SPEAKER: JEFFREY HOLLENDER (HOLLENDER SUSTAINABLE BRANDS)
Jeffrey Hollender is co-founder and former CEO of Seventh Generation, which he built into a leading natural product brand known for its authenticity, transparency, and progressive business practices. Hollender is currently the founder and CEO of Hollender Sustainable Brands, that developed and markets Sustain condoms, the first US brand of condoms that is certified to be first fair trade, free of chemicals of concern and sustainably produced. He is also Adjunct Professor of sustainability and social entrepreneurship at New York University. As an author, speaker, consultant, and activist, Hollender is a leading authority on corporate responsibility, sustainability, social equity, global health care, and population issues. His passion for changing the negative impact that business has on the environment and society is evident in each of his six books, including “The Responsibility Revolution: How the Next Generation of Businesses Will Win” (Jossey-Bass, 2010). At the same time, as a leader in social responsibility Jeffrey has been helping millions of Americans make green and ethical product choices, beginning with his best-selling title, “How to Make the World a Better Place: A Beginner’s Guide” (Quill, 1990). His most recent book, “Planet Home: Conscious Choices for Cleaning & Greening the World You Care About Most” (Clarkson Potter, 2010) guides consumers through the dizzying array of decisions they make each day, helping them understand which choices matter most and which have hidden repercussions. A born entrepreneur, Hollender’s first business ventures were in the field of education and publishing: the Skills Exchange in Toronto and Network for Learning in New York City. In 1985, after selling Network for Learning to Warner Publishing, a division of Warner Communications (now Time Warner), he was appointed president of the renamed firm, Warner Audio Publishing. In 1988, he acquired Renew America, a mail order catalog of green products, which eventually became Seventh Generation. His record of sustainable achievements and thought leadership is unparalleled in the business world. Hollender is on the board of Greenpeace US; Verité, a leading workers’ rights organization, and Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility. He is co-founder and co-chair of the American Sustainable Business Council, a coalition of business leaders committed to changing the rules of business and serves on the Kimberly-Clark and the Morgan Stanley Sustainability Advisory Boards. He divides his time between Charlotte, VT, and New York City.