The 2022 Sustainable Business Summit is where sustainability professionals will connect in a powerful in-person event. We are excited to leave the virtual world and provide a space to gain critical industry insights on a range of relevant sustainability topics, meet with industry leaders and share insights in smaller groups with facilitated networking discussions. Join us to listen, learn and exchange ideas on sustainability trends and the changes your business faces. Get inspired, more connected and better equipped to make meaningful progress during this decade of action!
At SBR, we never want the cost of admission to become a barrier for sustainability progress. Should you require financial assistance to attend our Sustainable Business Summit, please reach out to our Executive Director, Alexandra Holland, and she will be happy to assist you.
Why Attend?
- Connect and meet with national, regional and local sustainability leaders.
- Gain critical industry insights from our keynote panelists, moderators, organizers, and summit sponsors.
- Network with peers and meet potential new business partners.
When and Where
Our half-day event, from 11am – 5:30pm, will be hosted at the incredible Powerhouse. As if made for our theme, the Powerhouse is no stranger to resilience. Built in 1917, the facility powered key industrial processes in Buffalo for decades, but also left a legacy of pollution. Through investment, stewardship, and vision the Powerhouse has now been transformed into a fully developed entertainment and commercial complex that awaits your engagement and sustainable thinking!
What to Expect
The 2022 Summit will feature one keynote address and four engagement session tracks. Our keynote address will highlight nationally recognized sustainability leaders while our four engagement session tracks will bring together local experts and will focus on: “Workplace and workforce and the changing nature of it,” “Environmental justice: resilience in equity,” “Communicating value,” and “Influencing change.”
Meet Your Keynote Speaker
Tamara Brown is the Vice President of Sustainability for Linde–a leading industrial gas and engineering company pioneering innovative climate action work across the globe–where she champions the strategic direction of sustainability initiatives and their Environmental and Social Governance reporting. Tamara is a global sustainability leader with nearly twenty years experience yielding high impact for internal and external stakeholders by fostering excellence in sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and employee engagement. Tamara also has a well-established record of deep relationship-building with communities, colleges/universities, customers, and partners, particularly through her founding of the Tech Savvy girls program where she promotes strong pathways for STEM pipelines. Tamara has been recognized as a White House Champion of Change and is an AIMBE fellow.
Engagement Session Stewards
Workplace & Workforce: The Changing Nature of It
Tuona Batchelor
Director of Business Assistance
Erie County Department of Environment and Planning
Steve Hannon
Strategic Account Manager
Casella Waste Systems
Tim Leyh
Executive Director
The Center for Industrial Effectiveness, University at Buffalo
Jennifer Flagg
Project Director
The Center for Industrial Effectiveness, University at Buffalo
Environmental Justice: Resilience in Equity
Sheila Bass
Coordinator
Healthy Community Store Initiative
Nicole Morris-McLaughlin
ECLIPSE Program Manager
Erie County Department of Environment and Planning
Derek Nichols
Associate Director
University at Buffalo Office of Sustainability
Andy Whitehead
Environmental and Climate Justice Student Assistant
University at Buffalo Office of Sustainability
Communicating Value
Lindsay Aleshire
M&T Bank
Glenn Jackson
Chief Diversity Officer
M&T Bank
Anna Attea
Sustainability Program Manager
Life StorageBD
Kevin Aman
Vice President of Community Engagement & Communications
Rich Products
Influencing Change
Tom Akers
Founder
Junk Free Skin LLC
Mark Wenzler
Director of Sustainability
Chautauqua Institute
Ali Adelman
Director of Sustainability
Wendel
Rick Smith
Owner
Rigidized Metals Corporation
Sponsor and Vendor Information
Previous Summits
2021 Summit
Make It Your Business: Harness the Power of the SDG’s
2020 Summit
The Value of Building Business Resilience
2019 Summit
Building Your Business: Reducing Your Footprint
2018 Summit
Invest Today, Lead Tomorrow