Vermont Business for Social Responsibility Annual Conference
2025-05-08 | Hula Lakeside, 50 Lakeside Avenue, Burlington, VT, 05401, United States
For 35 years, VBSR has brought together thought leaders and changemakers for provocative conversations, making VBSR’s Annual Conference one of Vermont’s largest and most anticipated business events. For our businesses, our communities, our economy, and our planet, we must be willing to bridge differences and divides, empower leadership across our organizations, embrace the intelligence of nature, and stand – courageously – by our values. Our innovation, momentum, and unity = our RESILIENCE.
Featured speakers include Mike Pieciak, Vermont State Treasurer; Margot Phillips, Burton; Jen Kimmich, The Alchemist; and Michael Dupee, Sustainable Brands. Join the day for an inspiring Keynote Conversation, facilitated dialogues, interactive sessions focused on the leading-edge of business social, environmental, and economic impact, and unique, values-aligned experiences, including plenty of opportunities for levity and connection in Hula’s beautiful space.

Breakfast Workshop: Strengthening Outdoor Business Agility in Changing Times
2025-05-14 08:00 - 09:30 (America/New_York) | Bolton Valley Resort, 4302 Bolton Access Road, Bolton Valley, VT, 05477, United States
Over the first 100 days of the Trump Administration, Vermont outdoor businesses and organizations have been assessing impacts from changes related to tariffs, reduced Canadian and international visitation, consumer spending, federal grant cuts, reduced access to recreation places, and workforce reductions within the federal government and AmeriCorps.
Register to join this workshop for networking, education, and technical assistance to support the outdoor sector on a range of topics from trade, tourism, and business decision making to financing and funding options, customs, legal, and human resources advice, and marketing analysis.
A panel discussion offering guidance and resources will be followed by topical small group and 1:1 sessions.
PRESENTERS

Mike Pieciak, Vermont State Treasurer
Heather Pelham, Commissioner, Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing
Tammy Flanders Hetrick, Senior Consulting Coordinator, A.N. Deringer
Chris D’Elia, President and Treasurer, Vermont Bankers Association
Nicole Killoran, Director, Vermont Small Business Law Center, Vermont Law and Graduate School
Peter Sampson, Chief Lending Officer, Vermont Economic Development Authority

ADVISORS

TJ Whalen, General Partner and Managing Director, FreshTracks Capital
Lawrence Miller, Senior Advisor-Mission Investments, Vermont Community Foundation
Dave Schmidt, Founder, 45 North
Bill Supple, LLC, Founder
Sasha Dietschi-Cooper, Founder, Method Outdoor Collective
Dan Lyons, Managing Director, HR Services, The Richards Group
John Young, Director, Vermont Training Program, Vermont Department of Economic Development
Noragh Devlin, Advisor, Capital Innovation Lab

Register if you are an outdoor business or organization seeking:

Information and new industry relationships;
Guidance and tools for business and organizational planning;
Financing strategy and funding options to navigate working capital and grants; and,
Marketing approaches to tap shifts in consumer purchasing and visitation.

AGENDA
8:00 – 8:10 Coffee and networking
8:10 – 8:30 Expert panel
8:30 – 8:50 Audience discussion
8:50 – 9:10 Small group and 1:1 sessions
9:10 – 9:30 Continuation of sessions or general networking
VOBA’s Federal Impacts on Vermont Outdoor Businesses Report includes stories and recommended problem-solving areas for the state, service providers, funders, and the industry:

Support business technical assistance to aid business and organizational planning;
Provide flexible financing options and funding to navigate working capital;
Market local businesses and outdoor destinations to tap shifts in consumer behavior;
Organize networking opportunities for relationship building, collaboration, and learning;
Lean into outdoor recreation as a source of participation, health and wellbeing; and,
Stay the course on investments in recreation, and conservation, and accessibility as the underpinning of the state’s future outdoor economy.

Other resources include:

Federal impact report from the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative
USMCA resources from Vermont’s Congressional Offices
Tariff resources from the Vermont Department of Economic Development
Vermont Small Business Development Center’s Business Agility Guide

This event is free to VOBA Members and $15 for Non-Members.

Brown Bag: Female Founders with CORI Fund
2025-05-15 12:00 - 13:30 | Do North Coworking, 930 Broad Street, Second Floor, Lyndonville, Vermont, 05851, United States
Women and non-binary founders, investors, and the business-curious are warmly invited to join impact investor and Green Mountain Accelerator Fund manager Melissa Merkel-Dallaryan for an informal exchange of experiences and community building among women and non-binary founders, investors, and startup community champions in the NEK. Bring a brown bag or enjoy delicious food from Mosaic. Lite fare and refreshments provided.

You’re Invited: NEK Chamber Mixer
2025-05-15 16:30 - 18:00 | Brett Gale State Farm Insurance, 1033 Broad Street, Lyndonville, VT, United States
Join the NEK Chamber and regional leaders for their first-ever Chamber Mixer, hosted by Brett Gale State Farm Insurance at their beautifully renovated office:
1033 Broad Street, Lyndonville
Thursday, May 15 | 4:30–6:00 p.m.
Enjoy light refreshments, door prizes, and meaningful connections with fellow NEK business professionals.
Don’t forget to bring your business card for a chance to win a prize!
RSVP by May 12 to: nekinfo@nekchamber.com

Game Night
2025-05-21 17:30 - 19:30 | Do North Coworking, 930 Broad Street, Second Floor, Lyndonville, Vermont, 05851, United States
Join us for a relaxed and welcoming evening of board games and the like at Do North Coworking! Members Kat and Kyle host a relaxed evening of fun for game players of all experience levels. Got a game you love? Bring it to share!

Vermont Employee Ownership Center - 23rd Annual Conference
2025-05-30 | Doubletree by Hilton – Burlington
For 22 years the Vermont Employee Ownership Center has organized an annual employee ownership conference. It is one of a handful of conferences specifically about employee ownership in the nation and is one of few that bring both worker cooperatives and ESOP companies into a shared space to learn from one another and build community.
Other attendee groups include business owners ready to learn about selling a business to its employees, professionals who support employee-owned businesses at the point of conversion and beyond, and still others interested in employee ownership for academic, political, or social reasons. The benefits of employee ownership continue to have broad appeal, and the VEOC conference remains a critical meeting point for all involved in shaping a more prosperous future here in the Northeast.
