About SBN

Jamie Gauthier, Executive Director

Jamie joined SBN in March 2013 as Executive Director. In this role, she is responsible for implementing policies set by the Board and for providing financial, programmatic, and administrative leadership to the organization.

Jamie has spent the balance of her career working with others to improve Philadelphia’s neighborhoods. Prior to joining SBN, she held the position of Program Officer with Philadelphia Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and collaborated extensively with community based organizations on community economic development initiatives designed to bring new life to communities. This work provided Jamie with an in-depth view of how important small, locally-owned businesses are as sources of goods, services, jobs, and vitality for neighborhoods as well as the region more broadly. As such, she was extremely excited to join SBN and to lead the organization forward in its goals of improving the quality of life in communities, serving socially-conscious businesses and shaping our region’s economy into one that is more local, just, and sustainable.

As with her professional work, Jamie’s volunteer work has been dedicated towards the empowerment of individuals and the betterment of local communities. She currently serves as Co-President of Garden Court Community Association (a civic association serving the community she resides in), and as a board member of both the 52nd Street CDC and Traveler’s Aid Family Services of Philadelphia.

Jamie holds a Masters degree in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania, and an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Temple University. Prior to her career in community and economic development, she worked in a financial capacity in the for-profit sector and is excited to bring those skills her position at SBN as well. Jamie is a resident of West Philadelphia. She is married to Luis Gauthier and is mother to two sons, Xavier 9, and Nathaniel, 5.
 

Anna Shipp, Project Coordinator, Business United for Conservation

Anna  joined SBN in January of 2013 as the Project Coordinator Business United for Conservation (BUC), an industry partnership for the advancement of green infrastructure and stormwater management. BUC was formed to address barriers to industry growth and keep leaders in green infrastructure ahead of changes in the marketplace.

Anna spends many hours volunteering for sustainability efforts in Philadelphia. She served on the Membership Committee of the South Philadelphia Food Co-op before being elected to the Board of Directors in May 2012. She has also volunteered for Friends of the Wissahickon’s Sustainable Trails Initiative.

Anna’s academic work has focused around urban sustainability and stormwater management efforts as well. She expects a Master’s of Environmental Studies Degree in 2013, and is currently a US Forest Service Sustainability Science Fellow.

Prior to joining SBN, Anna worked for several non-profits in Philadelphia doing youth development, workforce development, volunteer and internship coordination, and program coordination.

Anna also thoroughly enjoys being outdoors, going for long bike rides, gardening, cooking, and working on her South Philadelphia rowhome. Contact Anna.
 

Laila Coelho Reilly, Member Services Manager

Laila joined SBN in August 2011 and coordinates sales and marketing efforts to sustain and grow the SBN membership base. She manages and executes all e-communications including Members & Public Newsletters. Her personal goal as Member Services Manager is to support the growth of SBN’s broad business base through creative cross channel marketing solutions. She also has a technical lens and manages website administration and analytics.

Laila was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and moved to Philadelphia for educational opportunities in the US. She graduated from Drexel University in 2006 with a degree in International Business & Marketing. While in school, she spent her cooperative education job training at 610 WIP Sports Radio and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce in the Customized Projects Development Department. During her final year at Drexel, she recognized the growing US energy challenges and discovered her passion for renewables through her studies in biofuels and wind energy. Previously, she was a Program Manager, at Community Energy/Iberdrola Renewables, for utility green power programs in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

In her free time, she enjoys outdoor sports, cooking, travel (speaks Portuguese & Spanish, currently learning Italian) and actively volunteers with a neighborhood nonprofit Friends of Clemente. She is the CFO (Chief Fun Officer) of programming, fundraising, and special projects to better the Spring Garden/Fairmount communities. She was recently recognized for her efforts by Mayor Michael Nutter, with a Certificate of Appreciation for her leadership in SERVE Philadelphia and Deputy Mayor, Michael DiBerardinis as Parc Star for her contributions to Department of Parks & Recreation. Contact Laila.

Monica Rao, Operations and Finance Manager

Monica Rao joined SBN in June 2011 and works as the Operations and Finance Manager. She grew up in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Previously, she has worked on political campaigns, at a domestic violence non-profit organization, and at a small law firm in Bucks County. Monica graduated from Haverford College with a B.S. in Psychology in May 2010. At Haverford, she was involved in student government and their Committee for Environmental Responsibility to encourage the school administration to take on significant environmental goals, such as large scale composting and energy use reduction. Monica enjoys singing and currently is a member of the Bucks County Choral Society. Contact Monica.

Iola Harper (Senior Director, The Acceleration Group)

Iola Harper is a nationally recognized, award-winning advocate for small businesses and urban neighborhoods. As the Executive Director of the Sustainable Communities Initiative-West, she works on the ground with West-Philadelphia based Community Development Corporations, Institutions, residents and business owners to craft strategies and implement programs designed to restore economic health, safety, and vitality to West Philadelphia. Iola has spent close to two decades working with countless economic and business development agencies, always with one goal in mind – to level the playing field for disadvantaged businesses and urban neighborhoods. She has worked with organizations including: The Temple University Small Business Development Center, Mt. Airy USA, The Women's Opportunities Resource Center, The Women's Business Development Center, and The Enterprise Center, The City of Philadelphia and Main Street New Jersey, just to name a few.

Iola served as Senior Legislative Aide and Economic Development Director for Philadelphia Councilman Wilson Goode Jr. In that role she planned and implemented one of the City's first job fairs for ex-offenders. Her success working with not only small businesses, but in urban neighborhoods garnered the attention of former Governor Edward Rendell when she was named one of Pennsylvania's to 50 Women in Business. Her work drew a national spotlight several years ago when she was honored by Hector Barreto, former Administrator of the Small Business Administration as one of the Nation's top small business advocates.

Susan Firestone (SiwThaiSilk, Yardley, PA)

Co-Chair

Susan Firestone is CEO and founder of Siw Thai Silk, managing the company's operations and design development. Siw Thai Silk, Inc. works exclusively with village artisans in Thailand to design and manufacture its high-end line of hand-crafted home furnishings accessories. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, the company offers products made from hand-woven silk, natural fibers, and other textiles, operating under fair trade practices.

Firestone has over 20 years of international management and finance experience, as well as a lifelong love of handcrafted textiles and international design. A frequent traveler to Thailand, Susan has developed a cadre of creative and manufacturing resources in a number of village co-ops. She maintains a strong commitment to both the artisans who create Siw Thai Silk's handcrafted products and to the customers who purchase them.

Leslie Benoliel (Entrepreneur Works, Philadelphia, PA)

Co-Treasurer

Leslie H. Benoliel is Executive Director of Entrepreneur Works, a non-profit microenterprise development organization that provides comprehensive business training, counseling and microloans to entrepreneurs in low income, minority and other underserved communities throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. Combining over 30 years banking and community development experience, Leslie has built Entrepreneur Works into an effective, nationally-recognized microfinance and development organization. Her key accomplishments include: having served more than 3,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners, raising over $15 million in operating and loan capital, advancing over 360 microloans totaling $1 million and successfully implementing several national microenterprise initiatives bringing new corporate resources to invest in the region’s entrepreneurial community: Hewlett Packard Microenterprise Project, Covad Broadband Entrepreneur Program, Prudential’s Young Entrepreneur Program, and, most recently, Starbucks Create Jobs for USA initiative. In addition to EW, Leslie currently serves on the boards of the Pennsylvania Microenterprise Coalition and the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia. In January 2013, she was appointed by Mayor of Philadelphia to the Mayor’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity. Ms. Benoliel has a BA from the University of Vermont and an MBA in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two teenage sons.

Elizabeth Babson (Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Philadelphia, PA)

Secretary

Elizabeth is an Associate in Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP’s Corporate and Securities and Benefit Corporations and Corporate Sustainability Practice Groups. She works closely with SBN partner B Lab, providing pro bono services and working on policy issues related to sustainable businesses, including drafting legislation for a new type of corporation for socially conscious businesses called a benefit corporation. Elizabeth’s practice also includes representation of public and private clients in a variety of corporate and securities matters, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, venture capital investing, financing, corporate governance, ongoing compliance with federal securities laws and general business counseling. Elizabeth is actively involved in the community, coordinating fundraising efforts at her firm for SBN, the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’s annual “Women in the Workforce” event and Career Wardrobe.

Gabriel Mandujano (Wash Cycle Laundry, Philadelphia, PA)

Gabriel Mandujano is currently the owner of Wash Cycle Laundry, a sustainable, bicycle-driven laundry service that began earning revenue in October 2010. Wash Cycle Laundry uses bicycles and other green wash technologies to decrease the environmental impact of doing laundry, and is seeking to become a "launching pad" for vulnerable adults into upwardly-mobile career paths. Previously, Gabriel was the Manager of Strategic Alliances for the Center for Sustainable Transport in Mexico City, where he was responsible for building external partnerships with other national and international NGOs, Mexican government agencies, international development agencies, and international foundations. In Philadelphia, Gabriel was the Executive Director of the Enterprise Center Community Development Corporation, where he led a neighborhood planning process for Walnut Hill by creating the Walnut Hill Street Team, an outreach mechanism that has received regional recognition. He also led the initial phases of the program and architectural design for the Center for Culinary Enterprises, a food incubator and small business development project.

Lee Meinicke (Philly Compost, Inc, Philadelphia, PA)

Co- Chair

Founder and President of the Mid-Atlantic region’s only woman-owned organics recycling business, Philly Compost, Lee was raised in Portland, Oregon, and has her MBA in Sustainable Business from Bainbridge Graduate Institute near Seattle. She’d like to think that West Coast sensibility is responsible for her commitment to the triple bottom line approach to business. From her 20 years’ experience in the non-profit sector, Lee brings staff and board skills gained in environmental conservation, social justice and religious organizations. Her expertise includes organizational management and development, operations systems and improvements, and program evaluation. Lee serves as Treasurer for the Unitarian Society of Germantown and as a Board Member of Green in Chestnut Hill.
 

Mark Mills (The Metropolis Group and Lovers & Madmen Coffee Lounge, Philadelphia, PA)

Mark is the owner of The Metropolis Group, a real estate development company, as well as Lovers & Madmen Coffee Lounge in University City. Mark graduated from Temple Law and worked with Allan Domb and Pennrose Properties before launching his own company in 2003. Through The Metropolis Group, Mark has developed properties in University City with a focus on maintaining human scale and integrating the existing community and the student population. As an extension of this neighborhood vision, Mark opened Lovers & Madmen in 2009. Lovers & Madmen is also committed to serving the community and supporting local purveyors with sustainable practices and missions.
 

William Reddish (Gensis Group, Philadelphia, PA)

Co-Treasurer

William R. Reddish, III served as President for the Building Industry Association (BIA) of Philadelphia from 2005 – 2007. The Building Industry Association is the leading association promoting residential development and construction in the City of Philadelphia. The organization is a powerful advocate for the residential building industry at all levels of government and has taken the lead in working with the City of Philadelphia to create a more transparent and efficient construction and development approval process.

In 1989, Mr. Reddish began working at the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, in their Accounting Department. Within three years, he was promoted to Manager for the department in addition to being involved in marketing, capital investment planning, retirement planning and Human Resources.

Mr. Reddish was the Director of Development for the Philadelphia Housing and Development Corporation, (PHDC) from 1994-1996. He was responsible for developing public and privately funded single and multi-family housing units throughout the City of Philadelphia. Mr. Reddish was directly involved in the Mother Dabney Project, 10th & Memorial Project and the Ludlow Phase I Housing Development.

Currently Mr. Reddish is the President of G2 Inc. As President, his main responsibilities consist of daily management of the residential and commercial construction projects which include: single-family housing, special needs and multi-family development.

Sarah Van Aken (SA VA Division of S.V.A. Holdings Corporation, Philadelphia, PA)

Sarah Van Aken is the C.E.O and Founder of S.V.A. Holdings Corporation, an ethical & vertically integrated private label apparel business located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With a strong educational and industry background in design, apparel and business management Sarah Van Aken founded the company in 2005. By 2008, she had two successful clothing brands that were manufactured in a proprietary factory in Bangladesh. As the industry, economy and her life changed in 2008, Sarah began to envision a new type of apparel company, one that was socially responsible. Considering all aspects of sustainability including: How and by whom garments are made; What they are made with; Carbon footprint reduction; Considered design; And community impact.
Ms. Van Aken resides in Philadelphia. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Art from the University of Delaware and has a background in garment sourcing and production in New York City. She is currently a Designer Critic for Kent State University and Virginia Commonwealth. She has recently been awarded the "Community Impact Award" from the Women's Opportunity Resource Center; and The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce's "Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2012".
 

Paul Spiegel (Practical Energy Solutions, West Chester, PA)

Paul is President of Practical Energy Solutions of West Chester, PA, which he co-founded in March of 2006. The company works with businesses, schools, and municipalities to help the people that manage and occupy the buildings assess the energy consumption, and implement programs and strategies to reduce their energy costs and their environmental footprint. PES is a certified “founding” B-Corporation, and is a member of the Sustainable Business Network of Philadelphia.
Paul has nearly 30 years of experience in engineering, construction, and energy services, is a licensed professional engineer, a LEED AP, and has a degree in Economics from the University of Delaware. He is an adjunct Civil Engineering Professor at Temple University, and serves on the Westtown School Sustainability committee, the board of the Smart Energy Initiative, and on the Programs Committee for the DVGBC. He is also a senior member of the Association of Energy Engineers.
 

Charlie Szoradi (GreenandSave.com, Wayne, PA)

Charlie Szoradi brings multiple decades of hands on experience to the culture of sustainable living and cost-savings for property design and remodeling. He focuses on ‘high performance’ architecture, and in the early 90s, he wrote his Masters of Architecture thesis on sustainable design, entitled ‘Eco-Humanism’. He is a LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - Accredited Professional), a Certified Building Performance Institute (BPI) Energy Auditor, and he has taken an eco-leadership role at the national and regional level. In 2009, Charlie was elected to the Board of the Sustainable Business Network and selected as a member of the Green Economy Task Force, with direct participation on the Capitol Hill Delegation. Charlie is the founder and President of GREENandSAVE, which was chosen as one of the finalists of the Sustainability Awards, and he also serves as the Chief Instructor of the company’s Eco Academy. From the cover profile of Inventors Digest Magazine to the Energy Expert for US Magazine, Charlie has simply dedicated his career to green innovation.

Judy Wicks (White Dog Cafe, Philadelphia, PA) - Founder

Judy Wicks founded the White Dog Café on the first floor of her Philadelphia row house in 1983. As the restaurant grew, so did her notion that the strength of her business relied upon the quality of its locally grown ingredients. Envisioning how strengthening relationships among independent, community-rooted enterprises could inspire profound social change, she founded the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia in 2001, and co-founded the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies that same year. Judy also founded Fair Food, dedicated to building a local food system in the Philadelphia region. In 2009, she sold the White Dog through a unique agreement that preserves local, independent ownership and maintains sustainable business practices, including buying from local farmers, composting and using renewable energy. Judy releases her memoir, Good Morning, Beautiful Business, in March 2013.