Mastering Sustainability: How Evolution Marketing Uses the Green Masters Program to Drive Impact

Author: John Ernst, UW–Madison Student in Journalism and Environmental Studies

In 2008, the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council (WSBC) was founded to support businesses across the state in adopting sustainable best practices and to serve as a hub for sustainability professionals. Just a year later, WSBC launched the Green Masters Program, a tool designed to help businesses, from startups to industry leaders, take meaningful actions to improve their environmental and social impact.

Among the first to pilot the program was Evolution Marketing LLC, a woman-owned sustainability consulting, marketing, communications agency founded in 2007 by Lisa Geason-Bauer. Evolution Marketing specializes in sustainability-focused services such as impact storytelling, green consulting, and strategic communications. From the beginning, Geason-Bauer played a key role in shaping the Green Masters Program, ensuring it was accessible and valuable to small businesses like hers.

By 2011, Evolution Marketing achieved Green Master status, the highest recognition in the program, and Geason-Bauer joined the WSBC Board of Advisors, the group responsible for guiding the organization’s programming. Her leadership played a pivotal role in diversifying the board and elevating voices within the sustainability space.

“I had a mission to increase the number of women on the Board of Advisors. We needed more diverse voices,” Geason-Bauer said. “Over the past decade, I‘ve shared the board leadership opportunity with many women in my network and am proud to see that today the board has a strong representation of women.”

After earning Green Master status ten times, Evolution Marketing deepened its commitment to sustainability by achieving B Corp certification in July 2018, becoming the seventh certified B Corp in Wisconsin.

Evolution Marketing has since expanded its services to include nonprofit marketing and sustainability consulting. Today, the firm uses the Green Masters Program framework to help other businesses pursue ambitious goals like B Corp certification and craft impact reports. By guiding clients from isolated sustainability efforts to a strategic, measurable approach, Evolution Marketing empowers them to make meaningful progress.

“Becoming a Green Master or a certified B Corp isn’t a one-and-done thing. It’s about continuous improvement,” Geason-Bauer explained. “When companies come to me wanting to be a B Corp, I start asking questions. If they haven’t done much yet, I say, ‘Let’s begin your journey with the Green Masters Program.’”

The Green Masters Program(R) is designed to help companies define, prioritize, measure, and manage their sustainability performance across environmental, social, and governance (ESG) areas. Using a double materiality worksheet, businesses can identify topics that are both meaningful to their operations and essential to stakeholders. The program encourages companies to tailor their disclosures, start small, and grow intentionally, building a sustainability management system that fits their organization and embeds sustainability into its strategy. It offers a deliberate approach, a formal framework, third-party recognition, and ongoing support.

“The sustainability journey looks different for everyone. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all,” Geason-Bauer said. “Understand who your stakeholders are, what their needs are, and what your business needs. A true triple bottom line approach will generate benefits, reduce risk, and build resilience.”

Check out Evolution Marketing's newly released 2024 Operational Impact & Carbon Footprint Report at this link

Ready to Take the Next Step On Your Sustainability Journey?

Whether you're just starting out or looking to elevate your sustainability strategy, the Green Masters Program offers a clear, customizable path forward. Join a growing network of businesses committed to continuous improvement and meaningful impact.

• Learn more and apply to the Green Masters Program today at https://www.wisconsinsustainability.com/greenmasters 

• Learn more about the Sustainable Business Council and our programs at https://www.sustainablebusinesscouncil.org/ 

• Learn more about Evolution Marketing and their support services at https://www.greenmkting.com/