Today’s college students are tomorrow’s managers of our businesses, households, nonprofits, and communities.  They will soon be making decisions that affect our world’s critical systems. Manomet is working hard to ensure these students leave school with a deeper understanding of how to make more sustainable and environmentally-responsible choices both at home and in their future careers.

 

Manomet is proud to have presented its first ever “Next Generation” Award Scholarship to Nick Masiello, a junior Business Administration major from University of Vermont.  The award was the culmination of Manomet’s U360 program this semester, an experiential internship designed to deepen college students’ understanding of sustainability and small business management.  The winner was selected by a panel of judges who are dedicated to advancing small business sustainability including Jed Davis, Director of Sustainability, Cabot Creamery Co-operative; Rich Grogan, State Director, New Hampshire Small Business Development Center; and Quincy Miller, President, Eastern Bank.

 

From left to right: Quincy Miller, President, Eastern Bank; John Hagan, President, Manomet; Nick Masiello, University of Vermont; Rich Grogan, State Director, NHSBDC; Jed Davis, Director of Sustainability, Cabot Creamery Co-operative and Dean Steeger, Manomet Board Chair and B. R. Alexander & Co., Inc.

 

“Manomet’s goals of helping to reduce the environmental impacts of the small business sector and training the next generation on practical sustainability were certainly met tonight.  We can all feel hope that we’ve ‘passed the torch’ to the future managers of our world’s critical systems,” said Manomet President John Hagan. “Manomet is proud to be providing sustainability tools to the people who can make change happen today and tomorrow.”

 

Nearly 100 people were in the audience as Masiello presented his sustainability plan for a ski mountain resort in the Northeast. Masiello applied for the U360 internship “with hopes that it would teach me how small businesses could create a more sustainable business model.” Edie Allard, Junior, Journalism & Sustainability, University of New Hampshire (presentation on a magazine in the Northeast); and Leah Soloway, Junior, Environmental Studies & Business Administration, University of New England (presentation on a bowling alley in New England) came in second and third, respectively.

 

 

“Ultimately, this was a celebration of youth and sustainability,” said Jed Davis, Director of Sustainability, Cabot Creamery Cooperative.  “It was incredibly hard to pick the winner—all of the students were clearly immersed in a quality program and demonstrated research skills, creative thinking about business and sustainability, and the social skills to present their findings eloquently.  It’s hard not to look at these kids and see hope.”

 

“I’m so impressed by each student’s ability to connect sustainability and the triple bottom line with the success of small business owners.  Their insight into how to drive sustainability really hit all of the core levels of success for a small business—employee engagement, efficiency, targeted revenue opportunities—and tied them together with how to sustainably support our environment and future generations to come,” added Quincy Miller, President of Eastern Bank.  “Eastern Bank is thrilled to have played a part in supporting these students, Manomet and U360.”

 

“It was humbling to watch students this engaged in sustainability and small business,” concluded Rich Grogan, State Director, New Hampshire Small Business Development Center. “Manomet is a rare organization for the thoughtfulness they demonstrate by connecting with  organizations, like us and others, that focus on small businesses to engage with their tools.”

 

U360 students learn how sustainability principles can be applied to the small business model by working directly with business owners from around the U.S. In this way, U360 creates full-circle learning between seasoned business professionals and the next generation of sustainable entrepreneurs. “It’s great to see the results of innovative thinking on Manomet’s part and for one of our programs to create opportunities for both students and small business,” noted Manomet Board Chair Dean Steeger, President, B. R. Alexander & Co., Inc. “This program also helps Manomet reach new audiences.  I greatly appreciate Eastern Bank sponsoring the event.”