Events
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Green Chamber Clean Tech
What precisely is Clean Tech? This vague, hip and ever buzzing emerging field in and around Silicon Valley is not obvious to someone not already in the know. With terms like “sustainability” and “green industry” being used freely and indiscriminately in public discourse, this event was a breath of fresh air, bringing the vague and broad reaching dimensions of “Clean Tech” into focus.... -
Earth Policy Institute
BetterWorld was out with the wonderful people of Earth Policy Institute (EPI) last week. BetterWorld has collaborated with EPI on webinars, donated to them and currently proudly serves them as member of our customer family. EPI was founded by the former president of the Worldwatch Institute and renowned environmentalist thoughtleaders, Lester Brown.... -
Silicon Valley Leadership Group � White House CTO
President Barack Obama said in his State of the Union address that the US needs to out-innovate, out-build, and out-educate the rest of the world. To that end, members of the administration have been traveling around the country to meet up with business leaders in roundtable discussions and learn how best to support them.... -
Investors' Circle Venture Forum in San Francisco
The BetterWorld Team was out at the Investors' Circle Spring Venture Fair and Forum in San Francisco yesterday and today. Investors' Circle is a network of over 150 angel investors, professional venture capitalists, foundations and family offices who are using private capital to promote the transition to a sustainable economy. Since 1992, Investors' Circle has facilitated the flow of over $145 million into more than 220 companies and small funds addressing social and environmental issues.... -
Earth Day with BetterWorld Telecom
BetterWorld’s Ali Gunertem was out for Earth Day at Ben Brenman Park in Alexandria along with thousands of others and the Mayor William D. Euille! Among the highlights: exhibitions, environmental display, food, jazz music, poetry, free parking, and a tree sale. BetterWorld’s Salem Kimble was out for Earth Day at Civic Center Park in Berkeley CA and test drove the new electric Chevy Volt.... -
BetterWorld Celebrates Earth Day Building Green Houses with Habitat for Humanity in Oakland
As part of Habitat for Humanity’s 2011 Earth Day Build-a-Thon, some of BetterWorld’s team was on hand for executive build day. We were joined by executives from many of the Bay area’s leading companies including Wells Fargo, Charles Schwab, Coldwell Banker, Chevron and Cisco. Habitat for Humanity is an extraordinary non-profit organization building simple, decent, affordable housing and organizing myriad events and opportunities for volunteers to have a hand in the process alongside Habitat families.... -
TEDx Presidio
What does business 3.0 look like? How are successful companies reshaping the landscape and the workplace? With a packed schedule of speakers, TEDx Presidio was a heavy hitting dose of trailblazers from the Bay Area and beyond. Hosts Deb Nelson of Social Venture Network and Darian Rodriguez Heyman of Code Green Agency, started off the day with the question: What’s the difference between a dreamer and a visionary?... -
Changing DNA of Business for Good!
Is it possible for corporations to be guided by and operated with a primary goal of creating benefit for society and the planet? B Corp says yes, and can back it up, with over 400 member businesses and $2 billion in collective member revenue. It was a diverse group of people drawn to Sustainovations B Corp event; everyone from Palo Alto venture capital folks and consultants to sustainability focused individuals connected with Slow Food South Bay.... -
BetterWorld in Attendance at the HULT Global Case Challenge
We were out and about this past weekend (March 5th) at the San Francisco HULT Global Case Challenge Regional Event. I was happy to have an opportunity to be a part of the crowd and present along with Water.org and the Clinton Global Initiative. The HULT Global Case Challenge commits to tackling the world’s toughest social challenges through crowd-sourcing innovative ideas and solutions from the world’s best and brightest business school students.... -
TechSoup Global Contributors Summit
BetterWorld was honored to be a part of a convening of funders, corporate donors, social media experts, capacity-building organizations and the fulcrum of all of these amazing networks, TechSoup Global. The summit has focused on how BetterWorld and other participants can create greater impact through the extraordinary network of partners that comprise TechSoup’s global contributors.... -
NetImpact 2020: Vision for a Sustainable Decade
Wow – we are always amazed at the energy and power of the annual NetImpact Conference and this year was no exception. There are so many forums, conferences and get togethers throughout the year now but NetImpact always is able to rise above most anything else out in the fray. This year over 2,500 people descended on the Ross School of Business in Ann Arbor, MI, and hundreds of top notch speakers and experts in social and environmental sustainability engaged packed rooms (mostly students from around the country and world) on issues of the day and most importantly, pathways to a new and better world.... -
Amnesty at the World Affairs Council
Last week we had the pleasure of attending the World Affairs Council’s discussion with Larry Cox, the Executive Director of Amnesty International. It was a truly enlightening and informative discussion as Larry covered both the history and future of Amnesty, tracing its roots from being the international voice for the “forgotten prisoners”, those silent voices that stood out for decades against oppression and dictatorships worldwide to now where Amnesty also fighting for elimination of poverty as a top issue on its agenda.... -
BetterWorld Stands with the ASBC and Helps Pass Key Small Business Legislation
As part of our participation in strategy meetings for the new American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) this week in Washington, D.C., we were fortunate to sound our voice loud and clear for small business credit and investment as the Senate passed key legislation yesterday which will come to the rescue for small businesses and main street nationwide.... -
Leading the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs: Ashoka’s Youth Venture
The BetterWorld team is so excited to be on the ground floor of Ashoka’s U.S. Youth Venture pilot in the SF Bay Area. The program, led by ED Amy Wilson, has already invested in a number of East Bay entrepreneurs and is now shifting into high gear, having just added an amazing and diverse group of changemakers to its steering committee and setting firm goals of becoming the example for other Ashoka Youth Ventures to launch in the U.... -
BetterWork, NetImpact and the Future
Last week we had the fortune of presenting the BetterWork framework to most of the staff at NetImpact in San Francisco. We had a great discussion about the nature of work and changing how we work can cut the carbon output of America by 50% in the coming decades. With NetImpact really serving as the training ground for our next generation of sustainable leaders and hopefully helping to produce the first generation that elevates environmental and social responsibility to the top of our list of priorities, we were so encouraged by the amazing questions and dialogue that ensued during our time with the NetImpact staff.... -
BetterWork Customers Events Green Festivals Green Telecom Partners Social Venture Network Uncategorized Volunteering
Case Study: Oregon 211info H1N1 Hotline
This week we had the pleasure of presenting our case study with Oregon 211_info_ – how 211_info_ and the Oregon Department of Health quickly and efficiently created a call center in response to the H1N1 influenza epidemic, creating a model for other quick-response, temporary hotlines. In the fall of 2009, 211info and the Oregon Department of Human Services, working with BetterWorld Telecom, created a comprehensive hotline with a supervisor, a staff of 20 temporary information and referral agents, continually updated information, partners in nurse triage and clinic support offices, and administrative help from 211info.... -
NISH 2010 Conference: Where Opportunity Meets Reality
We were fortunate and privileged to attend and participate in the NISH Annual Conference this past week in Anaheim. Over 2,000 folk from all over the country were on hand for what was a truly inspirational and uplifting program, all dedicated to helping people with disabilities to find more meaningful lives through meaningful work.... -
BALLE 2010 National Conference
If you have been following the BetterBlog over time, you know of our total commitment to helping build local living economies, especially through the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE). As a number of the BetterWorld contingent were in attendance at the BALLE national conference last week in Charleston, SC, and our unified opinion is that BALLE is truly a force to be reckoned with in North America and the world – the conference was truly amazing and all the local and national staff, volunteers and .... -
Everything Comes Full Circle
One of the best decisions we have made since starting BetterWorld has been to join the Full Circle Fund in San Francisco – Matt and I were at the annual FCF retreat this past weekend in Monterrey, seeing lots of old friends and making many new ones. The one standout for us is how this organization, which is approaching 10 years own has grown its impact and reach every year.... -
Wisdom 2.0
Soren Gordhamer (Wisdom 2.0), Kaitlin Quistgaard (YogaJournal), Tami Simon (SoundsTrue), Gopi Kallayil (Google), Leah Perlman (Facebook) Gmail and mindfulness? Twitter and meditation? Are these really viable bedfellows? Can technology not only enhance our ability to connect and communicate with one another, but improve the quality and consciousness of our everyday lives?... -
BetterWork Featured at Capitol Clean Tech EXPO
On April 20, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Federal Communications Commission Chair Julius Genachowski and Sprint CEO Dan Hesse were on hand for the first ever Capitol Clean Tech EXPO in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C. The Clean Tech EXPO was held in honor of Earth Day and to showcase energy companies, non-profits and telecommunications organizations are showcasing advances in clean energy and environmentally friendly products and technology.... -
Seventh Annual William James Foundation Sustainable Business Plan Competition
This past weekend, we had the great fortune to help sponsor and attend the latest installment of the annual William James Foundation (WJF) Sustainable Business Plan Competition. Right out front we want to give out props to Ian Fisk who has been the driver and organizer of this competition as it has grown up over the past 7 years.... -
Obama Calls for Employers to Adopt BetterWork Concepts
This week, First Lady Obama held the first ever Workplace Flexibility Forum at the White House – with an array of speakers and corporate leadership in attendance, it is clear that there is a great deal of steam building behind this movement. If you have been following the BetterBlog and/or BetterWorld for long, you know that we have been advocating the same workplace change (less commuting, travel, more flexibility, less building/space specific activity) through our BetterWork framework, which we developed in concert with the Bainbridge Graduate Institute in 2008/2009.... -
The Eighth Annual Sacramento JAMMIES a Huge Success
The Mondavi Center A huge shout out to publisher Jeff vonKaenel, Morelle Ellison and the Sacramento News and Review (SN&R) team who were a major force in organizing and holding the eighth-annual JAMMIES Awards in Sacramento this past weekend. The Crest Theatre in Sacramento was the site for young contemporary musicians on Friday night and the beautiful UC Davis Mondavi Center played host on Saturday for the young classical musicians competing for the annual award & what has become a major launch pad for young musicians emerging from the Sacramento scene....