On November 12, 2019, Delta Institute’s associate board, the Delta Emerging Leaders, will host our annual BOOST event at Chop Shop in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. BOOST, now in its 8th year, showcases Chicago’s most innovative emerging entrepreneurs in sustainability. We are grateful to have philanthropic support from the local community through sponsors like Carbon Yield, a platinum sponsor for this year’s event. We talked with them to share more about their approaches to innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.
Our annual BOOST event showcases the most innovative emerging entrepreneurs in the local area. Why is entrepreneurship and innovation important to you/your organization?:
If it is true that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, then the only logical approach to reorienting our economy around climate justice is to try something fundamentally different. Carbon Yield believes entrepreneurship can allow us to generate new, inclusive, just approaches that are unburdened by, yet in conversation with, the status quo. We believe in supporting nimble, responsive, values-driven work that can respond to our biggest challenges and activate meaningful solutions.
What do you/your organization see as the biggest opportunities and barriers to improve and increase sustainability in the Chicago area?
What has always inspired me about climate action is that it provides an urgent opportunity for restorative justice. We are not just responding to a crisis, we also have a chance to do so in ways that create durable, equitable opportunities and overcome cultural barriers. Climate challenges exaggerate existing inequalities. Toxic lands and polluted air accelerate climate change but emerged in the first place from a history of economic and social exclusion. Climate responses hold the promise of reversing these dynamics. Carbon Yield is excited about opportunities to remake our energy system, rethink the way we use land, and collaborate with nature to not just stabilize our climate, but to heal our society.
Your sponsorship is helping support sustainability efforts in the Chicago region and greater Midwest. Are there other ways in which your business/organization is committed to sustainability?
Carbon Yield provides farmers the resources they need to align their operations with climate resilience and carbon sequestration. We are working to make it easier for farmers to get compensated for the environmental benefits they generate. We believe that the Midwest can be a leader in rebuilding soil in ways that mitigates climate change while producing healthier food, more resilient communities, and a better relationship with nature.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about why your business/organization decided to support BOOST and Delta Institute?
In many ways, my own entrepreneurial story has matured alongside BOOST. In partnership with an incredible group of collaborators, I helped found Boost about seven years ago as a co-chair of the DELs. I was excited to create a community where innovation was well supported, and where everyone felt their relationships, talents, and resources could advance promising ideas. I am thrilled to see all the progress and impact generated by our Boost alumni, but never realized that these relationships, that the ideas, feedback, and support I received along the way, would also propel my own enterprise. My volunteer experiences at Delta have provided an experiential crash course in regenerative agriculture, ecosystem services, and social entrepreneurship that has laid a foundation for Carbon Yield. I am thrilled to now serve as Vice Chair of Delta’s Board and be in a position to sponsor Boost and pay it forward to support the next generation of driven doers and entrepreneurs.
What else would you like to share with our supporters about your business/organization, and where can they go to learn more?
Sign up on our website, carbon-yield.com, to hear about our progress and support our mission of returning carbon to healthy, productive landscapes.
Thank you to Carbon Yield for supporting BOOST, and sustainability in Chicago!
Tickets are on sale now for $45, or the day of the event for $50. Purchase your tickets today!
Event details:
November 12, 2019 | 6pm-9pm
Chop Shop, 2033 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60647