This semester, I engaged my Rutgers Business School students on a team project to learn about sustainability innovations that companies are making - I loved the results.   First, it was quite exciting to learn about companies that are innovating for global good. For example: TerraCycle, a young company "Eliminating the Idea of Waste® by recycling the non-recyclable. Whether it's coffee capsules from your home, pens from a school, or plastic gloves from a manufacturing facility, TerraCycle can collect and recycle almost any form of waste." Read the story written by my students here.       Image: Living its mission, TerraCycle uses recycled materials in its offices.   Green Point Juicery, an organic juice bar in Verona, New Jersey, promoting a healthy diet through its products, serving their products in biodegradable cups and straws, composting at a local farm, collecting and donating organic waste. Read my students' story here.       Image: Green Point's juicing leftovers get carefully inspected by deer before being composted. Source: Instagram   Earth Friendly Products, a manufacturer of detergents derived from replenishable resources, never tested on animals at carbon-neutral plants.       Image: My students with managers at Earth Friendly Products.   Other stories published included about: The Body Shop and ShopRite. All exciting stories about how business is making a positive impact locally and globally!   Second, students loved the experience. They wrote:   "Before working with my group to do this project, I gave very little thought to sustainability. After working on this and learning of TerraCycle, the idea of sustainability is at the forefront of my mind."   "After learning more in depth of Earth Friendly Products innovations, we were inspired to be more green conscious. We realized how the smallest change in our day to day decisions can drastically impact our health and, most importantly, our planet."   "We are grateful for the opportunity of visiting and touring Earth Friendly Products' plant located in Parsippany, NJ. We were honored to meet and interview top management and employees, which helped us to understand the company better by receiving feedback from the primary sources. After working so closely as a team, it helped us develop a stronger sense of leadership and a better understanding on how to work within a group in a formal business setting. This project helped us gain significant insight into the process in which innovations are put into action through dedication and vision. We believe that this experience has had a positive impact both personally and professionally."   "The AIM2Flourish assignment was an unforgettable and thought-provoking experience. Since the initiation from searching for a company to making the connection of the United Nations Global Goals, it was all educational. After finding the company, we wondered how responsive the company would be. However, it all worked out great. Our team learned so much about the industry, and the company's staff was so friendly and hospitable. A new inspiration we learned from this experience is not to be wasteful. The innovator gave us insight that you can take something old and make something new out of it."   I am excited about our partnership with Aim2Flourish, the platform that inspired the project. It was truly and opportunity to "connect students with business innovators using Appreciative Inquiry to celebrate business innovations aligned with the UN Global Goals."   Special thanks to the companies who opened their doors to our student teams!   #sustainability #innovation #business #education