Agenda
Thursday May 9, 2024
Use the promo code VBSR2024 to receive a discounted parking rate at $1/hour for the day. See the Attendee Experience page for more information on parking.
Check-In & Networking Coffee Hour
Location: Hula Lobby
Time: 8:00 am - 9:00 am
Enjoy delicious breakfast bites courtesy of Sugarsnap Catering, including vegan and gluten free options.
You can also enjoy free coffee courtesy of Brio Coffeeworks from 8:00 am - 9:00 am!
Welcoming Remarks & Keynote Address by Ferene Paris
Location: Reef Room
Time: 9:00 am - 10:15 am
Storyteller Ferene Paris, founder of All Heart Inspirations, will bring her courageous truth telling to an inspirational keynote on agency, addressing Climate Resiliency, Mental Health, and Joy. Whether it’s the transformative power of AI, a Just Transition, housing for all, responses to geopolitical events, or wellbeing – the future is IN OUR HANDS!
This Keynote Address will be graphically recorded by Mellisa Cain from Iceberg Consulting, LLC. Be sure to checkout Mellisa's work in the lobby after this session!
BIPOC Affinity Space with Vermont Professionals of Color
Location: Channel (follow signs from the lobby)
Time: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Enjoy music, refreshments and a mental break in an affinity space hosted by the Vermont Professionals of Color Network for those who identify as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color.
Networking Break
Location: Hula Lobby
Time: 10:15 am - 10:30 am
Visit the exhibitor hall, make new connections, and catch up with colleagues!
Pay a visit to the Healthy Kingdom Coconut Cart to enjoy a FREE coconut, complete with a straw and ready to enjoy! You will also have a chance to connect with Prince Awhaitey as he shares his training and knowledge about the nutritional benefits of the coconut and how nutrition can help you to acheive your goals!
BLOCK 1 | 10:30 AM – 12:15 PM
It’s Tough Out There! Employee Wellbeing and Creating Joy in 2024
Location: Reef Room
Time: 10:30 am - 11:45 am
Joy! Does it feel out of place? It’s easy for the world to feel heavy, demanding, and urgent these days, which leaves little space for the things that bring us joy. However, research has proven that joy is essential to resilience, physical and mental health, social connections, self-worth, and productivity. For these reasons, it is even more important for us to intentionally create joy to increase our personal wellbeing, build community, and foster hope. Join us as we hear from experts in joy to gain understanding of the challenges employees are facing, how to restructure the workplace to serve as a support system, and learn joyful practices that can make a positive difference for both individuals and your business!
Moderator:
Jason Lorber, Aplomb Consulting
Speakers:
Kathryn Blume, Managing Director, Hyperbaric Vermont
Amanda Janoo, Economics and Policy Lead, Wellbeing Economy Alliance
Lindsay Simpson, Director of Well-being, The Richards Group
Auburn Watersong, Trauma-Informed Resilience Coach, Watersong Consulting
Here at Home: Vermont’s Housing Crisis from Main Street to the State House
Location: Isthmus Room
Time: 10:45 am - 12:00 pm
There’s no question that Vermont’s housing stock is not meeting the demand, and market prices are making homeownership increasingly unattainable for many. How do we ease these pressures and make the progress we need? Join this panel of housing policy experts for an overview of the State’s current investment strategy, opportunities for employers to take action, and ideas for bold restructuring to provide affordable, accessible, cost-effective, and secure shelter for Vermont's socioeconomically diverse residents.
Moderator:
Kristin Warner, VBSR Public Policy Manager, Moderator
Speakers:
Chad Simmons, Policy and Engagement Specialist, Vermont Housing Finance Agency
Hilary Melton, Executive Director, Pathways Vermont
Jean Myung Hamilton, Program Development Director, Land Access and Opportunity Board
Ornella Matta-Figuera, Advocacy and Engagement Director, Land Access and Opportunity Board
Innovation Lab: The Evolution of the B Corp Standards with Vermont B Corp Collective
Location: Sunset Room
Time: 10:45 am - 12:00 pm
Certified B Corporations across the globe are preparing for the evolution in B Corp standards. Join the Vermont B Corp Collective (VBCC) for a standards planning session. Learn about how companies are conducting a gap analysis between the standard versions, and how they are supporting their businesses and clients to efficiently reach these social and environmental goals. From there, the session will break into groups and complete an evolution planning activity. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the session. The goal of this session is to equip attendees with resources and strategies to prepare their companies for a successful recertification.
Moderator:
Erika Anderson-Putman, Community Marketing Associate, Cabot Creamery Cooperative
Speakers:
Emmy Allison, Impact Advisor, LIFT Economy
Shawn Berry, Worker Owner, LIFT Economy
Lunch Break
Location: Hula Lobby and Building 44
Time: 11:45 am - 1:15 pm
We encourage attendees to pre-purchase lunch as an "add-on" to their conference ticket. 100% of your lunch ticket price will go directly to Mulu's Kitchen & Catering, a BIPOC-owned business that offers delicious Eritrean and Ethiopian food throughout Vermont, and Cafe Mamajuana, serving Dominican Fusion food blending the flavors of their ancestral lineage. Options include healthy and filling dishes that include meat, vegan, and gluten-free dishes.
If you have inquiries about specific dietary restrictions, please contact mollyr@vbsr.org. If you decide not to purchase a lunch ticket, your other options include The Spot Cafe inside of Hula, Micro Mobile Kitchen who will be parked outside, or bringing your own lunch.
Be sure to stop by for some delicious drinks to pair with your lunch! You can find the Healthy Kingdom cart to get a free coconut as supplies lasts among the exhibitor tables. We will also have Tonique Mobile Bar in the lobby, who will bring sophisticated, non-alcoholic cocktails including:
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Golden Hour: Pathfinder Hemp & Root, Fresh Lemon Juice, Ginger Beer
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Rose Pamplemousse: Sparkling Rose, Giffard Pamplemousse Liqueur
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Blackberry-Jalapeno Margarita: Ritual Tequila, Lyre's Triple Sec, House-Made Blackberry Jalapeno Syrup, Fresh Squeeze Lime Juice
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Black Velvet: Tenneyson Black Ginger, Pathfinder Hemp & Root, Tilden Bada Bing Cherry Juice, Bark & Bitter Orange Bitters
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Classic G&T: Monday Gin, Fever-Tree Tonic
Meditation Break
Location: Isthmus Room
Time: 12:05 pm - 12:25 pm
Join us for a moving meditation, with OGGI BE Yoga Therapy & Rewilding, that will reinvigorate you for the afternoon, refresh your mind, and help you to reconnect to Self amidst the networking, information gathering, and inspiration of the conference. The movement offering will be suitable for people who would like to be on their feet or seated. Don't miss this chance to take a break and breathe!
BLOCK 2 | 12:45 PM – 2:15 PM
Staying Steadfast (When Nothing Seems Steady and Everything Feels Fast)
Location: Reef Room
Time: 12:45 pm - 2:00 pm
Today’s leaders are faced with numerous external factors including an existential national election, open and simmering conflict at home and abroad, cascading crises, and discombobulating disruption. The upheaval impacting our colleagues, clients, customers, constituents, and communities seems constant and more accelerated than ever. “Overwhelming” and “exhausting” don’t begin to describe the volatility of the moment for many. Under these uncertain conditions, what do organizational readiness and responsiveness look like – particularly through a values-led lens? In this session you’ll hear from leaders with decades of commitment to the purpose-driven economy about why change and instability must be embraced, how to guide disoriented teams with compassion and confidence, and where to look for actionable inspiration when everything seems out of control.
Moderator:
Jeffrey Hollender, Adjunct Professor, New York University
Speakers:
Lindsey N. Godwin, Ph.D, Stiller Endowed Chair of Management & Academic Director, Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry
Zoraya Hightower, Managing Director - USA, Nature for Justice
Rob Miller, President and COO, VSECU/NEFCU
Climate Realities & Resilience: Learning from Vermont’s Most Impacted Businesses
Location: Isthmus Room
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm
From the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to Vermont downtown retailers, everyone agrees: Climate-related business interruptions are having a disproportionate impact on small, rural, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and women-owned businesses. What have we learned from Vermont’s recent response to extreme weather and climate-related disruptions? What supports can our most vulnerable businesses look to for adapting to our changing climate and responding to crises? And where can (and must) Vermont do better? This session will be focused on Vermont’s historically marginalized businesses with insights, strategies, and action steps that can be applied to all organizations.
Moderator:
Ruchi Nadkarni, Principal Consultant, Fringe Impact
Speakers:
Claire Wheeler, Director of Inclusive Entrepreneurship, Mercy Connections
Gwen Pokalo, Vice President Policy & Director - Vermont Women’s Business Center, Center for Women & Enterprise
Kelly Klein, Owner & CEO, Groennfell Meadery & Havoc Mead
Weiwei Wang, Co-Executive Director, Community and Policy/Co-Founder, Vermont Professionals of Color Network
Innovation Lab: Creative Solutions for Sustainable Businesses with UVM SI-MBA Program
Location: Sunset Room
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm
Are you a problem solver? Do you see a challenge and want to dive headfirst into its difficulties? Come listen, learn, and lend a hand at the this Innovation Lab! Hosted by the University of Vermont Sustainable Innovation MBA (SI-MBA) program, you’ll hear from Vermont businesses who are navigating challenges with circular business practices, regenerative agriculture and food, and sustainable marketing, and join a team of SI-MBA students in creating real-time solutions to these problems.Bring your thinking caps, outside the box ideas, and innovative energy. Leave with leading-edge ideas you can use in your own business!
Moderator:
Noah Miller, Founder and Chief Advisory Officer, Rho Impact
Speakers:
Cheryl Eaton, Managing Director & Partner, Guru
Kate Harvey, Founder and CEO, BirdieBlue
Andrea Bacchi, Owner, Think Dynamic Digital
Networking Break
Location: Hula Lobby & Outdoor Patio
Time: 2:15 pm - 2:30 pm
Visit the exhibitor hall, make new connections, catch up with colleagues or email, and enjoy the beautiful waterfront of Lake Champlain!
BLOCK 3 | 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
AI for Good: Ethical and Responsible Artificial Intelligence
Location: Reef Room
Time: 2:30 pm - 3:45 pm
Tools such as the typewriter, computers, the internet, and video calling have fundamentally changed the way we work throughout history. Artificial intelligence offers yet another technological revolution and the opportunity to bring unprecedented power to our businesses and social change…IF we embrace it! Join us as we hear from experts and practitioners about the ways artificial intelligence is being used as a force for good, the implications of both traditional and generative AI, ethics and responsible use, and why we need ALL voices contributing to AI’s future to ensure that it is used with us (and not against us) toward a just and regenerative economy for all.
Moderator:
Adam Davidson, CEO, Masterful Storytelling
Speakers:
Crystal L’Hôte, Professor of Philosophy and Ethics, Saint Michael’s College
Emiliano Void, CEO, nuwave Equity Corporation
Business Across Borders: Redefining “Vermont Values” in An Era of Globalization
Location: Isthmus Room
Time: 2:30 pm - 3:45 pm
Advances in e-commerce, distribution, and remote work mean any business might now consider themselves global, yet new ways of engaging and working always bring along challenges together with the breakthroughs. Whether you’re scaling and exporting Vermont values (to virtual talent and customers), making local and international supply chain considerations, marketing in other cultures, or navigating anti-ESG/anti-woke laws across state lines, this panel has something for you. Bring your courageous questions, challenges, and opportunities, and be prepared for engaging discussion!
Moderator:
Kate Ogden, Head of Advocacy and Movement Building, Seventh Generation
Speakers:
Dave Anderson, Chief Financial Officer, OnLogic
Stacia Betley, Director of Sustainability and Social Impact, MegaFood
Christopher Miller, Global Social Mission Director, Ben & Jerry’s
Libby Parent, President, Bag Balm
Claire Zhu, CEO & Co-founder, Hootie Hoo
After Party
Location: Hula Lobby & Outdoor Patio
Time: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Celebrate the end of an inspiring day with connections new and old over locally sourced appetizers, a cash bar with signature cocktails from Barr Hill, and music from DJ Stevie B!
Donate to VBSR’s Expanding Our Movement Fund through 5 PM to win $1000 in raffle prizes from VBSR members!
Gift Certificates include:
$400 Adventure Dinner
$300 Hotel Vermont/Juniper Bar & Restaurant
$100 Lake Champlain Chocolates
$100 Cabot Creamery Cooperative
$100 King Arthur Baking Company
Bee’s Knees: Barr Hill Gin, Lemon, Honey
Classic Gin & Tonic: Barr Hill Gin, Tonic, Lime
Cat’s Pajamas: Barr Hill Tom Cat, Lemon, Honey
Cat’s Dark & Stormy: Barr Hill Tom Cat, Ginger Beer, Lime
Negroni Kitty: Barr Hill Tom Cat, Sweet Vermouth, Campari
Tonique Mobile Bar will serve the following non-alcoholic cocktails:
Golden Hour: Pathfinder Hemp & Root, Fresh Lemon Juice, Ginger Beer
Rose Pamplemousse: Sparkling Rose, Giffard Pamplemousse Liqueur
Blackberry-Jalapeno Margarita: Ritual Tequila, Lyre's Triple Sec, House-Made Blackberry Jalapeno Syrup, Fresh Squeeze Lime Juice
Black Velvet: Tenneyson Black Ginger, Pathfinder Hemp & Root, Tilden Bada Bing Cherry Juice, Bark & Bitter Orange Bitters
Classic G&T: Monday Gin, Fever-Tree Tonic
