Local First announced the addition of Alice Jasper as its new sustainable business program manager. Jasper will lead Local First’s “Good For Michigan” programming and sustainability efforts in West Michigan and the Lakeshore.
“With the launch of Good For Michigan, we are excited to welcome Alice to our team to lead our efforts here in West Michigan and along the Lakeshore,” said Elissa Sangalli Hillary, Local First president. “Alice brings a passion for and deep understanding of sustainability and our commitment to using business as a force for good. Alice will work to engage more businesses across the region in Good For Michigan and mobilize companies that are already doing work to make a positive impact on people, the community and the environment.”
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Jasper moved to West Michigan after graduating from Northern Michigan University in 2012. She launched her career in sustainability as an agriculture program specialist for the Grand Rapids YMCA. In 2015, Jasper joined the Gilmore Collection as its director of sustainability where she designed and established a department to support social and environmental advocacy based on the B Corp model, and implemented programs based on the Triple Bottom Line framework. Following her role at the Gilmore Collection, Jasper joined the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance in 2017. There, she facilitated workshops and developed and implemented programs and strategies designed to dismantle barriers to social equity in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors of local economies.
“Having grown up in New York and attended school in the Upper Peninsula, I have always valued social and environmental advocacy in sustainability,” said Jasper. “The B Corp model is a powerful platform for mobilizing businesses to move beyond conversations and take action. I’m looking forward to using my new role to help businesses demonstrate their commitment to community and the environment.”
In Jasper’s new role, she will work with businesses in West Michigan and the Lakeshore to engage them in Good For Michigan and B Corp programs. She will also help encourage more companies to complete the full B Corp assessment and take steps towards becoming a certified B Corp. Jasper will also lead sustainability programs, including Measure What Matters workshops and mixers and assist with the Good For Awards, an annual ceremony that celebrates companies making a positive impact.
“Business can be used as a force for good and I’m looking forward to highlighting the positive impact B Corps and the Good For businesses have on local communities, and helping expand their influence across the state,” said Jasper.
Jasper serves on the board for the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum, serves on the IDEAL Committee for WMEAC and participates in “Shaping Narratives” with WGVU, which is a cohort of community leaders of color who are undergoing training to develop their own media platforms.
