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Join us in Hawaii for the 7th national GBENN Summit!

We look forward to hosting 2024 GBENN Summit on December 2 and 3 at the Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii!

The goals of the 2024 GBENN Summit are to:

  • Explore how members are identifying and serving businesses in environmental justice communities,
  • Strengthen the dialogue and advance collaborative opportunities that continue from previous GBENN summits and events,
  • Share best practice information across programs and foster collaboration that advances the unique objectives of green business programs
  • Engage the membership in discussion to fostering networking and relationship-building between green business programs.

Register for the 2024 GBENN Summit here!

From our Hosts at the Hawaii Green Business Program:

Aloha and Welcome to the 2024 GBENN Summit!
After many years of discussing this possibility, we are so very excited to host this year’s event in Honolulu, Hawaii.  Hope that you all can take advantage of this unique opportunity to reconnect, collaborate, and gather here in Hawaii with GBENN to see, hear, and experience all that the GBENN 2024 Summit and participants will share.
Mahalo and A hui hou!

Summit proceeds benefit the GBENN Summit and any excess will be used to support member benefits. One free attendance to the GBENN Summit will be available for all GBENN members. Members will receive a discount code that will bring the listed cost of the Summit to $0 for one member of your organization. Travel scholarships for up to $350 will be available to attendees on a first come basis!

We will be launching a virtual registration option shortly – stay tuned!

Not a GBENN member? We’d love to have you at the Summit! Explore all the benefits of becoming a GBENN member here!

Please reach out to summit at gmail.com with any questions!

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2024 GBENN Summit Agenda

View all Summit Speaker Bios here!

 

Day 1 – December 2, 2024

** all times are in Hawaii Standard Time (HST)

8:30am – 9am: Breakfast and Networking

9am – 9:30am: Summit Keynote: The Hawaii Green Business Program

For over 20 years, the Hawaii Green Business Program (HGBP)has survived, endured and sustained the economic and political challenges encountered. Hear about what strategies and approaches the program has used to engage and grow to include a variety of sectors and communities in the state.

  • Gail Suzuki-Jones, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Manager, Hawaii State Energy Office (HSEO) Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Branch
  • Jayla Thomas, Intern, Hawaii State Energy Office (HSEO) Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Branch

9:30am – 10:45am: Maintaining Engagement in our Green Business Programs Over Time 

This session will focus on maintaining both business and community engagement in green business programs over time. We’ll start the discussion with the Sarasota County Green Business Partnership, who will share how their program has experienced a range of successes and challenges over the years. After this presentation, we will flow into a group discussion around businesses, community, and stakeholder engagement challenges and opportunities. We will break out into small groups to address key challenges many of us face in our programs with recruitment, program engagement, and post-program engagement efforts. The goal of this session will be to workshop solutions to common business and public engagement challenges. Ideas from this session will continue to flow throughout the rest of the Summit.

  • Randall Penn, Sarasota County FL Green Business Partnership, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension
  • GBENN Marketing & Engagement Committee
    • Christy Chow, Associate, Cascadia Consulting Group, EnviroStars WA Green Business Program
    • Alyssia Chinda, Green Business Specialist, Colorado Green Business Network
    • Max Ciarlone, Community Outreach Coordinator, Air Inspection Division, Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability
    • Gabe Brenner, Materials Management Environmental Analyst, Public Works, City of Boise, ID, Boise Green Business Program

10:45am – 11am: Break

11am – 12pm: New and Innovative Approaches to Reducing Emissions

New and existing green business programs continue to evolve how to reach and serve their businesses. In this session, attendees will hear from two green business programs about how their models help drive emissions reductions for the businesses and communities they serve. The Cook County Illinois BRITE Program’s focus on pollution prevention has helped them connect with businesses in underserved communities while providing grant funding to drive implementation of assessment recommendations. The Dayton Regional Green program drives emissions reductions through engaging businesses and individuals in energy efficiency actions through an interactive online platform. Using gamification, they have seen dramatic emissions reductions across the region.

  • Ricardo Magallon, Manager, Air Inspection Division, Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability
  • Andrew Nowak, Senior Environmental Specialist, Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability
  • Lamees Mubaslat, Director, Dayton Regional Green

12pm – 1:30pm: Lunch and Networking

1:30pm – 2:45pm: Ditching Disposables – Reusable Foodware Programs for Businesses

With more and more ordinances around foodware emerging across the US, this session will highlight three green business programs and their experience working with restaurants on reusable foodware programs. Learn about why plastic-free, PFAS-free alternatives are becoming more prevalent, environmental best practices for working with restaurants, key metrics and assumptions for calculating foodware impacts, and how community engagement truly drives reusables at food establishments.

  • Lacey Raak, Co-Executive Director, California Green Business Network
  • Donna Walden, Executive Director, greenUP! and the Nevada Green Business Network
  • Christy Chow, Associate, Cascadia Consulting Group, EnviroStars WA Green Business Program
  • Jennifer Navarra, Director, Zero Waste Hawai’i Island

2:45pm – 3:15pm: Break and Networking

3:15pm – 4:30pm: What’s the Buzz? Driving Businesses Towards Electrification

In this session, we’ll dive into the world of electrification and the building and business trends nationally. We’ll provide an overview of beneficial electrification and the opportunities for businesses to reduce emissions and energy costs. Sample electrification measures and metrics will be shared to incorporate in your green business programs. As we all help our businesses move towards electrification, we’ll also talk about the funding and tax incentives that are available to support your business’ electrification efforts.

  • Cassie Carroll, Program Director, Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC) at the University of Illinois, Illinois Green Business Program
  • Lacey Raak, Co-Executive Director, California Green Business Network

4:30pm: Closing and Day 2 Preview

5:30pm -7:45pm: Networking Event – Ka Moana Luau

We invite you to join us for a traditional luau at Aloha Tower! Join us on a voyage across Ka Moana (the ocean) and experience the cultural chants, dances & songs from some of the many islands that make up Polynesia. Witness the beauty of Hula ʻAuana from Hawaiʻi, the fast-paced ʻoteʻa from Tahiti, impressive Samoan fire-knife performances and more!

GBENN members will have the Splash Package, which includes a Shell Lei Greeting, two drinks, cultural activities, Moana Splash seating (in the middle of the venue) and a farm-to-table buffet dinner. GBENN guests are welcome to join at $99/person. This luau is a 10 minute drive or 18 minute bus ride from the Ala Moana Hotel.

 

Day 2 – December 3, 2024

** all times are in Hawaii Standard Time (HST)

8:30am – 9am: Breakfast and Networking

9am – 10:30am: Workshop: Innovative Strategies for Engaging Businesses in Underserved Communities

Addressing environmental issues in underserved communities continues to be an important focus for all green business programs. This session will feature the Monarca Group, a leading woman and minority-owned organization that provides tailor-made sustainability solutions to help clients engage and communicate effectively with diverse communities. Their presentation explores practical and impactful strategies to engage minority-owned businesses in sustainability initiatives. It highlights the importance of inclusive outreach, tailored support programs, and collaborative partnerships. After this presentation, we’ll host a workshop to discuss the key challenges of engaging businesses in underserved communities and effective strategies that can help advance our reach and impact in these communities.

  • Berenice El Gharamti, Co-Founder and President, Monarca Group
  • Jose Luis Ramos, Co-Founder and Vice President, Monarca Group; City of Longmont, CO Green Business Program

10:30am – 10:45am: Break

10:45am – 11:45am: Expanding Statewide: Growing Reach and Impact Regionally

Green business programs can amplify their reach and impact by partnering and connecting with climate stakeholders, encouraging other communities, individuals, researchers, and more to take action. This session will focus on two different regional initiatives that increase emissions reduction efforts by providing a model or platform for connection.  The Colorado Green Business Network will share their regional partnership model that has expanded green business programming across Colorado. The Midwest Climate Collaborative will share how their platform for connection has driven relationships across climate programming and research across the Midwest. By connecting with regional stakeholders that are also working to reduce climate impacts, we can amplify our program work more broadly and inspire others to increase their work with businesses regionally.

  • Rayna Oliker, Green Business and Environmental Assistance Unit Manager, Colorado Division of Public Health and the Environment, Colorado Green Business Network
  • Oakley Jennings-Fast, Green Business Specialist, Colorado Division of Public Health and the Environment, Colorado Green Business Network
  • Heather Navarro, Director, Midwest Climate Collaborative

11:45am – 1:15pm: Lunch and Optional GreenBizTracker Development Session

This optional session will cover an overview of new and upcoming developments on the GreenBizTracker tool, a national online platform that helps with the management of green business programs with robust reporting capabilities. We’ll cover new features, such as Spanish accessibility, upcoming enhancements and improvements, and host a discussion for future GreenBizTracker development opportunities. We’ll wrap up the session with questions and discussion.

  • Julianne Rhodes, Director of Environmental Programs, Environmental Innovations & the California Green Business Network
  • Maria Corona, Co-Executive Director and Equity Chair, California Green Business Network

1:15pm – 3:15pm: GBENN Network Development Session

As GBENN continues to grow, so should its services and reach nationally. Our GBENN Network Development Session will focus on two key aspects of our network – helping all of our green business programs thrive and grow, and our brand to the outside world. This session will help GBENN continue to better serve its members, increase benefits to your individual green business programs, and determine how we can continue to strengthen our brand to amplify the collective impact of all our work nationally.

3:15pm: Closing of the GBENN Summit

3:45pm – 5pm: Sustainability Tour of the Hawaii Convention Center

For over 25 years, the Hawai‘i Convention Center has united guests, planners, staff, and communities in a shared mission: preserving the natural beauty of the Hawaiian Islands. Our Hoʻomaluō program embodies this commitment, inspiring everyone we serve through environmental conservation.

From exclusive turnkey environmental programs to our Sustainability Toolkit, event planners and attendees can feel empowered to create unforgettable experiences while minimizing environmental impact.  They are also a certified Hawaii Green Business! 

This tour and venue is next door to the Ala Moana Hotel, and guests are welcome at no charge.

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Summit Sponsors