The
Southeast Michigan Sustainable Business Forum (SMSBF) knows how to help its members green their business practices -- from one-person consulting firms to General Motors. In the last year, it's expanded its purview to include outreach to the education sector, government agencies, and non-profits. "Businesses can't be successful unless they are engaging with the entire group of stakeholders that support businesses," says CEO Bill Stough.
Approximately 30 to 50 members regularly attend SMSBF's monthly meetings, which typically focus on a single topic such as food supply, green retail, construction materials, and alternative energy resources.
As the economy changes, so has SMSBF's membership roster. "As more and more individuals get laid off, a lot of these mid-career and early in their career, they are looking for what's next," says Stough. "There are a lot more individuals participating in the business forum (in order to) understand what sustainable business is and how it can add value in job searches."
SMSBF started up in 2001 with a seed grant from the EPA. It ran for two
years as a program of the East Michigan Environmental Action Council
before spinning off as its own non-profit entity. Anyone doing business
in Southeast Michigan is eligible for membership once a commitment is made to
the organization's vision and
mission statement.
In April of 2010, SMSBF will team up with its sister organizations around Michigan to hold a statewide sustainable business forum in Traverse City. Its next regular meeting will be held on November 19 at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and will focus on the efforts of General Motors to meet its ambitious goal of zero-waste to landfills.
Source: Bill Stough, SMSBF
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
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