BLD Southeast

?? Asheville B Corp Community Fundraiser Details ?? It's hard to imagine that just three weeks ago, we were in Atlanta celebrating all of the beauty that?was BLD Southeast. Last week, Hurricane Helene ripped through our region and greatly impacted seven of our states, but no one was more deeply devastated than our friends in Asheville and Western North Carolina. Homes and businesses were destroyed, towns were swallowed whole by massive flooding, and many are still cut off and without power, gas, water, and basic shelter. B Local Asheville Chair Adrianne Gordon has been communicating their needs and the list is overwhelming. In the short term, they need basic supplies. And she is currently driving back and forth between South Carolina and Asheville to bring much needed supplies back to her neighborhood on the edge of Biltmore Village, which was badly flooded. They've received zero supplies or assistance yet, and she is one of the lucky ones whose house is OK and car is drivable. ?? For immediate assistance, you can?venmo Adrianne at Adrianne-Gordon-4 (last four 2643). ?? She also mentioned?BeLoved Asheville?as another organization on the ground doing the work that can use the funding. https://lnkd.in/e8ecd78k Either way, your contribution will go a long way to get people the basic necessities (food and water) that they need to survive. ?? Since internet and cell service are still nonexistent, if you have immediate questions, you can reach out to?Nathan A. Stuck, MBA?or?Kaley Cross Warner, who is from Asheville and making supply runs back and forth from her home in Raleigh. In addition to this, there are also 15 B Corps in this region, and many of them are small businesses that will go months without revenue, need to rebuild, restock, and so much more. In a town full of incredible artists, delicious craft breweries, and world class restaurants, there is also a need to take care of team members who will be out of work for the foreseeable future. With that in mind, we created a?Small Business Relief Fund?for you to contribute to. Adrianne and her board will determine the greatest needs and the best ways to support our fellow B Corps and beyond. ?? DONATE HERE: https://lnkd.in/dVPPsPkJ Let's step up for our community and wrap our arms around this region and these people.??? ??

Well this sure is a fun trip down memory lane. Thank you for everyone that made that week in Atlanta so special. Thank you to Chat With Leaders Media for putting this together. ??

Did we forget to post about last week? ?? Honestly, we didn't know what to say. And maybe we were resting. ?? What began as an "Anyone want to plan a conference?" project during Covid is now BLD Southeast. And after putting ourselves on the map last year in Raleigh, we set a new bar last week in Atlanta. ??♀? Four days, five excursions, two host venues, 80 speakers, and 250 attendees from 28 states and three countries. ?? We want to thank you for your support, once again. Our volunteer planning and host committees worked tirelessly to bring this event to life, but we couldn't have done it without you. Your steadfast commitment to this conference affirms to us that there is a need for us to continue building community. ?? As we look back on Atlanta, and look forward to Florida, let us remember why we entered all of the rooms last week, what we learned from one another *and* the city of Atlanta, and how important we are to our collective success. ?? Keep connecting, keep collaborating, and start doing more business with other purpose driven entrepreneurs. Stay true to your values, and keep fighting for a version of capitalism that works for everyone, and for the long term. ??

About last week... Our board had six members on the planning and/or host committees for BLD Southeast, which we hosted in Atlanta. The feedback has been better than our wildest expectations, and that's because of all of the hard work and intentional design that went into hosting our first major B Corp conference. Lavonya Jones hosted a film screening and panel discussion at Morehouse College, and also welcomed everyone to Day One at Atlantucky. Chad ?? Livsey organized a cleanup (of course he did) that saw 30 volunteers collect almost 60 bags of trash around Cook Park. Tanjuria Willis, two weeks before her big Sustainable Fashion Week Atlanta (ATLSFW) event, produced a sustainable fashion show to spotlight some of our region's coolest B Corp designers, including our very own Vertical Activewear. Jamal Lewis helped lock down some wonderful speakers, and spoke on a panel about doing the work. Jenna Franke ran all over our venues making sure we were composting, people knew where they needed to be, and that the event ran smoothly. And Nathan doesn't need any more flowers or his head won't fit through the door. ?? To quote the old football adage, it's more about Jimmy's & Joe's than X's & O's. Our host committee was amazing. And the planning committee of leaders from around the region (Adrianne, Beth, Eve, Hazel, Kaley, Kellen, Lauren, Mel, Rebecca, Talibah, Veronika, & Winnie) was better than the '92 Dream Team. We can't wait to support Florida next year as it will be their turn to host. But right now, we are going to sit in the moment a little bit longer...and then we'll get back to work.

Last week, I had the opportunity to connect with, learn from, and sketch for an incredible group at the #BLDsoutheast Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. It was inspiring to witness how we can all contribute to the changes we need to see in our communities. I especially loved seeing examples of educators whose students are now working in these mission-driven spaces, embodying the principles they learned. I was equally inspired by leaders making decisions that prioritize global impact over just financial gain—and, as a result, seeing both incredible financial success and healthier, more engaged employees. Thank you Nathan A. Stuck, MBA, Miren Oca Mary Walsh #BLocalGeorgia #BCORPs communities, for an empowering experience! Here is a visual summary I created at the event--a puzzle of a few of the sketches I created throughout the conference. These sketches allow me to walk away from these experiences with more than just "the feeling."...walking away with a sketch gives me something tangible to circle back with or to when relaying the information to colleagues, friends, and coworkers or reconnecting with people who I met at the sessions. #TheSketchPerspective

Kicked off BLD Southeast in style with an informal hang on the Ponce City Market rooftop. Good friends, great view. Day One starts now...we'll see all y'all beautiful people soon!

There are so many opportunities to connect next week in Atlanta Whether you have a ticket to the conference or not (yes, there are some still available), this WeTheChange event is open to all women leaders, allies, aspiring leaders, and change-makers from B Corps, nonprofits, and impact-driven businesses. Come connect, share, and grow together on Wednesday, 9/11 at Mary Mac's Tea Room! Register below ??

Wait. There's a 3rd track of incredible speakers, panels, & workshops?!?! If you're a young professional, a student, or an attendee looking to make a career pivot, we have a track curated just for you! Hear from a panel of founders on their circuitous routes to social entrepreneurship, and a panel of sustainability professionals who will share their journey into the career they wanted. Jus Drayton will lead us into lunch with a mini-keynote. And after our bellies are full, we'll have two incredible workshops. The first one will focus on emotional intelligence and the second will help you figure out your personal why, set goals, and chart the course to get there. There are still a handful of tickets available if you want to join us. get yours here: https://lnkd.in/e8HHf4gE

We're excited to reveal Track 2 of Day 2 of BLD Southeast on September 12th. This is our Sustainable Business track focused on people, culture, and planet. It will kick off with an incredible panel about the sustainable and ethical use of technology, followed by a panel on leading evolving organizations that will feature CEOs who have implemented 4-day workweeks, results only work environments, and employee ownership models. Our mini-keynote will feature Anna Sampson from We Are Neutral as she debunks all of the myths around carbon credits and offsetting, and why they are important step on your path to zero. After lunch, we have two great workshops planned, including Action to Zero, a board game from Planning Communities, which will help you develop your climate resiliency strategy. We'll close out the day with a workshop on workforce development, with subject matter experts helping you figure out what content to use, how to create it, and how to properly implement your L&D program. If that FOMO is starting to kick in, don't fret. We still have a handful of tickets remaining: https://lnkd.in/e8HHf4gE

How's about this for our first track of Day Two? Track One is titled Blocking & Tackling, with the content appropriately focused on sales, marketing, and operations. We'll have panels on business development and impact storytelling, before hearing Scott's mini-keynote on using social impact to solve operational issues that positively impact your bottom line. Following lunch, we'll have workshops designed for tangible takeaways. Our first workshop will help you come up with impact content ideas, a greater impact storytelling strategy, and a content cadence. That will be followed by a masterclass on executive leadership, a workshop designed to help you identify your most pressing business issues, set goals for Q4, and refocus your energy to the right places. And this is just Track One...if you want to join us, there's still time. Get a ticket here: https://lnkd.in/e8HHf4gE