North Canton’s New Green Business Roundtable Program Kicks Off

North Canton’s new Green Business Roundtable program will provide a platform for businesses, community members and city administrators to share information, best practices and innovation toward improving sustainable business practices. 

Roundtable discussions will focus on a variety of topics including sustainable certifications and standards, waste minimization, energy and water conservation, green procurement, local foods, green cleaning, green IT, sustainable design, corporate responsibility and more. 

Roundtables will be moderated by Sustainable Inspiring Spaces’ Kimberly Whittington Babcock, a LEED AP and certified green business consultant, who will help businesses to understand how these topics can positively impact a company’s “triple” bottom line – environment, economy and society or alternatively stated people, planet, and profit. Not only will Whittington Babcock present a specific topic each month, but she will also provide worksheets, additional information and next step instructions. These resources will be posted on the Stark County Educational Network for Environmental Sustainability website (www.starkscenes.org) prior to each meeting. 

“Eliminating waste of all kinds, reducing risks to employees and the environment, and becoming forward thinking all while saving money are the best reasons for joining the Green Business Roundtable,” says Whittington Babcock.

Businesses who attend a minimum of eight roundtable meetings will receive a membership logo for display and use in marketing materials. There is no cost to participate in the Green Business Roundtable program. As an added benefit, participants in the roundtable group will be eligible to apply for a scholarship to complete a full sustainability audit in which Whittington Babcock will work with individual companies to assess, strategize, provide feedback and ultimately implement a sustainability plan to use as a foundation for future growth. 

Roundtables will be held the first Wednesday of every month from 8-9 a.m. at the offices located at 121 S. Main St. in North Canton. The first meeting will be February 1, 2012. RSVP is required to Christina Weyrick-Cooper at 330-499-5100 or ccooper@northcantonchamber.org.

The Green Business Roundtable and scholarship programs are sponsored by Stark State College with support from the Herbert W. Hoover Foundation and the .