Join us for a roundtable discussion on the challenging subject of employee benefits covering vacation and sick time, health benefits, 401k, telecommuting and more.

What does a “normal” company benefits package look like?
What inspires, motivates and retains great people?
What are some ‘out of the box’ benefits small business can offer that reflect a green mission?

This round table is a participatory event.  If you would like to share a story about your company and/or experiences, let us know with your rsvp and we will include you in the first round.  Spontaneous participation will also be encouraged.

Our January event is sponsored this month by in.gredients, Foodsmarty, Theo Chocolate, Sesa Tea and ImagineSolar.  Enjoy great snacks and sweets from our sponsors and network with our growing community of green-minded people, businesses and environmental organizations.

The beautiful Barr Mansion hosted an evening of green holiday cheer with friends from some of Central Texas finest hard-working environmental organizations. Great live reggae music by Don Chani, gourmet pizza & Asian foods, deserts, beer, wine, cocktails, teas and natural sodas.  Our organizations came together again to celebrate the holidays, bring our groups closer together, network and prepare for a unified and productive 2012.

Live music by local Austin reggae band Don Chani!

Sponsored by:
Barr Mansion • Me So Hungry • Paula’s Texas Spirits • Maine Root Sodas • SESA Tea • Theo Chocolate

foodsmarty • Mary Louise Butter’s Brownies • El Milagro

*********************************************************

About our Co-Hosts:

Texas Green Network:

www.texasgreennetwork.org
The Texas Green Network is the first Green Business Chamber of Commerce in Texas, a unique hybrid that combines an environmental organization and a modern Chamber of Commerce.  Founded in January, 2008, TGN provides a diverse connecting point for a wide variety of businesses, environmental organizations, government programs and individuals.

Public Citizen:

www.texasvox.org
By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, cleaner cars and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper.  We are Public Citizen.

Austin EcoNetwork:

http://www.austineconetwork.com/
Helping Austinites lead the way as stewards of the planet’s resources, creating healthy home and work environments and contributing to a thriving local economy.

Design Build Live:

www.designbuildlive.org
Design~Build~Live exists to share, practice, promote and nurture natural building and sustainable living. DBL was created by and for those who desire to live full, joyful lives that support the human spirit and honor the Earth and all her beings. We seek to design and build our homes, buildings, landscapes and entire lives thoughtfully, respectfully and beautifully. Among our offerings are monthly presentations, classes, hands-on workshops, and special educational events.

Texas League of Conservation Voters:

www.tlcv.org
The Texas League of Conservation Voters works to preserve and enhance the quality of life of Texans by making conservation a top priority with Texas elected officials, political candidates and voters. When we succeed, all conservation groups and issues benefit.

Texas Campaign for the Environment Fund:

www.texasenvironment.org/fund
TCE Fund’s primary mission is to empower people to protect the public health through a cleaner environment and promote increased access to the governmental policy-making process so that people and community groups can help shape the decisions that affect their lives.

USGBC Central Texas Chapter:

www.usgbc-centraltexas.org
The U.S. Green Building Council Central Texas – Balcones chapter (USGBC CT-B) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to accelerating the adoption of sustainable building and land development practices in Central and South Texas through education, advocacy and partnerships.  Founded in 2003, USGBC CT-B has over 500 members comprising building and associated industry professionals from Austin, San Antonio, Waco, the Rio Grande Valley and the surrounding 72 counties.  The Chapter’s role is to advocate for the use of high performance and sustainable development practices to local, regional and state government, educational institutions, those involved in the residential and commercial construction, development and realty sectors, and others who might influence the implementation of these practices.  The Chapter hosts LEED Green Building Rating System workshops and study groups; holds educational sessions on sustainable technologies and applications, and offers networking events for the region’s green-building professionals.

Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems:

The Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems, established in 1975, is a non-profit education, research, and demonstration organization specializing in life cycle planning and design. We undertake projects based on their potential contribution to site, regional and global sustainability and human health, and actively pursue collaborations with associate organizations, businesses and professional firms.

Projects emphasize regional contexts as bases for responsible resource use relative to materials, energy, water, waste, food, and meaningful employment. Our expertise is accessible through green planning and design services, conference presentations, public lectures, and published papers.

Friday December 9th

6PM to midnight

Mercury Hall, 615 Cardinal Ln. (off S. 1st)

$10 suggested donation to SOS at the door

Whole Earth Provision Co. is donating a $10 gift certificate to the first 500 party goers! Read more… ]]> http://texasgreennetwork.org/blog/2011/12/09/sos-holiday-party-at-mercury-hall/feed/ 0 http://texasgreennetwork.org/blog/2011/12/08/imagine-solar-open-house/ http://texasgreennetwork.org/blog/2011/12/08/imagine-solar-open-house/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:42:11 +0000 BillC http://texasgreennetwork.org/?p=2427 ImagineSolar Open House
Kick off your 2012 at TGN Gold Sponsor ImagineSolar’s Open House and Tour of their State-of-the-Art training facility!  Join Austin’s green community Saturday, January 7th,2012 from 10 AM to Noon, for a presentation on “Opportunities in the Solarand Smart Grid Industries”.  Enjoy coffee and refreshments, mingle with other industry professionals, and enter ImagineSolar’s drawing to win oneof 5 free seats in their training courses.  Call (512) 443-5725 or info@imaginesolar.com.  More details to come!
Upcoming Courses at ImagineSolar!
Jan 7, 2012
• SG101:Smart Grid & Distributed Generation
Jan 17, 2012
• PV150:Grid Connected PV System Design & Installation
MORE>>

Juan Ontiveros, Executive Director of the campus power plant gave us an overview and explained some of the nation-leading concepts and technology behind the plant.  The plant provides power, heating and cooling to over 16 million square feet of buildings.  The system has 6 miles of distribution tunnels and operates with 99.9998% reliability over the past 35 Years.

We enjoyed  great, healthy food provided by our friends at Greenling, teas provided by Zhi Tea and cholocate from Theo Chocolate.

About The Sustainable Business Program
The Sustainable Business Program is a new center at the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Institute
for Economic Development. We are located across from UTSA’s Downtown Campus. Our goal is to assist
small businesses in Bexar, Nueces and San Patricio counties in the practices of sustainability from both
an economic and environmental perspective. Sustainable Business Program advisors have a broad range
of experiences and skills. Their mission is to keep up with the latest issues, trends, and challenges facing
small businesses and to help you adopt sustainable practices that are good for the environment, and also
for your bottom line. They can answer questions and provide guidance as you integrate sustainable
practices into your organization.

We did our TGN Open Mike for introductions and announcements.  Many snacks and beverages provided, including vegan pastries from FoodSmarty , teas provided by Texas Tea, and snacks provided by House and Earth.

Tom “Smitty” Smith, Texas Director of Public Citizen
Smitty has served as state director of Public Citizen since 1985 and serves on the boards of Clean Water Action, the Texas Wind Power Coalition, Texans for Public Justice, Campaigns for People, the Clean Energy Project of CEERT, a nature preserve, and a solar energy company.   He has recently received the Thomas Paine award from Campaigns for People, 2001 Austin Chronicle’s critics choice award for “Best People’s Lobbyist” as well as an U.S. EPA “Environmental Excellence Award.”

Richard Halpin, Founder of American Youthworks
Richard is the founder of the award winning youth development corporation American YouthWorks where he was the CEO and chief visionary for 30 years. He is a founder in ACSRE a non profit real estate holding Co.  Halpin has founded several other npo remaining as a  director and or board member. Halpin is the Ernst and Young and Silverton Foundation 2008 social entrepreneur of the year. Halpin’s work has been written about in several youth policy books and his team based company has won: the points of light, Liberty Bell, YouthBuild Stewardship and many other acknowledgements. He is a pioneer in the Youth Corps movement with youth built energy efficient affordable home building with Casa Verde builders and environmental corps work. Halpin was one of the early charter school leaders in Texas starting one of the first five Public Charter High Schools in 1996. Mr. Halpin has public policy testimony and recommendations to the Texas Legislature and US Congress.

Brandi Clark Burton, Founder and Chief Inspiration Officer at Austin Eco Network
Brandi Clark Burton is a recognized and respected community and environmental leader, social entrepreneur, and inspiring voice for change with a long history in Austin and broad knowledge around issues of sustainability. Brandi is a passionate promoter of socially and environmentally responsible business practices and consumer behavior with the goal of creating healthier people, communities, businesses and planet. She has exceptional networking skills, strategic thinking, organizational management, fundraising and community-building skills.

A serial social entrepreneur, Brandi has been the generative force behind launching more than a dozen social venture enterprises over the last 15 years – businesses, organizations, service projects and first-time events. Wherever she sees a problem she brings people together to help solve it. A few of her “offspring” include the Austin EcoNetwork, Citizen Gardener, and Austin CarShare (which laid the groundwork for car2go).

Brandi is a graduate of Yale University, Leadership Austin and has received numerous awards and recognition including Austin Business Journal’s 2009 Green Advocate Award, Austin Under 40 Community Service Award and she has been voted “Best Environmentalist” in the Austin Chronicle Readers’ Poll three times. Most recently she was awarded the 2011 Mayor’s Individual Achievement Award given via the Austin Climate Protection Program.

Pliny Fisk, Co-Director of Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems
Pliny Fisk is Co-Director and Co-Founder of the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems (CMPBS), a non-profit design firm established in 1975 dedicated to sustainable planning, design and demonstration, now the oldest of its kind in the US. Pliny is considered one of the originators of the Sustainable Architecture and Planning movement in the United States, with contributions spanning four decades.

Nationally he has held significant positions including being elected to the first AIA’ Committee on the Environment COTE and co-chaired the ERG the Environmental Resource Guide, the first major effort by that institution to green the profession.

He has helped establish such organizations as the National Center for Appropriate technology, and is CEO and founder of S.E.T Sustainable Earth Technologies. Pliny presently is processing 38 provisional patent claims from construction systems to energy, water, food and material systems at home and as well as at an entire city scale, these include areas in the field of incentivized green living through the use of feedback loops at the smallest increment of our everyday relationships to the natural world.