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At the beautiful and historic El Encanto hotel, a reception and black-tie dinner held Sept. 18 by the World Business Academy honored three inspirational individuals for their dynamic efforts to enrich the community of Santa Barbara and beyond.
Sara Miller McCune, founder and president of SAGE Publications and Pacific Standard magazine, received the organization’s Responsible Business Award. David Crosby, legendary musician and environmental activist, was presented the Community Empowerment Award. Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of the Ocean Futures Society, environmentalist and film producer, also was honored. Board member Charles Vinick accepted the Environmental Stewardship Award for Cousteau, who was unable to attend.
The World Business Academy is a nonprofit organization that honors the efforts of individuals who are committed to a different way of thinking about the world and have the willingness to “Take Responsibility for the Whole,” a core tenet of the academy and its president and founder, Rinaldo Brutoco. The WBA tagline is, “Sharing the Vision, Building the Network, Healing the Planet.”
Major sponsors included The Chopra Foundation, Tailored Brands, Garlic Gold, the Life Mastery Institute, the SBCC Foundation, Schley Look Guthrie & Locker LLP, Michael Rees, Ellipz Lighting, the Kind World Foundation, Deirdre Hade and Will Arntz, and Blaine Bartlett.
Event coordinator Judi Weisbart told Noozhawk, “We are well on our way to raise our goal of $300,000 today. Before the event began, we raised $150,000 in sponsorships!”
The event featured a welcome address by event emcee and auctioneer Geoff Green, live music by Leslie Lembo and George Friedenthal, and remarks by presenters Rinaldo Brutoco, Matt Renner and Jerry Brown. The gala dinner menu included halibut, black quinoa risotto, grilled vegetables, potato-fennel mash and Peruvian herb sauce, followed by dessert and coffee on the terrace.
Eight days at the House of Peace Hale Maluhia in Hawaii started the bidding going at the live auction, garnering $8,000 for the charity. A gourmet dinner for 10 prepared by Le Cordon Bleu Chef Michael Rees, who was present at the event, sold twice for $5,000 each. Original artwork by Tom Henderson and a Puerto Vallarta trip rounded out the auction items.
Since 1986, the World Business Academy has endeavored to bring higher consciousness to business practices and to advance social and environmental justice, and it believes that business plays a powerful role in how the world operates, but has, in many cases, left behind social responsibility for the effects of its actions. Begun as a think tank for people to explore integrating effective business practices with the prosperity of the rest of the world — people, animals, plants and the atmosphere — thought led to action.
During the past several years, the academy turned its attention to two environmental issues, the danger of nuclear power and the potential of creating clean, renewable energy in the Santa Barbara region through an independent series of micro-grids of electricity as a model to be duplicated throughout California, the United States and the world.
Click here for more information about the World Business Academy, or call 805.892.4600 or visit 2020 Alameda Padre Serra, Suite 135 in Santa Barbara.
— Noozhawk contributing writer Rochelle Rose can be reached at rrose@noozhawk.com. This article includes reportinf Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkSociety, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.
