2024 Schedule

The 2024 MBArk2Boulder Sustainability & Food Leadership Conference will feature 2 full days and 2 half-days of scintillating activity. Details and specifics are still being worked out, but here is the overview. Registration and all events are at the University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business, 995 Regent Drive in Boulder, except as otherwise noted; times and topics subject to change.

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

  • Travel day for those coming from out of town; plan to arrive at University of Colorado for check-in anytime after 2:00pm .
  • Dinner and Carbon-Free Opening Keynote at 6:00pm

Thursday, January 4, 2024

  • Fields trips leave from Koebel Hall at 8:30am – 2 stops each, 4 hours, followed by a stop for you to pick up your own lunch
  • 2-3pm: Sessions 1 and 2
  • 3-4pm: Sessions 3 and 4
  • 4-5pm: Session 5
  • 6pm: optional small group dinners hosted by CEOs

Friday, January 5, 2024

  • 9-10am: Networking breakfast
  • 10-11:30am: Session 6
  • 11:30am-12:30pm: Sessions 7 and 8
  • 12:30-1:30pm: Lunch
  • 1:30-3:00pm: Presentations by attendees
  • 3:00-4:00pm: Sessions 9 and 10
  • 4:00-4:30pm: Break
  • 4:30-6:00pm: Session 11
  • Dinner: on your own, but optional ice skating and free ice cream

Saturday, January 6, 2024

  • 9:30-10:30am: Sessions 12 and 13
  • 10:30-11:30am: Sessions 14 and 15
  • 11:30am-12:00pm: Wrap-up

 

Here’s a look back at past event schedules:

2023 Agenda – updated 1/3/23

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

  • 12:00-1:00 p.m. – arrive at University of Colorado – registration open until 6:00pm
  • 1:00-5:30 p.m. – field trips; destinations include the brand new Colorado State University Spur Center and Agricultural Experimentation Station in Denver, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Eco-Cycle/Boulder County Recycling Center in Boulder, and Celestial Seasonings in Boulder
  • 6:00 p.m.: Carbon-Free Kickoff with best-selling sustainability author Andrew Winston
  • 7:15 p.m.: optional small group dinners at Boulder restaurants with CEOs

Thursday, January 5, 2023

  • 8:45-9:30 a.m.: networking breakfast in atrium

 

  • 9:30-10:25 a.m.: sessions 1 and 2
      • “The Future of Food” with John Grubb of Summit Venture Management – ROOM 352
      • “The Market for Impact Jobs” with recruiters Diana Mercer of ForceBrands and Pam McCoy of Creative Alignments – moderated by John Helmers of CU Boulder’s Graduate Career Development Office – ROOM 217

     

  • 10:30-11:25 a.m.: sessions 3 and 4
      • “The Regenerative Revolution” with Gene Kelly of Colorado State University and organic pioneer Mark Retzloff – ROOM 352
      • Food Entrepreneurship panel with Ben Fenton of BFG Partners, Michele Burchfield of Blume Honey Water, Stephen Cowan of Beyond Microgreens and Paloma Lopez of Future Fit Foods – ROOM 217

     

  • 11:30-12:25 p.m.: sessions 5 and 6
      • “Logistics and Innovation” with Amy Kirtland of KeHE Distributors – ROOM 352
      • “Wind Energy in Practice” with Eric Lantz of National Renewable Energy Laboratory – ROOM 217

     

  • 12:30-1:15 p.m.: networking lunch in atrium

 

  • 1:15-2:30 p.m.: session 7
      • “The Generational Transfer of Well” with Jane Miller of Rudi’s, Paddy Spence of Zevia and founder of SPINS, and Terry Tierney of the Daiya Foods board – ROOM 225

     

  • 2:35-3:30 p.m.: sessions 8 and 9
      • “Funding Food, Ag and Sustainability” with Andy Whitman of Loft Growth Partners and Mindy Montgomery of CoBank – ROOM 225
      • “With Honest Tea and Just Ice For All” with Seth Goldman (remote), followed by small group Zoom session with Seth – ROOM 352

     

  • 3:30-3:45 p.m.: break

 

  • 3:45-4:40 p.m.: session 10
      • “From Soup to Nut Bars: Embedding Sustainability into Everything You Do” with Roma McCaig of Clif Bar – ROOM 225

     

  • 4:45-5:40 p.m.: sessions 11 and 12
      • “So You Want to Start a Clean Energy Business?” with Drew Torbin of Black Bear Energy – ROOM 217
      • “CPG Sustainability from Soil to Package” with Darcy Shiber-Knowles of Dr. Bronner’s  – ROOM 225

     

  • 5:40-6:30 p.m.: dinner
  • walk over to CASE Auditorium, 1725 Euclid Avenue in Boulder

 

  • 7:00 p.m.: keynote address by Stephen Ritz of Green Bronx Machine at CASE Auditorium

 

Friday, January 6, 2023

  • 8:45-9:30 a.m.: networking breakfast in atrium

 

  • 9:30-10:25 a.m.: session 14
      • “Finding That Inner Drive: The Latest in Autonomous Transportation” with Luke Schneider (remote) and Ellice Perez McIntosh (in person) of Refraction AI – ROOM 352

     

  • 10:30-11:25 a.m.: session 15
      • “In Pursuit of Circularity” with Jeannie Renne-Malone of VF Corporation (in person) and Jenn Blazejewski of Timberland (remote) – ROOM 352

     

  • 11:30-12:15 p.m.: sessions 16 and 17
      • “Packaging Solutions” with Sara Axelrod of Ball Corporation and Paloma Lopez of Future Fit Foods – ROOM 352
      • “The State of Sustainability” with Hunter Lovins of Natural Capitalism Solutions – ROOM 225

     

  • 12:15-1:00 p.m.: grab a sandwich in the atrium and then sessions 18 and 19
      • “The Celestial Story” with Mo Siegel, owners of Capital Peaks and founder of Celestial Seasonings – ROOM 352
      • “Changing the Narrative: Why Words Matter in the World of Climate Change” with LeeAnn Kittle of Denver Public Schools – ROOM 217
  • 1:00-1:45 p.m.: sessions 20 and 21
      • “2023 Outlook” by Doug Radi of Sweet Loren’s – ROOM 225
      • “The Fairphone Story” with circular economy innovator Sean Ansett – ROOM 352

     

  • 1:50-2:45: session 22
      • “10 Key Lessons to Help You Invent the Future” with Gary Hirshberg of Stonyfield Organic – ROOM 22

     

  • 2:45-3:15: wrap-up with Kathryn Wendell of Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility and Joe Dobrow of MBArk – ROOM 225

 

 

Here are the full agendas from MBArk2Boulder 2020 and 2019.