My life’s purpose is to create awareness for alternative living choices for people who might not have access to them. This is why EcoTuesday started way back in 2007 and why I founded my new company, Alegria Partners, earlier this year.
One of the many things that I’m proud of about EcoTuesday is that the people that come each month and the companies that are represented tend to be those with incredibly strong ethics that are tied to the great possibility of “Turning the Tide” of our current business models and paradigms. Those in the EcoTuesday community work on new technologies that save water, clean our air and help us decrease our dependence on fossil fuel. Participants also vote with their dollars, invest in other people’s dreams through crowdfunding campaigns, and share the
tangible objects they have through the access economy’s platforms. There is a huge push to share information and knowledge, rather than keep all of that information to ourselves. All of these things affect how companies work, and those who attend EcoTuesday have really embraced this shift.
Over the past (almost) six years, EcoTuesday has hosted approximately 250 events in 13 cities across the country. People from many other countries have attended the events and some have even replicated them in their own countries. This has been a great form of flattery! In San Francisco alone, we’ve had 61 events, including 4 fantastic panel discussions focusing on very specific areas of sustainability. This means that hundreds and hundreds of people have attended EcoTuesday events over the years.
For me, the most powerful part of attending an EcoTuesday event is hearing about all the incredible things that everyone shares about during the Introduction Circle. While many beautiful things are happening in the world, we also have a lot of not-so-nice things happening in our world, such as climate change, border tensions, homelessness, lack of funding for education. When I hear 50 people - or more - share what they’re passionate about, I know that what they’re sharing about is so incredibly tied to their own personal lives. This might not be blended into the business of the company they work for or the company they started, but it
tangible objects they have through the access economy’s platforms. There is a huge push to share information and knowledge, rather than keep all of that information to ourselves. All of these things affect how companies work, and those who attend EcoTuesday have really embraced this shift.Over the past (almost) six years, EcoTuesday has hosted approximately 250 events in 13 cities across the country. People from many other countries have attended the events and some have even replicated them in their own countries. This has been a great form of flattery! In San Francisco alone, we’ve had 61 events, including 4 fantastic panel discussions focusing on very specific areas of sustainability. This means that hundreds and hundreds of people have attended EcoTuesday events over the years.
For me, the most powerful part of attending an EcoTuesday event is hearing about all the incredible things that everyone shares about during the Introduction Circle. While many beautiful things are happening in the world, we also have a lot of not-so-nice things happening in our world, such as climate change, border tensions, homelessness, lack of funding for education. When I hear 50 people - or more - share what they’re passionate about, I know that what they’re sharing about is so incredibly tied to their own personal lives. This might not be blended into the business of the company they work for or the company they started, but it
really shows what’s true to them personally. I’ve had the honor and opportunity to learnabout some of the most innovative, progressive companies first-hand and all are excellent. It’s been incredible to learn about how all these different companies work, about their relationships with the vendors in their supply chains, and how they relate with their customers. Thanks so much for giving me this fantastic opportunity over the years to be a witness to all of this.
EcoTuesday is now transitioning into a new phase and will be under the umbrella of Alegria Partners, where I provide sustainability initiative development and marketing strategy services to mission-driven companies. Right now, there aren’t any plans for more monthly events in San Francisco in the future. However, and I’ve mentioned this before, I do hope to have 1-2 full of half-day events at some point
EcoTuesday is now transitioning into a new phase and will be under the umbrella of Alegria Partners, where I provide sustainability initiative development and marketing strategy services to mission-driven companies. Right now, there aren’t any plans for more monthly events in San Francisco in the future. However, and I’ve mentioned this before, I do hope to have 1-2 full of half-day events at some point
next year. When we meet again next time, we’ll even have other things in store for you, such asan unconference, more panel discussions, or longer keynote speakers. To make this happen,
I’ll need your help. I’ll be looking for people to help me create a strategy and execute the event. Volunteers are golden! I’ll also need the help of those out there who can become sponsors to invest funds to help cover operational costs of a bigger event.
I see this change from monthly events to less frequent events not as a death, but as a shift or a transformation. I’ve used the word “bittersweet” to describe how I feel about this shift. It’s been a challenging choice, but I know in my heart that it’s a good one and I am excited about having more time to spend on my blossoming family and expanding business.I do hope that you’ll all keep in touch - sign up for the EcoTuesday mailing list, be our friend on FB, join our linkedin group and follow us on Twitter. Wow - that’s a lot of social media! But this way, you’ll be able to stay updated about what’s going on with EcoTuesday and I’ll share more news and information about our partners and friends.
Thank you all so much for supporting EcoTuesday over the years, and being a part of our sustainable community!
Best,
More photos from the last monthly event in San Francisco. It was quite a celebration at the W Hotel and absolutely wonderful to see so many EcoTuesday supporters from over the years! Thank you all for joining us!
What is EcoTuesday all about?
We're still hosting events in Cleveland and Silicon Valley!
EcoTuesday is a structured networking event for sustainable business leaders that takes place on the fourth Tuesday of each month in cities across the country.
Here's a brief outline of what takes place at each event:
- Arrive at the venue, settle in, and meet new people
- Learn about the cutting edges of sustainable business from an expert
- Quickly introduce yourself & your project to a roomful of people
- Network with people you learned about during the Introduction Circle
Providing access to conversations focused on sustainability and sustainable solutions is important, so we want EcoTuesday to spread throughout the world.
