I have recently taken a new position as Senior Vice President at Eastwick Communications, a role that is only possible because of the Green MBA program. The Green MBA has significantly accelerated my career, facilitating my growth and confidence as I transitioned from manager, to director, to Senior Vice President, all while in the program. The courses, professors and readings have taught me the language of business coupled with the values that are important to me. The skills and vocabulary I learn in class are applied in my work every day.

Most families find it is a combination of resources--scholarships and grants as well as loans and family resources--that make college costs manageable.

Since scholarships and grants are gift aid that does not have to be repaid, they help to directly reduce your out of pocket expenses for higher education. Scholarships are based on merit or academic qualifications. Grants are based on financial need. Scholarship eligibility is reserved for new students entering the Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Education or Master of Science in Counseling Psychology programs (San Rafael campus only). All admitted students who have met the Priority Application Deadline for Admission, May 15, are automatically considered.

Two scoops of celery raisin ice cream? You won’t find that in the freezer case of the local supermarket, but it is among the eccentric flavors that are dreamed up at the Penny Ice Creamery (913 Cedar Street; 831-204-2523 thepennyicecreamery.com). The artisanal ice cream shop, that changes its menu daily, so you never know whether it will have familiar options like rum raisin and dark chocolate, or whether Kendra L. Baker, one of the owners, has come up something nutty, like black sesame ice cream or mandarin creamsicle. Ice cream isn’t what it used to be—or at least not around trendy Northern California. Just ask Kendra Baker, who grew up on 31 flavors but serves something altogether different at her Penny Ice Creamery, a sweet new shop on Cedar Street in Santa Cruz (831-204-2523, thepennyicecreamery.com). Her ever-changing menu features such flavors as English pea, fig leaf, and beet. The Penny Ice is the result of Chef Kendra L. Baker and business partner Zachary E. Davis’ combined efforts and passion for food.

On Friday, April 12th three winners were selected from the final six candidates in the Global Social Venture Competition at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley yesterday. Pulpworks, the Venture Greenhouse graduate venture that includes Paul Tasner, Elena Olivari and Green MBA student Sharon McKenna, was one of those winners, taking third place and a prize of $10,000. Since there were 650 venture teams that participated in GSVC, that places them in the top 1/2 of 1% globally.

When it comes to sustainability, consumers care about packaging. They can’t not. It’s the most in-your-face waste in the manufacturing process; it has inspired the plastic-free revolution of Beth Terry and others, and municipal bans on plastic bags. Consumer-products eco-darling Method made thousands of consumers aware of detergent-to-water ratios, and now a former Methodite is taking on one of the most toxic chemical made by humans: PVC.Paul Tasner left Method in 2009. A former supply chain manager for Clorox, he returned to consulting on supply chain management until 2010, when he got fascinated by the idea of closing the loop with recycled newsprint. “I loved the idea of creating packaging out of garbage,” he said, and with cofounder Elena Olivari,  PulpWorks, Inc. was born.

I am at a Startup Grind and the speaker is from Silicon Valley, California.  All of this is occurring at a hip business incubator where the dress code is casual and everyone stares mostly at their Apple Mac Book screens.  The second informational meeting of the day was also here with web-based entrepreneurs who talk of trips to meet with VC’s in Palo Alto.  Their story is a familiar one, of looking and hoping for investors.  Everyone speaks English while networking before the speaker begins and small talk includes reminiscing about college days in Boston.  Does this sound at all familiar?

Researchers at Dominican University in San Rafael are embarking on a study of ocean coral in hopes of saving the keystone species under threat from global warming.

As water temperatures have risen, the reef-building coral has struggled to stay alive in many areas. In some cases the coral — marine animals — have bleached white as they expel colorful algae living in their tissues under the stress of staying alive.

Across the globe, reefs that have proven resilient for thousands of years are in serious decline, degraded by over fishing, pollution, coastal development and warming ocean waters. And threats to coral are only expected to intensify as a result of climate change and ocean acidification due to greenhouse gases.

Now a Dominican University researcher is trying to determine if using shade to limit the light that hits coral could help nurture it back to good health.

The San Rafael Chamber of Commerce Education Committee recently selected educator, Professor John Stayton as one of the recipients of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Education Awards for 2012-2013. John is an Assistant Professor at Dominican University of California and Co-founder & Director of the Venture Greenhouse in San Rafael with twelve years experience in the education community. His outstanding contributions are Curriculum Improvement and Personal Involvement and Leadership. 

Dominican University of California has received a bronze level ranking in sustainability, according to the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

"This is an incredible accomplishment considering how rigorous and comprehensive this evaluation was," said Dr. Vania Coelho, faculty coordinator for Dominican's Center for Sustainability. "This rating is a clear testament to the commitment that our students, faculty and staff have shown over the years. Without support at all levels we would never have been able to achieve such a milestone."

Both undergraduates and graduates rarely get a room full of business CEOs all to themselves. At the Student & Entrepreneur Work Exchange it's the perfect time for entrepreneurial-minded students to interact with the brains of local start-ups; and what better way to do that than over a beer and a plate of tacos?

On the evening of January 24, students were introduced to various resident businesses at the Venture Greenhouse, and then paired with the one of their interest. The evening allowed students and business owners to put their heads together for two concentrated hours and research, discuss, or implement the top objectives of the company.