SusNex: ESG Advisory, Sustainable Business, Startups

On this first episode in the ESG Advisory series, you'll learn about what it takes for companies and investors to get ahead -- and stay ahead -- in the evolving field of ESG from expert Nawar Alsaadi. The ESG Advisory ("ESG") brings in leaders of the Environment, Social & Corporate Governance movement to share their stories and insights about ESG reporting, news, and investing.  Nawar Alsaadi is a sustainable investment professional with exceptional ESG credentials, including from SASB and CFA Institute. He has over 10 years of experience in capital markets and corporate engagement. Is a highly effective communicator, strategist, and gifted financial analyst. Nawar has also been involved with a number of high-profile activist battles with Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) listed companies on issues pertaining to corporate governance and corporate strategy. In 2014, he founded Semper Augustus Capital, an activist investing firm with a focus on these important areas of governance and strategy. Later in 2018, he expanded his investing focus to the full spectrum of ESG investing through the development and application of the Material Engagement concept. A pioneer in the emerging field of Engagement Analytics, Nawar has a strong ability to distill complex ESG concepts into accessible content. I personally found out about Nawar from his content – much of which he makes accessible to his LinkedIn community and followers. You can follow/connect with Nawar on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nawar-alsaadi-fsa-sipc-9667b650/

On this first episode of Sustainable Startups & Scale-ups (formerly the MBA Careers podcast), you'll learn about what is takes to be an entrepreneur with William Restrepo, cofounder of Joes & Cos. Some of our discussion is based on the MBA journey, however, as you'll hear in the introduction, much of our discussion also covers what it takes to start a company with a sustainable mindset: considering finite resources and growth.  Joes and Cos is a platform and app that allows individuals and businesses to find the best workspaces in the city of Copenhagen. They are also looking to expand to several large cities throughout Europe and beyond. With Joes and Cos, you can choose amongst several workspace options without the hassle of repetitive registration, commitment from contracts, and having different payment solutions for each location.  Many of the partnering co-working and productive spaces were formerly underused, aesthetically pleasing, and full of potential. Joes and Cos has given a second life and revenue potential for open spaces in Copenhagen while providing ample opportunities for social connection amongst remote professionals. 

On this episode, we discuss the priorities and differences between the Sustainability professional, ESG professional, climate change professional, circular economy professional, and more. Joel Makower, founder/chairman/executive editor of GreenBiz Group, has seen the evolution and has been an active part of the evolution - wearing each of these sustainability hats several times over. The role of the Sustainability Professional within an organization can vary, depending on the organization and the centrality of sustainability and CSR to its organizational strategy. The definition of sustainability also varies with efforts to subsume social justice, equity, or corporate social responsibility within a very general concept of “sustainability”. In addition to working towards equity and organizational responsibility; corporations also are increasingly focused on the environmental impacts of sustainability, including: energy, water, waste, material use and environmental impacts. About GreenBiz: GreenBiz Group is a media and events company that accelerates the just transition to a clean economy. Through events that galvanize, stories that amplify, peer networks that bond and industry-leading analysis, we define markets and advance opportunities at the intersection of business, technology and sustainability. We are a passionate team of people that builds and empowers communities to confront the threats of climate change and solve the thorniest challenges of our time. GreenBiz recognizes the inextricable link between climate change and social change and works across its platforms to connect the dots between equity, inclusion and sustainability by centering justice as a cornerstone of a clean economy. We recognize the power of our platform and actively work to be intersectional in our content by prioritizing Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) across our conference programs and editorial coverage. Our goal is to ensure that GreenBiz Group — and the industry — reflects the world that we live in, and the world we want to see. Learn more at www.greenbiz.com/