
Meet Our Conference Underwriters
Thank you to the following companies who have made this conference possible.
Interested in Sponsoring or Exhibiting? Contact Jeremy Gerber at jeremyg@vbsr.org.
Exhibitor
Since 1967, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Vermont has worked to defend and advance the civil liberties of everyone who calls Vermont home, across a broad range of constitutionally protected rights.
We envision a future where everyone in Vermont, particularly those communities who have been denied full enjoyment of their rights and liberties can live with dignity and equity, enjoying freedoms unimpeded by racial and economic injustice and other forms of oppression.
Integrating litigation, policy advocacy, organizing, public education, and strategic communications, we work to realize Vermont’s promise of justice and equality for all people.
Isthmus Underwriter
A global fintech leader, Acrisure empowers millions of ambitious businesses and individuals with the right solutions to grow boldly forward. Bringing cutting-edge technology and top-tier human support together, it connects clients with customized solutions across a range of insurance, reinsurance, payroll, benefits, cybersecurity, mortgage services – and beyond. In the last eleven years, Acrisure has grown in revenue from $38 million to almost $5 billion and employs over 17,000 colleagues in 21 countries. And this is just the beginning. To learn more, visit Acrisure.com.
Exhibitor
Adventure Dinner is a woman-owned, queer-friendly events and catering company based in Colchester, Vermont. Their mission is to highlight and support Vermont farms, producers, and small businesses through family-style dining and community events. Adventure Dinner is well known for their long table farm dinners, which have been featured in Travel + Leisure, Food + Wine, Imbibe, The Washington Post and NBC’s 1st Look. In addition to their sell-out ticketed dinners, Adventure Dinner also offers catering for private events! They create bespoke farm-to-table drink and culinary menus for each celebration, and offer full-service catering and professional bartending services along with drop-off options.
Adventure Dinner loves a celebration, and brings the Vermont lens as they cater weddings, rehearsal dinners, corporate events, holiday parties, birthdays--anything that deserves a local VT touch.
New in this past year, Adventure Dinner opened the doors for our private event venue, The Clubhouse! This newly minted space features three rooms: The Loft, an open-plan, flexible space for up to 75 folks, The Library, a cozy bar and lounge for up to 30, and the Green Room, a lush private dining space for up to 18 folks seated.
Champion Underwriter
In addition to crafting delicious, world-renowned beer, The Alchemist is committed to the environment, its employees and the community at large. As a certified B Corporation, The Alchemist is a recognized leader in waste reduction, responsible water use, and innovative technologies that minimize their environmental impact.
The Alchemist is committed to their employees’ health & wellbeing, and this is demonstrated through their benefits program, which includes employer-paid health insurance, paid parental leave, child-care subsidies, a 10% 401k match and a wellness program that includes fitness, stretching and meditation classes. The Alchemist takes pride in being an inclusive workplace, employing Vermonters with intellectual and physical disabilities, and demonstrating a commitment to gender equity at all levels of the organization. Through the youth-focused Alchemist Foundation, they invest in long-term partnerships with many community organizations.
In 2020, The Alchemist released a plan to dismantle racism in their community by focusing on three areas of strategic interest –- working to ensure anti-racist education in public schools, strengthening their brand position within the multicultural marketplace, and establishing Vermont as a welcoming place for Black, Indigenous and people of color. “We are so proud to have been able to build this business in Vermont, and to use our voice to advocate for policies that help Vermont’s people and environment. Our employees, our customers and our neighbors all benefit from our triple bottom line commitments.” –- Jen Kimmich, co-founder and CEO of the Alchemist Brewery and board chair of the Alchemist Foundation. In 2018, VBSR awarded Jen Kimmich the Terry Ehrich Award for Lifetime Achievement
Exhibitor
Barr Hill Gin is an award-winning, super-premium spirit made by the Montpelier, Vermont-based distillery, Caledonia Spirits. Founded by a Vermont beekeeper, the distillery uses raw honey as the key ingredient in making its spirits. Now led by its entrepreneurial Head Distiller & President, Ryan Christiansen, Caledonia Spirits produces Barr Hill is dedicated to crafting world class spirits and educating consumers on the connection between agriculture and cocktail culture with eco-friendly practices; the brand hosts Bee's Knees Week, the spirits industry’s biggest sustainability initiative that creates new habitat for endangered pollinators from
June 13-22, 2025. The distillery’s Landcrafted® approach honors the bounty of the land, the labor of farmers and the pivotal role of bees in agriculture and the source of all honey - the contributor of botanical depth in Barr Hill’s spirits.
Exhibitor
Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern MA, ME, RI and VT (BBB) is a nonprofit organization that has been helping people find and recommend businesses, brands and charities they can trust for more than 100 years. BBB Accreditation is an honor that is earned. Mission: Be the leader in advancing marketplace trust. Vision: A marketplace where buyers and sellers trust each other. We encourage the public to research a business or charity before hiring or donating. BBB's free Business Profiles include contact information, complaint history, customer reviews, and BBB's rating, giving consumers the convenience of finding everything in one place. Start your search at bbb.org.
Champion Underwriter
Ben & Jerry’s was a founding member of VBSR and has remained a member since 1991. The company operates on a three-part mission that puts product, economic, and social goals on equal standing. Social mission campaigns focus on fighting for environmental and social justice, with the sweet spot landing where those areas overlap, such as climate change.
The company knows it’s going to take more than just the actions of individual businesses and people to fight climate change. Ben & Jerry’s Climate Change campaigns urge people to collectively call on elected leaders to support a rapid transition to the clean energy economy of the future. Because if it’s melted, it’s ruined.
Sponsor
Bytes.co is a full-service website design and digital marketing agency based in Burlington, Vermont. Dedicated to providing organizations with value and peace of mind at every stage of growth, our mission is to design websites and craft digital marketing strategies that amplify our clients’ online presence and societal impact."
Champion Underwriter
To foster a family of brands (Darn Tough, Wide Open & Cabot Hosiery) committed to quality, community, and American manufacturing. We are family owned and have been since the beginning. We are three generations strong, and we know how to knit socks. It’s an ardent skill passed down from father to son, and we’re proud to still be doing it in Vermont. We’ve cultivated a community that stands behind our products. And it’s because of them – because of you – that we’re still here.
Champion Underwriter
Casella Waste Systems is a waste management company based in Rutland, Vermont, United States. Founded in 1975 with a single truck, Casella is a regional, vertically integrated solid waste services company. Casella provides resource management expertise and services to residential, commercial, municipal and industrial customers in the areas of solid waste resource collection, recycling, organics, energy recovery and disposal.
Champion Underwriter
Champlain Investment Partners is an independent, employee-owned asset management firm headquartered in Burlington, Vermont – with our emerging markets team located in Irvine, California. Our investment strategies are designed to focus on providing absolute returns while also managing risk. We strive to create wealth through the consistent execution of our investment processes; we are equally committed to delivering outstanding client service, and pride ourselves on the many long-standing relationships we have been able to cultivate since opening our doors in 2004. Our partners bring a wealth of experience, averaging over 21 years in asset management, and as of 12.31.21 the firm had approximately $22.50 billion in assets under management.
Exhibitor
Our mission is to reduce and manage the solid waste generated within Chittenden County in an environmentally sound, efficient, effective and economical manner.
Champion Underwriter
The Bellows Falls based Chroma Technology Corp. is not just a leading manufacturer and supplier of components for the photonics industry but has an almost 30 year legacy of living and breathing VBSR’s mission through their commitment to social justice, employee ownership, serving their communities and cultivation of a people-first workplace. Paul Millman, who co-founded Chroma in 1991 and recently retired, received VBSR’s Terry Ehrich Award for Excellence in Socially Responsible Business in 2016 to honor his commitment to sustainable businesses practices and vision for sharing equity & profits among employees.
Chroma believes that a strong socially responsible company can only be built on the foundation of a successful, profitable business. Chroma has developed a strong and loyal customer base by providing exceptional customer service and using cutting edge technology to manufacture some of the most advanced optical filters in the world. Consistent profitability has been the return on the investment in their workforce and dedication to meeting the needs of the scientific and technical communities they serve.
Underwriter
Cleantech Industry Resources has fully commoditized renewable energy project Development-as-a-Service (DaaS), including systems engineering and Construction-as-a-Service (CaaS). We support developers, builders, land-owners and financers through any portion of project execution, including turnkey delivery of built assets. We provide total transparency to derisk development and engineering costs in a process without any change orders. We do this in a 24-hour work cycle that provides deliverables in one-third the time.
We complete unique tasks to advance projects at any stage and of any size, from high-volume residential engineering and permitting to national commercial portfolios to mega-scale single-site projects. Our team advances them around the clock.
First founded in 2012, CIR was originally established to develop, finance, own and operate its own solar projects, including for Fortune 100 corporate clients. The core team has completed over $1 billion of solar and battery projects.
Contact us to accelerate your project portfolio with turnkey development and engineering as a service.
Sponsor
Co-operative Insurance Companies has been meeting property and casualty insurance needs since 1915, offering farm, home, auto, business insurance to individual in Vermont and New Hampshire. It is owned by its members and committed to protecting them with fast and fair claims service, loss prevention expertise, and local operations. The company has headquarters in Middlebury, Vermont, with regional claims offices and more than 100 agency locations across Vermont and New Hampshire.
Underwriter
Delta Dental is the region’s most trusted name in dental insurance for companies of all sizes, individuals, and families in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, administering dental benefits for more than 1,055,677 people. To learn more about their products and how they can keep you smiling, visit nedelta.com.
Champion Underwriter
We believe that our responsibility to do good work extends beyond our office walls, and this value permeates our office culture. As a firm, we are proud to run a successful corporate fundraising campaign each year for the United Way, an initiative that our whole firm rallies enthusiastically behind. Our internal Committee for Social Responsibility helps ensure our firm’s positive environmental and social impact; as a result of their efforts, our office is solar powered, composts organic waste, and we make contributions to some 50 community sponsorships each year. In addition, many of our attorneys hold board leadership positions with organizations throughout the state. We deeply believe in the important roles that our professionals play outside the office and encourage their participation in broader community conversations.
Champion Underwriter
With Vermont roots going back 75 years, EastRise Credit Union is a true local partner for our more than 160,000 members in Vermont, select counties in New Hampshire, and beyond. We go above and beyond to provide the financial tools and guidance that help our members and communities build stronger and more sustainable financial futures. From trusted digital banking and a relationship-first approach to affordable home ownership and green lending, EastRise is committed to doing better and raising the bar for everyone.
Champion Underwriter
Encore Renewable Energy is a leading integrated clean energy services company focused on community-scale solar PV systems and innovative solutions for the redevelopment of underutilized property.Founded in 2007 as Encore Redevelopment and renamed EncoreRenewable Energy in 2015, our philosophy, since inception, has been to create harmony between the natural and built environments that foster sustainable economic growth, environmental awareness, and community enrichment. As a certified B Corp, we align our business practices with these values every day as we focus on clean, renewable energy and the development of undervalued land, including landfills, brownfields, parking lots and rooftops.Encore specializes in the development, financing, permitting, construction management and O&M of renewable energy projects. Encore has significant experience in reclaiming undervalued real estate and incorporating integrated clean energy services solar projects, and deploying creative and groundbreaking approaches to bring ideas from concept to commissioning. Encore has an unparalleled development record of complex projects across our home state of Vermont and along the Eastern seaboard, making the Company one of the leading clean energy companies in the Northeast.Since inception, Encore has provided turnkey renewable energy development, construction and financing services to distributed generation project owners and investors in a time-and cost-efficient manner. Encore manages all aspects of these complicated projects including design, engineering, permitting, financing, construction and asset management.
Reef Room Underwriter
At Gordon's Window Decor, we have been designing, manufacturing, and installing custom window shades since 1986. We are a woman-owned, 2nd Generation family business and we pride ourselves on our creativity and drive to find the RIGHT solutions for our customers’ window treatment needs. EcoSmart Insulating Shades and EcoSmart Roller Shades are our exclusive brands built right here in Williston, Vermont. At Gordon’s, a commitment to domestic manufacturing with a focus on products that save energy is core to who we are. We are so proud to be a sponsor of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility as we believe that businesses have a fundamental responsibility to help build and strengthen the communities that build and strengthen them.
Champion Underwriter
Powering Vermont homes and businesses with energy that’s 90% carbon free and 60% renewable, Green Mountain Power is focused on providing clean, reliable, cost-effective power, while also offering the latest in innovations like battery storage to help customers cut carbon and costs. GMP is committed to having a 100% renewable energy supply by 2030, and using energy as a force for good. In 2014, GMP was the first utility in the world to become a B Corp and continues its commitment to the community, employees, and the planet by helping to grow local renewable generation, offering convenient programs that help cut costs for all customers, and partnering with communities to make the grid more resilient in the face of more severe storms due to climate change.
Underwriter
Hagan is an award winning media agency helping good brands reach the right people with creativity, ethics, humanity, and heart. Artfully & ethically amplifying connections since 2012.
Sponsor
Hunger Free Vermont believes no one should worry about where their next meal will come from. Food is a right — and we all deserve to have dignified, stable ways to put food on our tables every day, no matter what challenges we are facing.
Champion Underwriter
Since 1970, King Arthur Baking Company has been sharing the joy of baking. A certified B Corp headquartered in Vermont, King Arthur is the ultimate baking resource, providing the highest quality ingredients for the most delicious baked goods, while inspiring connections through baking. As a 100% employee-owned company, we believe in the power of baking to make a difference for our employee-owners, the larger baking community, and the planet. From cultivating a workplace that embraces differences and prioritizes trust to teaching children across the country how to bake bread from scratch to partnering with farmers and suppliers who share our vision for a greener planet, we strive to be a force for good in all that we do.
Champion Underwriter / After Party Underwriter
Waitsfield, Vermont's Lawson’s Finest not only aims for the highest quality standards in their beer production but achieves this goal by leading with their values and by building genuine personal interactions. Lawson’s Finest embodies what it means to use business as a platform for good and a generator of social change by valuing their employees, customers, community, and environment. The Lawson’s Finest Social Impact Program (SIP) works to support thriving communities where people take good care of each other, protect and enjoy the natural world, and bring more fun to life. The program features six initiatives focused on cultivating a people-first work place, supporting local communities, greening the planet, and bringing people together to play and innovate.
The Lawson’s Finest commitment to making a difference in Vermont begins at home, where they strive to be an employer of choice by providing generous livable wages and comprehensive paid benefits to their staff. The brewery boosts economic vitality in Vermont by generating year-round tourism, sourcing from local businesses, and through guest donations to their Sunshine Fund, which supports non-profit organizations focused on healthy communities and natural resource protection. In addition to charitable giving, the brewery puts their money where their values are. They are committed to continual innovation and investment in efficiency, taking steps to minimize their impact in a resource-intensive manufacturing business. Lawson’s Finest is proud to be a founding partner of the VT Brewshed Alliance and a member of the pioneer VT Green Brewery Cohort. From the planning and building their Waitsfield, Vermont taproom to selecting the most efficient brewing, packaging, and process equipment available (even when it requires more investment), Lawson’s Finest continues its deep commitment to people, planet and prosperity.
Champion Underwriter
Mamava's mission is to create a healthier society through infrastructure and support for breastfeeding. We offer a full line of lactation space solutions designed to fit every space and situation. Mamava pods are designed, engineered, and assembled at Mamava Manufacturing, our production facility in Springfield Vermont. We also provide breastfeeding resources for employers, organizations, and people who are pumping and nursing—including a free app that helps folks find thousands of lactation spaces wherever they go.
Keynote Underwriter
Mascoma Bank was founded in 1899 by community members seeking ways to establish a healthy local economy. For over 120 years, Mascoma Bank’s foundation of mutuality has continued to be a force for positive change supporting communities to reach thriving sustainability. As a Certified B Corporation® we continue on our mission to be Best for the World®, a company where we don’t answer to stockholders, but respond to the needs of our communities, where we also live, work, and play.
Sponsor
At MegaFood, we use over 50 years of scientific expertise to harness the power of plants to create effective planet-first vitamins and supplements. With our unwavering commitment to quality, and as a Certified B Corporation and member of 1% for the Planet, everything we do is driven by the belief in the power of plants to nurture your health, and the planet’s health, too. We are MegaFood. And we are Plant-Powered for the People... and Planet!
Exhibitor
1 in 3 young people will grow up without a trusted mentor to turn to for support outside of their immediate family. MENTOR Vermont aims to close the mentoring gap and drive equity through quality mentoring relationships so every young person in Vermont has the supportive mentoring relationships they need to grow and thrive.
Mentoring, at its core, guarantees young people that there is someone who cares about them, assures them they are not alone and makes them feel like they matter. Research confirms that quality mentoring relationships have powerful positive effects on young people in a variety of personal, academic, and professional situations.
Ultimately, mentoring connects a young person to personal growth and development, and social and economic opportunity.
We support mentoring agencies statewide through our four pillars: Sustainable Investment, Centering Quality, Enhancing Public Will, and Advancing the Mentoring Mindset.
Champion Underwriter
National Life Group is a mission-driven, purpose-filled company that has been keeping its promises since 1848. But it’s not your grandfather’s insurance company. It’s dedicated to a cause bigger than itself: To do good in the communities where it does business.
From hosting a music festival on its back lawn to benefit cancer patients, making donations through the National Life Group Foundation, encouraging its employees to take 40 hours of paid volunteer time annually, and more, National Life strives to put its values of Do good. Be good. Make good. into practice every day.
Underwriter
Norwich Solar is a leading EPC provider of commercial, distributed energy & utility scale solar and energy storage solutions throughout the Northeast. As a public benefit corporation, we are driven to support the region’s transition to a robust clean energy future. Our extensive experience and community-based approach have helped us successfully complete hundreds of solar projects projects for renewable energy developers that directly benefit communities, local businesses, affordable housing providers, and nonprofits.
Champion Underwriter
PF+C has a 50+ year tradition of employees serving our community through volunteering, charitable work, and service on local non-profit boards. PF+C also remains dedicated to the environment and lessening its ecological footprint. For example, PF+C became Vermont’s first law firm to join the American Bar Association’s Law Office Climate Challenge. We continually strive to improve our internal processes and raise awareness of the simple things that can reduce our environmental impact, whether installing modern energy-efficient lighting, composting, recycling, and purchasing more environmentally friendly office supplies. We also serve numerous clients focused on the environment, community, renewable energy, and climate policy. While we serve clients in these areas, we also assist other businesses with any legal challenge, from employment and labor, taxes, property, commercial leases, and commercial transactions, to litigation, captive insurance, and business immigration. We are proud of our unique workplace where we continue to evolve as a supportive, family friendly, inclusive, and environmentally focused community.
Champion Underwriter
Frozen food manufacturer specializing in ready-to-eat cookie dough and bakery-style inclusions for the ice cream and frozen dessert industry. The inventor of cookie dough for ice cream, Rhino remains a leading supplier in the industry. This family-owned B Corporation is known nationally for their innovative workplace practices spread through the work of the Rhino Foods Foundation.
Champion Underwriter
For more than 25 years we’ve been formulating plant-based products that are safe and that work. Really well. Based in Vermont, we’re proud to be a B Corporation. B Corps are certified to be better for workers, better for communities and better for the environment. Join us in nurturing the health of the next seven generations.
We believe our products are healthy solutions for the air, surfaces, fabrics, pets and people within your home–and for the community and environment outside of it. As a pioneer in corporate responsibility, we want our products to make a difference—from their development through to their production, purchase, use, and disposal. We are always evaluating how to reduce their environmental impact, increase performance and safety, and create a more sustainable supply chain. We believe it is our responsibility to set a course for a more mindful way of doing business, where companies act as partners with other stakeholders to create a brighter future for the whole planet.
Exhibitors
For over 30 years, Small Dog Electronics has been a trusted name in Apple sales and service, serving customers throughout Vermont and beyond. As an Apple Premier Partner and Authorized Service Provider, we offer expert repair services and support from certified technicians. What began in Don Mayer’s garage has grown into a full-service retail and online business headquartered in Burlington’s South End. We’re driven by a strong passion for technology and a commitment to providing friendly, dependable customer service. Our store features the latest Apple products, a wide variety of accessories, and frequent closeout deals on Macs, iPads, and more. In addition to our in-store and online offerings, we provide remote support and personalized one-on-one training to help customers get the most from their devices. At Small Dog Electronics, we’re proud to measure success not just in numbers, but by the positive impact we have on our customers, our community, and the planet.
Exhibitors
At SRH Law we’re focused on making a difference with our practice. We work with clients — including businesses, nonprofits, cooperatives, government entities, and individuals — who share our commitment to making a difference in their communities and the broader world. We take our inspiration from our clients’ good work and help them excel in their business or mission by resolving their legal issues with creativity and integrity. At SRH Law, our top priority is doing excellent work for our clients, supporting the positive impact they have in our communities.
Exhibitors
Elevate your meetings and conferences at Sugarbush Resort, nestled in Central Vermont’s Green Mountains and the scenic Mad River Valley. This premier destination combines natural beauty and outstanding amenities, perfect for events of all sizes. With breathtaking scenery—snow-covered trees, vibrant fall foliage, and stunning summer mountain sunsets—Sugarbush inspires creativity and connection year-round. Attendees will enjoy locally sourced farm-to-table dining, active mountain adventures, and relaxing leisure programming. Surrounded by beautiful landscapes, Sugarbush offers a true taste of Vermont charm. Make your next gathering extraordinary at Sugarbush Resort.
Champion Underwriter
Our culture is intentional, and we value it deeply. We celebrate open and honest communication, hard work, creativity, cross-functional collaboration, high energy, good play, deep networking and acknowledging that we’ll each make mistakes and learn from them. We’re a local company made up of individuals who care about the people and places that surround us.
We feel a huge responsibility to succeed – in order to honor our triple bottom line commitments to people (our co-owners/employees and their families, our customers and residents of the communities where we do business), planet (our proud roots and local stomping grounds in both Vermont and the Hudson Valley, and the broader globe, given climate change) and profit (providing capital to grow, revenue to empower and share among our employees and a reasonable return to our investors).
Exhibitors
At the Quinlan Group, we take great pride in our staging services, and are personally dedicated to preparing our clients' homes for sale. Our approach encompasses a wide range of techniques, from simple decluttering to rearranging existing furniture. We understand the importance of creating a space that not only feels inviting but also photographs beautifully for your listing. With our expert staging team and carefully selected staging items, we ensure that your home is presented in the best possible light, allowing potential buyers to envision themselves in the space. Our goal is to make your property stand out, generating more interest and ultimately maximizing its appeal in the competitive Vermont real estate market.
Underwriter
The Richards Group has provided Insurance, Employee Benefits, and Retirement Plan solutions to clients throughout Vermont & New Hampshire since 1867. The firm has 160 employees in 12 locations and has earned recognition both for contributions to our local communities and as one of the best places to work in the region. The Richards Group is committed to helping employers with their workplace safety, employee retention, and wellness. We recognize that while we help employers manage the cost and complexity of their insurance and employee benefits, we use our expertise, technology, and resources for the betterment of their workforce. For more information about the firm and its capabilities, please visit www.therichardsgrp.com.
Exhibitors
Norwich, VT-based Solaflect Energy designs, manufactures and installs the innovative Apollo, an off-grid, 100% solar-powered EV charging solution that sets a new standard for sustainability and affordability in EV charging. Particularly well-suited for workplace EV charging, Apollo follows the sun, providing ample EV charging for multiple EVs/plug-in hybrids with 100% clean, solar energy. Installation takes place in a single day with no digging, construction, or utility hook-ups. Free-standing on the existing lines of a parking lot, Apollo means no ever-rising utility rates, charging network fees, or utility demand charges.
After Party Underwriter
The Targeted Resume offers personalized resume writing and career coaching for job seekers, and group or individual outplacement services for employees impacted by organizational downsizing.
Founded by recruiter and career coach Sue Schlom, Her pragmatic focus on job search strategy, LinkedIn, networking, targeted resumes, interview skills, and salary negotiation helps her clients avoid the pitfalls of a long job search.
“Because I’m a recruiter first, my perspective is one of how companies recruit. My role isn’t to teach you how to apply for a job, it’s to help you get the job you want.” -Sue Schlom
For job seekers, feel free to visit www.thetargetedresume.com to schedule a complimentary Discovery Call — Sue is happy to answer questions about your job search or review your resume.
If you are an employer with questions about outplacement services, feel free to email sue@thetargetedresume.com.
Exhibitors
Think Again Training & Consulting supports organizations and communities to integrate principles and practices of fairness, inclusion and justice into every area of their work, from long-term planning to everyday practices. We offer strategic planning, organizational consulting, and professional development for groups of all sizes. Our cohort training programs provide opportunities for deep, sustained learning and relationship building across organizations. Consulting packages can include a combination of assessment, training, coaching, policy development, program development, planning and process facilitation. Our goal is to identify your best next step in your journey, and help you take it.
Champion Underwriter
Union Mutual is a proud Champion member of VBSR – the Company’s corporate values align with VBSR’s commitment to the triple-bottom line of people, planet and prosperity. Union Mutual has supported small-t0-medium sized businesses with quality, innovative property & casualty insurance products for nearly 150 years – the Company understands the importance of a thriving businesses within communities, both as employers and drivers of economic vitality. Union Mutual is committed to fostering an innovative work environment, and has been thrilled to work with UVM SI-MBA students through the VBSR ESG Learning Cohort – these discussions will directly inform Company strategic planning as part of the Company’s overall ESG decision-making and execution. Combining the entrepreneurial spirit of Vermonters with the Sustainable Innovation MBA program is a natural fit – we hope you enjoy the workshop, are inspired by these talented students, and continue to make Vermont a great place to work and live.
Underwriter
United Way of Northwest Vermont (UWNWVT) unites our whole community to solve complex problems and harness the power of people to create a stronger region. We proudly serve Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties of Vermont. United Way convenes advocates, organizations and institutions to address the community's most pressing issues. The problems facing our region are complex; they are issues that no single organization or individual alone can solve – real change is possible when nonprofit, public and private sectors work together. United Way has the networks, partnerships and strategic initiatives to improve the lives of our family, friends and neighbors. For more information or to get involved, visit unitedwaynwvt.org.
Exhibitor
The University of Vermont Medical Center is committed to providing the highest quality of care for patients throughout the Burlington, Vermont region. We care for people every day by helping them in their time of need, offering compassion and providing cutting-edge, research-based therapies. We are dedicated to outstanding service and putting our patients first. Our nationally recognized physicians and healthcare professionals are dedicated researchers and teachers who are experts on the latest developments in their fields.
Champion Underwriter
VEIC is a sustainable energy company on a mission to generate the energy solutions the world needs. For over 30 years VEIC has been working with governments, utilities, foundations and businesses across North America to develop and deploy clean-energy services that provide immediate and lasting change. VEIC has expertise in energy efficiency, building decarbonization, transportation electrification, and breakthrough methods for a clean and flexible grid. We design innovative solutions that meet clients’ goals, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. VEIC is nationally recognized for originating programs that optimize energy use, reduce energy burdens for low-income customers, and advance emerging technologies. In addition to its full-service consulting business, VEIC administers three large-scale sustainable energy programs: Efficiency Vermont, Efficiency Smart, and the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU).
Sponsor
VELCO is the nation’s first statewide, transmission-only company, created in 1956 to build and operate an interconnected electric transmission grid in order to deliver and share access in Vermont to clean power, including hydro. VELCO remains unique in two important ways: our ownership comprises the state’s 17 distribution utilities and a public benefits corporation and our for-profit status is structured to return value to our owners, their customers, and every Vermonter. Our Company works to ensure a reliable, affordable, safe, secure and sustainable high-voltage grid, and a strong unified voice on regional energy issues.
Underwriter
VermontBiz - your go-to resource for local business news! We're Vermont's only statewide business news publication and in 2022 we are celebrating 50 years of bringing you all the content you need to have your finger on the pulse of the state's business sector! We offer monthly print issues which are hosted digitally on our website as well, special annual issues, a free daily eNews, events, and much more! To learn more about our subscription options, advertising with us to connect to other Vermont business decision makers, or to catch up on today's news stories, visit us at vermontbiz.com
Exhibitor
Vermont Commission on Women, Vermont Works for Women, and Vermont Women’s Fund are partnering together to discuss pay equity achievements, challenges, and opportunities in our state. We have resources to help your business create more equitable workplaces and close the gender wage gap.
· Learn about Vermont’s new equal pay law effective July 1 that impact recruitment and hiring.
· Start using the LEEP Tookit (Leaders in Pay Equity).
· Meet the people behind gender equity services, and become a champion for change.
· Join the movement to be a champion for change in pay equity.
Our table is sponsored by the Vermont Women’s Fund, the first and only philanthropic organization dedicated to advancing women and girls. Talk to us about how your business can sponsor our 30th year of grantmaking, advocacy, and connecting Vermonters helping women and girls rise.
Champion Underwriter
Consciously crafted in Vermont’s green mountains, Vermont Creamery’s line of fresh and aged goat cheeses, cultured butter, and culinary creams have won hundreds of national and international awards. In their 36th year of business, Vermont Creamery supports a network of family farms, promoting sustainable agriculture in the region. Their pledged obligation to positively affecting their employees and families is put into action by providing a strong starting wage and benefit package including production wages starting at $17/hr. The company is 100% cow-powered through Green Mountain Power. B Corp Certified in 2014, Vermont Creamery is part of a community of businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability.
Exhibitor
At Vermont Federal, our mission is to help Vermonters prosper, no matter where they may be on life’s journey. We offer a better way of banking with a Credit Union that is immersed in the community, featuring the latest in
technology, innovative products and services, and easy access to all of your accounts. We are passionate about making a difference in the communities that we serve, and we continue to be an active participant and contributor to a variety of charitable organization and initiatives. We also provide several products and services that promote and encourage socially responsible practices. These include favorable loan terms for home efficiency improvements, electric/hybrid auto loans and solar loans. Learn how you can bank like a Vermonter, and be part of something special, at www.vermontfederal.org
Sponsor
The Vermont Food Security Roadmap Coalition believes in a food secure future for everyone in Vermont by 2035. We are working to transform the systems of today to ensure everyone is no longer hungry and that our agriculture system is climate-resilient and strong, providing the foundation of nourishment for everyone in the state. Dozens of organizations and hundreds of Vermonters came together and developed this plan to achieve a shared future where all residents will be food secure every day. The resulting Roadmap provides clear, actionable strategies leading to the day when the government ensures food security for all, farms have the resources they need to be resilient, and communities have the tools to support their food security throughout Vermont.
The current Food Security Coalition members are: Feeding the Valley Alliance, Hunger Free Vermont, Intervale Center, Land Access and Opportunity Board, NOFA-VT, Vermont Foodbank, and the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund.
Sponsor
VGS is northwest Vermont’s integrated energy services company. We offer customers safe, affordable, and reliable thermal energy service, award-winning energy efficiency programs, equipment service and maintenance, and a growing portfolio of decarbonized heating and cooling options for Vermonters. We serve more than 55,000 families and businesses in Franklin, Chittenden, and Addison Counties and are a strong partner in Vermont’s clean energy future. Our dedicated team of 135+ Vermonters is committed to our customers, our communities, our culture, and our climate.
Exhibitor
Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance is a statewide non-profit organization of 150 businesses working together to advance business development, career pathways, sector branding, outdoor policy, and an accessible outdoors.
Underwriter
Vermont Public is Vermont’s unified public media organization, serving the community with trusted journalism, quality entertainment, and educational programming. Formerly Vermont Public Radio and Vermont PBS, Vermont Public also provides local access to national programming from NPR and PBS. Its statewide radio and TV networks reach all of Vermont, as well as parts of New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts and Quebec, Canada. More information about programs, stations, services, and ways to support is available at vermontpublic.org
Underwriter
Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) was formed to assist small Vermont businesses—the backbone of Vermont’s economy. Our focus has always been on supporting Vermont’s food system, forest-based, and technology businesses, but our impact goes much further than our state border. We see effects not only in Vermont, but also in the region, and even nationally. Providing technical assistance to businesses to increase sales isn’t the only goal—it is to help business owners to be able to pay livable wages, increase efficiencies, and promote an economy that centers the wellbeing of people and the environment. Those goals are more important than ever considering the lack of food security, the housing crisis, and the increase in extreme weather event related disasters. We hope our commitment to Vermont’s small businesses inspires you to support our work. https://www.vsjf.org/
Underwriter
VTDigger is a statewide news organization that publishes in-depth news reports on matters of public interest, and the only daily news organization in Vermont that publishes exclusively online. We reach 700,000 readers a month and post daily news stories about state government, politics, consumer affairs, business and public policy. Our work has been recognized by the American Journalism Project as a national model for independent journalism.