SORRY, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED.

Small and medium businesses represent major players in any growing and healthy economy. If you are a business owner or an entrepreneur, you may be facing challenges in an innovative, expanding, green economy. You might have been asking yourself the question: “are there sustainability processes and tools that are manageable, low-cost, and easy to implement within my business?”

Listening to your needs, Boulder Integral is launching a new series of group discussions, with four very dynamic and dedicated women – Fabiana Nardi, Kristin Wegner, Kimberlee Derhammer, and Natalie Shrewsbury.  Welcome to Integral Sustainability in Action for Small and Medium Businesses! This inspiring and educational series of facilitated evenings offer an inviting space for authentic business leaders who have a passion for leaving a positive heritage in society through their personal and professional actions, but haven’t found the right community where to share their sustainable ideas and learn practical green management tools to put into practice the very next day. The processes and tools are strategic, low-cost, easy to implement with achievable goals and aimed at saving your business money, increasing profitability and nurturing a more just and sustainable society.

During this series of four gatherings of two and half hour group discussions, the facilitators–experienced business consultants with M.A. in Environmental Leadership–will present how to implement zero-cost green processes considering your company’s values, behaviors, culture, and business models. Participants will also be invited to put into practice each of the “monthly green tools” (a practical teaching/learning tool to take back to work with you) and test how it is possible to profit from environmental and social initiatives while creating a cultural change that makes sustainable projects an integrated part of their business strategy.

Extra Opportunity to get a personal learning experience: Enrolling in this program, participants will have an exclusive opportunity of having a twenty-five minute coaching session with the facilitators. During the coaching session, the facilitators will offer personal advice on how to start or improve sustainable practices within their company, taking into account the specific needs of their businesses.

DATES AND TOPICS FOR MONTHLY MEETINGS

11/18
Topic 1: How to Develop Effective Green Actions with ZERO Investment
Join us for a provocative discussion on how to integrate the tangible dimensions (renewable energy, waste minimization, green building) with intrinsic qualities (employee retention, organizational culture and values) of green initiatives.  We will introduce the integral approach together with the Integral Sustainability Assessment tool and how you can apply them in your business in order to found out from where to start your green actions.

• Learning Activity: World Café
• This month’s Green Tool: Integral Sustainability Assessment

12/09
Topic 2: Behavioral Changes that Save $$ and Cost ZERO
Participate in this riveting discussion about how you can implement sustainable practices in your business.  Collectively we will answer the questions: “From where should I start?” and “How can I be effective?”  You will be introduced to low-cost green actions in an integrative approach and learn how to define effective goals using distinguished SMART methodology.

• Learning Activity: Open Space discussion
• This month’s Green Tool: “SMART” methodology

01/20
Topic 3: How to Hire and Maintain Green Talents
Join us this week as we explore the comprehensive STAR interview technique.  Using this technique you will be able to identify “green qualities” in candidates by applying interview questions that help identify integral strengths and weaknesses.  You will also learn zero-cost incentives for maintaining “green talents”.

• Learning Activity: Fish-bowl green interview practices and film presentation & discussion
• This month’s Green Tool: Integral STAR green questions

02/17
Topic 4: Local Green Businesses: Learning from whom is already practicing it
Conclude this series of discussions by learning about current best practices from visiting experts and local business owners.  You will explore the question “What are they doing that I should do?”  Each participant will have an opportunity to share your personal green accomplishments with the group.

• Learning Activity: Community learning
• This month’s Green Tool: Summary of group learning

FACILITATORS FROM CO-SPONSORS “ISIA”

Fabiana Nardi, a former business administrator, has ten years of experience in business consulting. She is the president of the Brazilian consulting company Nardif People Management Consulting. Some of her clients are Johnson & Johnson, Schering-Plough, Adams, Möet Hennessy, Pfizer, Novartis, Bayer and Kraft Foods.

Her passion for the Integral Theory together with her deep interest in helping companies to be more sustainable brought her to Boulder where she received her Master’s in Environmental Leadership from Naropa University. She has certifications in the Authentic Leadership Program (Naropa University), and Integral Leadership Seminar (Integral Institute). She works as a coach for business professionals, a group facilitator, and her consulting experiences are in People Management strategic projects such as green talent management, organizational structure revisions, and contemporary instructional design for adult learning.

Kristin Wegner has over ten years of project management experience with nonprofits, educational institutes and engineering consulting companies in the United States and internationally. She has facilitated leadership trainings and group discussions with the Clinton Foundation, USAID, public schools, universities, Peace Corps and community service organizations. She has a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Purdue University and an M.A. in Environmental Leadership from Naropa University.

Kimberlee Derhammer is a recent graduate of Naropa University’s Masters in Environmental Leadership.  She has a B.S. in Retailing and Consumer Sciences and a Business Minor from the University of Arizona.  She spent three years with the AmeriCorps program in various cities across the U.S. as a learning center coordinator, construction crew lead and recruitment coordinator.  Following this she moved to Colorado to pursue work in the solar energy field and has been living here for four years. She has experience in group facilitation with Naropa University, a local solar energy company and community service organizations. Kimberlee is interested in integrating sustainable practices into her everyday life and enjoys sharing her learning with others.

Natalie Shrewsbury has a broad background of training and experiences including: permaculture design work, small business start-up and management; and community educator. She lives in Lafayette, Colorado. Between 1999-2003 she created and managed a small fiber art business. At the same time she created educational programs in the areas of permaculture design, ecological gardening strategies, beekeeping and fiber arts.

Her training includes: permaculure design certification and advanced training. Most recently she graduated from Naropa University with a Masters degree in Environmental Leadership and holds an Authentic Leadership certificate from the Marpa Center.

FEES

Per Individual Weekly Session

• Boulder Integral Members (BI Members donate monthly) – $10
• Standard – $15

Buy Full Four-Week Course

• Boulder Integral Members - $35
• Standard – $55

Group Discounts

• For Groups of 3 or more, 1 of you get in for free!

Questions? Please send email to info@boulderintegral.org