On May 19-21, Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Sustainable Business Incubator, in association with New Jersey Institute of Technology, and the Morris County Chapter of Society for Human Resource Management, will host its second Green Ventures Conference: “Jumpstarting the New Green Economy”.  Among the highlights of this year's Conference are keynote presentations of sustainability luminaries David Grant, President of Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. 

The conference features national sustainability experts along with more than 20 panels on the species extinction crisis, green entrepreneurship, corporate sustainability, government programs and policies. Edison Wetlands Association’s Dana Patterson will speak about environmental toxins during the “Green Chemistry” panel on Wednesday, May 20th at 10 a.m.

"Our speakers and panelists are all to be commended for their work in building bridges from the idea of a sustainable economy to the reality of one," said Jeana Wirtenberg, co-founder of FDU's Institute for Sustainable Enterprise. "I know that these green industry leaders will inspire conference attendees to grow a different sort of economy - one that is socially, environmentally, and economically more sustainable."

Other speakers include Carol McClelland, Founder and Executive Director of Green Career Central; Miriam Hawley, Business Coach and Sufficiency Expert; and Bob Willard, Author and Sustainability Expert. In addition, Philip LaRocco, retiring founder and chief executive of E+Co, will address dinner guests at the start of the conference awards dinner. 

Conference attendees will also be able to participate in any one of the seven "Action Learning Workshops" that address today's most pressing topics related to sustainable businesses, and the economy.  In addition to the extensive panel programming, attendees will be able to interact with dozens of exhibitors, participate in a green job seeker networking event and celebrate the achievements of New Jersey's sustainability leaders at the conference award dinner.

The conference will be held at FDU's College at Florham, 285 Madison Ave., Madison N.J., 07940. Registration for the Conference, which also includes workshops, panels, and a free expo and networking fair, is still open and available online at   http://www.jumpstartgreen.org .  Full conference access is $295 in advance or $325 at the door. Significant discounts are available for students and those with government, academic, or nonprofit credentials. For complete rates, visit the registration page. May 21 networking events are free and open to the public.