Sustainability Expedition in Silicon Valley,
November 9-13, 2010.

In the midst of one of the most intense downturns in American history, the United States and California are experiencing a dramatic reorientation.

Barack Obama has made innovation and green growth two key elements of a successful term in the White House.

Green is Green: in Silicon Valley in particular, the green of sustainability and the green of the dollar bill come together in service of the survival of the planet and of the continued success of organizations.

Between 1977 and 2007, California’s green economy has created 1.5 million jobs. With Barack Obama’s stimulus plan (787 billion dollars, 75 to 110 billion of which for climate and energy), California is once again at the forefront of American innovation.

Innovation and green growth do not only concern the energy, transport, water, construction and smart grid sectors – they concern all sectors by offering opportunities for cost-cutting, rationalization, design of new products and services, attraction and retention of the best talent, reinvention of business models and creation of sustainable brands. It is a strategy that is remarkably effective for innovating and therefore surviving in the current downturn.

Innovation and green growth also converge around the increasing and obvious need for empowering communities and awakening social responsibility in organizations and leaders. New Communities of clients and users, social networks and communities of citizens, suppliers and other stakeholders of organizations are emerging. Leading companies consciously manage these communities, bringing to them connection, meaning and a value-added beyond immediate profit.

Leading companies are also leaders in implementing socially responsible initiatives Google is not only a leader in Internet search and innovation, but also a company that has pledged to invest millions of dollars each year to find a solution to the problem of “renewable energy cheaper than coal.” Google’s Foundation, endowed with one billion dollars, aims to significantly reduce poverty in the world.

GAP has revamped its image and found new meaning and new clients as a result of its RED product line that provides support to underprivileged populations in Africa.

California’s pioneer spirit is being reborn in the building and management of communities of clients and users and active participation in the innovative resolutions of societal problems.

A new architecture is taking shape…a new type of enterprise that is simultaneously profitable, more connected to the environment and emerging societal needs, and more attractive to the best talent, the leaders of the future.

We invite you to discover the new innovation, management, communication, social responsibility and sustainability practices of companies and organizations that are already active on the new markets that will take shape as the downturn recedes.

THIS SUSTAINABILITY EXPEDITION IS FOR YOU IF:

• You are in a position to influence the future of your company.

• You are determined to turn the current downturn into a major opportunity for your company towards innovation, sustainability and the creation of value.

• You want to reorient a business activity or a traditional culture toward sustainable growth.

• You are managing an organization that is already working toward green growth and you would like to multiply your impact.

• You want to be inspired and recharge your batteries in order to lead your company to its next level of success, and contribute to making a better world.