The ‘green’ movement across the globe isn’t just about government policies and individual choices, it is growing as a concern among small and large companies.

Local business representatives, students, faculty and staff met for breakfast recently to learn more about sustainability in the business world. The program ‘Getting Green by Going Green,’ presented by First Data, was hosted by the University of Colorado Denver Business School and the school’s Managing for Sustainability Program, and was held in the Lawrence Street Center, Terrace Room.

The Business School at the University of Colorado Denver offers the largest sustainability business program in Colorado, with an average of 250 enrollments each semester. To pursue the specialty, students can enroll in four of eight different courses offered as electives. The courses emphasize business-related aspects of sustainability such as accounting, project management, and marketing.

The Getting Green by Going Green program was moderated by business professional Graham Russell who also is an adjunct lecturer in the Business School and a member of the Advisory Council for the Business School’s sustainability program.  Panelist Elizabeth Seeger of the private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Company (KKR) joined the conversation from Washington, D.C., via video conference.  Also joining the conversation was First Data Foundation’s Ellen Sandberg, vice president of community relations. First Data, a leader in providing electronic payment infrastructure, is owned by KKR and is part of its ‘Green Portfolio Program.’