The November 18th iShift Business breakfast will feature two nationally-recognized sustainability-savvy business experts as they present the business case for sustainability. Whistler businesses are invited to attend the event where they will also learn about how iShift Business can help them achieve a competitive advantage and better bottom line.
Sustainability strategies can help businesses achieve their existing goals and help them become more profitable, states Bob Willard, author and expert on corporate sustainability strategies. Sustainability is a smart business strategy. Mr. Willard, will present the theory and the numbers to prove the business case for sustainability. David Van Seters, founder and past-CEO of SPUD, will present his experience and lessons learned growing SPUD into the largest internet grocer for organic/natural foods in North America.
About Bob Willard
Mr. Willard is a leading expert on quantifying and selling the business value of corporate sustainability strategies and has given hundreds of keynote presentations to corporate, government, university, and NGO audiences. Bob applies his business and leadership experience from his 34-year career at IBM Canada to engage the business community in proactively avoiding risks and capturing opportunities associated with environmental and social issues. His has authored three books: The Sustainability Advantage (2002), The Next Sustainability Wave (2005), and The Sustainability Champion’s Guidebook (2009).
About David Van Seters
David is President of Sustainability Ventures, a business sustainability consulting company that he founded in 1994 and which also invests in triple bottom line businesses. One of the businesses that David launched through Sustainability Ventures was an organic grocery home delivery company called Small Potatoes Urban Delivery (SPUD). He served as the President and CEO of this company for 12 years and grew it to become the largest organic food delivery service in North America with seven locations from Vancouver to Los Angeles, $20 million in annual revenues, and over 200 staff. In July 2010, David stepped back from a day to day role at SPUD to pursue other sustainable business ventures. Through Sustainability Ventures, David is currently evaluating opportunities in sustainable transportation, energy efficiency, waste management, and urban agriculture.
About iShift Business
iShift Business is the new Whistler2020 Take Action Challenge that will benefit the bottom line of participating organizations by supporting them to develop, implement and monitor the results of strategy for sustainability and ongoing business success. Facilitated by the WCS beginning late-November, iShift Business will be delivered through a series of four workshops and speaker events (with applied learning between workshops), followed by one-on-one assistance from WCS staff to implement actions in the business plan. iShift is being offered with the generous financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Department of the Environment. For individuals and households interested in iShift, stay tuned for the January launch of iShift Citizen, being led by the Resort Municipality of Whistler.
About the Whistler Centre for Sustainability
The Whistler Centre for Sustainability is a mission-driven, enterprising non-profit organization that provides innovative sustainability planning and implementation services to local governments in BC and across Canada based on the award-winning Whistler2020 model and process. Within Whistler, the Centre leads a number of sustainability initiatives, including the ongoing Whistler2020 process, on behalf of the Resort Municipality of Whistler and provides support to local businesses and organizations on customized sustainability planning and actions.
Contacts:
Shannon Gordon
Whistler Centre for Sustainability
604-935-8210
sgordon[at]whistlercentre.ca
Dan Wilson
Whistler Centre for Sustainability
604-935-8373
dwilson[at]whistlercentre.ca