OSC2, former Rebbl CEO Sheryl O’Loughlin Partner to Promote Women and Diversity on Natural Products Boards
Photo: Pexels
Originally Appeared in Presence Marketing News, October 2019
By Steven Hoffman
According to natural products entrepreneur and investor Brad Barnhorn, of the nine different boards of directors on which he serves, there are a total of 50 board members and only one of them is a woman. He shared this as the only male panelist on the Women on Boards panel at Natural Products Expo East this past September in Baltimore. “Having more women sit on boards of organic and natural companies is not just the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do, writes Max Goldberg in the Organic Insider. Based on a study conducted by financial research firm MSCI, U.S. companies with at least three women on the board experienced earnings growth of 37% over a five-year period, while companies that had no female board members experienced a -8% earnings drop in the same period, Goldberg reported. To address the issue, Northern California-based natural products leadership organization OSC2 has formed JEDI, the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Collaborative. Co-founded by OSC2 Executive Director Lara Dickinson and Sheryl O’Loughlin, former CEO of natural beverage maker REBBL, JEDI released a 5-minute survey to collect benchmark data on the current diversity makeup of the natural and organic products industry. The goal, reports the Organic Insider, is to have 500 companies complete the survey by January 2020. JEDI hopes to report findings at Natural Products Expo West 2020, as well as establish and track goals.
Video: Women Leading Green - Top Sustainability Entrepreneurs
At the Epicenter, a CO-based speaker series featured on February 12, 2013, three women leaders in green business.
At the Epicenter, a popular Boulder, CO-based speaker series featuring business and thought leaders in natural and organic products and sustainability, featured on February 12, 2013, three women leaders in green business, including Hunter Lovins of Natural Capitalism Solutions, Kim Coupounas, Co-founder of Go-Lite, and Brook Eddy, CEO of Bhakti Chai. Moderated by Seleyn DeYarus, CEO of At the Epicenter is produced by Compass Natural Marketing
View video highlights from this informative and entertaining discussion. Plus, speaker bios are below. http://youtu.be/mpuhhaaBDv4?t=5s
Hunter Lovins, Founder, Natural Capitalism Solutions Trained as a sociologist and lawyer, Hunter Lovins is a world-renowned author, President and founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions, a professor of sustainable business management, and a sought-after expert in sustainable solutions for businesses, corporations and governments worldwide. Based in Boulder, Hunter was named Time Magazine 2000 Hero of the Planet and in 2009 Newsweek named her a "Green Business Icon."
Kim Coupounas, Co-founder and Chief Sustainability Officer, GoLite Kim Coupounas is Co-founder and Chief Sustainability Officer of GoLite, the premier global manufacturer of lightweight, high performance, socially responsible apparel and equipment designed for outdoor athletes. Kim also served as the company's CEO until 2008, and is former Chair of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), representing the $646 billion active outdoor recreation industry. Kim also served on OIA's Sustainability Working Group.
Brook Eddy, Founder and CEO, Bhakti Chai With a degree in Social Policy, Brook Eddy traveled to India in 2002, where she discovered masala chai tea. Back in the U.S., she created her own recipe, which was so well received by family and friends that she founded Bhakti Chai in 2006. Today, Bhakti is emerging as a brand leader in the organic, fair trade tea and ready to drink categories. The Bhakti philosophy - devotion through social action - continues to drive the company's business practices.
Seleyn DeYarus, CEO, Best Organics Inc. Seleyn DeYarus is Co-founder of At the Epicenter and CEO of Best Organics Inc., an organic and sustainable brands promotion company and provider of America's Best Organics gift basket collections. Seleyn is a former environmental consultant for international business strategist Booz Allen Hamilton, and she served as an intern in the White House's Speech Writers Research Office, where she was personally selected by President Reagan himself.
Video produced by Howard Zaremba, Boulder Valley Media Alliance, BV Channel 22.