Afternoon Breakout Session
1:45-3:00pm
(A1) Transparency & 3rd Party Certifications– D
Transparency has become a critical expectation of businesses in Wisconsin. Customers and investors are asking for more transparency than ever before. One option toward credibly becoming more transparent is to participate in third party certification programs. The WI Sustainable Business Council offers the Green Masters Program, but there are many other third party programs available to businesses. We'll hear from 3 businesses regarding which programs they use and why, the benefits of becoming more transparent and the effort involved in using third party programs.
Lora Glaser– Kohl’s
Lora Glaser has been with Kohl’s Department Stores since 2012 and is currently the Senior Coordinator of Sustainability. She manages internal and external communication to drive excitement around green initiatives and to capitalize on the company’s goal to be the most engaging retailer in America. Her previous roles at Kohl’s include Executive Correspondence, Social Media, and Environmental Compliance. Lora has spent 5 ½ years living in Europe. She earned a BA from UW-Madison with a double major in French & Italian and studied International Business at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. She is passionate about organizational development, health, and the environment, and she enjoys cooking, traveling, and winter sports in Wisconsin.
Ryan Piedot-Kohls
Ryan Piedot began his environmental career with Clean Harbors as a lab pack chemist and transitioned to Kohl’s in 2007 to manage and build out solid waste and recycling initiatives. Over the course of the last 11 years, he has held a number of progressive positions developing environmental compliance programs, building out company compliance policies, managing regulatory interactions, reporting and developing sustainability programming while driving engagement and collaboration across business units. Ryan proudly serves as the Senior Manager of Environmental Compliance & Sustainability and holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics & Environmental Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
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Ali Florsheim – Rebel Green
Ali Florsheim is the co-founder of Rebel Green, a natural household cleaning brand established in 2008. Along with business partner Melina Marcus, Ali has developed a full line of natural cleaners that are formulated without harmful chemical, include only essential oils and are priced to compete with conventional brands. Dedicated to transparency is packaging, Ali has focused all of her energy on creating a brand that compels customers new to the natural category to try naturals with award winning packaging and a mission to serve incredible social causes in clean air, food and water. She also serves as a family court mediator and family law arbitrator in Wisconsin. Ali received a degree in psychology from Washington University in St. Louis, a master's degree in counseling from Loyola University in Chicago and in 2000, she graduated from Marquette University Law School. Ali loves to plan product line expansions, spend time with her four teenage children and catch the occasional yoga class when she can get away.
Lisa Geason-Bauer— Evolution Marketing
Lisa Geason-Bauer founded Wisconsin’s first triple bottom line managed marketing and sustainability consulting firm (Evolution Marketing) in 2007. Since then she has played an active role in shaping the discussion within the business world regarding adoption of strategic sustainability strategies and inclusion of corporate social responsibility programs/projects into day-to-day business operations. Ms. Geason-Bauer has been working at the intersection of sustainability, marketing/communication, and product innovation; she enjoys helping her clients to distinguish themselves from their competition via adoption of triple bottom line strategies and circular economy thinking. Lisa is an experienced public speaker and educator, who has presented talks, workshops at regional, national and international conferences covering topics within business sustainability (i.e. employee engagement, supply chain management and environmental communications) as well as topics in sustainable agriculture, alternative fuel vehicles, community engagement and corporate social responsibility. Lisa has been recognized repeatedly for her leadership within the sustainable business community. In 2014 she was the recipient of the “Wisconsin Earth Day Business Sustainability Leadership Award”, and was also named the “Women Business Leader of the Year” by the Oconomowoc Area Chamber of Commerce. In 2015, she was the recipient of the U.S. Green Building Council’s “Above and Beyond Volunteer Award.”
The session will be moderated by...
Moderated by Harrison Rayment – Conference Planner, UW Madison
Harrison is currently a Senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying Political Science and Environmental Studies. Harrison grew up in Madison Wisconsin, so it was an easy decision for him to attend the University of Wisconsin. Ever since he was a child, he has had a strong interest in the great outdoors, and traveling to remote places. As a result, he has made sustainability and environmental consciousness a priority in his life. After he graduates this upcoming spring, Harrison is looking to attend law school to pursue a degree in Environmental Law. Harrison believes that the most important issues that we currently face can be diminished by acting more sustainably. Harrison argues that for our society to become more sustainable, business and governing bodies must put forth sustainable agendas. He believes that businesses have the greatest opportunity to change consumer habits, while also cutting costs within their own production. Together we can make this world more sustainable, and we need innovative business leaders to be the driving force.
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