Past Events

Is your company interested in sharing its sustainability story through a Green Business Network event? Our events are a great way to showcase your efforts, make connections and support shared learning among our region’s business community. Our events include corporate presentations & facility tours, lunch & learns, and networking socials. For more information on hosting an event, please contact the Green Business Network Coordinator at leslie@bridgingthegap.org or 816-612-8710. 

Here’s a look at our past events:

June 22, 2022 | Kansas City Zoo
Conserve, Protect & Influence: Sustainability at the Kansas City Zoo

Join Bridging The Gap’s Green Business Network as we take a field trip to the Kansas City Zoo! Hear from Stacia Pieroni, Conservation Manager and sustainability team leader, about the zoo’s recent journey in greening its operations – from establishing early success with low or no-cost initiatives which led to opportunities for large-scale energy efficiency upgrades and more. Learn how the zoo utilizes employee engagement, policy, and metrics to achieve its sustainability goals. After the presentation, Zoo Director Sean Putney will lead attendees on a tour to view progress of the zoo’s new aquarium currently under construction.

April 14, 2022 | Lunch & Learn
Biomimicry & Business: How Companies Are Using Nature’s Strategies to Succeed

Author Margo Farnsworth brings stories from successful companies like Nike, Interface, Inc., Sharklet Technologies, and others – how they are deploying biomimicry and reaping healthy profits while working in partnership with the natural world. You’ll hear how they introduced the tool, emulated natural strategies, conquered challenges and where they are now. Then learn how you too can bring this practice into your workplace.

February 15, 2022 | Webinar
Regional Inspiration – VIEW WEBINAR RECORDING

Hear from area St. Louis businesses that have participated in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge on successful engagement strategies they’ve used for sustainability initiatives. Panelists include representatives from the St. Louis Cardinals, Ameren Missouri, and the City of Wentzville. Learn how the basics of customized service, consistent focus on operational sustainability, and collaboration continue to grow a deep-rooted, diverse regional culture of green business practice and policy. Facilitated by Jean Ponzi, Green Resources Manager at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.

January 18, 2022 | Webinar
Policy Roundup + Panel Discussion – VIEW WEBINAR RECORDING

Environmental Policy affects so much of how we live and work. Water and air quality, energy production, waste management, and more are all shaped by policies on the municipal, state, and federal levels. Join GBN as we dive into environmental policies affecting businesses and individuals in the KC metro. Attendees will hear from experts in various policy realms, learn what potential policies might have the largest impact in the near future, and have a chance to ask questions about how they might become involved in the policy making process. Panelists: Ashok Gupta – Natural Resources Defense Council Lisa McDaniel – MARC Solid Waste Management District Lydia Gibson – Ripple Glass Facilitator: Eric Hemphill – Bridging The Gap

October 21, 2021 | Webinar
Your Business & Composting For The Greener Good – VIEW WEBINAR RECORDING

It’s never been so easy to start composting at your business, and now is the perfect time to explore how it can help your company reach its sustainability and corporate social responsibility goals for the coming year. The team at KC Can Compost will join us to discuss their collection system as well as solutions to the common barriers preventing businesses from responsible food and other organics management. They will also discuss how the vital act of composting intersects with our ability to care for and protect the most vulnerable members of our community.

August 19, 2021 | Webinar
All About B Corp: Using Business For Good – VIEW WEBINAR RECORDING

Certified B Corporations are a new kind of business that balances purpose and profit. Kansas City is now home to four Certified B-Corporations. Join us for a virtual panel event to hear directly from two of them Barkley and Travois on how being a B-Corp is beneficial for business. We’ll also be joined by Stephanie Ryan, Community Development Leader from B-Lab, the organization behind the rigorous assurance process, who will share with us what’s involved in becoming certified. B Corps inspire all brands not only to be the best in the world, but to be the best for the world. “B” stands for benefit, and certified B Corporations meet higher standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. It’s like other certifications — think LEED, Fair Trade, USDA Organic — but across the whole brand, from business strategies to marketing ideas.

May 4, 2021 | Webinar
From Gray to Green: A Look at KCMO’s Green Infrastructure Project for Stormwater Management in the West Bottoms – VIEW WEBINAR RECORDING

Join along with our Green Business Network as we hear from KC Water to learn more about its recently completed green infrastructure project in the West Bottoms of KCMO’s Central Industrial District. The project is part of the city’s Smart Sewer program to reduce overflows from its combined sewer system. Using nature-based solutions such as bioretention basins, rainwater harvesting cisterns, gravel infiltration basins, stormwater tree planters, permeable pavers, and a dry-well infiltration system, these efforts will reduce combined sewer overflows by more than 20% from the Central Industrial District.

April 1, 2021 | Webinar
KC’s Climate Action Plan & Your Business – VIEW WEBINAR RECORDING

Leaders from Climate Action KC and Mid-America Regional Council give Green Business Network members a closer look at the Kansas City region’s new Climate Action Plan to create equitable and just climate resilience and reach net zero by 2050. They discuss how businesses can and will need to play a vital role in helping our region implement strategies outlined in the plan and discuss the development of a new resource for commercial building owners – the Regional Building Energy Exchange.

February 25, 2021 | Energy Webinar
Discovering Energy Savings: Conducting an Energy Treasure Hunt at Your Facility – VIEW WEBINAR RECORDING

Taking a closer look at your building’s energy use is one of the easiest ways to find savings and engage employees in your company’s sustainability efforts. In this webinar, learn more about the US EPA’s Energy Treasure Hunt, a tool designed to help your team find quick ways to save energy that can add up to big savings. Hundreds of organizations have used Energy Treasure Hunts to reduce their facilities’ energy use by up to 15 percent. Jerry Lawson, the EPA’s National ENERGY STAR Program Manager for Small Business, will discuss how an energy hunt works, the resources EPA offers including treasure maps specific to your building’s type, and the steps to hosting a successful hunt event during this time of COVID-19.

December 10, 2020 | Waste Education Webinar
Achieving Zero Waste: Posty Cards’ Zero Waste Program – VIEW WEBINAR RECORDING

Discover how the Posty Cards and PrintForest printing facility in Kansas City, MO developed their zero waste program and were the first to receive the USGBC’s TRUE Zero Waste certification in Missouri and the first printer in the country to achieve the highest platinum level. Hear from sustainability coordinator, Tina Moessner, who oversees the zero waste program and its certifications for responsibly-sourced paper, renewable energy use, and sustainable printing practices.

August 27, 2020 | Green Team Power Webinar
Strategies for Jumpstarting Energy Efficiency at Work – VIEW WEBINAR RECORDING

Even with small or non-existent budgets, company green teams have the ability to move the needle on energy efficiency in the workplace. Co-hosted by Johnson County Community College’s Center for Sustainability, we take a look at low or no-cost strategies green teams can implement to start the conversation on energy efficiency and set the foundation for larger energy efficiency investments. Speakers: Jerry Lawson, National Energy Star Program Manager, United States Environmental Protection Agency and Stacia Pieroni, Conservation Manager, Kansas City Zoo

July 30, 2020 | Building Energy & COVID-19
Emptier Buildings Eat Energy, Too – VIEW WEBINAR RECORDING

Many buildings sit vacant or at lower-than-usual capacity while employees continue to work largely from home. During this time, facilities and property managers have an opportunity to implement energy conservation measures to lessen building operating costs while maintaining proper space conditions. Join with the Kansas City Industrial Council and Bridging The Gap’s Green Business Network as we discuss areas to consider – like the importance of knowing your building’s energy score – and how COVID-19 is affecting future energy management practices.

June 25, 2020 | Office In Nature Webinar
The Benefits of Biophilic Design at Work – VIEW WEBINAR RECORDING

Co-hosted by Johnson County Community College’s Center for Sustainability, this webinar covers what biophilia is and the varied components and many benefits of biophilic office design, including budget-friendly steps your company can take to incorporate elements into your own workspaces and how attention to your outdoor space is important as well. Speakers: Kasey Riley from The Fat Plant Society and Sarah Crowder from Bridging The Gap’s Heartland Tree Alliance.

May 19, 2020 | Waste Education Webinar
The State of Recycling – VIEW WEBINAR RECORDING

Co-hosted by Johnson County Community College’s Center for Sustainability, this webinar examines the state of recycling both nationally and here at home with presenters Michelle Martin, Materials Recovery Facility Plant Manager at Waste Management and Michael Shaw, Director, Solid Waste Division, Neighborhoods and Housing Services, City of Kansas City, Missouri. MIchelle and Michael answer your questions about the recycling collection process, what’s accepted in our market and what’s not, and the ways in which businesses and individuals can help create a stronger U.S. recycling system.

 

February 28, 2020 | Hallmark Cards Inc.
Green Business Network Breakfast: Growing Together

Area green teams kicked off their 2020 sustainability work with Bridging The Gap’s first Green Business Network gathering of the year. Attendees learned about Hallmark’s history with sustainability, their recent employee “green team” revitalization, and additional ways the company benefits from working with the Green Business Network.

December 3, 2019 | Ten Thousand Villages
Holiday Social + Benefit

GBN held its first-ever holiday social at Ten Thousand Villages Overland Park giving attendees the perfect opportunity to shop their values and give gifts with meaning to family and friends during the holiday season. Ten Thousand Villages staff was on hand to share about its mission to improve the lives of makers around the world through fair trade, and GBN received 15% of net sales from the evening.

November 12, 2019 | Boulevard Brewery
Annual Fall Social

GBN’s annual tradition of celebrating the fall season and the sustainability accomplishments of businesses across the metropolitan region.

October 3, 2019 | Corbion Regional Headquarters
Corbion Tour & Sustainability Presentation

Attendees took a tour of Corbion’s labs in Lenexa, Kan., where future advances in global food and biochemical technologies are developed and tested and learned about how Corbion’s commitment to sourcing, waste minimization, energy efficiency and collaborative innovation are moving the company towards its sustainability targets.

September 19, 2019 | 2nd + Delaware
A Members Only Tour of 2nd + Delaware Passive House Under Construction in River Market

GBN joined with USGBC-Central Plains for a members-only tour of the country’s soon-to-be largest Passive House certified structure. The project, when finished, will be a 276 multifamily unit development located in the River Market area of KCMO. The project will consume 90% less energy than comparable buildings in the area and will offer quality of life comfort through triple glazed windows, a dedicated outdoor air ventilation system for indoor air quality, rooftop gardens, and ample daylight.

August 22, 2019 | WaterOne
A Members Only Tour of WaterOne’s Wolcott Water Treatment Facility

Members toured WaterOne’s state-of-the-art Wolcott water treatment plant in a rare chance for a behind-the-scenes tour of a facility with the capacity to produce over 30 million gallons of water per day. Attendees learned firsthand about WaterOne’s operations, challenges, and opportunities from the utility’s executive leaders.

July 23, 2019 | Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center
A Lunch & Learn Event on Local Drawdown Efforts and The Role Businesses Can Play

Attendees learned about local Drawdown efforts to reverse the effects of global warming from Mike Kelly, Roeland Park mayor and co-founder of the Metro KC Climate Action Coalition, along with Drew Robinson, Renewables Manager at Evergy. The main presentation was followed by a facilitated conversation by Hannes Zacharias, Robert A. Kipp Professor of Practice in Local Government Management and Urban Policy, on ways businesses can engage in these efforts.

June 27, 2019 | Harvesters
The Secrets of Energy and Impact on Your Business

GBN joined the Kansas City Industrial Council for their June event. Managed Energy Systems and Harvesters led a conversation and warehouse tour around the secrets and case studies of energy, utilities, and efficiency. Attendees explored the world of utilities, energy efficiency and the ways to reduce energy overhead and production expenses.

May 21, 2019 | EJ’s Urban Eatery
Spring Social

Attendees celebrated the spring season and the arrival of warmer temperatures with a member social at EJ’s Urban Eatery, located in the Historic West Bottoms. Socials offer participants the opportunity mingle with other sustainability enthusiasts, share updates on their workplace sustainability initiatives, hear about upcoming events and enjoy great food!

April 4, 2019 | Posty Cards
Green Team Event Series Part 3: How to Effectively Tell Your Sustainability Story

This 3-part conversation brought together area green teams to build a network of peers outside of your company who can inspire you with ideas and help keep you on track with your goals. Attendees learned about how to successfully tell their company’s sustainability story and heard from Posty Cards, City of Kansas City, Missouri, and Westar Energy on their experiences telling their story.

March 12, 2019 | Ripple Glass
Members Only Tour

Attendees toured Ripple Glass’ glass processing facility in Kansas City, MO to see how all of the glass collected at the purple bins metro wide gets processed into glass cullet for use in making new glass bottles and insulation.

January 15, 2019 | Shawnee Mission School District Center for Academic Achievement
Green Team Event Series Part 2: Implementing Ideas and Keeping Enthusiasm

This 3-part conversation brought together area green teams to build a network of peers outside of your company who can inspire you with ideas and help keep you on track with your goals. Attendees learned about the steps to becoming a sustainable brand, how a sustainability action plan can help you organize and quantify your goals, the value of utilizing external resources to achieve your goals, and how to make the financial case for implementation of sustainable initiatives.

November 12, 2018 | Boulevard Brewery
Fall Member Social

Everyone’s fall favorite returned for another year as members enjoyed tasty Boulevard brews (and wine!) and delicious Waldo Pizza while connecting with other professionals who share a passion for sustainability in Kansas City. This year shined the spotlight on the sustainability efforts of our members and other businesses across the metro. Sponsored by KCP&L and Boulevard Brewing Company.

September 18, 2018 | Bayer CropScience
Members Only Tour

Attendees visited Bayer CropScience to learn about its site sustainability efforts, challenges, and successes and also toured its new formulation packaging hub to see an automated product filling and packaging operation. Guests learned how better production scheduling, re-purposing of plant operations, installation of polished tanks and pipelines constructed of sanitary tubing, and pigging technology within the formulation operations has led to significant and continued reductions in water consumption and wastewater generation for Bayer CropScience’s Kansas City plant.

August 29, 2018 | Faultless Starch Event Space
Green Team Event Series Part 1: Getting Started – How to Set Your Green Team Up for Success

This 3-part conversation brought together area green teams to build a network of peers outside of your company who can inspire you with ideas and help keep you on track with your goals. Attendees learned about the five ingredients to create a successful green team and heard from panelists about their experiences leading green teams.

June 28, 2018 | Project Living Proof
GBN Summer Social + MEC’s Energy Solutions Hub

A summer social to learn more about Metropolitan Energy Center’s newly launched Energy Solutions Hub. Attendees met at Project Living Proof for beer, wine, and light snacks and heard from MEC staff about how the Energy Solutions Hub can help businesses become more energy efficient. The Hub, which is focused on helping municipal buildings, schools, industrial facilities, and multi-family residential properties, can provide the tools, materials, and individual support facility managers need to achieve deep energy and cost savings in their owned and leased building space.

May 8, 2018 | Hallmark Visitors Center
Wasted: The Story of Food Waste – Documentary Viewing + Panel Discussion

A viewing of the documentary Wasted! The Story of Food Waste followed by a panel discussion highlighting what businesses are doing to curb food waste at all points along the food “chain” in KC. Panelists included Jeanne Johnson, Johnson Farms; Christine Rankin, Hallmark Crown Room; Stan Slaughter, Missouri Organic Recycling; Mariah Friend, After the Harvest, and Cassandra Ford, Bridging The Gap’s Business Recycling Program Manager.

April 10, 2018 | Faultless Starch Event Space

T.R.U.E. (Total Resource Use Efficiency) Webinar – Presented by USGBC Central Plains

A look at USGBC’s newly launched TRUE Zero Waste certification system that enables facilities to define, pursue and achieve their zero waste goals, while cutting their carbon footprint and supporting public health.

December 12, 2017 | Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center

Urban Wood Seminar & Workshop to Reclaim KC’s Fallen Trees

A 2-part event on how to successfully incorporate “urban” wood into a design project for designers and architects and a closer look at how area municipalities currently process their urban wood. Breakout sessions addressed what an effective local urban wood network might look like for Kansas City.

November 13, 2017 | Boulevard Brewery

Fall Social at Boulevard

Members enjoyed tasty Boulevard brews (and wine!) and delicious Waldo Pizza while connecting with new and old friends who share a passion for sustainability in Kansas City. Members learned how Bridging The Gap’s programs can help them and their company on their path to sustainability. Sponsored by KCP&L and Boulevard Brewing Company.

October 19, 2017 | Second and Delaware Leasing Office

Tour of (World’s Largest) Passive House Development @ 2nd & Delaware

Due to multiple reasons, construction on the 2nd and Delaware project stopped and its completion was delayed in time for this event. This meant our tour of this project is postponed until probably sometime in 2019. We are of course disappointed, but we want to schedule the tour when there is more to see and it would be beneficial to our members, particularly the Passive House components.

August 23, 2017 | Harvesters

Sustainability & Giving Back

A tour of Harvesters’ main facility located at 3801 Topping Avenue with a look through a sustainability lens at how Harvesters helps eliminate food waste and reallocates it to others in need through their food acquisition, storage, re-packaging, and distribution processes as well as energy efficiency improvements made to their facility. After the tour, event attendees spent an hour giving back by volunteering as a group at Harvesters’ facility.

July 19, 2017 | Goodwill Outlet

Finding Opportunities in Waste Management for Your Business

Is your business maximizing its waste stream for resource recovery and cost savings? What recyclables are yielding the highest return on the materials market? How does process efficiency play a vital role in sustainable materials management? Members explored these questions and more as we heard from local experts on sustainable waste management best practices for businesses. We toured the Goodwill Outlet facility in Kansas City, MO, to learn how they process all of the waste and unsold goods from all of the metro Goodwill locations.

May 10, 2017 | Bowersock Mills & Power Company

Tour of Bowersock Mills Hydroelectric Dam

Members stepped out of KC for the afternoon for a field trip to Lawrence, Kansas, for a tour of the Bowersock Mills & Power Company – the only operating hydroelectric power plant in Kansas. Located on the Kaw River in downtown Lawrence, the plant is capable of producing 7 megawatts of environmentally friendly energy. After the tour, members gathered at Johnny’s Tavern just north of the river for drinks and appetizers.

March 10, 2017 | Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center

Erasing E-Waste: How Eliminating Environmental Harm and Benefiting the Community

Recycling electronics has can help businesses address risk and liability while having the ability to quickly affect the quality of life for disadvantaged members of our community. Bob Akers, new Enterprise Director with the Basel Action Network, presented about the current global electronic waste crisis and how the Basil Action Network (BAN) and e Stewards are working to not only protect the environment but attack problems like digital inclusion, education, job creation and training.

January 19, 2017 | Pratt Industries Converting Facility

Tour of Pratt Industries

Members toured Pratt Industries’ KCMO converting facility, where the company’s 100% recycled corrugated cardboard sheets are converted and bundled into boxes for its clients, including Boulevard Brewing Company. Company representatives shared about their commitment to recycling and caring for the environment – including a free waste assessment and recycling service offered to their clients through Pratt’s national Close The Loop Recycling Team.

November 14, 2016 | Boulevard Brewery

Fall Social at Boulevard

Members celebrated the fall season and a year of Green Business Network events with the ever-popular fall social at Boulevard Brewery, which featured tasty local brew and Waldo Pizza while networking with like-minded business professionals with a passion for sustainability.

September 7, 2016 | Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center

Advancing Technologies for Building Management

At this lunch & learn sponsored by KCP&L, energy experts presented on the newest smart building technologies, which not only allow businesses to “talk” with their facility managers about energy use, but also with their occupants, utilities, and even the buildings around them.

August 16, 2016 | KC Water

Swope Campus Parking Lot Sustainable Stormwater Project

Members toured the City of Kansas City, Missouri’s Water Services Swope Campus Parking lot to view several different experimental applications of stormwater management best practices in action – ideas they could take back to their own facility. Applications included pervious concrete, porous asphalt, grasscrete, permeable pavers, and large scale rain gardens.

July 15, 2016 | Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center

Climate Change & Resiliency: Risks and Opportunities for KC Businesses

During this lunch & learn event, Bridging The Gap’s Executive Director, Kristin Riott, examined a recent study published by Iowa State University on the projected impacts to the KC area of extreme weather attributed to climate change. Kristin related these projections to the potential risks and opportunities that businesses should consider as they plan for the future.

May 24, 2016 | Hamm Material Recovery Facility

Tour of Hamm’s Material Recovery Facility

Members toured Hamm’s state-of-the-art single-stream material recovery facility located in Lawrence, KS.

April 28, 2016 | Cinderblock Brewery

Spring Member Social

Members mingled in Cinder Block’s all-new Reclamation Room event space and enjoy hand crafted local beer and light hors d’oeuvres. The brewery’s founder, Bryce Schaffter, talked about their brewing process and sustainability efforts (They divert spent grain and any leftover organic brewing additives to a local animal farmer.) Bridging The Gap’s Business Recycling Manager Cassandra Ford talked about waste reduction and diversion opportunities for local businesses.