extended shoe size is now. The power of representations makes a difference within the fashion industry but also within the communities that need it the most. Vaila is at the core of redefining fashion standards to create a more inclusive environment for all. After all, there shouldn’t be any barriers in business.

Sustainability Efforts: Vaila Shoes is committed to improving sustainability within the fashion industry through its sourcing operations. Vaila works with manufacturers to upcycle their slow-moving inventory and materials to re-design based on Vaila’s standards and sell them on its platform. Vaila aims to reduce the carbon and waste footprint within the fashion industry. In addition, Vaila’s primary core fabrications are vegan leather (polyurethane), vegan suede, PVC, and rubber (from which are recycled to assist with fashion sustainability and non-animal cruelty).

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Steve Ryan

Title: Founder and CEO

Company: Fetch the Sun

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-ryan-929b1328/

We believe that sharing an active lifestyle with our dogs provides many health benefits for both them and us. As the first lifestyle clothing brand for dogs and humans who love adventure, we offer a variety of apparel to help inspire dog owners to take their pups out and explore the world together. All our designs have incorporated elements of outdoor adventures that can be easily shared with our four-legged best buddies. So whether you’re out on a run, walking the dog, or just enjoying some outdoor time together, our products will keep you and your pup comfortable while adding some extra flair to your day.

In 2021 we made a revolutionary move toward sustainability. We sourced factories that could manufacture our apparel to our strict standards while doing so ethically and with eco-friendly materials — and in 2022, we proudly launched the first of many lines of sustainable clothing! Currently, all of our matching dog and owner shirts are made with organic cotton and recycled polyester. However, we are not stopping there; by 2025, every article of clothing will be produced sustainably — so future generations and their pups can enjoy nature’s beauty worry-free.

At Fetch The Sun, we believe that every animal deserves a loving home. That’s why when we established our brand in 2019, we simultaneously set up the Fetch The Sun animal shelter donation partnership program. Each month we sponsor an animal rescue organization and donate a portion of every sale to their mission of helping shelter pets find new, forever homes. We are extremely proud of this program and have donated a portion of every single sale we’ve ever made to animal rescue organizations. We couldn’t be more excited about the work these shelters are doing on behalf of animals — it warms our hearts to know that together, through this program and beyond, we’re making a difference for all pets looking for their forever homes.

We take pride in our commitment to combining animal welfare and sustainability into the Fetch The Sun brand — making us more than just another clothing label but a movement dedicated to improving the lives of dogs around the world. It’s these unique values that set us apart from the rest, making us the go-to brand for fashion-forward dog lovers who want their choices to make a meaningful difference in this world! We can’t wait to see what the future holds and are excited to share more of our adventures with all the amazing dogs and dog lovers along the way!

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Laura Mooney

Title: Owner

Company: The Mohicans Treehouse Resort

Linkedin:

The Mohicans Treehouse Resort and Wedding Venue is located a very rural area of Ohio where economic and social opportunities for locals are limited. Part of my mission is to share my life experiences and skill sets and provide much needed support to our staff, especially young women, in ways that are outside of the traditional employer/employee realm. This includes personal coaching on topics such as advanced education, child care, mental health issues and life decisions such as career exploration and home buying. Acting as a role model in more than just a professional sense helps form bonds with our employees and builds trust, loyalty and respect. These are deep connections that benefit not only the employee, but the business has a whole. Their success is our success.

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Theo Mourad

Title: Co-Founder

Company: THEO’s Plant-Based

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theo-mourad-b06298201/

Our brand, THEO’s Plant-Based, offers the first organic vegetable-based jerky on the market called BEET Jerky, a first-of-its-kind, savory snack shaking up the coveted jerky category with three delicious flavors: Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper, Sesame-Ginger Teriyaki, and Savory BBQ. We are on a mission to lead the world into a more flavorful, healthy, sustainable, and just food system by honoring vegetables for what they already are — tasty, nutritious, and planet-friendly.

As producers and innovators in an emerging space (plant-based food), we believe it’s our responsibility to create products that are good for people and the planet, using the highest quality and most nutritious ingredients possible. We believe that producers should be on the pursuit to make products that are contributing to better health for customers, but the plant-based space has been polluted by hyper-processed options that have been manipulated so far from being real plants. People are being misled by all of the greenwashing and the marketing that if something doesn’t have animal products in it then it’s healthy and “sustainable.” But should a product that doesn’t contain animal products be allowed to be called plant-based if it’s full of ingredients that aren’t really plants? We think not.

What people ought to be eating is REAL food. Real food products are things that can be made with your hands with ingredients that you can buy at the store or your local farmers market — things that are recognizable. In the case of “plant-based”, real whole plant-based vegetables and fruits. All of our products will be like that and none of these chemically constructed lab experiments. At the highest level social responsibility comes into play in that if you’re going to add something to the marketplace, it should be something that’s good for the health of both people and the planet. You can call our business “plant-based” but I truly see myself more in the business of getting folks more real food options — Organic food that comes from the earth that was grown with care. We go as far to say that if people can buy organic vegetables and cook them at home for themselves, that’s our number one wish. But, with the reality of the fast-paced world we live in, the majority of people don’t have the luxury of time to always prepare healthy plant-based products, so that’s where we come in as the on-the-go solution. People shouldn’t have to choose between cooking vegetables at home and picking processed foods — there needs to be a middle ground and that’s where there are still so few brands that are offering genuinely simple and nutritious plant-based options.

To get more specific on our efforts, we are taking every measure possible to be socially and sustainably conscious. Our supply chain is organic and regenerative, our packaging is compostable (what other at scale products are doing this?!), and the product is upcycled and zero-waste. Most beet processing only uses 50–70% of the beet, but we’re proud to be using 96% of the plant and we produce it in a way that maintains all of the nutritional integrity of the raw beet via low temp drying. We additionally produce locally and donate “1% for the planet” to local Chicago urban farms and food nonprofits to aid access to nutritious foods. As we grow and build our team we will also prioritize hires from different backgrounds. I like to say that you can’t “greenwash” our product and brand because it’s genuinely green. And we are making the beet, one of the most nutritious foods that exists, more convenient to eat (though I’d still rather people buy the beets locally and cook them at home!).

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Lauryn Strobel

Title: Owner

Company: Love Khaos

Linkedin: 

As the owner of a certified B Corp, I firmly believe that sustainability and social responsibility are not separate from business success, but rather, essential components of it. Valuing profit, people, and the planet equally is the foundational core of our business model. This ethos is reflected in every aspect of our operations, from achieving 100% carbon neutrality, to becoming our own manufacturer and paying a living wage and health benefits to our team, to making a majority of our collection in order to minimize overproduction waste.

We measure our growth and success by the positive changes we’ve made in the world. We donate a minimum of 2% of our profits to verified social and environmental programs every year. This ensures that we use business as a force for good and create meaningful impact. We also take pride in seeing our team and the local businesses we support thrive.

To me, sustainability and quality are synonymous; I believe that people should buy less and buy better. Our customers trust us because they know that every purchase they make with us contributes to a positive change in the world and is an investment in well-made, durable clothing that will last.

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Belinda Lau

Title: Founder and CEO

Company: ELIMS

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/belindaleelau/

We source only sustainable ingredients and packaging. We try to close the loop by partnering with TerraCycle, a private recycler and offer our customers free returns to us to recycle their oral care packaging. Sustainability is core to our business and has been very positive on our brand image. Many products in our category are not sustainable so this is a differentiating factor for us.

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Mary Bemis

Title: Founder

Company: Reprise

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-bemis-27aa9a47/

Reprise was built from Day 1 on sustainable principles — primarily around using natural materials and reducing plastic use. Over 60% of clothing today is made with fossil-fuel based polyester which is produced using a host of toxic chemicals and when finished, sheds tiny bits of microplastics into our water. Being very firm on our sourcing standards and not allowing anymore than 10% non-natural ingredients has benefitted our business as it creates a trust with the consumer. A lot of the fashion industry’s sustainability claims are vague and halfhearted, and it is much harder to switch a company’s materials and policies mid-journey. We’ve had success taking a stand, raising awareness and providing better, safer alternatives!

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George Crave

Title: President

Company: Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/crave-brothers-farmstead-cheese/

Crave Brothers’ brand is known for sustainability. We have implemented various efforts over our 21 years of business that have allowed for future generations to thrive. Some examples include water and land conservation, recyclable packaging, automation, cover crops, crop rotation, and minimum tillage. In addition, our anaerobic methane digester system which turns cow manure into renewable energy, produces enough electricity to power our farm, cheese factory and 300 area homes. Consumers recognize that we are a carbon negative company that prioritizes sustainability. We market our story through consumer facing events, demos, our website, and our social media platforms. Sharing our story of family, farmstead, and modern-day agriculture has allowed for a sense of transparency and consumer trust in our brand, and dairy farming.

Social responsibility comes in many forms. Here at Crave Brothers we offer our employees growth opportunities, flexible scheduling, and incentives. We also prioritize being a good neighbor as farmers and a local business. Our company is active in local organizations and sponsorships and our family and staff are involved in our local 4-H, FFA, churches and community groups.

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Kevin Porter

Title: Brand President

Company: Executive Home Care

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/executive-care/

As the Brand President of Executive Home Care, I am deeply committed to embedding sustainability and social responsibility into the very fabric of our business model, as I believe this is key to our long-term prosperity. We have undertaken various initiatives and adopted practices across our organization to realize this vision.

First and foremost, we concentrate on utilizing eco-conscious, non-toxic cleaning supplies and products to reduce our environmental footprint while ensuring the health and well-being of our clients and caregivers. We also motivate our franchisees to adopt energy-efficient measures and waste reduction strategies at their facilities.

In addition, we emphasize the well-being of our team members by providing competitive wages, comprehensive training, and avenues for professional growth. This enables us to attract and maintain a talented and devoted workforce that is passionate about delivering the highest standard of care to our clients.

Finally, we proactively engage with the communities we serve by contributing to charitable endeavors and sponsoring events that champion health and wellness. This not only allows us to support the communities in which we operate, but also helps us build robust relationships with local organizations and residents. By offering crucial resources, we deliver exceptional senior care that has a meaningful impact on the lives of those we serve. Our programs and services empower seniors to live comfortably and securely in their own homes, providing their families with the invaluable gift of peace of mind.

By incorporating sustainability and social responsibility into the core of our business approach, we have not only witnessed consistent expansion but also considerably enhanced our brand reputation. Our dedication to these principles distinguishes us from the competition and has facilitated the establishment of trust and allegiance with our clientele and the communities in which we operate.

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Nelly Gedeon

Title: Founder

Company: Wayaj

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/nelly-o-gedeon-ee-mba-9ab66829

At Wayaj, sustainability is at the core of everything we do. As an eco-friendly digital travel platform, we provide innovative solutions to the hospitality industry to reduce its impact on the environment and positively affect local communities. We currently partner with 470+ member hotels in over 100 countries.

Wayaj’s Hotel Sustainability Rating (HSR) system helps properties know where they are on their sustainability journey and identify what they need to work on. We evaluate each property on seven important categories, generating a score of 1–100 based on the data provided.

Our Carbon Footprint Calculator allows hotels to determine their carbon emissions. It also makes it easy for their guests to calculate and offset the CO2 footprint of their travels, including transportation and hotel stay, and contribute to projects that have a positive social and environmental impact on local communities.

Most recently, we launched the Wayaj IMPPACT program as a way for travelers to support social and environmental projects globally. IMPPACT also serves as a financing mechanism to non-profit organizations to raise funds to maintain projects aligned with the UNSDGs.

As a company, our values and commitment to a more sustainable future and saving people and the planet for future generations is ever-present. We advocate for our team to adopt the practices we preach. Wayaj is an all-remote office, and we encourage calculating and offsetting emissions when travel is required.

We are proud of what we do and every positive review we have received. As we enhance our offerings, we’ve had increased interest from the accommodations sector in joining our membership and offering our products to their guests.

It’s the small things we all do every day that can have a massive impact. But to make a real difference, it must be a collaborative effort. Wayaj is dedicated to spreading the word so more and more people get involved.

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Todd Khozein

Title: CEO/Co-Founder

Company: SecondMuse

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddkhozein/

The business model at SecondMuse is fundamentally premised on the idea that incorporating sustainability and social responsibility principles into our markets is the smartest decision to make. When you want to build economies that benefit people and heal the planet, you must incorporate these kinds of principles into the organization. Additionally, a core aspect of our approach is engaging with industry experts to grasp what the communities we support urgently need, ensuring our resources are allocated to deliver the most impact.

For our team, expertise is more than just technical. It is also the lived experience, meaning we consider those impacted by problems surrounding climate, technology, youth mental well-being, and more as experts. This helps support SecondMuse’s efficiency by reducing blind spots when designing new program models. We have seen that engaging with the community actually makes it more likely that the businesses we support will succeed long-term.

As a B Corp-certified company, their principles are integrated into our business model: reducing inequality by providing entrepreneurial support to underserved communities, legal accountability to balance profit and purpose, a commitment to our people and the planet, and a driving belief that businesses can and should be a force for good.

Our commitment to sustainability and social responsibility is engrained into everything we do, resulting in the Reuters Responsible Business Awards recognition for our work in South and Southeast Asia. Having acknowledgments supports our company’s image and growth by fostering trust for us to create programs across all seven continents in partnership with 600+ organizations such as NASA, The World Bank, Nike, USAID, The World Health Organization, and The Rockefeller Foundation.

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Dylan Gehrken

Title: Founder & Visionary

Company: Greasecycle

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-gehrken-10497086/

As a company, and as a service, Greasecycle is committed to ensuring business practices don’t compromise the viability of our communal resources. We take it a step further by creating a net gain as a direct result of our work as a food waste material collector and renewable energy company.

As a comprehensive zero-waste company, we constantly consider ways to build a more profitable industry for businesses. We believe this approach encourages industry integrity, reduces costs to customers, and encourages better industry compliance. While the bottomline offers a benefit, identifying ways to reduce operating costs has a social impact too. When it costs too much for a hauler to properly handle material, sustainability is the first area to suffer. When it costs a restaurant too much to have their grease trap serviced regularly, backups & water contamination becomes a huge concern. As a result, you see how higher costs impact an organization’s carbon footprint and subsequently present potential hazards to municipalities, cities, and the people who live in those communities

Efficiencies in our business makes growth easier to achieve. By providing an on-site processing solution to customers, we are able to service more customers using fewer trucks, and further reducing our carbon footprint by being efficient. We also aim to be more efficient by putting our customers on a recurring schedule, which is good for their compliance and helps ensure we do not over (or under) extend our team.

Our brand has evolved from “Frymore” — originally focused on strictly cooking oil to “Greasecycle” when we evolved to focus on the ways to be better at recycling materials & extracting every single drop of value we could muster. To do that successfully, we’ve had to reassess our processes, investigate newer technologies for extraction, identify better ways to clean re-entered water, and challenge ourselves to raise the bar on renewable waste. Our name change is symbolic of our overall company vision: more recycling yields greater sustainability while creating easier opportunities and incentives for everyone to achieve those goals. Good for our customers and good for the environment.

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Jimmy Carroll

Title: Co-Founder

Company: Pelorus

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrollja/

We are firm believers that we are only custodians of this world for future generations, which means we need to act now. We need to travel with purpose, clients are now asking us, how can we leave a positive impact on the places we visit?

It’s exciting because we now have an opportunity, through travel to affect change and really educate our clients, showing them, through their own experiences what needs to be done from both a conservation, humanitarian and environmental standpoint.’

‘People want to travel more meaningfully, to immerse themselves in the culture and identity of a country and to meet locals when they travel. We’ve seen a noticeable increase over the last few years of people are thinking about how they can give back and how their travels can have a positive impact on the places they’re visiting.This desire from our clients was one of the driving forces that led us to set up the Pelorus Foundation, which supports various projects around the world through fundraising and training, but most importantly is the home of our Climate Investment Fund.

Quotes above from Jimmy Carroll, Co-Founder and Business Development Director

– Pelorus Foundation and Climate Investment Fund –
Established in 2020, the Pelorus Foundation is a UK-registered conservation charity with a mission to protect, preserve and promote “at risk” wildlife and environments by supporting communities on the front line of conservation. As an independent charity, Pelorus Foundation has its own dedicated team and board of trustees. Their conservation projects are funded through a variety of channels including donations from individuals, corporate support, trust funding and fundraising from events and activities.

Enhancing its commitment to planetary good further still, in July 2022, the Pelorus Foundation announced its new Climate Investment Fund, an initiative that seeks to address the problem of travel emissions head-on, in partnership with officially verified and certified carbon removal project partners. To help combat the damaging effect of greenhouse gases, the foundation is currently working with forest and soil carbon removal technologies and initiatives, by utilizing the world’s ocean and coastal ecosystems.

If clients show a particular interest in our carbon removal projects and partners, experiences can be arranged for clients to see first-hand how carbon removal can work in a number of different ways around the world. Our current partners are:

Blue Carbon in Iceland in the US:
Running Tide combines technology, science, and the natural process of the oceans to clean up the planet, such as by growing kelp which sequesters CO2. The macro-algae is then sunk to the deep ocean floor where it’s stored for at least 800 years — thought to be one of the planet’s most effective and permanent carbon removal systems.

Forest Carbon in Timor Leste:
Working with over 1000 small holder farmers, FCOTI helps those who work the land in Timor-Leste to plant trees — sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. By placing reforestation hand in hand with socio-economic development, this project works to reconcile the relationship between people and our impact on the planet.

Soil Sequestration in Mongolia
This community-driven Plan Vivo project works with more than 100 nomadic households in rural Mongolia to implement new approaches to restoring degraded grasslands — increasing soil carbon sequestration.

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Gregory Charlop, MD

Title: Founder

Company: Electric Avenue Properties, LLC

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorycharlop/

At Electric Avenue Properties, we breathe sustainability and social responsibility into every aspect of our business model. Our primary focus is investing in real estate near electric car battery factories, thereby promoting the growth of clean and green transportation. By doing so, we’re not only encouraging the electric vehicle industry but also fostering environmentally conscious communities around these factories.

Furthermore, we have developed an AI-powered online tool that assists homeowners in making their homes more eco-friendly. This tool enables homeowners to reduce their carbon footprint, save on energy costs, and contribute positively to the environment. Our dedication to sustainability has garnered a strong, positive reputation for our company, attracting like-minded partners, investors, and clients who share our values.

In essence, our commitment to sustainability and social responsibility has fueled our company’s growth and helped us build a brand image synonymous with environmental stewardship and innovation. We’re proud to be part of the movement for a greener, cleaner future!

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