SBND resources panel_Dinaro_Daniels_Sevrioukova

Registration is now closed. If you would like to register please contact Erika Jackson at ejackson@inforummichigan.org. 

Sustainable Business Network of Detroit Event

Resources for Sustainability Businesses and Organizations

April 19

Doing good work but not always sure how to fund it? Join the Sustainability Business Network of Detroit at this no-cost event to learn more about resources and information that could help your business or organization. You’ll also have an opportunity to network with the other attendees and the speakers.

Cory Connolly, climate and energy advisor, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE)

Cory leads the Office of Climate and Energy for the State of Michigan, helping move Michigan toward carbon neutrality by 2050. Prior to his role with the State of Michigan, Cory was vice president at the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council and was the founder and director of the Michigan Clean Energy Leaders Project, a leadership program and network focused on building a more diverse and collaborative clean energy industry in Michigan. Cory was appointed by Gov. Whitmer to serve for a two-year term on the Michigan Council on Future Mobility and Electrification and also to serve on the Michigan Council on Climate Solutions as the liaison to the Council on Future Mobility and Electrification. He has also served as COO for Levin Energy Partners and Lean & Green Michigan, a clean energy financing marketplace, and has held positions with 5 Lakes Energy, the Environmental Law Institute, and the U.S. Department of State. He has received recognition for his work from Forbes Magazine, Midwest Energy News, and Environmental Entrepreneurs. He is a graduate of the James Madison College at Michigan State University where he majored in international relations and specialized in environmental economics & policy and holds a graduate-level certificate in financing & deploying clean energy from Yale University.

Laprisha Berry Daniels, executive director, Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice

Laprisha Berry Daniels holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Michigan State University and Master’s degrees in social work and public health from the University of Michigan. She has over 20 years of public health experience, with 15 of those being in progressively responsible leadership roles, where she has mobilized resources and formed strategic partnerships to develop, implement and evaluate efforts focused on eliminating health disparities.

She has held her current position since June 2021 and previously held positions with the Detroit Health Department and Macomb Children’s Healthcare Access Program.

Wafa Dinaro, executive director, New Economy Initiative

Wafa Dinaro was most recently executive director of the Economic Development Corporation for Wayne County. She has held a variety of other positions in the private and public sector including the automotive industry and the Department of Defense, where she led operations while assigned to Defense Attaché Offices in U.S Embassies around the world.

The New Economy Initiative (NEI), is a philanthropic collaboration and special project of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan working to build a regional network of support for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Our mission is to grow an inclusive culture of entrepreneurship in Southeast Michigan that benefits all residents and strengthens the regional economy. She has a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from the University of Michigan and a master of arts degree in social and public policy from Georgetown University.

Moderator

Alissa Sevrioukova, Public Affairs Chief of Staff & Corporate Citizenship Manager, DTE

Alissa currently serves as the Public Affairs Chief of Staff and Corporate Citizenship Manager at DTE Energy where she leads a team responsible for driving DTE’s corporate citizenship strategy and communications along with the development of the company’s sustainability reports. Under her leadership, Alissa established DTE’s Corporate Citizenship Program Management Office, which has earned DTE regional and national recognition by JD Power and Points of Light. This role continues to drive her passion for service by activating corporate resources to serve Michigan communities while advancing business goals. In 2019, Alissa was recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business as one of the city’s “40 under 40” trailblazers for her commitment and contributions in the community, and later this year, she will be joining 8 other metro Detroiters for the seventh cohort of the Young American Leaders Program at Harvard Business School.

Alissa has a BS in Business Administration from the University of Southern California and an MPA from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. Originally from Russia, she’s lived from coast to coast across the United States, and currently resides with her partner in Detroit, Mich.

About the Sustainable Business Network of Detroit: In 2021, the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation conducted an interview-based study to assess the status of sustainable business efforts in Southeast Michigan. The study revealed that while many local businesses have activated sustainability initiatives, there is an urgent need for collaboration. With global climate change accelerating and equity declining among marginalized populations, the Erb Family Foundation assembled a coordinating team of leaders to join it as partners in a network: the Erb Institute at the University of Michigan, Southeast Michigan Sustainable Business Forum (SMSBF), TechTown Detroit, Wayne State University, and Inforum. The group’s goal is to create a sustainable business ecosystem through a network serving as a hub for idea sharing, programming, content, mentoring, and other activities to advance and accelerate the systemic adoption of sustainable business practices. Questions about the network? Click here or visit sbndetroit.net. Click here to watch a video about SBN Detroit.

Date: Tuesday, April 19

Time: Arrival and networking, 4:30 p.m.; program and networking with speakers, 5-6:30 p.m. Beverages and appetizers will be served.

Location: Focus: Hope Conference Center, 1400 Oakman Blvd., Detroit 48238

Cost: Free, but registration required. All attendees will be required to verify COVID-19 vaccination through an app. Details will be sent to registrants.

Register here: https://myinforum.app.neoncrm.com/event.jsp?event=34182&

Questions about the event content? Contact Inforum Vice President Cindy Goodaker at cgoodaker@inforummichigan.org.

Questions about event details/logistics? Contact Anna Grace, Inforum member experience and event manager, at agrace@inforummichigan.org.

Partners of the Sustainable Business Network of Detroit:

Not a member? Join Inforum today!