Jumpstarting the New Green Economy

For information on the Invention to Venture track, see Invention2Venture

Concurrent Panel Discussions Wednesday May 20, 10 a.m.:

Please note:

• This information is current as of 5/18/09; information is being updated daily with panel descriptions and speaker bios.
• For panel and workshop locations scroll to the bottom of the page.
  
• All conference sessions will be audio recorded, and recordings will be available at the conclusion of the conference. Some sessions will also by videotaped. Speakers and panelists will be asked to sign releases for both. In addition, the organizers encourage live blogging and twittering, and may use materials provided as the basis for subsequent publications.

1. Great Green Jobs: Where Are They? (Carmine LaMarca)
2. Sustainable Communities (1): Urban Challenges (Mary Reilly)
3. Sustainable Local Food Systems (1) (Wanda Knapik)
4. The Business Case for Going Green NOW (Victoria Zelin)
5. Renewable Energy: Promises and Realities (Philo Elmer)
6. Campus Sustainability (Walter Kanzler and Jan Graff)
7. Green Chemistry (Tana Kantor)
8. Green Media (Megan McWilliams)

Panel Descriptions:

1. Great Green Jobs: Where Are They?

As New Jersey moves forward to realize its Energy Master Plan, and as the green economy becomes of critical importance to job seekers, “green collar jobs” are on the agendas of politicians, the media, educators, community leaders and workforce development stakeholders.

Come and hear about progress being made in New Jersey on green collar job development as well as where potential green collar jobs opportunities will arise.

Panelists:

• Jeanne Oswald, Isles, Inc.
• Jack Patten, Workforce Investment Board
• David Socolow, Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development
• John Vadnais, Seva Consulting Group LLC
  

Moderated by Carmine LaMarca.

2. Sustainable Communities (1) – Urban Challenges

A panel of successful green leaders in some of NJ’s urban environments will engage in an interactive discussion on the success, challenges and opportunities of Urban Sustainability. Their discussion will include:

• Keys to successfully driving urban sustainability
• Future urban sustainability
• Needs for the future and possible opportunities

Panel members will include:

• Marty Johnson, Isles, Inc.
• Dr. dt ogilvie, Rutgers Newark
• Rob Antonicello, Jersey City Redevelopment Agency
• Paul Miller, Morristown Partnership

This panel will be moderated by Mary Reilly.

3. Sustainable Local Food Systems (1)

Why do we need to build a sustainable local food system and how do we do it? From growing your own food (at home, at school, in community gardens, in urban and suburban areas) to eating locally grown food (co-ops and organic restaurants) to composting food waste (at home, at school, and at work), the panelists will share their insights and success stories. Hear how they are making a difference in NJ and NY and how you can make a difference, engaging in the growing local food movement. Our local food system includes all processes involved in feeding the community: growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, transporting, marketing, consumption, and disposal of food and food-related items, as well as the inputs and outputs of these steps. Our food system operates within and is influenced by social, political, economic and environmental contexts.

Panelists:

• Meredith Taylor – Isles, Senior Project Manager for Community Gardening and Nutrition Programs, Isles Inc. (Trenton, NJ)
• Francis Schott – Owner, Stage Left restaurant and Radio Show host of The Restaurant Guys (New Brunswick, NJ)
• Priscilla Hayes – Director of the Solid Waste Resource Renewal Group, Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ)
• Jack Walsdorf, Vice President of Waste Management, Converted Organics (Woodbridge,NJ)

Moderated by Wanda Knapik, President, My Local Garden (Bernardsville, NJ)

4. The Business Case for Going Green, NO

Panelists from major corporations across industries will discuss how their “green” efforts have resulted in short-term cost savings, ROI and other benefits. These business leaders will share their business case for sustainability initiatives. Organizations will see what’s in it for them to go green NOW, rather than wait for the economy to turn around, including getting federal and state financial incentives for energy efficiency efforts undertaken this year.

• Ed Madzy, Director, Product Regulation / Product Stewardship, BASF
• Dave Stangis, VP for CSR and Sustainability, Campbell Soup
• Hugh Tole, Director of Environmental, Health and Safety, Corporate Environmental & Safety Affairs, Roche
• Kevin Tubbs, Director of Environmental Affairs, Ingersoll Rand
• Ron Reisman, Manager of Business Outreach, Office of the Business Energy Ombudsperson, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities

Moderated by: Victoria Zelin, SVP and Sustainability Practice Leader, Hudson Gain Corporation

5. Renewable Energy: Promises and Realities

Panelists

• Pamela Frank, Sun Farm Network
• Rich DeLuca, Hydrocoil Power, Inc.
• Dan Gallagher, Sola Design
• Richard H. Young, CPG, PG
• Tim Lezgus
• Larry Barth, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
  

Moderated by Philo Elmer and Matthew Polsky.

6. Campus Sustainability

A University Campus has a complex set of needs and goals that can be synthesized with Sustainability planning to establish commitments, principles and guidelines that support the broader goals of the University while maintaining the highest degree of Environmental Stewardship. These include Green House Gas Emission reduction targets, Storm water and waste water management, Sustainable Procurement, Green Building standards, Recycling and Waste management policy, to name a few. Our panel members have been involved in establishing these commitments and principles in real terms and will share with us their experience.

Panelists will include:

• Michael Farewell, FAIA
• Christina Notas,  Drew University  Sustainability Coordinator 
• Kevin Lyons, Rutgers University
• Andrew Jones, FullCircle and Permaculture Research Institute
  

Moderated by Walter Kanzler and Jan Graff.

7. Green Chemistry

This panel will introduce a variety of organizations working to assess the material and energy flows of products, processes and supply chains. Each organization will review their unique offerings and how it contributes to our understanding of “Green Chemistry” and provide insights that allow audience participants to identify opportunities and actions for their enterprises. After each speaker presents for about 10 minutes, an open audience question and answer session will be facilitated.

Panelists:

• Dana Patterson, Edison Wetlands Association
• Soren Thompson, Hycrete
• Sanford Garrett, Bureau Veritas
• John Hoegl
• Michael Bigwood, consultant

Moderated by Tana Kantor

8. Green Media

What is ‘Green’ media and how does it fit into the rapidly evolving media landscape? We will discuss how to work with the media to reach your audience whether it is B2B or B2C. We will explore and share about what has worked and what has not in terms of ‘traditional’ media as well as burgeoning new ‘social’ media environments. This is intended to be an interactive forum, please feel free to offer questions and suggestions for this panel in advance – but you’ll have to be there to have a great green time!

Panelists:

• Jane Tabachnick – Chief Visionary/Gal Geek/Gal Green Jane Tabachnick Marketing, focused on social media and sustainability
• Greg Mattison, Kaizen Productions, co-host of ‘Newly Greens’ a local television show and global podcast about green living
• Sandra Holtzman: President Holtzman Communications, offering PR/Marketing for Cleantech companies; Founder/Board Member Cleantech Corridor
• Jenifer O’Neill (aka Green Diva Jen): Green Divas Radio Show co-host, professional ‘green’ blogger/product reviewer, PR/marketing professional

Moderated by Megan McWilliams, Green Diva

Detailed Event Locations: