CORE Catalyst is a program that matches small teams of talented graduate students from Colorado universities with CORE member companies to jumpstart the sustainability process. Project teams consisting of four students perform a preliminary business sustainability assessment and recommend high-ROI action steps.

When is the next round? 

March 2012 - We are now recruiting companies for DU`s Daniels College of Business 

September 2012 - Next round at Leeds School of Business at CU Boulder  

If your company has at least 25 employees and is located in the Front Range from Ft. Collins to Colorado Springs, you could be an ideal candidate. All industries are welcome. The only cost to participate is to join CORE or renew your membership for 2 years. If you are interested, please email Catalyst@corecolorado.org.

Who are the past participants?

"Working with the DU`s Net Impact MBA students through the Catalyst Program on an internal sustainability assessment for our organization proved to be a win-win effort. It motivated us to put into place ideas we have accumulated over the past year, and conducting the B-Impact Assessment was a helpful tool and benchmark for gauging our impact and identifying areas of improvement. The students were extremely professional and organized and we really appreciated them volunteering their precious time to help us with this effort – they also seemed to learn a lot through the program!" Alison Culpen, McKinstry

"I believe the team really put intelligent thought and energy into this project. I enjoyed the personal time of getting to know the team as they are all exceptionally smart and professional. Based on this experience I would be proud to work next to all four of them on a team. They have collectively brought to MyChelle a stronger understanding of our CSR opportunity and the beginnings of an essential cog that turns in our business."

Kristine Carey, MyChelle Dermacuticals

"Throughout this project, I learned a lot about the real world application of sustainability in business.  CORE Catalyst introduced me to a lot of great people and served as a wonderful networking tool.  Overall this was a great experience and one I would highly recommend to other students."  - Ryan Morse, Daniels College of Business MBA candidate 

"My team thought the experience was tremendously helpful for us! Thank you (CORE) for your work organizing this program, it's been one of the best learning experiences I've had while pursuing my masters." - Christopher Barba, Leeds School of Business MBA Candidate 

Catalyst Project Description

Over a period of 8 weeks, CORE Catalyst project teams perform a baseline assessment across a diverse collection of sustainability metrics, depending on the business of the subject Company, that may include:

- all forms of energy use and related greenhouse gas emissions

- water use

- material efficiency and recycling

- employee engagement and employee equity issues

- community involvement and impacts

- stakeholder engagement

- company reputation and brand equity associated with sustainability

The teams use the widely respected B Impact Assessment and various GHG calculators to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Using this data, the Project Team develops one or more recommended actions for the Company based on potential cost savings, revenue enhancement, risk reduction and/or balance sheet enhancement. The Team seeks to prioritize the highest leverage actions.

The Final Report

The final report includes:

- Relevant statistics based on data gathered

- Recommended investment opportunities/actions for Company

- Information regarding potential rebates, tax benefits, or assistance in support of recommended actions

- Observed obstacles to sustainability within the Company

Resources Provided by Participating Companies

Company participants can be located anywhere in Colorado’s Front Range, from Ft. Collins to Colorado Springs. To ensure a productive Catalyst Project experience, Companies agree to:

- Provide a committed executive sponsor for the program

- Provide an accessible day-to-day point of contact

- Provide data (or work with Project Team to produce data), including energy use, water use
and aggregate employee data (specifics to be requested at project inception)

- Make relevant records and information available to the Team during the Project

- Ensure the Project Team has adequate support from relevant departments, such as Facilities, IT and
Purchasing

- Arrange a final presentation to senior executives of the Catalyst Project results

- Provide follow-on data regarding implementation of recommendations 6 and 12 months after the Project is
complete

- Join CORE for two years, or pay for a two-year extension to a current membership (there are no
other fees for the Catalyst project)

How Interns are Selected and Matched with Companies

The University of Denver Daniels College of Business, and the University of Colorado at Boulder Leeds School of Business are supplying student project teams to CORE Catalyst.

Catalyst interns are graduate students chosen for their ability to do technical and financial analyses, manage projects, and facilitate organizational change. They are chosen by Faculty Advisors and reviewed by CORE staff before assignment to a Company.

Where possible, preference is given to student members of Net Impact.

Matching: CORE works with Faculty Advisors, including Net Impact Advisors, to assemble teams of interns and make assignments to specific Companies. Considerations may include geographic proximity, business and educational experience, potential cultural fit, and specific needs of each Company.

Post-project Reporting

One of CORE's objectives is to demonstrate that sustainability is good business - it saves and/or makes money for companies. CORE staff will follow-up with the host companies to find out whether identified measures are implemented and the resulting financial impact. CORE will aggregate and report these outcomes from time to time. Companies may, at their option, become the subject of a CORE Success Story write-up on our website.

Any public statement about a specific Company must be approved in writing by the Company.

For more information, please contact Catalyst@corecolorado.org.