Press Release
Sustainable Brands ’12 Announces the 4th Annual SB Innovation Open, a Contest for Sustainable Start-ups

Seeking New Companies to Showcase their Revolutionary Innovation at Sustainable Brands ’12 Conference in San Diego CA, June 4-7, 2012 SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., March 6, 2011 – Sustainable Brands ‘12 today officially opened the fourth annual Sustainable Brands Innovation Open (SBIO) and announced it is seeking applications from start-ups in two broad areas: Idea Stage for self or family-funded entities with a solid business plan and limited operational experience; and Early Stage for companies currently operating with less than $1 million in outside capital. The conference is seeking entries that showcase heretical innovation and socially-conscious businesses with either a consumer product or B2B solution that helps companies achieve their goals towards creating more sustainable brands. Expecting more than 100 applicants, ten finalists will be selected to participate in this year’s SBIO, will receive free admission to the conference and an opportunity to both display at the conference and pitch to attendees -- including a global live-stream audience. Additionally, SBIO finalists will present their company’s offering to a group of social investors, executives from leading companies, top brand consultants and peers. The winning company will receive significant visibility, strategic support and recognition from this influential community of brand and thought leaders. The SBIO winners will be selected by a panel of sustainability and brand experts, including Phil Giesler, Director of Innovation at Unilever Corporate Ventures, Kate Heiny, Manager of Sustainability at Target, Olivia Khalili, Senior Partnerships Manager at Ashoka's Changemakers, Renée Morin, President or PRé North America, Inc., Rahul Raj, Director of Sustainability at Walmart.co, William B. Rosenzweig, Partner at Physic Ventures, Sandy Skees, CEO at Communications4Good, KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, CEO of Sustainable Brands, Andrew Winston, Founder of Winston Eco-Strategies, and Ian Yolles, Chief Sustainability Officer at Recyclebank. The winning company will receive a free pass to SB’13, consultancy time with investors, designers and communications professionals as well as other prizes to be revealed at the conference. “SBIO showcases an amazing diversity of the entries that all contribute to positive change,” said KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, CEO of Sustainable Brands. “ SBIO gives ten emerging companies a platform to showcase their early stage company and build a network of supporters that can accelerate their route to market. For those investors or investment funds inside larger companies, SBIO is a perfect place to get in on the ground floor with some of the most interesting and effective new business models, products and services that will be tomorrow’s game changers.” Applicants should submit a one-page executive summary that includes the company description, sustainability focus, market opportunity and details about the business formation, competition, sales strategy and financials by the April 23rd, 2012 deadline. For specific information and to submit your application online, please visit www.sbinnovationopen.com. SBIO is sponsored by PRé Consultants, a leading company providing best-in-class knowledge and experience in sustainability metrics and life cycle thinking. PRé works with leading businesses to provide long term solutions that benefit the bottom line by delivering an integrated approach for measuring, managing and improving product and supply chain sustainability performance.