Open Sustainability Implementation (SI) Groups

More than 40 local businesses and institutions have claimed their place in the sustainability economy by participating in an E4S SI Group. Consider an upcoming SI Group and reduce costs, discover new revenue streams, motivate your employees and create a healthier environment both inside and outside your facility’s walls.

SI Group Process Benefits
What is an SI Group
Sample Monthly Topics
Logistics
Pricing
Graduates and Testimonials

SI Group Process Benefits

• Create a sustainability strategic plan for your business
• Discover new ways to save your company money
• Conduct 3 management level assessments - energy, waste and green procurement
• Receive 16+ hours of training for 3+ members of your staff
• Learn a process for implementing sustainable business practices
• Build relationships with a network of peers who will help you move up the learning curve faster than working alone
  
• Have time to reflect on sustainability opportunities with others from your team and from peer organizations
• Make connections to the E4S Network of over 6,000 leaders who can help you implement your plans
• Create an integrated approach to adding sustainability strategies into your organizational culture
  

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What is an SI Group?

A peer-based, action focused, learning process that increases the rate you can learn new technologies and processes and the probability you will successfully implement what you learn. Develop relationships with other entrepreneurial leaders who will support you during and after the SI Group ends its journey. Learn a whole-systems design strategy that will transform your organization, inspire innovation and improve the quality of life in NEO. Claim your place in the sustainability economy!

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Sample of Possible Monthly Topics

• Principles of Sustainability - Natural Capitalism, Biomimicry, Cradle to Cradle
  
• Whole-systems design of sustainable products and services
  
• How to apply SI principles in facilities, processes, products, and markets and culture
  
• Developing an implementation plan based on successful case stories
• How to engage your employees in the process
• Waste elimination
• Green procurement
• Energy efficiency, renewable energy and alternative fuels
• High performance, green building & LEED
• Local food
• Climate change
  
• Curriculum for each SI Group will be custom designed to meet each group’s needs.

Logistics

Who participates?

• Entrepreneurial leaders and their green team (3-5 participants/organization) who want to learn how to implement sustainability principles in their buildings, processes, product, markets and company cultures.
  
• Each SI Group consists of approximately 7-10 organizations who meet together once a month for eight months.

Where do SI Groups meet?
Each company in the SI Group is asked to host a monthly meeting. Some tours may be provided.

2009 Series Pricing
$2,200-$5,000/company (based on # of employees), includes:

• 3-5 participants/company
• 16+ hours of learning/participant
• 2-3 baseline participant-performed assessments
• A 1-on-1 coaching visit with E4S
• Annual E4S membership. If you are already a member, membership will be extended by one year.
  

Introductory Workshop
If you are interested in attending an introductory workshop to learn more about the SI Group process, we generally hold such workshops quarterly. The workshop is $50/organization and 2-3 members of your organization may attend.

If you have a group of organizations interested in the process, please contact Annabel Khouri (annabel@e4s.org or 216-451-7755) to arrange a custom introductory workshop.

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A Sample of SI Group Graduates

American Greetings
Americhem
Bialosky + Partners Architects
Business Interiors and Environments
Cleveland Botanical Garden
Cleveland Foundation
Cleveland Metroparks & Zoo
Crown Plaza Hotel
Crown Point Ecology Center
Dealer Tire
Energizer
George Gund Foundation
Neighborhood Progress Inc
Positively Cleveland
Shorebank Enterprise Cleveland
University Circle Inc

Testimonials

I found that the group setting was very helpful since we could share ideas as well as see that everyone had various challenges that they needed to overcome. The areas of most value to me were the assessments where you could learn where your company was at versus where it wanted to go. And the best practices were helpful when they gave us practical ways to apply what we were learning.
~Jeff Millis, Talan Products, SI Group Graduate January 2009

The SI process was an excellent value.  Going through the process with other companies, of various sizes, helps because we can all learn from each other as much as we learn from E4S and the subject matter experts each month. Each company brings a unique perspective and hearing their stories inspires, but more importantly, it triggers new ideas we hadn’t thought about.  Also you hear about sustainable initiatives that we may not have tried or been hesitant to try.  Learning from our peers and their experiences allows us to make better fact-based decisions with less risk.  We gain a better understanding of what may or may not work, or at least learn about processes, risks and rewards of these initiatives.
~Chris Weigand, American Greetings, SI Group Graduate January 2009

"I greatly enjoyed and benefited from the SI group experience. Studying and sharing practical applications of the principles of sustainability within our businesses was exciting and rewarding. We continue to learn and implement triple bottom line opportunities in many areas of our operations."
~Bill Oatey, Oatey Co.

For more information email annabel@e4s.org or call 216-451-7755.

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