Celebrating Sustainable Oregon

By Oriana Lisker

Day 4 of the Oregon Sustainability Experience. Moving from slow food to fast food, we toured a local Burgerville facility and met with the head of sustainability for the chain, Alison Dennis. Burgerville has incorporated a seasonal menu into their offerings – asparagus sides in the spring, raspberry juices in the summer and pumpkin shakes in the fall. Ms. Dennis said that changing the menu according to what is growing prompts Burgerville’s clientele to start understanding that our 21st century food system is still affected by the seasons. One recent development for Burgerville is informative receipts for the customers – each receipt shows the calorie, fat and fiber breakdown of the meal purchased and makes suggestions for how to make the meal purchase more balanced the next time the customer visits Burgerville. Ms. Dennis said that nutritional information is also on the Burgerville website, and the chain is also thinking about providing this information at the point of sale, not just retroactively.

Children and adults lunch at the ReBuilding Center’s “The Community Trees”

Brooke Beadle

Day 3 of the SUBE track was yet another day filled with numerous feats of design, craftsmanship, and innovation around Portland. Amongst the continuous stream of LEED certified buildings viewed, the idea that the right “design ingredients” of the living environment could successfully produce a community permeated throughout the projects on both the large and small scale. Location of the project to public transportation; street layout; distance from other urban or residential areas; amount of mixed-use housing; the right retail stores; use of placemaking; these are all things that many of the integrated design teams believed to be the right factors to enhance people interaction and generate a community. But were they successful? Or, in the cases where the ingredient of people has yet to be added, will they be? That is not only a difficult question to answer, but it also depends on what you define as “success.”

One inspiring example was that of the Da Vinci Arts Middle School in the Northeast of town. This school saw the need for a new music building, given the fact that the one currently used was first put to use in (believe it or not) 1918! So with the help of the science teacher Dan Evans, they created a sustainable “high performance classroom” with a juxtaposed rain garden that used numerous methods to give it LEED Platinum certification (the first in public K-12 buildings in the country). What is fabulous is that not only did they raise the majority of the money needed to build this from various community gifts and grants, but also that the building has proven to be a fabulously popular learning center, or living laboratory, for the students. Numerous lessons and even whole classes have been taught using the live-feed energy monitor, the rain garden, or the louvers to help kids understand the value of conservation and sustainability. Some students, known as student ambassadors, give tours explaining all of the sustainable design aspects of the building. If these children then take the lessons from this building (for example, to turn off the lights when not in use) to other buildings, and even their homes and families, then this one project may truly help lead to sustainable communities for future generations.

Another example that was indirectly shown to have been a success in enhancing the interaction of design and community was that of The ReBuilding Center on N. Mississippi Avenue. While this organization receives donations of salvaged building materials to promote sustainable building practices through re-use, it also has created interaction with the community through the actual design of the building they work out of. The side of the building has a tree-scape, called “The Community Trees,” with birds made of spoons, trees made of reclaimed steel and cob, and flowers made with nails. Members of the nearby community donated these items, along with numerous others in the work. With the seating sculpted into it, there is obviously another purpose for this sidewalk art. And given the scene at lunch hour today, the community has obviously found a way to successfully bring the people of the community together.

Oriana Lisker

Day 3 of the Oregon Sustainability Experience: switching perspectives from farmers producing premium products on Monday and Tuesday to understanding what happens to people who can’t afford even conventional products. We spent the afternoon at the Marion-Polk Food share in Salem, OR, where we spoke in detail with Ron Hays, an alumnus of the Oregon Sustainability Experience. According to Mr. Hays, the food bank serves 1 in 5 families in the area over the course of the year. The food bank has recently implemented a program where food reserves are divided into 16 key nutritional categories and packed into food boxes accordingly to ensure that families that receive the boxes have as balanced and as healthy diets as possible. However, the food boxes generally only provide about 3-5 days worth of food per month for the families, so the food bank is extending its programming to also educate food bank recipients on how to extend their food dollars on more healthy purchases, and how to cook meals from scratch. Interesting discussion followed trying to rationalize whether or not sustainability and low-income food budgets can be compatible.

Day 2 of the Oregon Sustainability Experience: understanding the transition from conventional farming to either organic or sustainable production. Stalford Seed Farms and Stahlbush Island Farms, both near Corvallis, spoke to our track about their rationale for moving to organic and/or sustainable farming. For Stahlbush Island Farms owner Bill Chambers, such progressive practices represented a moral obligation he felt to leave his land in better condition than when he purchased it. Stalford Seed Farms cited comparable yields between organic, conventional and genetically modified crops and reduced pesticide costs (on the order of $300,000-400,000 per year) as economic reasoning behind their transition. In terms of certifying organic or sustainable products, representatives from Food Alliance and Oregon Tilth explained that cost shouldn’t be a limiting factor for farmers initiating certification – both programs have fee structures that represent a proportion of farm yields. For a farm with less than $80,000 of sales, fees for Food Alliance are only $400/year. An open question to conventional farmers to understand the other side of the story: what are your reasons for not going organic or sustainable and remaining conventional?

SUBE track: Day 2, 7/20/10
By Brooke Beadle

Today we visited several key locations and heard from several influential people that are largely responsible for the animation and vibe that is ingrained in the Portland downtown that we see and experience today. One of the key themes that seemed to thread together the various sights was the impact of the design of buildings upon the human occupants’ interaction. At several buildings we have seen the structural designs include a degree of openness, often through the use of stairwells, to encourage interaction and collaboration amongst the occupants despite their location on varying levels of a building. For example, at the Mercy Corps NW building on SW Ankeny Street, we saw how the entire design of the 3 stories flowed around the central stairwell. Not only does this aspect encourage social interaction, but it also enhances the workers’ ability to do their jobs. During the Haiti earthquake in January of this year, they saw communication between employees like never before to help them work more efficiently and effectively in response to this crisis.

Along the same lines, it was also made clear that the occupants play a large role in determining the ultimate performance of a building, regardless of how many LEED credits or energy savings efforts are designed into it. If the occupants use an excessive amount of electricity or keep their living spaces at extreme temperatures, the entire design for energy efficiency of the building can be compromised. The concept of “green leases” to regulate the habits of tenants came up as an afterthought as a method to mitigate this problem in the future. Until everyone understands how to truly live sustainably, this may be a necessary measure to take.

During a discussion with some integral economic and strategic thinkers of Portland today, the term “disruption” emerged as something that needs to happen to our current way of living and thinking. Whether that disruption is something, such as the BP oil spill, or someone, such as the progressive architects we have been hearing from this week, it is clear that we humans need to re-assess the way we live and behave on a daily basis. If a new or rehabilitated building’s structural and internal design can be that source of disruption, then maybe that is one way to get us on the path to creating a sustainable urban environment.

Will Allured

At the end of a busy first day involving projects by industrial entities such as Intel and neighborhood oriented groups such as the Sustainable Cities Initiative, the group was let loose inside of the Port of Portland Headquarters.The building is a virtual wonderland of sustainable building innovation as well as an architectural tour de force. We were met by Doug Sams of ZGF, the lead architect, as well as Rachel Wray, Greg Sparks, and Karl Schultz from the Port of Portland. Although several questions of economic viability are raised by this architectural Shangri- La, its many achievements will undoubtedly be an inspiration to many.

Not only is it the sole building in Portland to use a Living Machine to treat its wastewater, it also places the Living Machine in the main lobby of the building. This demonstrates bold, creative thinking about wastewater as well as thorough engineering which ensures that no foul odors enter the lobby. This is in addition to creative, health- minded planning of the offices themselves, with low partitions to allow for both views and collaboration. There are two roof gardens- one planted almost entirely with seedum as a green roof, and the other a habitable patio with tall grasses and a movable sculpture for shading. The interior spaces are as dynamic as some of the most highly celebrated Dutch architecture. Even the cubicles themselves look to be finely designed and crafted. Small wonder that the tours dallied beyond the scheduled end time.

By Oriana Lisker

After an overview of the program at the Ecotrust Building by Susan Bragdon, Director of the OSE, and introduction to the OSE team, we visited the OSU Food Innovation Center where we toured consumer preference focus rooms, an RFID tagging machine, sensory laboratories and saw the next generation of microwave technology. We visited the Intel Corporation’s Jones Farm location for an outdoor buffet lunch catered by Bon Appetit and a panel discussion by Oregon land experts on Oregon’s urban growth boundary. According to one of the panelists, the easiest way to evaluate the degree of urban sprawl is to drive between urban centers and look out the window – are there strip malls or farms? The highlight of the day – produce sampling at New Seasons Market where Helen Neville, Marketing Director, showed us around the supermarket and explained the New Seasons philosophy – integrate local farms and pay farmers a living wage. To finish up the day, we spent two hours at the Double J Jerseys farm in Monmouth where we spoke with owner Jon Bansen about the profitability and environmental advantages of joining an organic milk cooperative. Key among Bansen’s insights were the additional profit margin that organic milk offers affords him the freedom to make sustainable changes and enter the “upward spiral” where he can take better care of his farm and cows.

Pivotal Leaders, a network of the top prospective clean technology business leaders in the Northwest, received more than 600 nominations in its inaugural year. The final 32 Pivotal Leaders for 2010 were selected by their peers as those who are most likely to lead a successful clean technology company in the Northwest in the next three to five years. The Pivotal Leaders will have opportunities throughout the year to build their relationships in the community, hone their business skills and apply their fresh ideas to drive development of the Northwest’s clean technology economy.

Portland, Oregon — May 25, 2010 — Pivotal Investments, along with presenting sponsors Perkins Coie, Ernst & Young, the Portland Development Commission and the University of Oregon, today announced the Pivotal Leaders for 2010 (http://www.pivotal-leaders.com), a community-nominated and peer-selected network of the top prospective clean technology business leaders with ties to the Northwest. More than 600 nominations were received following the launch of Pivotal Leaders in February. The nominees themselves then selected the final 32 Pivotal Leaders: entrepreneurial business leaders who have the talent and business acumen to lead successful clean technology companies in the region over the next three to five years. The Pivotal Leaders Network seeks to stimulate investment and expand resources – both human and financial – to build the sustainable economy in the Northwest.

“We launched Pivotal Leaders with high expectations; the tremendous response from the community and high caliber of nominees demonstrates the rich leadership talent in our region and the community’s recognition of the importance of clean technologies to our economy,” said Gregg Semler, Managing Director of Pivotal Investments. “The breadth of the response to this program underscores an important, unmet need to cultivate opportunities for these talented leaders to innovate and grow their businesses here, bringing the jobs and economic growth our region needs.”

The Pivotal Leaders will have opportunities to collaborate, partner and discuss their innovative ideas through social networking, media and a number of exclusive formal and informal events with their peers and other business leaders. The July kick-off event will take place in Seattle, and the law firm Perkins Coie will host a September event in Seattle and a November event in Portland, providing the Pivotal Leaders with opportunities to connect with other successful entrepreneurs as well as legal and business experts, potential investors, customers and other resources to help them maximize their success.

“We need to encourage innovation and the deployment of capital, both human and financial, as we all work to build the economy that we want here in the Northwest,” said Patrick Quinton, Business & Industry Division Manager for the Portland Development Commission. “We see the Pivotal Leaders Network as an opportunity to build vibrant companies by focusing on our strengths and investing in our most important resources, our people.”

“In a period of significant change and economic dislocation, there is a tremendous opportunity for new ideas, people, and strategies to shape our economy,” said Brent Bullock, partner at Perkins Coie. “We have seen this transition in the past, as we augmented our timber resource-based economy with technology, apparel, and advanced manufacturing. This network of talented leaders builds on our inherent strengths in the region to enhance our competitiveness in the key, emerging clean technologies and market sectors. Perkins Coie is making a significant commitment to clean technologies throughout our firm and this network is an important component of our strategy,” he concluded.

“The Pacific Northwest needs to stay on the leading edge of efforts to build a sustainable economy,” said Tom Osdoba, Managing Director, Center for Sustainable Business Practices at the University of Oregon. “The Pivotal Leaders network provides a platform for all of us to bring ideas to market faster and more effectively. This focal point is an essential part of our region’s strategy for the next generation. For Oregon, we need to move forward aggressively in this area, which means helping to launch the network,” Osdoba added.

The 2010 Pivotal Leaders are:

David Allen, Executive Vice President, McKinstry
Allen Alley, Chairman and Co-founder, Pixelworks
Ash Awad, Vice President Energy & Facility Solutions, McKinstry
Jules Bailey, Representative, Oregon State Legislature
Kipp Baratoff, Principal, Equilibrium Capital Group
Rob Bernard, Chief Environmental Strategist, Microsoft
Jesse Berst, Managing Director, GlobalSmartEnergy
Gino Borland, Co-Founder, Cake Ventures
Bill Campbell, Principal, Equilibrium Capital Group
Dave Curry, Co-founder, President & CEO, Demand Energy
Mark Edlen, Managing Principal and Co-founder, Gerding Edlen
Pat Egan, Vice President, Pacific Power
Mark Frohnmayer, President and Founder, Arcimoto
Aaron Goldfeder, CEO and Co-founder, EnergySavvy
Alan Hickenbottom, Founder and President, Tanner Creek Energy
Dave Kaplan, Clean Energy Entrepreneur, Founder V2Green
Tyson Keever, President and Co-founder, Sequential Pacific
Jeff Kim, President and CEO, Shorepower Technologies
Rick Luebbe, Chief Executive Officer, EnerG2
Ross MacFarlane, Senior Advisor, Climate Solutions
Tim Miller, President and CEO, Green Lite Motors
Kelly Ogilvie, President and CEO, Blue Marble Energy
Gregg Patterson, CEO and Chairman, PV Powered
Ron Pernick, Co-founder and Managing Director, CleanEdge
Roby Roberts, Vice President, Horizon Wind Energy
Skip Rung, President and Executive Director, ONAMI
Derek Smith, Project Manager, Clean Energy Works Portland
David Van’t Hof, Partner, Lane Powell
Joe Whitworth, President, The Freshwater Trust
Jean Wilson, Vice President and GM, SunPower Corporation
Darcy Winslow, Founder and CEO, Designs for a Sustainable World Collective
Kim Zentz, Executive Director, SIRTI

To learn more about the Pivotal Leaders or to become a sponsor, go to http://www.pivotal-leaders.com.

About Pivotal Leaders

Pivotal Leaders is a business network created by the venture capital firm Pivotal Investments, with presenting sponsors Perkins Coie, Ernst & Young, the Portland Development Commission and the University of Oregon and contributing sponsors AterWynne, Iberdrola Renewables, Nike, NW Natural, Portland State University, Stoel Rives, UK Trade & Investment and Weyerhaeuser. Pivotal Leaders was founded to identify and recognize the top prospective business leaders in the Northwest and to support them in furthering the region’s leadership potential in the clean technology sector. The idea for Pivotal Leaders emerged as the founders of Pivotal Investments discovered a need not only for investment capital focused on the sustainable economy, but also human capital. Both needs were clearly documented in the Carbon Free Prosperity Report authored by Climate Solutions and Clean Edge. Find out more about this exciting network at www.pivotal-leaders.com.

About Pivotal Investments

Pivotal Investments is a Portland, OR venture capital firm investing in companies, primarily in the Northwest, that are addressing the rapidly growing demand for alternative energy, clean water, green materials, sustainable agriculture and clean air. Pivotal’s investment team of investors and experienced entrepreneurs is committed to delivering superior financial returns by building innovative companies that will be leaders in the sustainable economy. For more information, please see www.pivotal-investments.com

 

It would be hard to throw a rock in Oregon and hit something that hasn’t been influenced by the state’s green revolution and its sustainable practices. We’ve earned a reputation of leadership in sustainability through the work of our universities, government agencies, private sector entrepreneurs and of course our environmentally responsible citizenship. Two Oregon organizations, The Oregon Sustainability Experience (tOSE) and the Oregon Lottery®, recently aligned for an event to share their involvement in sustainable development. tOSE provides the platform from which leaders and innovators teach people in their communities about concepts and applications of sustainable development. It harnesses the wealth of business, academic, governmental and non-governmental talent and shares that knowledge with participants from all over the world, grappling with the complex interdisciplinary issues in attaining sustainable development.

The Oregon Lottery helps fund a variety of sustainable programs, most recently through Business Oregon, to the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute. ONAMI research grants helped small Oregon businesses like: Trillium Fiberfuels, who take hay and make it into clean burning fuel, Crystal Clear Technologies who develop technology for recycling and reusing industrial wastewater and Voxtel whose flexible solar cells could eventually power your hand-held devices while you’re on the go. The Lottery also supported a sustainable Pacific Albus tree farm – funding the mill that harvests and processes the hardwood, and Lottery funds even helped expand an Oregon business that uses a new technology that reclaims oil from used plastics. And you might not think of Oregon as a leader in solar technology, but Lottery dollars have helped SolarWorld build the largest solar manufacturing facility in the nation which is on track to create over 2000 jobs in the next few years.

Together these companies help to build sustainable communities, preserve Oregon’s quality of life and position Oregon as a national leader in sustainable practices.