Congratulations members and fans!  Net Impact Bluegrass has been awarded Professional Chapter of the Year by NI Central!  The award was announced during the 2010 Net Impact Conference, which was held this year at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Oct. 28-30.

The Chapter of the Year awards are given annually to the most outstanding chapters of the over 200 in the Net Impact network. Chapters were evaluated on their management, chapter activities, support of their membership, impact on their school and community, and their support of the broader Net Impact network. Submissions were reviewed by Net Impact staff and guest judges.

According to Net Impact, “the Bluegrass Professional Chapter made great strides this year to improve offerings to their members and expand the chapter’s impact. They created a model for delivering Net Impact’s Impact at Work program at the local level, empowering individuals to implement workplace change initiatives, and developed a community campaign to engage individuals and businesses in sustainability.”

In addition, Net Impact Bluegrass leadership team member, Katie Greene, was recognized with a Leadership Award during the Conference. Net Impact annually recognizes members who have gone above and beyond to grow the Net Impact network and increase the impact of the Net Impact movement.

Greene, who is the Corporate Responsibility Specialist at LG&E and KU Energy, had been instrumental in launching and developing the Bluegrass Professional Chapter. She has been responsible for numerous chapter-building activities, including a newsletter and CSR luncheon series. In addition, she is a leader in encouraging others to have an impact at work.  [Congrats Katie and thanks!]

Looking for a corporate responsbility job?  Postings dropped tremendously last year along with the market, but according to a recent report, they may be inching back up.  In the meantime, you don’t have to simply scope out job boards and wait. Our Impact at Work program helps existing employees, no matter their job title, become “social intrapreneurs” who use their business skills to bring positive change to their workplace.  Leading grassroots environmental and social sustainability efforts wherever you are now will give you the hands-on experience you need to succeed in a CSR position in the future. Here’s how you can get started: Attend Net Impact Bluegrass’ third and final Impact at Work Workshop, at 6PM on May 25 at O’Shea’s Irish Pub, 956 Baxter Avenue. The event will include a moderated panel of local sustainability professionals and change makers, followed by a happy hour and networking. Read Making Your Impact at Work: A Practical Guide to Changing the World From Inside Any Company, our go-to guide for emerging social intrapreneurs.  You’ll find out how to set the stage for sustainable change and deliver meaningful results. Subscribe to the Quick Wins newsletter, which delivers easy tips for positively impacting your office to your inbox every month.  Our latest issue tackles the paper vs. technology debate. Get inspired by popular Impact at Work project ideas.  We have resources to help you begin an energy conversation campaign, an employee volunteer program, and more.  And we have success stories from members who have figured out what works in many of these areas. >> Find out more about the Impact at Work program

Net Impact Bluegrass will host an online panel discussion as part of their local Impact at Work Challenge. The conference call will be held on April 13 from 1 pm – 2 pm (eastern) featuring with a virtual panel of national Impact at Work experts, including:

· Libby Reder, Head of Environmental Initiatives, Global Citizenship at eBay
· Jason McBriarty, Community Affairs & Levi Strauss Foundation, Levi Strauss & Co.
· Michael Sadowski, Director, Client Services, SustainAbility, a global consulting firm that has published research on social intrapreneurship (http://j.mp/W7OlY)
· The panel will be moderated by Net Impact co-founder and Board Chair Jim Schorr, currently Clinical Professor and Director of the Vanderbilt Center for Business & Society.

Please click here for additional details on how to register for this conference call: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/niblueworkshopreg2

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 30, 2010) – On Friday, March 26, 2010, Net Impact Bluegrass, the newly formed Louisville chapter of the international nonprofit organization Net Impact, hosted a capacity crowd of over 40 people at the Office Environment Company for lunch and discussion with local experts on workplace sustainability.

This workshop was the first of three that will take place this spring to educate and support local professionals who are interested in joining the Impact at Work Challenge and conducting projects such as forming a green team, implementing a recycling program, or greening a building.

Panelists at the March 26 Lunch & Learn workshop included:

• Gary Heine, co-founder of Heine Brothers’ Coffee, representing the small business perspective
• Jeff Moneypenny of Luckett & Farley Architects, focusing on energy efficiency projects
• Ted Hathaway of Frost Brown Todd, leader of the law firm’s “green committee”
• Stephanie Warren of Kindred Healthcare, who is developing their sustainability master plan
• The panel was moderated by Claude Stephens of Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest.

Attendees walked away with a deeper understanding of how to create social and environmental change in their workplace. Specifically, panelists and attendees discussed ways to brainstorm projects, choose a project, make a business case, and engage stakeholders.

The second Impact at Work seminar will be a conference call on April 13 from
10:00 am – 11:00 am with a virtual panel of national Impact at Work experts, including: Libby Reder, Head of Environmental Initiatives, Global Citizenship at eBay and several others from major corporations. The panel will be moderated by Net Impact co-founder Jim Schorr, currently Clinical Professor and Director of the Vanderbilt Center for Business & Society.

Please click here for additional details on how to register for this conference call: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/niblueworkshopreg2

Visit www.netimpactbluegrass.org to enroll in the competition. Over the course of the Impact at Work Challenge, participants must conceive, enact, and measure the results of a 90-day workplace change initiative. Possible entries could include something as simple as double-sided printing or eliminating bottled water in the office to instituting single-stream recycling or conducting a carbon footprint analysis.

At the end of the competition in October 2010, a panel of workplace change experts will evaluate each project and declare a series of winners. Challenge winners will be eligible to win incredible prizes, including:

• • A home wind turbine donated and installed by WindStream Technologies
  • Energy Leadership Index Assessment and Debrief (value of $415) delivered by Sarah Morris McCauley, ELI-MP—the mission specialist, leadership coach
  • VIP passes to Forecastle Festival
  • Rain barrel (donated by Amazing Green Planet)
  • and Much More!

Net Impact Bluegrass is holding a workshop on March 26 from 12PM to 1:30PM to educate and support local professionals in conducting workplace change projects such as forming a green team, implementing a recycling program, or greening a building.  This workshop is part of our Impact at Work competition in which participants conduct a project lasting at their place of employment, a host company or nonprofit.

The workshop will begin with a panel moderated by Claude Stephens from Bernheim Arboretum and Generation 14.  Following the panel will be breakout sessions hosted by each panelist in which they are joined by a member of Net Impact Bluegrass’ leadership team.

Speakers include:
· Moderator:  Claude Stephens, Education Director at Bernheim Arboretum
· Stephanie Warren, Facilities Manager at Kindred Healthcare
· Jeff Moneypenny, Architect, LEED AP, Luckett & Farley
· Ted Hathaway, Senior Associate at Frost Brown Todd
· Gary Heine, Heine Brothers Coffee

Please note that the event location has changed and now will be held in the Burke Room at the Office Environment Company (12th and Market) on Friday, March 26 from Noon – 1:30 pm.

There is ample free parking.

RSVP for this event via Facebook, LinkedIn, or email netimpactbluegrass@gmail.com.  Checkout Net Impact Bluegrass on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Sign up to conduct a workplace change project at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NIBImpactatWorkreg.

New program encouraging and supporting workplace greening

Net Impact Bluegrass introduces the Impact at Work Challenge to encourage positive social and environmental change initiatives within local businesses.  Impact at Work, Net Impact Bluegrass’ first major program initiative, officially kicks off on Thursday, January 14, 2010.

The Impact at Work Challenge provides incentives, resources, and support to inspire and empower social “intrapreneurs” – individuals working within organizations who find ways to integrate sustainability into their day jobs – to create positive social and environmental change in their workplaces.

Louisville is full of individuals passionate about making our city a better, greener place to work and live.  But that goal can often seem too big for one person to overcome.  The Impact at Work Challenge provides each of us with the opportunity, tools, and motivation to help enact small changes in our own lives.  Our chapter is excited to see the big impact we can realize together.

How it works:

Fill out this brief survey to enroll in the competition:

Click here to sign-up to conduct a project!

Over the course of the program, participants must conceive, enact, and measure the results of a 90-day workplace change initiative. Possible entries could include something as simple as double-sided printing or eliminating bottled water in the office to instituting single-stream recycling or conducting a carbon footprint analysis.

Net Impact Bluegrass will provide support through a series of seminars in March, April and May to help establish business objectives, build a team, gather data, develop strategies, engage and educate stakeholders, and secure resources needed.

At the end of the competition in October 2010, a panel of workplace change experts will evaluate each project and declare a series of winners. Prizes are currently being collected and will be disclosed over the course of the program.

When: The Challenge begins Thursday, January 14, 2010 and enrollments for the competition will be open until May 30, 2010. Early registration is encouraged. Participants who sign up before March 15 will be entered to win prizes including gift certificates to local restaurants and area businesses. The winners will be announced in October 2010.

Follow Net Impact Bluegrass on Facebook and Twitter.

WHEN:  Thursday, October 22, 6-8 pm

WHERE: White Oak at Artemesia Gallery
3rd Floor Wine Room
620 E Market St
Louisville, KY 40202

At Meet the Members Happy Hour, both current and prospective Net Impact members will gather to network, socialize and discuss issues surrounding Net Impact’s mission: to inspire, educate, and equip individuals to use the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world.

Participants will have an opportunity to learn more about Net Impact and how they can get involved.

Learn more about Net Impact Bluegrass.

Check out local foods featured at the White Oak

Thanks to attendees for building excitement towards the new local chapter and for becoming a part of positive change!
The Bluegrass chapter of Net Impact was officially introduced to the Louisville area on Thursday, September 17 at a launch event held at The Louisville Zoo. The event featured nationally-recognized social entrepreneurship expert Jim Schorr responding to questions about his participation in social enterprises and corporate responsibility and what led business school classmates and him to found Students for Responsible Business, the organization today known as Net Impact.

Kristin Espeland Gourlay, environmental reporter for NPR in the Ohio Valley region, interviewed Jim and facilitated the question and answer portion of the event which engaged members of the audience in the conversation. The event was well-attended by nearly 70 members of the community, representing over 25 different companies and businesses, underscoring the role that Net Impact plays in connecting like-minded individuals for networking and idea sharing, with the goal of supporting initiatives that promote sustainability, social responsibility and community engagement.

The launch event created energy and enthusiasm for participation in Net Impact Bluegrass, and we invite you to find out more about upcoming events and membership opportunities through upcoming newsletters and emails.

Local Chapter Launch Event Becoming a part of positive change. WHAT: A not-to-be-missed conversation between Jim Schorr, a nationally-recognized social entrepreneurship expert, and Kristin Espeland, an environmental journalist, about becoming a part of positive change in your communities.  Plus, free appetizers and cash bar with signature cocktails like the “Conscious Cosmo” and the “Icy Impact.” WHEN:  Thursday, September 17 at 6 PM. WHERE:  The Louisville Zoo at the Outpost PRESENTED BY: Net Impact Bluegrass, a new chapter of a global organization of more than 10,000 professionals and students using business to  improve  the world. RSVPs appreciated

Speaker Bio: Jim Schorr Leading expert on social enterprise and entrepreneurship Professor of Management at the Owen School at Vanderbilt University focusing on ethics and social responsibility and entrepreneurship Founder of Juma Ventures, a non profit that develops and operates businesses – known as “social enterprises” – for the purpose of providing job opportunities to economically disadvantaged teens Co-founder of Net Impact in 1993 and current national board chair Leadership and consulting roles with major corporations, start-up companies and government agencies Speaker Bio: Kristin Espeland Gourlay Environmental journalist for WFPL, Louisville’s NPR news station Lead organizer for an upcoming February, 2010 conference called “Covering the Ohio River Valley: A Convergence of Scientists and Media” Reporter and host for Wyoming Public Radio, where she helped create an award-winning weekly newsmagazine Her work has aired on NPR, Justice Talking, National Native News, B Side, and on stations throughout New York, Wyoming, Colorado, and Kentucky. Prior to her career in journalism, Kristin held positions in corporate communications and nonprofit fundraising in New York City, where she received her MS in Journalism from Columbia University