Gallery: SBO honors innovation in sustainability

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  • The crowd at SBO's Innovation in Sustainability Awards luncheon on November 16th, 2011.

  • Sustainable Harvest's founder and president David Griswold networks before the luncheon. Sustainable Harvest is a coffee importer that works directly with growers around the world to ensure fair wages for coffee farmers.

  • Nike's Tom Kelley joined the panel keynote at the awards luncheon, describing how Nike has systematically rebranded the company with sustainability at its core. He was quick to point out that transparency and benchmarking was the first step in moving forward with the process.

  • Wieden + Kennedy's Alberto Ponte shared some ideas about how strong branding can stem from authenticity and by having an open dialogue with your customers.

  • The panel on branding and sustainability was moderated by Portland Business Journal Publisher Craig Wessel. Most of the conversation focused on Nike's ongoing sustainability project, dubbed "Nike Better World."

  • The Portland Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority took home a finalist award in the advocacy category for tireless work on their recently completed community center in North Portland. Project manager Chris Poole-Jones and Lesley Unthank accept the award for the organization. The June Key Delta Center is aiming for net-zero energy and water use and Living Building certification.

  • Jan Willemse of ZGF Architects LLP accepts a finalist award in the advocacy category. ZGF has long been at the forefront of the green building movement, with advanced projects around the globe.

  • Regina Hauser, the executive director The Natural Step Network USA, accepts the top award for sustainable business advocacy. The Natural Step works one-on-one with businesses of all sizes to implement a framework to improve sustainable operations.

  • Greg Bolt, founder of NW Shingle Recyclers, accepts a finalist award in the product category. The young company captures old roofing materials from the waste stream to create a raw material for building roads.

  • Buzz Chandler accepts a finalist plaque for StalkMarket. The growing company makes compostable cutlery, plates and cups out of sugar cane, with large customers including The Rose Garden in Portland.

  • gDiapers co-founder Kim Graham-Nye accepts the top award in the product category. Graham-Nye was recently named to Fortune Magazine's Top 10 Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs list.

  • Melissa McDonald, executive director of non-profit SOLV, turns from her conversation with Charlie Allcock, PGE's director of economic development. SOLV is a matchmaking organization that links volunteers with environmental projects.

  • McKinstry's Spencer Morgenthau accepts a finalist plaque in the operations category. The large construction and consulting firm is working on advanced building monitoring systems, an effort to ensure that projects live up to their efficiency expectations after they are built.

  • Natalie Reitman-White, sustainability manager for Organically Grown, accepts a finalist award for the company's efforts to push beyond its initial goals of promoting organic produce to reduce the impact of its entire operation.

  • Danielle Amarotico (and 9-month-old), a co-owner of Standing Stone Brewing Co., accepts the top award in the operations category for the Ashland-based brewery and restaurant. Standing Stone operates a 265-acre farm that supplies the business with many of its ingredients.

  • Sustainable NW Wood, a startup that spun out of no-profit Sustainable Northwest, takes home a finalist award in the supply chain category. President Ryan Temple expects the young organization, which links builders with small, local and sustainably managed wood producers, to top $1 million in sales next year.

  • Gina Franzosa accepts a finalist award for Green Hammer in the supply chain category. The quickly growing builder is to local sourcing and has recently done work on the first commercial building aiming for Passive House certification in the U.S.

  • Looptworks co-founder Scott Hamlin accepts the top award in the supply chain category. The young apparel company uses waste material to make hip outdoor clothing.

  • Intel's Lorie Wigle took home the coveted paddle for individual leadership. The annual award went to Wigle for her role at the head of the Climate Savers Computing Initiative. Wigle also serves as Intel's general manager of eco-technology.