How We Grow Sustainable Business:
A forum for doing well by doing good

Join local Beacon and Hudson Valley leaders and entrepreneurs for a lively, interactive  forum.

Learn how entrpreneurs, educators, and community members are growing our Hudson Valley green economy through creativity, innovation and partnership. Plus: How you can get involved!

- How do we succeed in sustainable business: achieving the "triple bottom line"
- Resources for our community
- How local citizens can get involved
- Your ideas & questions for the panel!

Moderator: Paul Ellis, Principal, Paul Ellis Consulting

Panelists:
Myriam Bouchard, Principal and Co-Founder,
Coherence Collaborative
Lauren Maples, Director, BijaKids Hudson Valley
Jason Schuler, Founder, CEO, Goodmaker,
Drink More Good
Tim Sugrue, President and CEO, Beacon Institute, Clarkson University

Register Now! 

Myriam Bouchard, Principal and Co-Founder, Coherence Collaborative

Myriam’s passion for everything business-related led her to pursue a formal education and earned an MBA from Syracuse University. She worked as a business advisor for the NYS Small Business Development Center for over 13 years, winning a multitude of awards as one of the top performers out of the 200 statewide consultants. An experienced public speaker, she was an adjunct professor at the Marist College School of Management and the SUNY New Paltz School of Business. Myriam’s business advising work includes aligning one’s personal aspirations with the business goals to ensure long-term success and happiness.

Jason Schuler, Founder, CEO, Goodmaker, Drink More Good

Jason founded More Good in late 2012 with one goal in mind – to make this world a better place. Using locally sourced and organic ingredients to create hand-crafted syrups & mixers, kombucha, and cocktail bitters, the mission is simple: global impact through local success.

More Good’s vision of success is a little different than most companies. They don’t define success through the ability to operate a profitable bottom line, that’s a given. Instead, they’ve challenged themselves with the task of operating a profitable bottom line while at the same time maintaining a high level of social responsibility. As CEO and Founder of More Good, Jason believes that it is a privilege to be a business owner – and it’s one that he doesn’t take lightly. Everyone at More Good is committed to using their influence and successes to make this world a better place. And we invite you to do the same.

Lauren Maples, Director, BijaKids Brooklyn/Hudson Valley

Lauren developed the Bija approach in 2005, striving to create a fulfilling and engaging educational experience that is grounded in the real world while looking towards the future.

Lauren found that open, minimal spaces that were intentionally curated, along with a progressive model of instruction, set the framework for shaping students into aware, kind, and successful human beings. Her personal passions for food, art, sustainable living, social justice, and connection are interwoven in the daily experience at Bija. After ten years and many iterations, Bija has found its own voice in the world of progressive early childhood education.

Lauren has danced with internationally acclaimed ballet companies including San Francisco Ballet and New York City Ballet, and holds a BA from New School University. Lauren is currently completing her Masters in Early Childhood Education at Bank Street College.

Tim Sugrue, President and CEO, Beacon Institute, Clarkson University

Timothy F. Sugrue, Ph.D. has led Beacon Institute since 2011. Tim served as Dean of Clarkson University's School of Business for over 13 years. During his tenure, Clarkson garnered high rankings from U.S. News & World Report for its graduate MBA program and earned Entrepreneur magazine’s distinction as one of the top 15 entrepreneurship programs in the nation.

Sugrue holds a Ph.D. in business administration from UMass. He traces his Hudson Valley roots back to an undergraduate degree in engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he completed a thesis in river monitoring and competed as a member of the sailing team.

With an established research record in corporate finance, Sugrue also is an award-winning leader in graduate and undergraduate business education. Prior to joining Clarkson University, Sugrue was a professor of finance and senior associate dean at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Paul Ellis, Principal, Paul Ellis Consulting

Paul was a certified financial planner and franchise advisor with Ameriprise for 23 years. Over the past 15 years Paul has become a nationally recognized expert on sustainable investing. He is regularly called upon to provide the financial advisor’s perspective on investor relations. He communicates with the CEOs and senior analysts of the largest sustainable investment firms, ensuring that his knowledge of the industry is both current and personal. As a featured columnist for Financial Advisor Magazine (fa-mag.com), Paul writes about issues relevant to advisors who want to understand the impact of sustainable investing on the finance industry and their advisory practices.

Paul regularly presents at financial planning industry conferences on the value of sustainability in long term investment strategies. This year he is appearing at Morningstar, All In For Impact, Sustainable Investing Symposiums, SMART Portfolios, Impact/SRI; ESG Investing and Invest In Women.