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About Culinary Collective Culinary Collective is an import and distribution company specializing in gourmet cultural foods that embody and promote their native culture and traditions. They work with small family and community companies that take pride in producing all natural foods using methods and recipes passed down through the generations. We became a B Corp because we believe that a truly responsible business serves itself, its employees, its stakeholders, and society's best interests by promoting social equity, environmental restoration, and sustainable economic development. All products are completely natural and free of preservatives or colorants. Organic certification is pursued whenever feasible. Products and ingredients are sourced using fair sourcing criteria to ensure that farmers and producers receive a fair price and that no communities are exploited in the trade process. We select our products to promote local traditions and food cultures. The Change We Seek® Through their purchasing practices Culinary Collective aims to raise the living standards for our producers and farmers while encouraging environmental stewardship and community investment. The two internal divisions of Culinary Collective, Matiz España and Zócalo Gourmet, share the Collective social, environmental, and financial principles. Matiz España specializes in locating and importing specialty gourmet food products from small producers in Spain. Zócalo Gourmet supports agricultural communities and traditions in Latin America through the importation of traditional native gourmet food. * Provide society with services and products that add meaningful value to our lives. These products and services provide society with utility or joy without harming human or environmental health at any point in their life cycle. * Contribute to the creation of self-reliant communities by subscribing to local business principles including the local sourcing of production materials, employees,

"Seattle Good Business Network is a new membership association of locally-owned, Seattle-area businesses that are committed to the triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit. Its purpose is to educate member businesses on the value of operating sustainably, support them in improving or adopting sustainable practices, and connect them with the information and resources to create a healthy and prosperous local economy based on shared environmental and community values. We Imagine A Seattle Where: * Business profits are circulating within our regional economy, supporting other local businesses. * The very concept of "waste" is passé, where only renewable sources of energy and water are used, and carbon emissions are dramatically reduced. * Residents choose to buy local and green first, and businesses are active partners in their communities. * Everyone understands that the person behind the register is a neighbor. An economy based on these values-local ownership, environmental awareness, and community engagement-is a vibrant, resilient economy more immune to external upheaval and changes in global energy prices. Businesses that operate with these values are profitable, thriving businesses. With the right information and active support, local business owners have the power to transform their operations in ways that benefit their business, employees, customers, and our larger local economy. The Seattle Good Business Network aims to be a catalyst for this transformation. Membership Members of the Seattle Good Business Network are locally-owned businesses such as restaurants, coffee shops, grocers, and bars; retailers of all kinds; personal care and home services; professional services of all kinds; and local producers. The Network will help its members: 1. Connect with other local businesses. We will establish a local business network to provide interactive ways for you to share valuable information about becoming more sustainable, includi

We get results! - We don't just have great ideas; we know how to turn these ideas into actions that lead to results. We have proven success in earning our clients quality and frequent media placement - both locally and nationally. We are strategic in identifying story opportunities and keeping on top of emerging trends. We tell compelling stories and give editors what they want the way they want it. We are social media experts - We know that the ever-evolving online world of blogs, social networking and bookmarking sites, micro-blogs, and forums can seem overwhelming. There can be thousands of bloggers talking about your business, as well as relationships to develop using Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. We craft successful viral campaigns, navigating the social media space to identify opportunities and who our clients should connect with. We are also active participants in, and monitors of, relevant conversations and are fluent in the myriad ways our clients can effectively participate. Connect with us on Facebook We build strong relationships - We take the time to really get to know our clients and their work intimately with regular face-to-face meetings and conversations. And we provide detailed monthly status reports so they always know what work we are doing on their behalf and why. We have earned a solid reputation among our diverse media contacts as an excellent resource for stories and are counted on for accurate and timely assistance with story development. In addition, we have numerous connections that can be catalysts for extending the impact of our communication efforts. We take a team approach - Instead of the traditional agency "silo" approach to client services, our staff collaborates on all clients so they benefit from the collective brain trust of our entire team. We do our homework - In order to serve our clients in a fast-changing media and economic landscape, we stay on top of the latest research, statistics and trends wi

Sustainable West Seattle's shape and activities reflect the talent and interests of those who come along for the ride, but we aim to provide resources and outreach for the West Seattle neighborhood on issues such as: * Renewable Energy & Conservation * Local Transportation Solutions * Eating Locally * Sustainable Health and Elder Care * Water & Waste Reduction * Community-Based Economics * Green Space Conservation Come to one of our many events!

"Pura Vida Coffee sells 100% organic, fair trade and shade grown coffee and a full line of sustainable beverages to individual and institutional customers throughout the US. We believe that companies can be both 'tough-minded and tender-hearted', integrating the discipline and rigor of a for-profit with the heart and soul of a mission-driven non-profit organization. We believe that there is a 'new sector' forming and want to be in on the ground floor! The mission of Pura Vida is to Create Good™ by using business to empower producers, motivate consumers, inspire business leaders, and, ultimately, serve the poor. By utilizing every facet of our company-capital structure, governance, employee recruitment, product sourcing, marketing and sales-to achieve social outcomes, we can demonstrate that the worlds of business and charity can not only co-exist, but can thrive on one another. Pura Vida Children The Change We Seek™ The mission of Pura Vida is to bring compassion and capitalism together in order to "Create Good™" for children living in coffee communities around the world. * Pura Vida seeks to provide all of its coffee farmers enjoy a fair wage and can support a family. To accomplish that goal, we only buy and sell 100% Fair Trade coffee, which ensures that our workers are treated fairly and that their land is preserved naturally. * We also make sure that we are active in the communities where our coffee is grown. Pura Vida operates programs for at-risk children through the sale of products and the financial support of customers and partners. We work in partnership with local non-profit agencies to provide educational opportunity and nurture physical health, confidence, character, and strength of spirit. * All of our coffee is organic and shade-grown, which means that every bean we harvest is as pure as it can possibly be. Growing our coffee in the shade preserves the nutrients and minerals found in coffee beans, and our organic status affirms

"Net Impact is an international nonprofit organization with a mission is to inspire, educate, and equip individuals to use the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world. Spanning six continents, Net Impact membership makes up one of the most influential networks of MBAs, graduate students, and professionals in existence today. Net Impact members are current and emerging leaders in CSR, social entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, international development, and environmental sustainability who are actively improving the world."

How We Work CivicActions is a "virtual" firm. We have no physical offices. Our team members work from wherever they choose, in countries around the world. Every day we convene online through email, conference calls, video chats, and meetings in IRC. Project teams also periodically meet in person, often with our clients, to work together in agile sprints. Our Vision At CivicActions, we believe in aligning our work with our values. Every member of our team is committed to taking action in the world so that we make positive, sustainable change. Learn more about our collective vision... Join Our Team We're looking for crazy-smart people who want to use their web super powers for good. We're changing the world by creating teams of people with off-the-hook talent, creativity and heart to serve our clients who are all actively engaged in making the world a better place. We are committed to the health of the world and your health as well: we believe in balancing work with the rest of our lives. We are entirely virtual (our team of 40+ work from their homes in 7 timezones around the world) allowing you to pick the time and place to work. Our team members are also musicians, parents, community activists, and travelers. Learn more about joining CivicActions...

"The Center for Global Development is an independent, nonprofit policy research organization that is dedicated to reducing global poverty and inequality and to making globalization work for the poor. Through a combination of research and strategic outreach, the Center actively engages policymakers and the public to influence the policies of the United States, other rich countries, and such institutions as the World Bank, the IMF, and the World Trade Organization to improve the economic and social development prospects in poor countries. CGD was recently ranked among the world's top think tanks (number 15 out of several thousand such research organizations) in an independent survey-based ranking published in Foreign Policy magazine."

"Green and Social Venture Capital One potential source of funding for green and social entrepreneurs is venture capital (VC). Venture capital firms generally make equity investments in enterprises beyond the seed stage of development. In addition to financial resources venture capital firms can provide business guidance and other resources to entrepreneurs. Many traditional venture capital firms now have dedicated funds and staff that focus on one or more aspects of environmental or social responsibility. In addition, some VC firms (sometimes known as "social venture capital firms") explicitly incorporate additional investment criteria, such as social or environmental benefits, in their mission and investing activities. This page also includes links to some relevant "angel investors." Angel investors generally provide capital at an early stage of an enterprise's development, prior to the period of investment by traditional venture capital firms."

"The current African social entrepreneurship market is growing rapidly but it is still fragmented and opaque. Complication: Players active in the African social entrepreneurship space cannot find, learn and collaborate with each other. There are information asymmetries in the market. Solution: An online "living" platform created for members - by members. ASEN aims to provide Social Entrepreneurs with an opportunity to collaborate and access resources. "

"Neerja Raman Author and Research fellow in Digital Vision Program, Stanford University Focus: Social Entrepreneurship Neerja Raman is a recognized author and executive in management research. Neerja is former Director, Strategic Planning and Imaging Systems Lab, Hewlett Packard Labs and currently Senior Fellow at Stanford University where she is developing business and leadership models for social entrepreneurs. She is on the advisory committee for Cyber-Infrastructure, National Science Foundation and board member of several non-profits. She was inducted into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame in 2005 for global leadership and was recognized with a Distinguished Citizen Award by Federation of Indo Americans in 2006. Neerja's book, "The Practice and Philosophy of Decision Making" was featured in the category "Books that Empower Women" by WITI. Her research at Stanford has been published in various conference proceedings and as chapter "Eco-Stacking: A Strategy for Success in Social and Business Agendas" in the summer 2007 book "Innovative Approaches to Reducing Global Poverty". Neerja is a graduate of the Kellogg Executive Program, Northwestern University, and has Masters degrees from S.U.N.Y Stony Brook, New York and Delhi University, India. Neerja is active in the community. She has been a United Way Chair at HP. She serves on the advisory board of Maitri, a women's self empowerment organization, is a member of Indian Business and Professional Women and executive director of IWE. Federation of Indo-Americans has recognized her accomplishments as an author and technologist with an award of distinction."

"Ashoka is the global association of the world's leading social entrepreneurs-men and women with system changing solutions for the world's most urgent social problems. Since 1981, we have elected over 2,000 leading social entrepreneurs as Ashoka Fellows, providing them with living stipends, professional support, and access to a global network of peers in more than 60 countries. With our global community, we develop models for collaboration and design infrastructure needed to advance the field of social entrepreneurship and the citizen sector. Our Fellows inspire others to adopt and spread their innovations - demonstrating to all citizens that they too have the potential to be powerful changemakers."