Barkwheats and MEBSR

[Barkwheats Dog Biscuits]

MEBSR (Maine Businesses for Social Responsibility) will be hosting a statewide Leadership Series throughout 2009 to spotlight various topics from entrepreneurship, climate change, buying locally, venture capital, etc. Many different topics to quench the small business's thirst for knowledge.

Barkwheats will be speaking at the lecture on Tuesday, February 24 from 4-6 at the Androscoggin Chamber of Commerce in Lewiston. The topic will be "Entrepreneurship and Social Responsibility: Partners in Prosperity" and will feature not only us, but Filebusters, a woman-owned business in Lisbon, and the pioneers of fair trade, Equal Exchange.

I'll be talking about how we started up Barkwheats , building in ideals of social and environmental responsibility from the very ground on up. I'll talk about how we have grown with the sole intent on making others' lives more fruitful, be it the farmers we work with or the dog owners whose lives are enhanced by virtue of having a healthier dog. I'll talk on our business model, what's worked and what hasn't, how we've used the internet in our marketing efforts, and our recent alliance with Sustainable Harvest International and working with family farmers that they support to grow our ginger.

There'll be lots of stuff to talk about, so if you're around, you must come down and see the presentations.