Traditional capitalism elevates profit above all else and treats people and the planet as a means to that end. No wonder it has failed to capture the minds of intellectuals, the hearts of citizens, and the trust of society. Going forward, we need a better way, rooted in a higher level of consciousness, when it comes to the many ways business impacts the lives of people. Conscious Capitalism is an emerging paradigm that realigns business to the emerging realities of our world and the shifting hearts and minds of people everywhere. Driven by a higher purpose and built on love and care, conscious businesses deliver extraordinary financial performance while creating multiple kinds of positive value for all stakeholders: financial, intellectual, physical, ecological, social, cultural, emotional, and even spiritual.They bring joy, fulfillment, and a sense of meaning to all their stakeholders. Their very existence enriches the world.

What do food and ag entrepreneurs need to know about getting their product onto the shelves? This panel is focused on helping entrepreneurs understand the process for getting their product into big distribution channels and on shelves. What are the key things you need to know as a food or ag entrepreneur about getting the attention of the retailers and distributors? Join us for this panel to find out.

Where people have access to land and little else, permaculture’s ideas have spread rapidly. In more affluent parts of the world, permaculture has become a cutting edge design alternative to extractive, industrial systems that erode the wealth of our communities and natural resources. Michael Burns will present an introduction to the history and core ideas of permaculture. Based on experiences of practicing, teaching and learning permaculture in Central America and the United States, he will offer his perspective on the strengths and weakness of permaculture in a food system dominated by industrial production. Mark Shepard will continue with insights learned from applying permaculture design on a larger scale and the opportunities he sees for permaculture farmers to succeed in our current market.

This workshop will provide perspectives, usable tools, and practice in telling people what you do, how you can help them, and why they should listen to you. It’s a new way to understand an old art.

Start-ups have many questions in regard to finding the right investor or funder for their ventures. For example:What are the best ways to attract investors? How are relationships maintained between entrepreneurs, founders, and investors? Where does your business fit within an investment firm’s portfolio? Engage with investors and funders to ask these and other questions you may have in regard to starting or maintaining your business.

The three entrepreneurs with the most compelling pitches will receive 3 hours of personal coaching from Windham Grows Entrepreneurs in Residence, Jim Verzino, and Cairn Cross! Pitching to investors is about communicating your value and values of your business. After your pitch, you will receive live feedback from judges about potential next steps. Each contestant will have a chance to share their idea with the audience and the judges. Here is what we will be expecting

• Tell Us: 1 minute to communicate what you are doing;
• Let’s Clarify: 4 minutes for the judges to exchange questions with you;
• Our Advice: 3 minutes for judges to give feedback and share some insights into your next possible steps.

This event is an opportunity to exchange information and receive immediate feedback on your business idea from fellow entrepreneurs and investors in a fun, interactive “speed-dating” format designed to give everyone the opportunity to build relationships and connections.

This plenary panel will set the stage and answer some tough entrepreneurial questions about financing by offering three case studies and perspectives presented by Arnold Coombs, Director of Sales and Marketing of Coombs Family Farms; Chris Bailey, CEO, Vermont Smoke & Cure; and Thomas Moffit, President of Commonwealth Dairy.

This is a dynamic, hands-on, applied theory workshop where participants work in small teams using the Business Model Canvas and walk away with real results.All welcome – no experience necessary. Copies of Social Entrepreneurship as Sustainable Development will be on sale at the event. Workshop participants get a 25% discount off the retail price.

Join the Cooperative Fund of New England, Milk Money, Flexible Capital Fund, Vermont Community Loan Fund, and Community Capital of VT to: Learn about the capital continuum. Various forms of financing that can be appropriate at different stages of business development. Case studies of existing food and ag businesses with details of where they fit on the capital continuum and what financing worked for them.

These industry veteran’s will tell you some of their war stories about getting started and what trends they see coming in their respective categories over the next 3-5 years.

This session will also feature some key lessons from emerging entrepreneurs participating in the Windham Grows Hatchery. Ask questions, avoid the pitfalls of fellow entrepreneurs, and take home some sage advice you can apply to your business!

It’s a true story that almost destroyed his marriage and left him depressed. But despite the early and extreme hardships, lessons were learned, successes were had, and the situation has turned around leaving him with a high quality of life. This session will cover the common things that all entrepreneurs (will) find themselves struggling with: expectations not lining up with reality, balancing work with life, defining your life by your work, and dealing with a cold, hard world that doesn’t give a damn if you fail or succeed. This session will be a reality check for anyone looking to start a business, while providing a message of “you aren’t alone” to current entrepreneurs. You will leave the session knowing what to really expect when you start a business, how to manage expectations, how to balance time across all aspects of your life, the importance of knowing your whole life context, and maybe most importantly, when to say no.This session will be loaded with practical tips and methodologies to help new entrepreneurs with what lies ahead and help current entrepreneurs improve their work, life balance, and thereby their quality of life.

We will identify the foundations of the Shared Leadership Framework and model the process by embodying a “jazz ensemble” flow, bringing all voices and perspectives to co-create the conversation. After building the framework, we’ll begin practicing this new way of leading, touching on shared leadership skills and techniques that offer ways to begin building group awareness, empowerment, collaboration, wholehearted communication, positive risk taking, and collective creativity. Participants will leave with the groundwork to begin to understand their own leadership mindset and how to guide teams toward greater excellence and outcomes from the inside out.

Restaurant owners Kevin Cleary, former owner of L’Amente and Founder of the Vermont Wine School; Stephanie Bonin, owner of Duo Restaurants (in Denver, CO and Brattleboro, VT); and Richard French II, owner of The Works (in several locations) will tell you what they look for and what problems they have when buying locally sourced products. Joanna Benoit, Food Business Development Specialist at Franklin County Community Development Corporation will give you tips and tricks on how to run your business so you can be a supplier to these kinds of amazing locavore restaurants.