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Get
Involved!
Discussion
Forums
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About
Us
Our
Charter
Our
purpose is "to facilitate and accelerate the development of
businesses and industries with sustainability at their core."
The network itself functions as a "mature ecosystem,"
with members from every sector (business, government, academic,
nonproft and activist/citizens), representing diverse interests,
offers, and expertise. This structure is similar to the way nature
operates: we self-organize to determine our projects, processes
and priorities. In keeping with this ideal, we want to hear from
community members and guests ... send your interests, ideas and
suggestions to input@cccsn.net
Membership: Anyone interested in the theme of "commercial
sustainability" (sustainable business) and our ecosystem structure
may join. You become a member when you attend a meeting, because
(someone once said), "90% of life is about showing up."
Anyone can ask to be added to the announcements Elist.
Who
Attends?
- Business
Leaders (representatives from diverse industries, such as professional
services, retailers, agriculture, automotive, manufacturers, etc.)
- Entrepreneurs
- Non-profit
organizations ... from the Monterey Bay Aquarium to Ecology Action
to Save Our Shores, this region has an active and effective NGO
community
- Government
(local AMBAG members such as City of Marina, City and Counties
of Monterey and Santa Cruz)
- Venture
capital (Monterey Venture Partners, VC/Angel Roundtable, Investment
Banks, Lenders)
- News
and media (Monterey Herald, Monterey and Santa Cruz Community
Television)
- Students
and faculty from CSUMB, MIIS, and UCSC.
The
style of meetings is informal, but structured: individual presentations,
questions, sometimes brainstorming or idea sharing, and discussion.
We encourage participation within the stated purpose of each meeting
and the group's charter. In addition, we allow time for informatl
networking and more formal "offers and requests" are captured
from individual members and represented organizations.
Currently,
our regular meetings are free of cost when you pre-register,
and we always appreciate it when members bring food or drink to
share.
Our
only request is that you preregister so we can prepare our host
for the number of people likely to attend and plan refreshments.
Like most things, what you get out of it tends to track with the
importance you attach to it. If you pre-register, please be your
word and actually attend.
Note:
Elkhorn Slough (near Watsonville, CA) is home to millions of migratory
birds within walking distance of the Visitor Center. If you are
a nature enthusiast, check out the wildlife viewing at this beautiful
location.
Background
& History
Founders:
Daniel Robin (managing director of Integrated Investments Int'l,
or In3, a sustainable technology venture catalyst firm; www.in3inc.com),
Ruth Rominger (Vice President of the respected non-profit advisory
and think tank organization, The Natural Step USA, www.naturalstep.org),
and angel investor Steve Knaub, now based in Santa Barbara, CA.
The
founders wanted to build a forum to bring together diverse professionals
to co-learn and network with the theme of sustainable development.
Topics:
We have addressed a range of topics such as Renewable Energy (solar,
wind, biofuels), Green Building, "Cradle to Cradle" business
and product designs, Fair Trade, "Your role as a change agent,"
"Models of Sustainability," Biodegradable Plastics, presentations
about certified "Green" forest products (Hayward Lumber),
recaps of the Johannesburg Earth Summit and Bioneers Conferences,
Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting, sustainability
projects at the former Ft. Ord "campus," and many others.
See our archive.
Definition
of Sustainability -- During the first few meetings, the group
agreed to use the classic 1987 definition from the Brundtland Commission:
"Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs." This
is from the United Nations Commission on Environment and Development
(UNCED). A more sucinct definition may be "securing quality
of life within the means of nature."
Sponsors
-- Meetings were initially co-sponsored by the Marina Small
Business Incubator (MSBI), the City of Marina, Integrated Investments
Int'l, Inc. (In3) and Ecology Action of Santa Cruz. We've also been
supported by Green Fuse Energy Co., numerous volunteers, and our
hosts at Elkhorn Slough.
How
to Get Involved
1.
Register -- this is simply a matter of sending your name, organization/agency,
title or role and email address. We promise not to spam you; if
anything, we don't send enough messages out of respect for everyone's
email overload.
2. Attend an Event. Pre-registration is required for each
meeting (join the mailing list to be notified of future events),
as space is limited. Once you attend an event, you are officially
a member with access to online resources, member roster (for those
that wish to have their name and contact info available to other
members), member offers and requests, and other perks.
3. Participate in online discussion forums, projects, or
any of the six Special Interest Networks, or SINs -- electronic
mailing lists ("E-lists") that we use for discussing topics
or sharing information and ideas focused around themes. For more
about SINs.
Still have questions or comments about C3SN? See the links below
or contact us at input@cccsn.net.
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