Green Business Breakfast with Biomimicry New England
Sponsored by:
Eastern Bank, founded in 1818 and headquartered in Boston, is a top lender to small businesses. Eastern Bank advises both large and small businesses in all areas of finance, including capital markets activities, equipment leasing, cash management, commercial real estate, international trade and foreign exchange services. It has an active green team and holds a leading portfolio of local community organizations with environmental and social justice missions. The Foundation for a Green Future, Inc., the nonprofit producer of Boston GreenFest, is a proud Eastern Bank customer.
This year we will have a very special presentation by Biomimicry Specialist Mr. Peter Lawrence, President and Co-Founder of Biomimicry New England. This will take place at Boston City Hall on the morning of Friday, August 19, 2016. Peter will show how business can benefit by being inspired by nature.
From 1985 to 2014, Peter Lawrence was Chairman and Founder of the Corporate Design Foundation, whose mission was to improve the quality of life and the effectiveness of organizations through design. In 2001 he received the Teknion Humanitarian Award for the work of the Corporate Design Foundation. Prior to this he was Director of the Design Management Institute in Boston. From 1986 to 1997, he was a Lecturer at Boston University School of Management, and he has also taught design at Babson and UT Austin's School of Business. During 1982-84, he was a Lecturer at London Business School and served on the Advisory Board of the School's Design Management Unit. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Warren Center of the University of Sidney from 1986-87. He received a degree in economics from Lafayette College, and after serving as a Supply Officer in the U.S. Navy, he received a degree in architecture from Rhode Island School of Design. In 2011 he received an honorary Doctor of Arts from Kendal College of Art and Design.
The Biomimicry Institute defines Biomimicry as "an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature's time-tested patterns and strategies. The goal is to create products, processes, and policies-new ways of living-that are well-adapted to life on earth over the long haul." Therefore, the mission of Biomimicry New England is to establish nature and natural systems as an important resource for education and innovation in New England.
An example biomimicry brings to business is the relationship between the clownfish and anemone. This is a model for collaboration. Cited in the online encyclopedia of the Biomimicry Institute: "In a yet-to-be resolved biological mystery, clownfish have mucus on their skin that somehow protects them against the sting of their host anemone. As a result, the clownfish are able to stick near their host which is avoided by most other fish in the sea. The clownfish gets protection by hiding sting-free among the tentacles. If you remove the clownfish, large butterfly fishes will eat the anemone." (Roach 2003)
Join us for a wonderful breakfast, a chance to network, and an opportunity to learn about the ways nature can inspire you and your business to be more innovative and prosperous.
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