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Traditionally, the business community has seen social and environmental initiatives as a drag on profitability and performance.  In our rapidly changing world, international corporate giants and scrappy start-ups are looking through the lens of environmental and social responsibility to uncover new opportunities and create competitive advantage. By eliminating waste, restructuring expenses, and creating new business models, companies are redefining the competitive landscape and improving our world.

O’Naturals (based in Portland, ME) a natural and organic fast food company with locations across the country is a prime example of this new strategy. O’Naturals has been cited frequently by media outlets like the New York Times, Boston Globe and CNN for redefining the foodservice industry.

Using O’Naturals as a case study, the talk will demonstrate a model that can apply socially responsible principles to any business. The framework gives you the tools to examine your enterprise from a new perspective, strengthening the environment, society and your bottom line.  

Jay Friedlander is the Sharpe-McNally Chair of Green and Socially Responsible Business at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor. College of the Atlantic, the first climate neutral college in the U.S., has been cited by the Princeton Review and GRIST as an international leader in sustainability.