UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Andy Kaufman, chief investment officer of Community Capital Management, and other key sustainability leaders will speak at this year’s Student Sustainable Business Conference, to be held 5-8 p.m. on April 5 in 217 Business Building.
The conference is organized by Penn State’s undergraduate chapter of Net Impact, an organization aligned with the mission to accelerate the integration of sustainability in business. It is co-sponsored by the Center for the Business of Sustainability.
Kaufman will deliver a keynote from 5 to 6 p.m. A networking event will follow from 6:30 p.m. on with local entrepreneurs, business leaders and change-makers, and include refreshments. Interested attendees can register here.
This conference is free for students and offers the opportunity to hear from and connect with experts in the sustainability sphere.
Kaufman oversees the fixed income and equity portfolio management team for CCM. He is responsible for all asset allocation decisions and fundamental research for the firm’s mutual funds and separately managed accounts. Prior to working with CCM, Kaufman worked at BlackRock and Mercantil Commercebank. Kaufman currently serves on the Smeal Sustainability Advisory Board and the Entrepreneur Backed Assets Fund Board.
The networking event features:
- Shizuka and Sam Buckley with Christian Baum from Giv Local
- Giv Local is a payment technology company that prioritizes excellent service, integrity and making a positive impact. It is the only BCorp and 1% For the Planet member in its industry.
- Jasmine Fields, sustainability program officer for State College Borough
- Fields has worked for State College for more than four years. Starting as an Americorps member, she has progressed to the sustainability program officer and oversees major sustainability projects for the borough.
- Spud Marshall, author of Designing Creative Communities, co-founder of 3 Dots Downtown and the co.space, and founder of My Creative Community LLC
- Marshall is a social entrepreneur and is actively involved in building creative communities. As the founder of My Creative Community, he works to support groups in designing engaging experiences for their communities.
- Eli Andrews, co-founder and CEO of re-SKU
- Andrews is recognized for his work in building social ventures from the ground up. With the use of best practices to achieve lasting, positive impacts, Andrews is a leader, innovator and climate advocate that is always seeking benefits for the world around him.
- Denise McCann, executive director of Centre Helps
- Centre Helps’ purpose is to serve people with unbiased support in their time of need. With core values of empathy, empowerment, respect, commitment, and community, Centre Helps has a mission to empower anyone in crisis or need with a 24/7 emotional support hotline.
- Jordan Taylor, executive director of Out of the Cold
- Out of the Cold’s mission is to “answer the call to serve those experiencing homelessness in our community by providing shelter, food and support services during the transition to permanent housing.” The organization is working toward a day when homelessness is a rare, brief and one-time event.
- Jeannette Miller, assistant clinical professor of entrepreneurship
- Miller has worked in emerging markets for over a decade, specializing in economic development and business start-ups. She has had a leadership position with the U.S. government, worked for multinational management consulting firms, and has been an entrepreneur.
- Judd Michael, agricultural sciences faculty member
- Michael’s expertise lies in sustainable business strategies, human capital optimization, manufacturing costing, pallets, transport packaging, and biomass. He is a Big Ten representative to the Green Sports Alliance and holds an Outstanding Research Award for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.