As we work to create sustainable businesses, we are also working to create sustainable, healthy communities. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating community in our work during the month of May where our focus will be on the theme of Community Development. · Read More

Following a recent recession and a yet-to-recover U.S. economy–despite encouraged consumption–we must now ask ourselves, what could we be doing differently? · Read More

Sustainable Finance creates real value, making people and communities stronger, healthier and more beautiful without depleting non-renewable resources or destroying ecosystems. · Read More

Yesterday’s address by Carl Schramm at the National Press Club included both good and bad news.  He presented further evidence of entrepreneurship as the catalyst for a vibrant US economy.  He also shared a poll suggesting entrepreneurs have an increasingly dim view of our country’s future competitiveness. I had the privilege of working my youth away caring for · Read More · Read More

For thousands of years we’ve farmed to eat, to produce fiber, and feed our livestock.  In the 20th century, we farmed for fuels, producing ethanol and diesel from farm commodities like corn and soybean.  Within the next few years, we could also ‘farm’ to fly – producing advanced aviation biofuels not from food crops, but farmed · Read More · Read More

Most are familiar with the revolution of microenterprise and microlending spreading through-out the developing world. Grameen Bank, and it’s founder Muhammad Yunus were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for unleashing entrepreneurship in places never thought possible. Which lessons learned would be applicable across the US, across Washington state? There is a growing community · Read More · Read More

I’m sure you’ve heard the new phrases of our time such as ‘don’t waste a crisis’, ‘coming out stronger than before’, and the ‘big reset’.  Count me among those who welcome the new economy as difficult as the transition may be.  And, as much as I relish a fresh start, I hope we don’t forget what · Read More · Read More

Consider how often we focus on the significance of organizational structure before the reason for our jobs.  Reporting lines are often of greater concern than the strategic intent of the institution. Human – yes.  Productive -? First, let’s be compassionate with ourselves. We are experiencing an unprecedented pace of change, whether it is the half-life · Read More · Read More

How often do we guess, assume, rely on the street narrative regarding our business commmunity, its competitiveness and performance?  While the available data can never fully describe our economy, the most recent cluster analysis of Washington state’s economy comes close. Authored by Paul Sommers, William Beyers, and Andrew Wenzl, they have detailed the geography, indentified the · Read More · Read More

I have always found it difficult to work on anything where I couldn’t observe progress.  Most of my life I relied on agriculture to fill this need, looking back at the furrow, the field, the farm, the year.  Sow/reap, birth/death, summer/winter – North Dakota never left one wanting for cycles.  My experiences in research and · Read More · Read More