The American Sustainable Business Network's monthly newsletter highlighting news on policy, business, capital, and more. 


** MAKING AN IMPACT
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ASBN is committed to working with and alongside our network to develop and elevate the policy solutions needed for inclusive and long-lasting systems change -- thank you all for your part in advancing our mission.
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Earth Month Action

This Earth Day, we celebrated the $53 billion the Biden administration has already allocated to advance environmental justice, deliver cleaner air, and tackle climate pollution!

But there's still more work to do - we need more #ClimateSolutionsNow!

Sign the petition to Defend Our Climate ([link removed]) and help us reach our sign-on goal!
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The Business Case for Safer Alternatives to Fertilizers and Pesticides

ASBN released The Business Case for Safer Alternatives to Fertilizers and Pesticides ([link removed]) . This resource connects agricultural chemical inputs, like pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, with harm to soil health and the business solutions that exist to avoid dangerous chemicals, including those currently negatively impacting waterways across the country. Help us spread the word! Read and download the case study ([link removed]) , share and read the blog ([link removed]) on the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed’s site, and use our handy toolkit ([link removed]) to amplify this resource with your constituents and followers.
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ASBN 2023 Annual Report

ICYMI, ASBN released its 2023 Annual Report in April. As you may know, in 2023, ASBN worked to build a broad business infrastructure at the local, state, and national levels, enabling us to advance policies that protect people and the planet. Through case studies, thought leadership, and education, ASBN made the business case for systemic change in several key policy arenas. We advanced business policies that guide and regulate sustainable business practices and public policies that incentivize market shifts. ASBN's Investor Circle program funded businesses solving significant social and environmental problems. Through our live events and networking opportunities, ASBN built a community of responsible business leaders, and trained those leaders to become effective advocates for change. We couldn't have done all of this and more without the support from ASBN members, funders, and the broader community. Once you review all of the ways we have worked with our many partners and advocates to
make a difference, we invite you to join the movement by becoming a member. Read and download the report ([link removed]) .


** Program Highlight
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ASBN Indigenous Youth Summit Board Celebrates Graduates of the Climate Resiliency Program!

The American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN) Indigenous Youth Summit Board is proud to announce the successful completion of the Indigenous Youth Climate Resiliency Through Public Policy Program (IYCRTPP), a joint initiative with Businesses for Conservation & Climate Action (BCCA). This transformative 13-week program empowered a diverse cohort of 20 U.S. Indigenous youth (aged 18-30) with the knowledge and skills to become effective changemakers on climate issues.

Throughout the program, participants delved into critical topics like climate change impacts, governmental structures, policy development, advocacy strategies, media engagement, and community organizing. Engaging guest speakers through weekly virtual meetings and exploring real-world case studies gave them a comprehensive understanding of these areas.

The program culminated in a week-long summit in Washington, D.C., where the cohort honed their policy advocacy skills and presented their game-changing proposals to key decision-makers. They met with representatives from the Department of Interior, the Obama Foundation, Capitol Hill offices, Planet Forward at George Washington University, and even unexpectedly met the founder and owner of Ben’s Chili Bowl co-founder, Virginia Ali. On the last day, they presented their Climate-based projects to one another and a representative from the Native American Youth Center, gaining feedback and suggestions from their peers.

The next steps for inspiring these young leaders involve hosting a virtual “Circle of Seeds” event where the fellows will have the opportunity to present their visionary projects aimed at fostering climate resiliency within their communities to potential investors, foundations, and other entities interested in making these sustainable dreams a reality. Afterward, the fellows will become alumni of the program, where they will have opportunities to get involved in the future planning and execution of the program and gain more support to implement their projects.

For more information on the program and cohort projects, contact Terrius Harris (mailto:[email protected]) , ASBN’s Director of Indigenous Partnerships & Inclusive Economy.


** ASBN in the news
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Tribal Business News' April 10th article ([link removed]) highlighted the bison restoration efforts of ASBN’s Growing GRASS initiative, the US Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, USDA, and the Intertribal Buffalo Council.

ASBN joined a coalition of investor networks managing more than $50 trillion in assets ([link removed]) , urging congressional leadership to reject a measure that would kill the SEC's climate disclosures rule. Please contact VP of Policy and Government Affairs Mia Woodard (mailto:[email protected]) with any questions about our ongoing advocacy to protect climate risk transparency for investors.


** ASBN Spotted
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ASBN leaders, staff and contractors are busy each month advocating for sustainable and regenerative business practices and progressive policies. Here are just some of the ways ASBN represented sustainable business voices this last month:

Abby Maxwell, Senior Policy Associate, represented the sustainable business interests of ASBN members at the White House’s Water Summit on April 23. Thank you to Chair Mallory and the White House Council on Environmental Quality ([link removed]) for putting together the event to celebrate the great work of the Biden-Harris Administration, communities, and tribes to support clean water for all! Want to find out more? View the White House's Water Summit Fact Sheet ([link removed]) .

David Levine, ASBN Co-founder and President, was in Iowa for Earth Day weekend as the Southeast Iowa Sierra Club Resilient Community Challenge event's keynote speaker. On Friday, April 19, he spoke before a crowd of a few dozen at the Fairfield Golf & Country Club and again on April 20 to a larger crowd at the main event on ASBN’s history and the importance of sustainable business and the circular economy. Read the article ([link removed]) . Watch the recording ([link removed]) .

Liza LaManna, ASBN Manager of Regen Ag and Clean Water, spent an incredible day on April 10, advocating for regenerative agriculture and native food sovereignty with respected elder 'Chili' Yazzie and Navajo (Diné) youth outside of Glenn Thompson’s ([link removed]) office on the Hill! The energy was electric as they stood together to promote sustainable farming practices and empower Indigenous communities. ASBN is proud to partner with Regenerate America ([link removed]) and can't wait to continue this important work.

Mia Woodard, ASBN VP of Policy and Government Affairs, joined a panel of experts convened by Democracy Forward President and CEO Skye Perryman on April 30 to discuss the implications of a post-Chevron regulatory landscape for small businesses. ASBN previously joined a coalition of small businesses in filing an amicus brief ([link removed]) in the Supreme Court case, Loper Bright, et. al. v. Raimondo, et.al., which could overturn the 40-year precedent of agency deference known as the “Chevron doctrine” and uproot the regulatory stability and predictability that helps small businesses to open, survive, and grow.


** ASBN Statements and Media Release Roundup
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* Sustainable Business Leaders Applaud New EPA Rules Cutting Climate Pollutants from Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plants ([link removed]) (April 25)
* American Sustainable Business Network releases The Business Case for Safer Alternatives to Fertilizers and Pesticides ([link removed]) (April 24)
* American Sustainable Business Network Supports Biden-Harris Administration’s Action to Cut ‘Forever Chemicals’ Use in Federal Buildings ([link removed]) (April 15)


** ASBN Events
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Next up

May 15 | 12pm ET, ASBN Live: Aligning Justice and Sustainability Goals with Your Company Retirement Plan.

Learn how to align your investments with your principles, maintain or improve returns, and vote for positive change. Find out more and register. ([link removed])

Save the date for these upcoming events

May 22 | 1pm ET, ASBN Webinar: Faithful Finance: Advancing Community Impact through Faith-Based Investing in CDFIs

ASBN will host a Zoom discussion for faith-based organizations focusing on CDFI investment as part of a faith-driven investment strategy. This discussion will build on our previous conversations about values—and mission-related investing in CDFIs. Find out more and register ([link removed]) .

May 29 | 1pm ET, ASBN Webinar: Transformative Strategies for Moving Capital to Communities of Color

ASBN and The Belonging Collaborative will present a webinar on preserving equity across the investment industry. The session aims to increase understanding of the challenges and opportunities in maintaining and enhancing racial equity in investing. Find out more and register. ([link removed])

June 12 | 12pm ET, ASBN Live: Integrating Social Impact – A Blueprint for Small & Medium-Sized Businesses

Join ASBN as we explore the transformative power of integrating social impact initiatives into your business model. Today’s consumers are increasingly drawn to businesses that prioritize social responsibility, community engagement, reducing environmental footprints, and ethical values, all of which help enhance brand reputation and customer loyalty. Learn actionable steps for seamlessly integrating social impact into your business operations. Find out more and register ([link removed]) .

Partner Event:

May 16 | 10am ET, U.S. Senator Ed Markey Climate and Energy Virtual Office Hours

Staff from Sen. Markey’s DC and Massachusetts offices will be available for May virtual office hours to discuss clean energy and climate funding opportunities and hear about priority clean energy and climate projects pursued by individuals, communities, schools, small businesses, and non-profit organizations. Log into Zoom at whatever time is convenient in the one-hour window. Zoom link to register HERE ([link removed]) .

ASBN is growing! Please join us in welcoming our newest members:
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Seneca Environmental ([link removed]) is a renewable energy development and investment company wholly owned by the Seneca Nation. Their mission is equitably deploying and investing in innovative climate solutions that heal the Earth. The Seneca Nation is a leader in Native energy, with advanced community wind and solar projects operating to lower the bills of Seneca Nation members and benefit the Nation as a whole.
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Refer2Give ([link removed]) is an innovative real estate referral company empowering buyers and sellers to make a difference. Their unique approach directs a portion of the broker's sales commission to a charity of your choice anywhere in the USA.
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Centered Wealth ([link removed]) is an investment and financial planning firm focused exclusively on sustainable, responsible, and impact investing. Its goal is to create measurable positive progress in the world on behalf of its clients and enhance the experience of Centered Wealth that comes from connecting one’s life purpose with one’s financial choices and investment portfolio.

Want your business featured here next month? Join ASBN!

Contact Shanti Holloway (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Membership%20Inquiry&body=) , Director of Membership Success.

In conjunction with Other Half Processing, the American Sustainable Business Institute is the grantee and administrative home of the Growing GRASS project. Growing GRASS ([link removed]) is a five-year, $35 million project funded by the USDA Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities grant program, dedicated to improving the beef and buffalo byproduct supply chain. Contact Anna Straus (mailto:[email protected]) .


** What they are working on now:
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* During the last week of April, core Growing GRASS partners gathered in Red Wing, MN, for a project kick-off meeting. Over three days, participants engaged in farm visits and processing tours, working sessions, and relationship-building to advance the project's vision.
* Project partners in data management, producer recruitment, research, and more are considering the best ways to bring farmers and ranchers into the regenerative byproduct supply chain. Growing GRASS' first interdisciplinary producer-facing initiative is focused on launching a survey to better understand farmer and rancher interest in regenerative grazing, how they are currently using regenerative practices, and what barriers or assistance they've encountered when trying to retain the total value of the cattle or buffalo they've raised.

ASBN’s Working Groups and Task Forces allow members to shape and engage in policy work organized around significant issue areas and specific campaigns. Contact Shanti Holloway (mailto:[email protected]) , Director of Membership Success, to learn about working groups and other membership benefits.

Working Group: ASBN-BizNGO Chemicals Policy

We engage in public policy initiatives for safer chemicals and sustainable materials.

Next meeting: June 14, 12:00-12:45 pm ET. Note: No May call.
Contact Abby Maxwell (mailto:[email protected]) to get involved.

Working Group: Climate and Energy

Identifies key problems, solutions, and strategies to address our planet's climate and energy crisis.

Next meeting: May 23rd, 1:00 PM ET

Contact Abby Maxwell (mailto:[email protected]) to get involved.

Working Group: Regenerative Agriculture and Justice

Working with farmers and other agricultural stakeholders, we advocate for sustainable agriculture, environmental justice, and support for underserved and BIPOC farmers.

Next meeting: May 6th

Contact Liza LaManna (mailto:[email protected]) to get involved

Working Group: Clean Water is Good For Business

The next Clean Water is Good For Business: Delaware River Watershed Steering Committee meeting is May 13th! If you are a business based in the Delaware River watershed please contact Liza LaManna (mailto:[email protected]) to learn more.

Working Group: Business for Democracy

Business for Democracy believes that a strong democracy is essential for a vibrant entrepreneurial economy. Business for Democracy Collaboratives have been established in eight states to raise the voice of small businesses to protect democracy; we are working to establish a chapter in the Maryland/DC area. If you live in that region, please contact Frank Knapp (mailto:[email protected]?subject=I%20want%20to%20be%20involved%20in%20ASBN%20Business%20for%20Democracy%20Working%20Group&body=) to get involved.

Next meeting: June 5th, 3:00 PM ET

Register Here ([link removed])

Working Group: Circular Economy

Emphasizes recycling, reuse, sharing, repair, and remanufacturing, and the reduction of waste, pollution, and carbon emissions throughout the economy; meets the third Wednesday of each month.

Next meeting: May 15th, 3:00 PM ET
Contact David Levine (mailto:[email protected]) to get involved.

Working Group: Livable Planet

Dedicated to the shared mission of protecting and renewing life on planet Earth. LPWG is a place for learning, collaborating, and amplifying the good work happening in the world; meets the first Thursday of each month, 1:00-2:15 p.m. ET.

Next meeting: June 6th, 1:00 PM ET

Visit our website HERE ([link removed]) .

Restorative Investing Taskforce

The goal of the Taskforce is to move money to reduce the racial wealth gap, bring together leaders to collaborate and reinforce each other’s work, and to share thought leadership and best practices to restoratively invest in BIPOC entrepreneurs and communities.

Contact Derek Peebles (mailto:[email protected]?subject=I%20want%20to%20get%20involved%20with%20the%20Restorative%20Investing%20Task%20Force&body=) to get involved.

Appalachian Sustainable Business Network

The Appalachian Sustainable Business Network and Pennsylvanian Sustainable Business Networks are dedicated to fostering sustainable innovation, economic resilience, and community well-being throughout the Appalachian region. Click here ([link removed]) for more information.

Next meeting: May 9th

Contact Lou Tierno (mailto:[email protected]) to join the meeting.

Since 1987, Investors Circle (IC) has invested nearly $300 million into more than 350 early-stage businesses working to solve major social and environmental problems. IC welcomes seed-stage startups focused on making a social and/or environmental impact.

Investors Circle News and Meetings:

Congratulations to Don Megrath of VectorPoint Ventures, who began serving as the Investors Circle Executive Director starting on May 1 and who is coordinating the monthly meetings. Also, congratulations to Drew Tulchin or UpSpring Associates, who also began serving starting on May 1 assisting Investors Circle with development and growth opportunities.
* Philadelphia Chapter Meeting - Wednesday, May 8th at 2 pm ET | (Virtual Only). Please contact Andrew Porter (mailto:[email protected]) to obtain details about attending this meeting.
* Investors Circle NY & National Chapter Meeting - Thursday, May 16th at 12 pm ET | (Virtual only). Please contact Don Megrath (mailto:[email protected]) for details about attending this meeting.
* Angel Capital Association Annual Summit ([link removed]) - May 13-15, please contact Don Megrath or Drew Tulchin (mailto:[email protected]) if you are planning on attending so we can connect with you there.

Are you a current active ASBN Member and receiving this email?

If so, please contact [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=&body=) so we can move your email address to receive the members-only newsletter.

Have a great month!

Anayana White

ASBN Communications Lead

Enjoy the read or have suggestions for the newsletter?

Get in touch (mailto:[email protected]?subject=ASBN%20Newsletter%20Followup&body=)

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