Lessons Learned on Brief Case Presentations

I really appreciated the Brief Case presentations; I left the class with a sense of optimism, excited to see how sustainability trends like the ones discussed will continue to expand. Mainly as a senior, it sparked excitement over how my graduating class will soon be joining the workforce to continue the mission of broadening sustainability. This course has elucidated my peers' passion for sustainability, which is an exciting and powerful force. With this being said, I have 2 big lessons learned from the Brief Case Presentations.

1. More companies are embracing missions other than maximizing profit; they are placing more profound value on sustainability.

Overall, more and more companies are placing a higher value on sustainability. As somewhat of a cynic, I am often inclined to believe that some companies assume a sustainability role to adhere to government regulations or appease a growingly sustainable conscious consumer group. However, this particular class challenged my cynicism and excited me, showing that some companies make meaningful commitments to sustainability. It showed "The Third Generation Corporation" idea of making meaning through purpose and the money following. The Openairlines group particularly informed me about the legal bounds to sustainability by gaining Certified B Corporation status.

Following the presentation, Professor Luchs explained this certificate further. The Certified B Corporation status serves almost as a check to the legal obligation of maximizing profits. While they certainly have the legal obligation to pursue profits, they also have the legal obligation to consider the ramifications that their actions pose across a broad scale: workers, customers, suppliers, community, and environment. It is inspiring to see companies openly engaging in this certificate to promote healthier decisions. Moreover, I think this directly relates to "The Third Generations Corporation" when it discusses no inherent conflict between financial and societal performance. By committing to be a Certified B Corporation, Openairlines tells itself and the world that it can simultaneously perform well in economic and societal contexts. This is incredibly powerful!

2. Companies have the potential to redefine societal norms in ways that promote sustainability. 

Furthering the optimism, I was excited at how companies can redefine societal norms in sustainability efforts. Working on our group project, Finely brought up the interesting point that Too Good To Go is redefining what "waste" means. The food that Too Good to Go offers is food that historically would be thrown out. There is a norm that perceives food that has been out too long as undesirable. For example, the Dunkin Donuts TikTok that the other Too Good To Go group showed showcased an alarming amount of food waste. They dumped sheet after sheet of donuts into the garbage can until it was nearly complete. There was nothing inherently wrong with the donuts other than that they were out until closing.

It was personally troubling to see this because I volunteer at a food pantry throughout the semester. This food pantry receives community donations and grocer donations that did not sell in the store. It is regrettable to see the limited stock that the food pantry has when restaurants, such as the Dunkin Donuts example, waste so much food. Thus, Too Good To Go was a fascinating discovery. Too Good To Go puts that food into the hands of consumers rather than inside the trash can. There are positive ramifications across multiple scales; this food is being saved from the landfill, food is better able to reach food insecure populations, restaurants can cover cost-productions. The list goes on. This company presents people a product channel they have not thought of but offers genuine value in such a way that promotes sustainability. It is exciting to see what this culturally represents; people are more receptive to extending the life of food by buying food that usually would be thrown into the trash. 

Overall, I really appreciated all of the fantastic companies my peers chose to present on. It is an exciting look towards the future as we see the proliferation of sustainability-driven actions in businesses.