Exhibitor Opportunities for 9 April 2010

2nd Annual K-12 Schools Symposuim

Hosted by the Illinois Green Governments Coordinating Council and Walter Payton College Prep in Chicago, this symposium is an opportunity to exchange ideas with symposium participants such as school and district administrators, regional superintendents, school board members, facilities managers and custodial staff, teachers, school health practitioners, facility planners and architects, school-related non-profits and agencies, and high school student environmental leaders.

Speakers and workshops will cover topics such as sustainable school facility planning and siting, green facilities management, sustainable renovation and construction, energy efficiency and conservation, environmental education and service learning, water conservation, waste reduction, and sustainable school transportation.

Exhibitor Details
* The fee to exhibit is $100 for non-profits and government entities and $250 for businesses.
* The exhibitor fee entitles representatives of the organization to a 6-foot table and 2 chairs (however $100 level sponsors will most likely have to split a table, if there is a lot of interest to sponsorship, as in last year).
* Exhibits may remain open from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm to engage symposium attendees. Projected attendance is 300.
* Breakfast and lunch will be provided during the symposium. Admission to the conference plenary and breakout sessions is free.
* We can only accommodate a limited number of exhibitors. Please RSVP to me by February 11th if you plan on exhibiting. I will send payment information with the confirmation.

Email your questions regarding the symposium or opportunities for exhibiting to:
Eric.heineman@illinois.gov

See last year’s school symposiums.

City's Small Business Development Program

Construction Estimating Workshop

Who Should Attend:
* Small businesses in the construction-related industry,
* Business owners and/or estimators seeking to improve their estimating techniques on construction projects.

Program Content Presented by Richard Eber, Sr. Project Estimator:
* Reading blueprints and specifications,
* Understanding various types of agreements and bids,
* Pre-construction estimating and budgeting techniques,
* Agreement provisions,
* Items that affect cost of work,
* Practice bidding on a sample construction project.

When:
February 10th, 17th, and 24th from 4-6pm
Metra Offices
547 W Jackson Blvd
12th Floor
Chicago, IL

Cost:
$99 for HACIA Members, $149 for Non-members

For more information call (312) 666-5910. Registration.

Alternative Lending Option For Some Businesses

ACCION Chicago Offers Small Business Loans

ACCION Chicago is a not-for-profit alternative lending organization, dedicated to providing credit and other technical support to small business owners who do not currently qualify for traditional bank financing. Since 1994, ACCION Chicago has made over 2,000 loans, totaling over $16 million. ACCION offers small business loans up to $15,000 for start-up businesses and up to $25,000 for existing businesses. These small loans can make a huge difference for small businesses who cannot receive bank financing.

ACCION's loans are funded in part by the City Treasurer's Small Business Development Fund (SBDF) - and a business need not be in a TIF, Enterprise Zone, etc. to be considered for a loan.

Learn more.

Organic Lunch Services Join Forces

Gourmet Gorilla Acquires Green Bag Lunch

CSBA Member Gourmet Gorilla, Inc, a sustainable foodservice company for schools, has acquired Green Bag Lunch, LLC, Chicagoland’s pioneer in healthy school lunches. The combined company is the Midwest’s leader in organic and sustainable school lunches, making service available to more than 20,000 kids at 60 schools and camps in the city and suburbs.

The two companies first met as finalists for a state grant earmarked for sustainable companies. They quickly realized that their mutual mission of healthy kids and a healthy planet would be best served not by competing, but by joining forces. One company’s cold sack lunches complemented the other’s hot lunch service, and their delivery areas overlapped. Both companies offer exclusively natural, and many organic, foods – along with reusable and biodegradable serving materials and packaging.

“We are not just another school lunch program,” says Gourmet Gorilla Co-Founder Jason Weedon. “We know that it’s essential for kids not only to eat healthy, but to understand where their food comes from. So we partner with our schools to enhance their sustainability through farm visits, assisting with school vegetable gardens, nutritional curriculum, composting programs and cooking classes.”

Danielle Hrzic, Gourmet Gorilla Co-Founder and President, adds “Schools can enhance their lunch program by working with us, but they also have the option of using it as a fundraising opportunity. We have the ability to donate a share of what gets spent on meals back to the schools.”

Schools participating in the Gourmet Gorilla lunch program now have a wider variety of menu items and service models from which to choose. From weekly sack lunches that parents order online, to daily hot meal service for an entire school, every school can find a way to benefit. “Our customers are excited about this change, as we now have so many more options for them,” says Anne Weber, Green Bag Lunch CEO. “Every school is a little bit different, we understand that, and we can now accommodate any need.”

As many chronic illnesses have been linked to early eating habits, healthy school lunches are an important and growing trend. From the White House to popular books to local parent teacher associations (PTAs), the issue of getting kids to eat better and more sustainably is triggering change. “We’re excited to be Chicagoland’s leader in this area and to be a part of this movement. We know that change is often tough, but it’s happening,” says Weedon. “We’re well positioned to be the ones that can make a difference.”

Learn more.

Tue, 1/26 Growing Your Small Business

Crain's Online Finance Seminar

Whether you're starting a small business or expanding to seize new opportunities, your business needs the right financing at the right time. It may seem that capital is hard to come by, but it's out there.

Hear from Judith Roussel, the District Director for Illinois, at the U.S. Small Business Administration, who will speak to opportunities for growth and financing that's available today and into 2010.

The seminar will cover these topics:
• Is this the right time to access credit to grow my small business?
• How to prepare your business for securing financing.
• Are the stimulus provisions affecting small businesses now that hundreds of banks have been lured back to the small business
lending arena?
• Will the ramp-up of President Obama's plan to boost loans for small companies, reinvigorate small business lending?
• Financing for start-ups and smaller businesses--those with generally little equity or collateral, and looking for smaller loans.

This 60-minute FREE online seminar includes audience Q&A with Judith Roussel.

Registration.

Alert!

Earth Day Celebrations Not Endorsed

It has come to our attention that an out-of-town company is soliciting CSBA members to participate in their Earth Day celebrations at two area zoos in April.

We want to let you know that:
1) They most likely obtained your contact information from the publicly available sources (i.e. Foresight's Green Business Directory);
2) The CSBA has not endorsed the company or their events.

The Sustainability Consortuim Takes On The Tower of Eco-babble

A scant 5 months ago, The Sustainability Consortium was formed. Administered jointly by Arizona State and the University of Arkansas, it is an independent group of scientists and engineers from leading academic research institutions around the world. Their purpose is to develop the science to support the indexing of consumer products from cradle to cradle.

The impetus for creating this non-profit organization is the unprecedented growth in globalization, urbanization, affluence, consumption, and population. Although the seed money came from WalMart, The Sustainability Consortium Co-Directors Drs. Jay S Golden and Jon Johnson steadfastly maintain that they are independent scientists and researchers.

The four primary project areas to be examined are: food and agriculture, home and personal care, electronics and apparel (pending). The Sustainability Consortium’s proximal goal is the creation of the framework and tools to make their findings available. They expect to have Life Cycle models developed by late spring 2010. Looking farther, Earthster, whose website is home of a new system that is web-based, free, and open source (non-proprietary), will be up and running. The Earthster Project will be providing zero-cost access to markets.

We can expect a “white paper” documentation of their findings based on sound science. The Sustainability Consortium is not going to be creating certification or labels, nor will they be validating or auditing everyone else’s life cycle analysis (LCA). Rather, their hope is to integrate LCA data sources by having the single place for data reporting and extraction, where access to developed prototype metrics drive innovation to improve consumer product sustainability, and set the stage for supply chain innovations.

Although the consortium is trying to harmonize efforts globally, their initial priority is in the United Kingdom and the European Union, as that is where many of their current members are headquartered. Asia will be the next targeted location.

The Sustainability Consortium currently seeks members (the application is on their website), experts, and people interested in being in a working group. Skeptics, especially those in the sciences, are welcome.

Learn more.

ReusableBags.com Wins Green America’s People’s Choice Award

Chosen For The 2nd Time By Voters Across America

Last month at the San Francisco Green Festival, ReusableBags.com received Green America’s second-ever Longtime Leadership Award, which honors businesses that take the top spot in the People’s Choice contest more than once.

ReusableBags.com previously won Green America’s People’s Choice Award in 2007. Since launching in 2003, the company has grown to provide hundreds of high-quality reusables in more than 30 categories, has empowered 210,000+ customers to save an astounding 800,000,000 use-and-toss items and has been an important catalyst in the broad reusables movement. ReusableBags.com also serves as an information hub, providing myth-busting articles, news and more on issues related to over-consumption.

Learn more.

New Class For Start Up Businesses In Chicago

Register Now, Class Begins 11 January 2010

Start Up! Chicago, a business start up class offered by the Lincoln Park Business Development Institute NFP with support from DePaul University’s Coleman Entrepreneurship Center. The Institute is affiliated with the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce.

The class starts January 11th. Early registration ends December 30th. Registration closes January 8th.

For questions, contact Katie Freese, Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce, at (773) 880-5200 or katie@lincolnparkchamber.com

Learn more.

Loans For Chicago's Small Businesses

City Treasurer Revamps SBDF

The City Treasurer's office revamped the Small Business Development Fund (SBDF) and folded it into the loan pool used by ACCION Chicago to provide loans to Chicago's small businesses - and a business need not be in a TIF, Enterprise Zone, etc. to be considered for a loan from $10,000 - $150,000.

Contact Jill Stephens, VP of Lending and Marketing at ACCION Chicago at (312) 275-3000 x103 or Jstephens@accionchicago.org
Learn more.

City Facade Rebate Program Round #2

Applications due 12/29/09

City of Chicago, Department of Community Development launched a second round of the CDBG Facade Rebate Program. Applications are due by Tuesday, December 29, 2009.

Contact Dionne Baux at (312) 744-744 x0678 or dionne.baux@cityofchicago.org with questions.

Application.
Learn more.

Consolidated Printing Named The 1st SGP Printer in Illinois

Consolidated Printing Certified as a SGP Printer

Chicago, Illinois: December 15, 2009 - The Sustainable Green Printing PartnershipSM
has certified Consolidated Printing as the first SGP Printer in the State of Illinois.

A certified SGP printer meets all program standards. These include encompassing a holistic approach to sustainability going beyond materials and their environmental impact. They must meet all health, safety, and environmental regulations, implement a sustainability management system, take specific steps to reduce the facility's environmental footprint, implement pollution prevention activities, and commit to social and ethical norms.

Additionally, SGP printer status includes annual reporting and a biennial certification audit requirement. Certified printers are assigned a certification number and logo for use on their printed products.

Consolidated Printing is a full service commercial printing company located in Chicago, IL. They are 100% petroleum and toxin free and have eliminated all carcinogens from their facility - both in the plant and in the office structure itself.

Their solvents and inks are made from 100% vegetable ingredients, including the ink pigments, and their ink does not migrate. Inspected by numerous agencies, Consolidated has been told their natural based system is unique in the country.

No hazardous solid waste. No toxic waste water. No poisonous air pollution. FSC Certified, Consolidated produces multi-colored Annual Reports, Corporate Identities, Direct Mail Packages, General Printing, Product Boxes, Project Printing and Sustainable Promotional Items. Consolidated Printing has won national awards for its quality as well as its sustainability. Consolidated has also won environmental awards from four Illinois Governors, two awards from Mayor Daley and the Chicago Department of Environment and the nations highest environmental accolade from the Printing Industry of America the William D. Schaeffer Environmental Award.

Consolidated is proud to be certified as a SGP Printer.

For more information contact Marilyn Jones, President of Consolidated Printing Company:
(773) 631-2800 or Marilyn@consolidatedprinting.net

Global Philanthropy Partnership Extends Deadline for Request For Proposals

Deadline Extended to November 18, 2009 for Performance Measurement Data Gathering System

A Request For Proposals (RFP) issued by the Global Philanthropy Partnership for a performance measurement data gathering system for the Chicago Climate Action Plan. The deadline for proposal responses has been extended to 4pm CST, Wednesday, November 18, 2009.

Download the information (PDF).

9/24 Webinar: Getting Ready for the Sustainability Index

Last day to register is 9/22

On July 16th, Walmart launched a bold new initiative to assess companies and products along its supply chain. The Index asks 15 key questions, and its depth and complexity has immediately become a subject of debate. It also sets the stage for how we will understand and define ‘sustainability’, reflecting the view of the world’s largest retailer, Walmart, in partnership with academics, NGOs, industry groups, and other retailers.

Are you ready to comply?

Join Rand Waddoups, Walmart’s Senior Director for Sustainability, in conversation with GreenBiz.com Executive Editor Joel Makower to discuss the Sustainability Index and answer your questions. In this exclusive fast-paced and informative 90-minute session you’ll gain valuable insights that will help your firm:

* Understand the details of the Index and its ramifications for your company
* Understand how Walmart plans to use the information in the Index
* Get the information needed to develop your own plan for meeting or exceeding the expectations set by the Index.


This 90-minute webinar will include extensive time for audience Q&A. It’s an unprecedented opportunity to gain understanding and insight directly from Walmart on the details behind the Sustainability Index.

The Sustainability Index is set to have a far-reaching impact in the management of supply chains. Whether you’re a Walmart supplier, or a professional involved in supply chain management and sustainability, you can’t afford to miss this important event. Registration per attendee is $99.

September 24, 2009
12:00-1:30 pm Eastern Time
9:00-10:30 am Pacific Time
an archive version of the webinar will also be available after the event for paid registrants)

Learn more.