Growing green business event to be held in Indianapolis

(Indianapolis, Ind. – Sept. 12, 2011) The Green Innovators in Business Network (GIBN) – led in partnership with Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and DIG IN – is working with local leaders to bring a Solutions Lab to Indianapolis on September 20, 2011. Solutions Labs are one-day, participatory events, where attendees help craft the agenda and spend time actively networking and brainstorming “big ideas” for accelerating business while improving environmental impacts.

“The experience and knowledge needed to make business environmentally sustainable exists in this community,” said David Witzel, director of the EDF Innovation Exchange. “This Solutions Lab will bring together knowledge and experience from around Indianapolis – in business, academics, and government – to help business people increase profits, innovate, and attract talent while also addressing serious environmental challenges.”

GIBN and local partners including Capitol Assets and WFYI will be convening the Indiana Solutions Lab for regional businesses interested in sustainability in manufacturing, clean technology, and other industrial sectors. The event will be an open and candid discussion about how business leaders are growing their business in an energy efficient manner and capitalizing on clean technology, one of the fastest growing sectors of the U.S. economy.

“We are looking forward to the Solutions Lab as an opportunity to leverage the resources and best practices that are available right here in our community,” said Dr. Steve Charlton, Cummins Vice President and Chief Technical Officer – Engine Business. “We hope to engage interested business professionals in an ongoing learning environment to guide the design and development of corporate sustainability initiatives.”

Highlights from the day will include a conversation with Dr. Charlton from Cummins Inc. and a discussion on state policy for sustainability with State Senator Jim Merritt, State Representatives Marianne Sullivan and Wes Culver, and Brandon Seitz, director of Indiana’s Department of Energy. The full agenda for the Indiana Solutions Lab is available online.

For more information about the Indiana Solutions Lab to be held at WFYI in Indianapolis, please visit the event online registration site; or contact Andrea Bazemore (abazemore@capitolassets.net), David Witzel (dwitzel@edf.org) or Odin Zackman (odin@digin.org).

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About Green Innovators in Business Network: The Green Innovators in Business Network (GIBN) is an open network for all business change makers— those working with and within business to develop innovative approaches to sustainability challenges. For more information on how to become a GIBN member and supporter, visit gibn.org.

About Environmental Defense Fund: Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org), a leading national nonprofit organization, creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EDF links science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships. For more information, visit edfbusiness.org. Read our blog at blogs.edf.org/business. Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/EDFbiz.

Contact: Jasper Jung, Environmental Defense Fund, jjung@edf.org, (202) 572-3395