GoGreen Phoenix 2012 | Photo Op Anyone?

Our second year in Phoenix went off without a hitch at the Phoenix Convention Center West Building on December 6th. We would like to take this as a moment of reflection on the day and to thank all of our wonderful attendees, speakers, and sponsors who made the entire day possible! We couldn’t do it without you and hope to continue the trend in 2013. Check out some of this years highlights –

Green Line Series PHX | Courtney Klein Johnson On Building A Triple Bottom Line Enterprise

On her first day of college at Arizona State University, SEED Spot Co-Founder Courtney Klein Johnson would have told you she’d be well on her way to being the next Katie Couric by now. Instead, a life-changing experience working in rural Mexico significantly altered her life course and she is now thriving as a social entrepreneur working to catalyze and grow a business community that values impact as well as profit. Courtney will participate in our Make Money by Doing Good: Designing A Triple Bottom Line Enterprise Workshop, Thursday, December 6 in Phoenix — but first, we’ve got a primer on the Triple Bottom Line concept and how it plays out in the world of business.

GoGreen Conference: To get us started, can you give us a quick backgrounder on SEED Spot and what it is that you do there? 

Courtney Klein Johnson: Chris Petroff and I started SEED Spot in February of 2012. The name behind SEED spot comes from the idea that everyone has a seed inside of them — an idea that is yet to be born. We’re a place where you can go to get the resources and guidance to take that idea out into the real world. We’re working with social entrepreneurs in Phoenix with dreams of creating sustainable businesses that have impact via a product, service or technology that improves lives and communities. We have 16 full-time companies and 40 part-time companies that we’re supporting this year.

GG: On your website you talk about the intersection of purpose, passion and work. What happens when you align these three elements? What lies at that intersection?

CKJ: Magic. Incredible stuff. I think that authenticity lies at that intersection. People who find a cross-pollination of all those things often arrive at the most authentic place for themselves and for the businesses they create. And with that comes a loyal customer following; a base of people that believe in the “why” even more than the “what.” And I believe that brings more value to whatever project or service you’re providing.

GG: A lot of times when we talk about sustainability, the conversation can stagnate on environmental performance metrics — efficiency, consumption, technology — but SEED Spot seems to have a broader perspective on what it means to be sustainable. Fill us in on your philosophy. 

CKJ: We would argue that a sustainable business is one that is not only created in a way that is fruitful for the entrepreneur, but fruitful for the people that intertwine or interface with the company as well. That goes for your employment practices to the product or service itself — how is it made, the lineage of its components and the impact they have. Sustainability also means sustainable revenue. SEED Spot itself is set up as a non-profit organization, but we’re still charged with setting up sustainable revenue channels for ourselves. It’s important to look at setting up your organization properly in the market and assessing your costs appropriately. The tension comes in when you look at the higher costs that come with supply chains to be sustainable or eco-friendly. It matters where and how things are made, but so does the price point — and the most sustainable companies are the ones that have found the right balance between that sacrifice and sustainability.

GG: Have you seen a big shift in the Millennial and Gen Y generations in terms of better integrating the concept of “doing well and doing good” into their business models? Is the traditional belief that profit is king be on its way out?

Green Line Series PHX | Mayor Stanton On The Sweet Spot Between Business, Government & Sustainability

Phoenix has a new Mayor who is not afraid to take on big challenges. Greg Stanton took the reigns in 2012, winning with a platform that unabashedly advocated for the growth of a greener economy and implementation of sustainable practices in the public and private sectors. After eight months in office, Mayor Stanton is hitting his stride and gives the Green Line Series the scoop on how business and government can work together to drive an environmentally and economically sound Phoenix region.

GoGreen Conference: What is your vision for the intersection of thriving business enterprise and sustainable development in Phoenix? They are obviously not mutually exclusive — what does the sweet spot of the Venn Diagram look like?

Mayor Stanton: I believe that the role of the City should be to create conditions under which all businesses have the ability to grow and thrive. I am championing and will push to have Phoenix be known as the leader within business and sustainability. The City is open and ready to partner, and find creative pathways for organizations that want to pursue sustainability as part of their core strategy.

GG: What is the role of the business owner/leader in driving this vision? How can the private sector put their muscle behind building a more sustainable community and economy in Phoenix?

MS: Private businesses and leaders are not only important, but crucial to the shared vision of success we all want. It is the entrepreneurial and ingenious spirit of these leaders that will help us move forward. In particular, I think that there is significant opportunity for businesses — focused on benefiting others — to simultaneously do well and do good.

GG: From the corporate perspective, how does working in sustainable systems drive healthy economies and communities? And how does that benefit business?

Green Line Series PHX | Boosting The Bottom Line By Greening The Ballpark

In less than a decade under Derrick Hall’s leadership, the Arizona Diamondbacks have become one of the MLB’s most successful franchises on the field and in the realm of sustainability. Building upon a deep commitment to the Phoenix community and a pursuit of innovation on the operations front, the Diamondbacks have proven that greening the ballpark is both financially prudent and the right thing to do as a corporate citizen in the Valley.

GoGreen Conference: What was the motivation for the Diamondbacks journey into sustainability? What was the first initiative and why did you start there?

Derrick Hall: We have a social responsibility to pursue sustainability in all aspects of our operation. We recognize that we can serve as a very strong influencer for local businesses, as well as our stakeholders, such as season ticket holders, corporate partners and casual fans. Every action that we take here at Chase Field can be replicated in the business or home of these people. We figure if these people observe the changes we have taken in such a complex facility, they will be encouraged about following our lead.

The Northwind system was arguably our initial foray into sustainability, and was developed from the need to air condition our facility during the hot Phoenix summer. It uses a chilled water and serves as a sustainable air conditioning provider for most office buildings downtown. Other early initiatives have included recycling programs with Waste Management and solar projects with APS. Several corporate partners are showcasing their own sustainability efforts and we are a strong platform for them to partner with. The Diamondbacks (and its venues) are making some substantial capital investments into facilities.

GoGreen: Why have you chosen to take the leap past simple efficiency retrofits (recycling, LED lighting, low-flow faucets, etc.) and into more infrastructure-related projects? What do you believe the ROI will be literally (financial terms) and figuratively (environmental/community impact/etc.)?

DH: Again, social responsibility leads these decisions. We recognize the business efficiencies and ROI that will result from many of these changes, but this is not the motivating factor behind these investments. Our ownership has an interest in the D-backs becoming industry leaders in all aspects of our business and sustainability is no different. Also, as our facility enters the second half of its lifespan, many areas are in need of renovation or replacement, so it just makes sense for us to include sustainability. Making the change to sustainable components is the easy decision to make and, in some cases, the only alternative (i.e., light bulbs and government policies phasing out incandescent light bulbs and requiring the use of CFL or LED instead).

GoGreen: Have you found programs like MLB Green Tracks to be good motivators? Is it helpful to feel some added pressure from friendly competition? If so, do you think a similar model could be used in other industries successfully? How so?