Innovative Green Business Events Launched Nationwide

'Solutions Labs' will accelerate environmental innovation through open forum brainstorming

WASHINGTON, April 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ten events in cities across the country this year will bring together leading thinkers and practitioners from business, government, academia and nonprofits to share ideas and brainstorm solutions to corporate environmental sustainability challenges.  

(Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100202/EDFLOGO )

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), in partnership with DIG IN, Greenbiz.com, Net Impact, Sony and Ashoka, is coordinating a series of Solutions Labs providing industry with the opportunity to explore the next generation of business sustainability -- one that balances profit growth for companies with environmental concerns. At these one-day, interactive events, participants help craft the agenda themselves and spend the day actively brainstorming ideas for accelerating green innovation while sharing best practices.

"The experience and knowledge needed to make business environmentally sustainable already exists inside the businesses doing the work," said David Witzel, Director of the EDF Innovation Exchange. "The Solutions Labs will bring together corporate 'doers' and thinkers to share what they've learned and tackle the hard problems together. Our goal is to spark a network effect throughout Corporate America, pushing innovation to the next level to solve our biggest environmental challenges."  

The Solutions Labs are part of the Green Innovation in Business Network (GIBN), an online and offline community focused on creating a well-informed, well-connected, rapidly-learning network of innovators making business more sustainable.

The series of 2010 Solutions Labs will take place as follows:

• May 21: Bloomberg, New York City, NY
• May 27: George Washington University, Washington DC
• June 17: Best Buy, Minneapolis, MN
• July 13: University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
• July 15: eBay, San Jose, CA
• August 5: IIT Stuart School of Business, Chicago, IL
• August 10: Seattle University, Seattle, WA
• September 16: Microsoft, Cambridge, MA
• September 29: AMD, Austin, TX

The first 2010 Solutions Lab event was held at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business where over a hundred participants attended in January.  Read more about the event on our blog.

Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. Environmental Defense Fund has a 20 year track record of success in partnering with business. To maintain its independence and credibility, Environmental Defense Fund accepts no money from corporate partners; generous individuals and foundations fund its work. For more information, visit www.edf.org. Follow our blog at blogs.edf.org/innovation. We're also on Twitter: twitter.com/EDFix

Contact:

Melanie Janin, Environmental Defense Fund, [email protected], (202) 572-3240

SOURCE Environmental Defense Fund